Canon XL2
January 23, 2005 in cinematography by Josh
The XL2, replacing the venerable XL1 and XL1s, widens its lead as the elite camcorder of the Mini-DVs.
Interchangeable lenses with great choices, full manual control with easy-to-get-to controls, excellent picture quality- clean, crisp, sharp and very low noise. Ships with an amazingly sharp 20x L-series flourite lens with super-steady optical image stabilization.
But the most important thing to me is the aesthetic look of the picture. With the XL2, you’re going to get a BIGTIME look that spells E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E! Warm, friendly color with filmlike 24p and 30p Frame Rates make this camcorder look better out of the box than any other cam I’ve ever seen.
This 35 minute video is a feature tour of the new Canon XL2 camcorder.
Watch the XL2 Feature Tour Video
There’s also a coupon code for DV Enlightenment at the end of the video.
The DVcreators.net staff wrote and produced this video, all shot with the XL2, and edited with Final Cut Studio, animations in After Effects and Motion.
Also, tell us what you think about the XL2 Feature Tour, and especially let us know if you decided to buy one based on the video!
No related posts.
Great and informative overview of the XL2. Reinforces my satisfaction with owning one.
Your tour was awesome and I am so much more enlightened now that I’ve listened to it 3 straight times!
On the movie I just finished work on we used the XL2 but I never got the time to really get to know what it was capable of. Weird I know. However, after watching the tour I finally decided to get an XL2 for myself over the Panny dvx100b. Thanks for pushing me, I mean helping me, off the fence.
I believe a DVD tutorial would be of great use and benifit everyone whose is considering or has already purchased the Canon XL2. I watched the Tutorial and it covers everything one needs to get started and make great looking video. It’s a shame that Canon hasn’t offered this earlier. It is gratly needed.
I also watched it 3 times, and Learned alot, I’ve already read the Manual Several times, but got alot more out of the video than I did the Manual , because it not only shows you the menu layout, but shows you how to achieve different effects, I would even pay for it.
I’d love a copy of the Canon XL2 dvd that should have come with the 4,000 dollar camera I bought with the same name lol.
Thank you so much for the XL2 Feature Tour Video! It certainly helped solidify in choosing a camera for us. Now that we have purchased our XL2, the Feature Tour Video continues to be of extreme help. Great job!
–Jeff Anselmo
Okay, I watched the entire tutorial and I take back any negative comments about the XL2 I may have made. Non HD but, lack of timecode aside, a professional camera.
I decided tttto buy the XL2 because of this video. I now own one.
This video played a major part in deciding on a camera for my studio suite. I favored this camera over the current HD camera under $4000.00. This is the best video I’ve seen in a long time advestising features of a product.
I also purchased the XL2 based on what I saw in this video. I do not have a lot of funding to throw around and this video sold me! I still come back to the video time and again for helpful tips and tricks. I would love a video that would go even more in depth look at the XL2. Thank you again.
Awesome Video!! I refer back to it often. Very informative, and very easy to learn from!!
Thanks alot!
~Johnny W.
Excellent video. Canon should include this on DVD with the camera, as it is far superior than any other XL2 video I have found. It convinced me to buy the camera a few months ago, and I still play it to refresh myself on some of the custom presets on a regular basis.
I bought one after seeing this video. But I had a problem seeing it the second time. I am very interested in getting a copy.
Sorry about that! The link should be working now.
What a great video, very well done !!!
I already own an XL1s and lately I’ve bought an XL2. It just confirm that I’ve made the right choice. It really make me wanting to explore deeper the possibility provided by this camera. Like others, I will replay this video over and over. I am now thinking of buying the DV enlightnment DVD. Keep up the good work !!!
-Daniel Paquin
Though my mind was already made up, after watching this feature……..you get the idea. THIS IS THE FREAKING REVIEW I’VE BEEN SEARCHING THE ENTIRE WEB FOR!! THANKS A MILLION.
Wow, this makes me really happy that i chose the Canon XL2 over the Sony Hvr-Z1U. It’s so good and the quality is great. It’s amazing.
I was interested in purchasing an XL2, the video convinced me. The price has come down quite a bit and now I can afford one. I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
bought the camera middle of march after seeing your video. just purchased final cut express and was lead to your training software on apple’s website. recognized voice on demo videos and decided to purchase because of the quality of canon video. i use camera filming my church’s service for our shut ins and our website; my kiwanis meetings and their website and a school for learning disabled children’s website. i purchased final cut express because i am having trouble getting quality of camera on dvd and websites. hope your training software helps with this problem.
Yesterday I stumbled across your web site and was very impressed with the information you presented here. The video was the type and style thats was not only informative but was presented in a way that it kept my attention. I would love to see more just like it. I have the XL2 and am now just begining to use it and this video was what I needed Thanks!
Considering the original, tremendous video was made 3 years ago, I’d think a full tutorial would be available by now… PLEASE MAKE ONE… We’ll pay!
Thanks soo much for making this video. I’m a grad student with no formal training and using the XL2 to make my documentary. This video allowed me to have greater understanding of what I want to achieve, where I couldn’t understand with the manual(my instructor just handed to me). Now, I’m ready to shoot with greater confidence. Oh if you make a full tutorial, I would buy it as I used your FCP one to learn FCP !!!! You guys rock!!!
Thanks!!!!
I am on the following page:
http://www.dvcreators.net/canon-xl2/
and I am trying to view the video on the XL2, but am unable too. I have tried with both firefox and explorer.
Can you give my an idea why I am not getting the video?
Thanks,
Paul J. Russo
owner@spreadingthewordmmp.com
http://www.spreadingthewordmmp.com
Hi Paul,
Weird, I just clicked it and it worked fine.
Try this link:
http://dvcreators.net/media/demos/xl2featuretour/xl2featuretour.html
Great Tour! It led me to the purchase of the XL2. I only wish that the documention that came with the camera was nearly as informative as your tour. I have basically scrapped the directions and just refer to your tour. Thanks so much!
Well done video on this product. We intend to buy an XL2 now.
ZB, I would look at an HD camera now instead now that it’s 2009.
This video has pushed me toward the XL2, having been caught between the AG-DVX100B and the XL2. Thanks a ton!
Steven, I would recommend looking at an HD camera now instead now that it’s 2009.
Hi, please can someone help…..!!!
The colour quality captured by my canon xl2 is very dull, for example, someone wearing a bright red outfit will appear as dull red. How can I fix this problem? your advise is very much appreciated.
Why do you say it’s “dull”?
Hi, ‘dull’ meaning, the actual/natural colours are not being captured. As I’ve mentioned, someone wearing bright red will appear dark red! Please advise. thanks.
I mean, how are you judging the color? Is your monitor properly calibrated?
More info:
http://www.dvcreators.net/tag/monitoring/
Hi Fats,
Did you ever resolve this issue?
I have 2 XL2′s from new and they both record like this.
I edit it out in FCP6 using colour corrector but you have to apply that to EVERY clip.
Major ballache.
Many thanks, mick.
Hi Guys,
Looking to see if you could help me with a problem.
I have had the XL2 for over a yer now and love it. We use it on a cruise ship for multiple purposes. i just came back from vacation ad have been able to use it due to the video that it is capuring is ‘not editable’. This is a warning that I get when I try to dump it to Avid using a sony DV player. (Avid is not giving me the error, the player is) This has never been an issue.
I thought it may be the tapes so I bout new stock and I get the same message. I can take the same tape and use any of my other DVcams and record something and I have no problem and the light on the player that says ‘not editable’ doesn’t come up.
I am confused. I know I am usin the right tapes, plus the ones I had before buying the new ones, worked fine.
I have to believe that a setting in the camera has been changed but i can’t seem to find what it could be.
Any help offered would be appreciated. Thanks in advance…
I had this same issue a few months ago, when I supplied a miniDV tape shot on an XL2, and someone was trying to play the tape in a Sony DV player. They told me the tape was bad, and sent it back. I played it back through the XL2 and it looked perfect.
The problem is an issue with Sony vs. Canon and the way the track width on the miniDV tape itself. Sony thinks the tracks should be “xx” microns wide, Canon thinks they should be “xy” wide. The result is when Sony DV player tries to read the track, it is full of garbage, won’t sync, usually “unplayable”.
To overcome this, see if you can offload the tape through your Canon XL2 using the firewire port, rather than a Sony player.
It’s just a “format difference”, and both Sony and Canon say it’s the other’s problem.
If I am reading he last post right about not sony decks not being able to read canon written tapes, then I think it’s just a switch on the sony device. Sony cameras record miniDV tapes in two formats, their own, and the general one. So it makes sense that the decks have the switch as well. I have the same cam and have run into this problem with I just take the tape from sony cam and want to play it on canon. If it was recorded in the proprietary format, it’s a no go.
I saw this vidoe on the Canon website. I was so impressed that I purchased an XL2 and got about a week ago. i love this camera. Now I have to learn how to use it. Does anyone have some tips for me? I can use all the help I can get.
Hi.
I have canon xl2 pal camcorder and my problem is that when i see from vewfinder it looks ok but when i captur in my pc the picture i think is going to loose.
This camera is still around after all these years, we’re a photographer business and are “expanding” into videography, Commercials, weddings etc. We have an HD cam that we use but local TV stations here still use 720 x 480..