Sony HDR-FX1000

The Canon XL H1A is a shoulder-mounted professional camcorder that also records HDV footage to MiniDV tape. Its larger design makes for much better access to manual controls and an overall easier video-taping experience than the HDR-FX1000. The Canon XL H1A also has more connectivity features as well as 2-channel XLR audio inputs. According to our testing, the video performances of the two camcorders wasn't all that difference, although the Canon XL H1A held a clear edge in low light sensitivity. The HDR-FX1000 did show us better video resolution and its motion looked nicer as a result. These are two vastly different camcorders in the long run, the XL H1A is more suited towards pros and its price reflects as such ($5999 MSRP). If you want the better manual control features and don't mind the added size or price tag of the XL H1A it is a very good option. Stick with the HDR-FX1000 if you don't care about audio and aren't fussy about your controls being sleek, smooth, and comfortable.

	Comparison Specs
	Sony HDR-FX1000	Canon XL H1A
Price	$3199	$5999 (with lens)
Primary Recording Media	MiniDV tape	MiniDV tape
Still Image Media	Memory Stick Pro Duo	SD/SDHC, MMC cards
Image Sensor	Three 1/3-inch CMOS	Three 1/3-inch CCD
Effective Pixel Count	1.04 Megapixels	1.56 Megapixels
Lens Mount	No interchangeable lens	XL interchangeable lens system
Audio Input	3.5mm mini-jack	2 XLR, 3.5mm mini-jack (2-channel capable)
LCD/Viewfinder	3.2-inch LCD with 921,000 pixels 0.45-inch EVF with 1,227,000 pixels	2.4-inch color LCD with 215,000 pixels LCD also serves as viewfinder
Weight	2100g (4.56 lbs.) fully loaded	3935g (8.7 lbs.) fully loaded
Dimensions	169 × 178 × 349mm (6.75 x 7 x 13.9 in.)	226 x 220 x 496mm (8.9 x 8.7 x 19.5 in.)
Uncompressed Video output	No	No
Optical Zoom	20x	20x (with provided lens)
Frame Rates	HDV: 60i, 30p, 24p	HDV: 1080/60i, 30F, 24F
	Scores
Color	9.05	11.7
Noise	7.22	9.56
Video Resolution	11.79	9.34
Low Light Sensitivity	4.56	8.04
Low Light Color	6.53	7.36
Low Light Noise	6.62	6.29
Battery Life (LCD)	7.6	11.8

In comparison to the Canon XL H1A, the Sony HDR-FX1000 really only underperformed on two key tests: Battery Life, and Low Light Sensitivity.

Battery Life (LCD) Comparisons

The Canon XL H1A lasted nearly twice as long in our battery test as compared to the HDR-FX1000. This test was conducted using the supplied battery pack, which, to be fair, is probably not what most pros or prosumers will be running their camcorder with. Even so, the Canon XL H1A lasted for nearly 4 hours with its supplied battery. With that kind of performance you may not have to even buy a back-up. Most HDR-FX1000 users, on the other hand, would probably benefit greatly from an extra battery pack.

Required Illumination *

* the lower the lux required, the better the performance

With low light sensitivity, you can clearly see the difference between the Sony HDR-FX1000 and Canon XL H1A. The numbers may not appear to be all that different, but just a few lux of separation means a lot in this test. The Sony HDR-FX1000 repeatedly showed us a dark image in auto mode, which is something that probably added to its diminished low light sensitivity performance.

Video Resolution Score Comparisons

The HDR-FX1000 did shock us with a splendid video resolution score, which is promising for the small prosumer camcorder. The motion captured by the FX1000 also looked crisp and clean, even in areas where many great camcorders show signs of trailing and blur. If you end up buying the HDR-FX1000 you can rest easy knowing you own a product that produces quality video.