Canon XH A1 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Nov 21, 2006 12:00 PM
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Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (8.25)
Auto controls are crucial on any camcorder that you plan on taking out into the field. Under bad conditions, you might be forced to simply point and shoot and hope the camcorder was designed well enough to make smart decisions regarding exposure, focus, shutter speed, gain, and white balance. In all, the XH A1 does a good job. Of course, there’s a reason this thing is loaded with manual controls – the image will benefit from some set-up time. The auto controls are nothing something you want to rely on entirely.
The best auto controls are the exposure and white balance. As with the XL H1, it shifts between small environmental changes (i.e., moving clouds, etc.) with aplomb. When it comes to larger shifts, between a sunlit wall and a shadowy doorway, for instance, the transition occurs rapidly. If you want them both in the shot, the XH A1’s tendency is to give precedence to bright area and to lose detail in the dark areas. You’ll want to train yourself to ignore the fact that the LCD gives a false overexposure. If the auto exposure lag time is not to your liking, you can go into the Custom Setup menu and dictate whether you would like changes to occur slowly, quickly, or somewhere in between.
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The Instant AF sensor, located directly next to the lens. |
The camcorder makes it easy to delegate controls to the auto systems. The mode dial has an Auto mode (an “A” with a square around it) and a full Easy mode. The latter will rarely be used, as it renders virtually all of the buttons and dials dead – a true idiot-proof mode. The Auto mode, on the other hand, only takes aperture and shutter speed off your hands entirely. The gain, white balance, auto levels, focus, and custom keys are all accessible if you flip the correct switch (see the Manual Controls sections below). In fact, even the aperture and shutter speed are available in Auto Mode if you hit the Exposure Lock button. What’s the difference, you ask, between Auto mode and full Manual? Mainly, the Manual mode is more convenient to make changes in. Auto mode is good only if you want to make one or two manual adjustments and have the rest run in Auto.
Like nearly all Canon camcorders, there are also a couple Program AE modes, presets that give rough approximations for the best manual settings under certain shooting conditions. While there may be numerous Program AE modes in their consumer camcorders (one for fireworks, one for snow, etc.), the XH A1 has two: Night and Spotlight. Chances are, you’ll get better results if you make the manual adjustments yourself, but these can be handy to fall back on.
Overall Manual Control (10.0)
The manual controls on the Canon XH A1 are absolutely fantastic. For under $4000, you won’t find this level of control anywhere. In addition, somehow Canon found the time to actually improve the degree of control (mainly described in the Other Manual Control section below) since the XL H1. The core controls, those most commonly used – zoom, focus, exposure, aperture, shutter speed, and gain – are mostly the same. Improvements include the addition of an aperture ring and an increased maximum gain value – +36dB, up from +18dB on the XL H1.
However, because the body is considerably smaller than the XL H1, much of the functionality we loved has been forced into the menu. Canon clearly tried to keep the most critical controls as exterior buttons, but you’ll be required to do more pre-shoot set-up. For instance, the XL H1’s gain control was a pop-up dial with settings for -3dB, automatic, 0dB, +3dB, +6dB, +12dB, and +18dB. The XH A1 has replaced the dial with a Low, Medium, High toggle switch. In order to determine the actual gain values of those choices, you have to go into the menu and set them. Small sacrifices like this have also been made to frame rate and aspect ratio settings, image stabilization, AE shift, and some audio controls.
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The jog dial and the Menu button |
The mode dial is very similar to the XL H1. Slightly smaller in diameter, all the modes remain: External control (for use with the Canon Console software), VCR, Off, Auto (which still allows use of most manual controls), Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, Spotlight AE mode, Night Mode, and Easy mode.
Like the XL H1, the XH A1 has two Custom Keys that can be set to perform one-touch access to certain features. The keys can also be assigned multiple functions depending on which mode you’re in: video, video VCR, still mode, and still VCR. In video mode, the keys can be assigned any of the following controls: Time Code, Index Write, Zebra, VCR Stop, TV Screen, Time Code Hold, Audio levels, Viewfinder and LCD Black & White, Magnify (see Focus section below for more details), Shutter dial lock, and Custom Preset backward (move through the Custom Presets backwards, as opposed to the “Custom Preset Select button” which moves in a forward direction). Assigning the keys is done in the System Setup menu.
Menu
When a menu gets this extensive, we give it its own section. As mentioned above, a lot the controls that could be found externally on the XL H1 have been moved into the menu on the XH A1. As such, you’ll want to know the menu inside and out before an important shoot. The menu is accessed by the Menu button, located at the far rear of the left side. Navigating the menu is done primarily through a jog dial located on the left rear. In short, this control is too small. We have no problem with small but effective jog dials on consumer camcorders like Canon Opturas, but for a product with professional applications, the control should be larger and more thumb-friendly. Toggling the extensive lists on each page are no great joy, either, given the fact that when you reach the bottom of a list, pushing down will not jump you back up to the top of the list. Instead, you have to push up, up, up… to get back to the top. Simple functionality like this has been a complaint of ours for years, and it certainly should have been addressed by this point. The menu is much more extensive than the XL H1, though that camcorder offered a friendlier scroll wheel to navigate.
The Main Menu
The main menu is split into 7 sub-menus: Signal Setup, Camera Setup, Recording Setup, Audio Setup, Display Setup, System Setup, and Customize. The animated gif here of the menu illustrates all the features contained within each. In summary, the Signal Setup is for frame rates and related choices, the Camera Setup contains a lot the manual controls and auto control responses, and the Customize submenu contains the fleet of fine image quality controls (listed in the Other Manual Controls section).
Zoom (10.0)
Where you are in the zoom is indicated by a scale in the upper left corner of the LCD. A few seconds after the adjustment, the scale disappears. The scale icon gives you only a rough approximation of where in the zoom scale you are. There is no numerical indication.
There are three zoom controls on the XH A1. The first, a zoom ring on the lens barrel, offers the finest control. The ring measures about 1/2” in width, with a grooved rubber track for solid grip. Because the zoom ring is servo-operated and not mechanical, you cannot mark fixed zoom positions with a white marker on the body. However, the camcorder does offer a Position Preset feature, that allows you to create a single fixed point in the zoom range (20x), then jump to that point at any time with a one-touch switch. Your pre-set position appears as a yellow square on the zoom scale icon.
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The primary zoom rocker (left) and the secondary zoom (right) |
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The second zoom control is a large rocker on the right side of the top, made to fit your index and index and middle fingers while shooting. The rocker is a little more than half the size of the same control on the XL H1. Manipulating zoom is no problem, but we found difficulties with the placement of this control in relation to overall handling. The camcorder has a tendency to lean left, away from the shooting hand. As a result, you’ve got to grab tight with your right hand. But because of the rocker’s placement, you may find yourself accidentally pushing down on the control and creating unintentional zooms.
The third zoom control is a mini rocker located on the top of the handle, just behind the accessory shoe. Positioned solely for low-to-the-ground shooting when you really need the handle, Canon gives you the option to turn the control off to avoid accidental bumping.
With the Zoom Preset established (the yellow square), you can return to it any time instantly.
Both rockers can be adjusted for variable, touch-sensitive zoom speeds, or set to a constant speed. To shift between variable and constant, there is a switch neatly tucked away on the right side, catty-corner to the primary Record on/off button. Adjusting the speed in constant speed mode is done by the dial labeled “Fast” on top just behind the main zoom rocker.
Zoom Power/Ratio (20.0)
The Canon XH A1 includes an integrated 20x optical zoom lens, like the removable lens on the XL H1. This lens, in combination with the exceptional resolution of the imaging system produces telephoto shots that hold up extremely well in comparison to 20x optical zoom lenses on lower-priced camcorders. The XH A1 does not offer a digital zoom option like the 1.5x zoom on Sony’s HDR-FX7.
Focus (10.0)
Focus is critical in HD because mistakes become more apparent. In order to curb errors, the XH A1 is equipped with a some useful tools. The focus ring is the largest of the rings on the lens barrel, located closest to the front, measuring nearly an inch in diameter with an extra wide groove track for solid grip. As with the XL H1, the ring is pretty sensitive, so you’ll want to practice a light touch before an important shoot.
The Manual / Auto Focus switch is located on the left side about three inches under the LCD panel hinge. In Auto mode, you’re welcome to make manual adjustments, but after a few seconds the auto controls will reset it (for more on auto focus, read the Automatic Controls section above). In Manual Focus mode, an onscreen display appears in the lower left that indicates where in the focal range you are, displayed in meters. This can be changed to feet in the Custom Function menu.
The XH A1 offers Peaking, which boosts contrast to sharpen object outlines, and Magnifying, which zooms in 2x, in order to help with manual focus adjustments. Both of these are one-touch controls that appear only on the LCD and not the final output stream. Like zoom, you do have the ability to create a single pre-set position that can be returned to with the simple side of a switch. The Focus/Zoom pre-set controls are located just behind the lens barrel on the left.
Finally, if you’re not totally confident in your manual adjustment, there is an AF button located below the Focus Pre-set controls. Pushing this will enable auto focus only as long as you keep the button depressed. In our shooting, we found this control to have a lot of trouble when multiples planes of focus were involved, particularly in 24F mode.
All these controls are, of course, great. But if the ultimate arbiter of focal quality is the shooter, the 2.7” LCD screen is probably not going to cut it, especially if you have aspirations for professional quality. The viewfinder is better, as the resolution is higher. A larger LCD, like the 3.5” LCD on the Sony HDR-FX7, would make the focusing process easier. For the tightest control, you’ll probably want to zoom all the way in, find the focus, and zoom out. A field monitor or studio monitor is an option for those with the budget. ENGs and budget filmmakers will have to do the best they can with the XH A1’s tools.
Exposure (Aperture) (11.0)
Aperture can be adjusted via the aperture ring, the ring furthest back from the front on the lens barrel. Only in Manual and Aperture Priority modes can iris adjustments be made. In other modes, the ring does nothing. Aperture settings range between: F/1.6, F/1.8, F/2.0, F/2.2, F/2.4, F/2.6, F/2.8, F/3.2, F/3.4, F/3.7, 4.0, F/4.4, F/4.8, 5.2, F/5.6, F/6.2, F/6.7, F/7.3, F/8.0, F/8.7, F/9.5, and CLOSE. These values are the same in Aperture Priority and Manual modes, which marks a difference from the XL H1, which had a much wider set in Manual mode than in its Aperture Priority mode. However, the iris ring on the lens barrel is a new feature not found on the XH A1, and the added convenience more than makes up for the abbreviated list of aperture settings.
Whereas the XL H1 has selector knob under the handle for AE shift, this control has been shifted in whole to the Camera Setup submenu. AE Shift ranges from -2.0EV to +2.0EV in 0.25EV increments.
The Exposure Lock feature, engaged by the Exp. Lock button located at the bottom of the left side, creates an exposure scale icon onscreen. An arrow in the middle indicates where the auto controls think the exposure should rest. Once you turn the Exposure Lock on, you can adjust iris and shutter speed, regardless of which shooting mode you’re in. As you make adjustments, a little square appears on the scale to show you how far you’re moving from the ideal (the arrow in the center). This is a great way to make adjustments in conditions where you can’t trust the LCD or viewfinder to give you an accurate picture.
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With the Exposure Lock on, you can make adjustments while keeping on eye on the camcorder's ideal exposure setting (the arrow in the middle of the scale). Your current setting is represented by the square. |
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Shutter Speed (9.0)
Shutter speed is controlled via a small dial located on the left side. It can be adjusted in Manual mode or Shutter Priority mode. Shutter speed options depend on the frame rate in which you’re shooting.
In 60i and 30F: 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000, 1/8000, 1/15000, and Clear Scan (more on that in Other Manual Controls below).
In 24F: 1/3, 1/6, 1/12, 1/24, 1/48, 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000, 1/8000, 15000, and Clear Scan.
This shutter range has been reduced considerably from the XL H1, though it should manage to prove satisfactory for most users. Access to the controls is simple, which is great for quick adjustments in low light and bright light shooting.
White Balance (9.0)
The white balance controls on the XH A1 are great, though the arrangement is completely different from the XL H1. Our main complaint is that the five exterior controls that work together to give you access are too numerous and too spread out to function at peak efficiency. Let’s take a tour of the controls in the order in which you might use them.
Directly under the mode dial is an Auto White Balance on/off switch When on, you’re worries are over. For auto white balance performance, read the Automatic Controls section above. To make manual adjustments, switch it off.
Directly beneath that switch is the metallic White Balance toggle switch, with options for A, B, and Pre. The A and B options are simple. You can save two manual white balance settings by positioning the toggle at A or B, then pushing and holding the “set white balance” icon immediately to the right of the toggle (that’s button #3, if you’re keeping count).
The third toggle setting, Pre, relates to a switch all the way at the top of the camcorder. That switch (#4) has three settings, Indoor WB preset, Outdoor WB preset, and K. Indoor and Outdoor WB settings are pretty self-explanatory. “K” indicates the specific color temperature value in degrees Kelvin. To determine that K value, you need to push the “set white balance” button (button #3). The K value starts blinking onscreen. Then you need to move you hand all the way over the shutter speed dial, which doubles as the K value adjuster (button #5). The K value ranges from 3200 degrees to 5600 degrees.
For as complicated as this sounds, it’s a credit to Canon’s design team that the process is relatively simple to figure out once you have the camcorder in front of you. Still, the XL H1 was simpler.
Gain (5.5)
The gain range has actually increased over the XL H1, but the ease of control has diminished somewhat. On the XH A1, the gain settings include: -3dB, auto, 0dB, +3dB, +6dB, +12dB, +18dB, and +36dB. The XL H1 capped out at +18dB, and once you take a look at the picture with +36dB gain, you’ll see why. The picture is so grainy; the likelihood of using it seems slim.
Just to the left of the big mode dial, there is a switch to toggle between auto gain (AGC) on and off. It must be in the off position to make manual adjustments. While the XL H1 had a great pop-up dial for controlling the gain, the XH A1 has replaced it with a metallic toggle switch that has three settings, L, M, and H. The exact gain value for each of those settings must be determined in the Camera Setup menu. It’s a simple enough process, but gain is something that most shooters would choose to dial in, if they could. Of all the design controls, this one could have benefited the most from a direct copy of the XL H1.
Other Manual Control(12.0)
Neutral Density Filter – The neutral density control has moved from its position as a ring on the XL H1 to a small switch on the XH A1, on the left side just behind the lens barrel. The settings are the same: Off, 1/6, and 1/32. Though the manual does not state the exact values, our research turned up approximate values of 2 stops at 1/6 and 5 stops at 1/32. Neutral density filters allow you to open the iris wider in bright light, thus having a greater control over depth of field.
Zebra – Zebra stripes, which give a warning of overexposure, can be engaged in the menu, or assigned to one of the Custom Keys. It can be set to 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100 IRE.
Skin Detail Set – The Skin Detail set has a high degree of control, if you choose to use it. Used to make your talent look better, the basic premise is that the camcorder looks for certain colors and either warms or softens them. Of course, this only encompasses certain types of skin color. The Canon XH A1’s skin detection has four parts: Hue, Chroma, Area, and Y Level. In summary, Hue looks for skin on a red-green scale, Chroma looks for color saturation, meaning vivid to pale skin, Area accounts for the width of the color range for detection, and Y Level for the brightness levels to detect. Each of these controls has a +/-6 scale.
Sky Detail – When activated, the camcorder will decrease detail in blue areas.
Clear Scan – Have you ever seen a television screen or computer monitor flickering in the background on a piece of footage? In order to avoid that, you can actually dial in the frequency at which you record, from 60.1 Hz to 203.9 Hz.
Color Bars – The XH A1 has a switch on the left side that produces color bars and a 1 kHz audio tone. Within the menu, you can choose the between SMPTE or ARIB standards, as well as the strength of the audio tone (-12dB to -20dB).
Custom Function Menu – You can custom design many of the camcorder’s shooting aspects to suit your style and preference, then save those settings on the camcorder or export them to an SD card and pop it into another A1 or G1. Three personal settings can be saved, in all. The number of options in each setting is pretty amazing: 20 separate functions that range from exposure response speeds, button assignments, onscreen markers, and even the orientation in which the zoom, focus, and iris dials spin. It can take a while to set up all your preferences, but once you do, you’ll always have them.
The Custom Function Menu
Custom Display Menu – This is similar to the control set above, but you can only create a single set of preferences. This setting can be exported it to an SD card and imported into another A1 or G1. The 21 functions in this menu correspond to the display settings, and are rather exhaustive in their choices.
Custom Display Menu
Color Preset Menu
Similar to the control menus above, you can create up to 9 personalized presets. These controls affect color performance. All of the following controls are located in the Customize > Custom Preset menu. These are serious controls for pro users. Some of them will find more use than others. We found the Noise Reduction settings to be particularly popular, as are Gamma settings and Black Press/Stretch.
The Custom Preset Menu. Descriptions of each function are below.
Gamma Curve – The gamma curve, which controls the relationship between light intensity and output, can be set to Normal, Cine 1, and Cine 2. The latter two are meant to match the gamma curve of film.
Knee Point Adjustment – Knee controls the dynamic range of the upper-end of the exposure scale (highlights). It can be set to Low, Middle, High, and Auto.
Black Stretch/Press – This controls the dynamic range of the low end of the exposure scale (shadows). It can be set to Middle, Stretch (which expands the dynamic range), and Press (which decreases dynamic range to intensify shadow).
Master Pedestal – This is the start point of the gamma curve. It can be set to +/-9.
Setup Level – This is the start of the black point, which Canon defaults to 3 IRE (what they consider the industry standard). It can be adjusted to +/-9. Your Master Pedestal setting may prevent you from setting a negative Setup level.
Sharpness – Sharpness can be set from +/-9.
Horizontal Detail Frequency – HDF can be set to Low, Middle, and High.
Horizontal / Vertical Detail Balance – Labeled as DHV in the menu, this also has a +/-9 range.
Coring – Coring, which can be set from +/-9, controls the amount of noise in detail.
Noise Reduction – This is actually split into two functions, NR1 and NR2. NR1 is a standard sort of noise reduction that can be set to Low, Middle, and High. When in High, trailing often shows up in moving objects. NR2, also with Low, Middle, and High settings, Canon describes as similar to applying the Skin Detail feature to the entire image. Trailing will not occur with NR2.
Color Matrix – This can also be set to Normal, Cine 1, and Cine 2.
Color Gain – What was once a +/-9 range on the XL H1 has greatly expanded to +/-50 on the XH A1 for a much finer degree of control. As far as we can tell, though, the actual range has not increased.
R Gain, G Gain, and B Gain – Each of the Red, Green, and Blue channels gets its own gain control, as well. Like the overall gain, each has increased the degree of control form the XL H1, and is now +/-50.
2-Channel Matrices – Each channel can be set against the other to create exact color balance to a degree of +/-50. The menu offers: red-green, red-blue, green-red, green-blue, blue-red, and blue-green.
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