Canon XF105

Introduction

At the Canon Expo in New York City, we got a chance to check out the XF105—a new compact pro model that is loaded with manual controls. Unfortunately, the camcorder is stuck with a single CMOS sensor instead of the three-chip system found on Canon's previous pro models (like the XF300 and XF305). We're not sure how much this downgrade will affect overall image quality, but it leaves us worried about the XF105's performance capabilities.

The XF105 has a slightly cheaper sister model, the XF100, that is essentially identical to the XF105, except it lacks the professional Genlock/Timecode and HD/SD-SDI BNC connections. Both camcorders are expected to ship in mid-January 2011 with the XF105 retailing for around $5000 and the XF100 going for roughly $4000.