UPDATE: Canon Sticks with HDV, Unveils XL H1S and XL H1A, Hints at Future Codecby David KenderPublished on Apr 15, 2008 12:57 PM 
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UPDATE: We had a chance to sit down with Mike Zorich, Marketing Director of the Video Division of Consumer Imaging Group at Canon USA. We asked him some of our questions, as well as some your questions. In the interview Canon hints at its own HD codec in the future.
Commenter Mark Williams asked why the new Canon XL H1S and XL H1A did not offer an HDMI jack. Zorich responded, “The answer is pretty simple. [The new camcorders] are just a spin off of the XL H1. To include an HDMI would have meant a complete overhaul of the circuit control in the camera. Canon was not able to make a change of this magnitude…. I think you’ll see that in future products from Canon.”
The second comment came from Blairness, who liked the new lens, but would have liked to see a non-perpetual zoom ring with a “little knob” like the Sony HVR-Z1. Zorich: “He’s absolutely right. What Canon is working to do is make advancements in the servo lens. That’s why all the [development] has been on the inside and not the outside. It’s not to say that we won’t have a mechanical lens in the future, but we’re working to make refinements to the [servo] lens.”
In regards to Canon releasing yet another tape-based series of camcorders, Zorich responded that more than fifty percent of acquisition is currently done on tape. Canon is very aware of the trend in tapeless media, but is taking the time to research the market carefully.
When we asked if Canon’s use of AVCHD in the consumer range would be a factor in its development of pro platforms, the responses became very interesting. Zorich confirmed that that would be a factor, but did not go as far to say that Canon would definitely be pursuing the AVCHD path. He continued, “Red [Digital Cinema] created their own codec. No one took them seriously two years ago, and now they’re competing in the marketplace.”
The possibility of a new HD codec from Canon is indeed tantalizing, though no further details were discussed. The competition between Panasonic’s AVC variants and Sony’s XDCAM EX recently intensified with several products announcements at this year’s NAB. A third option in this market (sub-$20K camcorder systems) could have interesting repercussions.
When asked what the challenges of developing a new codec, Zorich responded that, “It has to work out of the gate. The professional community would never accept a camcorder coming to market that does not have an immediate editing solution.”
Given that fact that NLE developers require at least a year’s lead time in order to develop compatibility, it’s possible that Canon is underway with such a development at this moment.
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While Panasonic and Sony have been aggressively pursuing non-tape workflows for the sub-$10K range of camcorders, Canon is sticking with tape and with the HDV format for the time being. “There is still a very large market for tape… wedding and event shooters, specifically, are still requiring tape. Film schools are typically still requiring tape,” stated Mitch Glick, Product Marketing Manager Consumer Division at Canon U.S.A. "Not to say that we won't be there [in non-tape] in the future."
Physically, there is very little difference between the original XL H1 and the new XL H1A and XL H1S. Most of the changes are internal and software based. For instance, the white balance adjustment has been extended from 2800K – 12000K to a new range of 2000K – 15000K. The gain range has been increased from +18dB to a new high of +36dB, and the increments have been refined to 1/2dB in the 0db-18dB range. The color parameter options have increased their range of settings from +/-9 to a finer scale of +/-50.
“These two products represent a lot of feedback that we received from pro consumers,” stated Glick. “What we tried to do here is take the XL H1 and refine it to give them an enhanced level over the control and the operation.”
If these upgrades sound familiar to Canon fans, they should. Much of the new functionality has been carried over from the Canon XH A1 (Specs, Recent News, $3094.99) and XH G1, the hand-held camcorders that were released about nine months after the XL H1. Though the A1 and G1 were smaller and cheaper than the H1, the degree to which a shooter could control image quality from within the camcorder was far more advanced.
Though this expanded set of parameters is useful, the new camcorders are clearly not a major upgrade from the older XL H1. Rather, it seems that Canon is taking a popular but expensive product and broadening it out reach a wider user base. “Many users expressed a desire for a lower cost version of the XL H1, one that did not have HD-SDI, SMPTE Time Code, and Genlock because they weren’t doing multi-camera.” It may be added, presumably, that said users also require a shoulder-mounted camera and are not content with the handheld XH A1.
In the simplest terms, the XL H1S is the true replacement for the XL H1, and the XL H1A is a cheaper offshoot. The H1S includes an HD-SDI/SD-SDI output (with embedded audio and time code), individual SMPTE Time Code in and out ports, and a Genlock output port. This same feature differentiation separates the handheld XH G1 (includes pro jack pack) from the XH A1 (does not include pro jack pack). The money saved by not choosing the pro jack pack in either the XL or the XH series is about $3000.
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| The new 20x HD lens has an added iris ring |
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The upgraded models incorporated several small changes that might not be as obvious upon first glance. The FireWire port has been changed from a 4-pin to a 6-pin type and the headphone jack was changed from plastic to metal, both to increase durability. The black & white viewfinder terminal can now double as an external monitor-out port (via an included proprietary cable). The hand strap was made larger. The tripod base is larger to accommodate bigger screws. The positions of the settings on the mode dial have changed – the first setting after “Off “ is Manual mode rather than Auto mode.
The audio feature set has undergone some serious changes, for better or for worse. The biggest alteration is the reduction from 4-channel to 2-channel recording. “For most users, four-channel audio wasn’t something they were able to utilize through their edit suites, so it didn’t make sense to keep that,” Glick explained. The new camcorders do, however, now allow the ability to simultaneously record from the front microphone and the XLR terminal. The sensitivity settings of the XLR inputs have changed. The range of reference tones has been increased, as well.
The XL H1S retails for $8999 (MSRP) and is expected to ship in early June. The XL H1A sells for $5999 (MSRP) and will ship in mid-July. Older XL H1’s will continue to be sold for the next several months, and Canon will continue to offer operational support. (View comparison chart)