OVERVIEW
There's no doubt that this is a great, well built camera. It is pretty much a five star item with only a few areas of improvement needed. The main question you should ask yourself is if this is the right piece of gear for you. Not only in terms of choosing between camcorders, but also whether you should get a DSLR over a Camcorder. This is something I will address under a separate paragraph below.
IS THIS A PRO CAMERA?
The first thing I would like to shed some light on is the "professional" aspect of the camera. As someone commented earlier, as long as you are making a living with something, you are a pro. Now would this camera be the filming tool of a professional? The answer is yes and no. Yes if you are starting your business, you are on a budget, you are filming mostly events, and you don't mind the few extra steps this camera demands for achieving high end results. If you are filming everyday and you have a real production budget, then you should look into something more robust and flexible.
While it can be used by pros, the camera squarely does not meet broadcast standards, which includes 4:2:2 color spacing, 50 mps codec, and interchangeable lenses (among other things).
That been said, this camera is absolutely not for beginners. It DOES possess all the functions and features of a professional camera, esp. for sound. So if you just want to film your kids at Christmas, your holiday at a resort, Disneyworld or some other stuff like that, this camera is not for you because you would waste your money for advanced capabilities you will never use. And you will find it way too complicated too for what you want to film. There are now plenty of affordable and rather excellent cameras out there for the consumer who wants to shoot in HD. The Vixia line or your mid-range DSLRs will do the job great. If you want a camera that meets broadcast standards and remains small and cheap, the XF100 is the way to go.
WHO IS THIS CAMERA FOR?
I think that this camera is a perfect tool for a few specific groups of people:
1) Serious and professional cinematographers who need to haul gear on their back to film an adventure movie in a remote jungle or a mountain area, or any kind of hardcore expedition demanding extreme portability;
2) Serious and professional cinematographers who are making a travel documentary with a lot of interviews and are traveling for multiple months, backpacking or on a bike or something, and want to have something portable and discreet;
3) Professional video makers starting their business and running on a budget;
4) Serious and intermediate to advanced video makers who shoot various short movies during their free time as a hobby. The learning curve for proper image and sound at the highest level is pretty steep. Once you have mastered all the functions and controls on the camera, you will definitely be able to produce images that will blow everybody away. The sound quality is as good as the microphones you will connect, and there's no limit there.
WHY I GOT THE XA10
I got the XA10 to film a documentary on carpentry in Pakistan. I have a full time job so I can only shoot during the week-end. I am still learning how to make proper videos so I could not justify spending too much on upgrading my gear to broadcast levels which would be at least $10,000-$15,000. When you do a documentary, sound is just as important as images, so XLR inputs were really critical for me. Because I travel a lot and also do mountaineering videos, the 2.2 pound ultra compact camera was also a key factor. The fact that you can even remove the handle makes it ideal.
ALTERNATIVES
The XF100, the XA10's big brother, is the obvious upgrade. If you want to shoot in HD near pro/broadcast level ("close" would mean different things to different people) but you are not too worried about sound yet, I suggest you look into the Sony NEX-VG line: they have large sensors and interchangeable lenses. Sony recently unveiled the NEX-VG900 which will have a full frame sensor. It will cost more, of course, but the full frame sensor is an exciting feature. They don't have XLR inputs but you can equip them later with add-on parts and modules. Also, DSLRs offer amazing image capabilities, but are limited on sound, although upcoming new models should address that, like the Sony a99, Canon 5D, 6D and the Nikon 600/800.
THE IMAGE
The image quality is very good. It is almost like when you walk into the TV section of a Best Buy store and you look at those crazy good images from a Blu-Ray disc and you go WOW. It is that clear. Keep in mind that the sensor in the camera is the same that you find in the broadcast level XF100. The colors are bright and vivid. The contrasts are sharp. The details of every shot are clean. The lens on the camera is pretty good, so what you film comes out clean.
I used the camera in a number of situations and what strikes me is how incredibly crisp and sharp the images are, along with contrasts and colors. It is very sports like, very vivid and bright. If you saw BBC's Planet Earth documentary, I would say the image is similar in clarity (but of course does not have its depth and color!) It is so sharp that in some cases it has the look of the image in the movie "3 Kings" with George Clooney. That is not a flaw in any way: this is just the style of the camera and it might please some but annoy others. For example, folks who love the smooth, flat-ish, velvety, and brushed up look of the 5D Mark II might find the image overwhelming. I like it and there's ways in post to edit the image to your liking. You could also manually adjust the camera to get more toned-down images.
I use Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 for editing the camera's footage and the program' s analysis reveal that there usually is minor accuracy issues with the luma (or Y/C) curves: it seems that there could be deeper blacks and more uniformity for the whites (they don't top nicely along the 100 mark). The inaccuracy is very subtle and can be easily adjusted in post. With regards to the RGB curves, I found that the spreads are nicely and accurately laid out. The skin tone line is also neatly where it should be, especially if you manually adjusted the white balance correctly when filming. So overall the image is good and accurate.
THE CODEC
The XA10 records the footage in the AVCHD codec, which has both advantages and shortfalls. AVCHD codec is a compressed version of your images (like JPEG compresses photos) which will result in some quality loss not much, but still there is some quality loss, the most visible aspect being some distortion at the far sides of the image when the footage was taken when the camera was oscillating both vertically and horizontally when the subject had a lot of movements or details. The solution is simply to film on tripod or with any form of stabilization. AVCHD is also one of the most efficient compression codec out there (at the moment) so while some quality loss is going to occur, as with any compression, it is less bad than others. If you want to record non-compressed or RAW footage, you'd have to look into a whole different and muc more expensive setup than this. AVCDH is also known as MPEG-4 or H.264, making it the most commonly used codec on web-based video communities and editing software, so you will not have to buy super high-end editing programmes.
THE RATTLE (NON) ISSUE
The handle DOES rattle if you shake the camera but the mics you will plug into the XLR jacks will not pick up the sound (esp. if unidirectional) and in over 70 hours of filming I have not noticed the sound. The only way to hear the rattle would be by using only the camera's built-in mic, keep the XLR handle on, and literally jump or run around with the camera, which is a shooting setup that makes no sense and would result in unusable footage anyway. Also, why would you use the built-in mic if you have XLR inputs? If you do want to do that, you can remove the handle, and the problem is solved. So the rattle thing is really not an issue and I think that people who complain about it have yet to understand how to use the camera.
DEPTH OF FIELD
Crazy shallow depth of field (DOF) is extremely popular at the moment (There's f/0.95 lense coming out at photokina!) but achieving shallow DOF with the XA10 is difficult. The aperture can be set at a maximum of 1.8, which is plenty for shallow DOF, but because the zoom control is electronic, it can be a bit difficult to control the DOF when moving the camera in a hand held situation. Also, the out of focus areas / background is not blurred with the same smoothness that you could get with a 1.8 lens on a DSLR with a larger sensor. But with some fiddling of the camera settings and practice, you should figure it out, but it will remain difficult to achieve.
FEATURES THAT MATTER 1: IMAGE
There are many advanced features that will allow you to get really good images: Zebra lines for zoom / exposure levels, automatic exposure gain control, manual exposure, manual shutter speed, manual aperture, manual white balance, peaking, auto gain control, backlight correction and a y/c vector scope (luma curves). I found that the image transmitted to the LCD is a correct representation of what is filmed and reliable enough to use for adjusting your filming setup.
Believe it or not, the infrared function is great. At first I ignored it as a gadget for attracting consumers but I tried it a few times out of curiosity and it produces very interesting footage and the quality is not bad at all. Try filming someone smoking a cigarette in the dark: you can see everything clearly and the cigarette will light up in a beautiful flare.
FEATURES THAT MATTER 2: SOUND
The two XLR inputs and controls will provide you with the opportunity to record sound at professional/broadcast levels, depending on what microphone you use. I like to have one mic (channel 1) one the camera with another one (channel 2) near the sound source (a 25 foot xlr cable is good enough I think).
The built-in mic is ok and has advanced features for quite a lot of control, but it is not to be used if you're aiming for broadcast sound standards. It can work pretty well if your sound source is close to the camera and if there is very little sound interference around it, but the sound is not amazing.
There is also a mic jack you could use for a 3.5mm mic or wireless mic. This 3.5mm jack input is very useful and it can be manually adjusted with the camera's equalizer settings (boosting of low, high or mid level frequencies, depending on what you are recording). You can also mount both XLR mics and a 3.5mm mic on the camera and by the press of a button on the handle you can switch from one sound recording system to another. So sound is a major strength of this camera.
OTHER CARACTERISTICS
The camera is very small, lightweight, compact, easy to carry, easy to mount on a tri or monopod, easy to set up, and easy to activate. On top of this, it is solidly built and feels sturdy. If you plan to climb a big, remote mountain, this is the camera to buy. Or if you want to use it for travel documentaries, you can easily carry it around and not freak people out when pulling it out from your bag it does look like a handycam, which is great for not attracting attention. If you don't need XLR sound, remove the handle and you have a tiny device (then it becomes pretty much the same as the Vixia HF G10).
You can store 64GB on the camera's hard drive and some more on two SD cards. That's almost 9 hours of filming at the highest quality level. Plus it is all flash data so importing the footage to your computer is fast and does not require transcoding or anything. Plug and Play. MiniDVs are now a thing of the past.
The LCD screen is good and accessing the menu for all the functions and control is not perfect but with practice it becomes a straightforward thing. There is an HDMI OUT output option so you could use a separate screen if you need a bigger reference monitor.
This is great value for money. As far as I am concerned this is a small revolution. When you think how much capability this little beast packs up, it is impressive. I mean, XLR inputs, full HD, full manual controls, good codec, huge storage, super compact, etc.
If you film for television, you can record at 60 frames per second interlaced, which is good, although I would assume that people buying this camera will use the internet for distribution, so the 30 fps progressive will be preferred.
MAIN NEGATIVE POINTS
The recording speed is set at a maximum of 30 frames per second (progressive) so there's no slow motion capacity here. That is really too bad. Also, the camera is region locked, so the US model is set at 24p/30p/60i and the Europe+Asia model at 24p/25p/50i.
The image can be a little noisy when shooting in very low light (I mean, dark places) but you could manually adjust that or add a spotlight or two. Now low light can mean different things to different people. This camera will do well in most low light condition but is definitely no match for 5 digit ISO settings now available on some DSLRs. In any case, my opinion on low light capacity is that a camera is a device that captures light so if there is no light, you should either not shoot or add light.
The headphone jack is not conveniently located on the camera and its output is not loud enough, making using headphone difficult. To deal with that, the audio levels can be monitored on the LCD screen. The good thing about the internal mic and the 3.5mm mic input is that you can manually set the maximum audio levels to your desired recording input (for example you can set it to -12db and it will never record louder than that). Unfortunately, and this is a bit of a bummer, you can't set the maximum audio levels for the XLR input and you have to use the "minimum" to "maximum" control dials on the handle, which is ok if your sound source is stable but difficult to manage if sound goes quiet then loud and quiet again. This is kind of annoying.
Below are areas where improvement would be welcome. None are real deal breakers because you can find your way around them with practice.
The auto focus is bad. This is the cameras' main flaw. What happens is that the auto focus will slightly change from parts of a scene to another during certain filming situation: when you are zooming in a lot on a subject that moves or when a certain scene has a lot of details (like a Persian tapestry or something). It confuses the camera easily. This can be overcome by using the manual focus or with some of the auto-focus assistance features like face detection (which works well) and focus tracking (you can lock the focus on a moving object and the camera will keep focusing on it while the object moves this also works pretty well). The focus assistance feature in manual mode is good. You can also pre-set your focusing for scripted scenes.
Zooming. There are three ways to zoom: a small lever on the handle; a bigger lever on the camera's body (which has also variable speed control) and the remote control. All three can be customized in how they zoom. It takes practice but you will end up being able to have relatively smooth zooming but it will never replace the good old, manual, efficient and easy way to focus with a lens's ring, and that sucks. But again, you will learn how to get around it.
Pretty much all functions and controls are only accessible from the LCD screen. You have to go through the menu to find what you need and then adjust everything on the screen. It is really annoying in the beginning but with practice it become fast and easy.
DSLR or XA-10?
It depends. If you are going to do lots of run and gun, if you need extreme portability, if sound is important, if you are making a travel documentary (with sound), if you want to film longer scenes, if you are a one man show and if you want to just open the camera and within a minute start filming, get an XA-10.
If you don't mind rigging your DSLR with a mountain of add-ons, are going to film heavily scripted material, if you want every shot to be artsy following careful planning of every scene, if you want to shoot in low light, if your shoots are going to be short, if sound is not going to be critical, then you might want to get a DSLR. There is no doubt that a quality DSLR + lense will achieve an overall better picture. The problem is that you will spend way more money on gear and also way more time setting your stuff up than just using the camcorder.
To be honest, the ideal is to have both. It is does not make much sense to say that a camcorder is better than a DSRL or the other way around because they are two different systems doing different things. The best device will be the one that best meets your filming needs. I am going to use my XA-10 as my primary filming tool then add a DSLR to get my creative, artsy shots that will be integrated into various parts of the documentary. This means I will need to grow an extra pair of arms or something. The more gear you have, the more work and time you need to rig your stuff for a given shot.
WHAT OTHER STUFF YOU WILL NEED
Computer: You will need a powerful computer to edit the footage and also a blu-ray disc writer. The quality of the footage is so good that it won't fit on a DVD unless you reduce the quality. Be sure to have the appropriate video card, for example an Nvidia if you are going to use Premiere Pro. Files are huge so get an extra large hard drive and external hard drives for backup. A computer screen capable of 1080 HD will be pretty much essential that's at least a 24" screen. I recommend two screens: one for editing and one for full screen playback.
Battery: The battery that is included lasts a bit less than 2 hours. You should get the 819 battery for about 60$ on Amazon and that will give you about 3-4 hours of filming. There's number of third party batteries available on Amazon but have not tried them.
Mics: get two (or more!!!) XLR mics. You can mount one on the camera and have the other attached to a 20-25 foot cable that you can put near your subject or sound source. Sky is the limit with mics so choose wisely. You might also want to get the Canon WM-V1 or the Sony ECM-AW3 wireless Microphones; they are not perfect but they help to film a person talking and walking around while you shoot.
Editing: You should be able to edit footage without too much problem on Apple Imovie or Microsoft's Windows Live Movie Maker. However, I recommend you look into Premiere Pro, Final Cut or other high-end editing software for advanced image and sound control.
Get a polarized lens for sunny outdoor shoots and also a couple ND filters.
I strongly recommend this book that you can buy on Amazon for like 25$: "Professional Results with Canon Vixia Camcorders: A Field Guide to Canon G10 and XA10 [Paperback]" by Warren Bass. The book is hugely informative and you will learn very important film making skills on pretty much every single page.
BOTTOM LINE
The pros far outweigh the cons. The value for money is awesome. Could be the dream camera for certain people for certain situation. I suggest you check out this video where a professional reviews the camera. I find the review pretty accurate and objective:
Have fun!
Even coming from the prosumer Canon HV30 camcorder, the professional XA10 is a huge improvement. The camera is easy to hold, the buttons are all in good locations, and the camera just feels easy to use. Compared to some other HD camcorders I used in film school, the XA10 feels much easier to control.
The difference is even more dramatic comparing it to my old HV30 rig. It's much nicer to not have the added awkwardness of a battery-powered XLR adapter. Honestly, the XA10 must look much more professional to clients as well.
Image quality is simply stunning. There is a slight look of shallow depth of field that is very pleasing to the eye. It's subtle, but noticeable. I've heard it has something to do with the 8-blade iris, but I won't pretend to know what that really means. All I know is the video quality is the best I've personally ever held in my hands.
The XA10 also gives much greater control over the image than the more consumer-focused HV20 and HV30. Now that I've used the XA10's manual focus ring, I really don't know how I made movies without it. The assignable control where you can adjust the exposure, shutter, aperture, and so on is also a great feature for an HD camcorder this inexpensive.
I haven't experienced the rattle problem with the handle that some users have mentioned, maybe there was a bad batch produced? The XA10's production seems to have taken place in different sections, so they may have corrected some of the bugs at various times. I'm not sure, YMMV. I haven't had to deal with customer service from Canon except once to order an XH-A1 hood a few years ago, so I can't comment on that either.
No problems at all importing the AVCHD footage into Final Cut or iMovie. I haven't tried with any Windows editors yet, but I'll update this review when I do.
With typical shooting (no IR), the stock battery lasts about as long as you'd expect, maybe a bit more. Not mind-blowing, but most importantly not too short. I'd recommend getting a high capacity battery like the BP-827 if you're planning to shoot for extended periods (I think the stock battery is a BP-819).
I haven't tested the infrared (IR) function yet, but the camera gives superb low-light performance even without it. Search or Vimeo 'XA10 low light' and you'll see what I mean by this.
The only thing it's missing that I'd like to see is a built-in neutral density function. I can always just use ND filters on the front of the lens -used to doing that from the HV20/HV30 days -but it's less convenient than a switch on the side. Oh well.
Overall, I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to upgrade to a pro-quality HD camcorder with a cinema-quality picture, who doesn't want to spend a ton of money on the more expensive options out there. If money isn't as much of a concern, I'm sure some of the cameras that cost thousands more offer more options, but I'm more than happy with the quality this camera provides.
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The good:
I'm a backpack videographer. I shoot a lot of industrial and training videos. I grew weary of trying to find an easy way to get great audio from a DSLR too many additional and unnecessary steps -so I sold mine and picked this up. Best. Move. Ever. Now, I put a Rode NT3 on a boom, plug into the XLR and my audio is warm as a summer day. Video quality is stunning. Focus assist is fantastic. I'm very pleased to get pro-level processor and lens in a camera this small. Surprise: it shoots great stills too. Very very good in lower light scenarios.
Down sides:
The cinema mode feels sort of amateurish/consumer level. Not much there you couldn't do better in post, so, I don't use it. My only other complaint is I wish there were a few other on camera buttons to reduce menu diving, but it's really not hard.
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I hate to rate this one star but I want to get Canon's attention. The handle with XLR inputs on the copy I got rattles terribly (audible across a large room in a normal-i.e., not quiet-environment). I'd heard this was occasionally a problem but from the reviews it seemed like a bad batch had gotten through but was now corrected. I can say definitively this is not the case.
Canon cannot sell a semi-professional camcorder (I paid $1869) with a defect like this, and it IS a defect. (This is for AUDIO INPUTS, for goodness sake-WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?)
Again, by all accounts the video quality is superb, and yes, you can "get around" the problem by putting tape across the buttons, but for $1869? I don't think so. Canon said they would evaluate the handle if I sent it in, but I am not going to wait 30 days for the return period to elapse only to have them say there is no problem or send me another faulty one.
I will say that I am not dissatisfied with Canon's customer support; the man I spoke with was very helpful and said he would escalate my complaint, but he is of course limited by Canon's own procedures, which unfortunately do not recognize this as a special case due to a manufacturing defect on their part. I will wait a few days to see if they are willing to immediately ship me a (verified) non-defective handle, otherwise it will go back unused.
I am a long-time Nikon still photographer and can say with certainty that they would NEVER let a product like this be sold. If Canon continues down this road they will give Nikon a real advantage in entering high-end dedicated video should they so choose.
UPDATE 12/22:
I made a support request by phone and by email when I received the item last Thursday; no response. I called Canon tech support again to follow up today. The person I spoke with was familiar with the issue but considerably less helpful.
First, he blamed the XLR connectors for the rattle (i.e., stuff I connected to it). Not quite. You hear it regardless whether anything is plugged in, and the jacks themselves are rock solid. Further, if you put tape over the buttons to stop them from moving, surprise, the rattle goes away. Honestly, if they would just read comments people are making, or even LOOK at their own product, they would see that this explanation is ludicrous.
Next, he said that they rattle only when you shake the handle violently, but in normal usage it's fine. Again, not quite. True, when shaken, it sounds rather like a maraca, as my wife said, but even in normal panning they add a distinct occasional click to your audio. Maybe have somebody use the camera before coming up with the corporate response, guys.
The only way to get rid of it is to put tape over the buttons, and for some people that's fine, but I refuse to spend this kind of money on something with a manufacturing defect, particularly given the level of "support" Canon offers.
I told the support rep I'm returning it, and repeatedly asked that he convey this higher up so that they take the issue seriously and fix it. I'm not holding out hope on either outcome.
12/23:
I called customer support one more time, to see whether they believed this affected only a certain batch of handles. Finally got someone familiar with the product; she said they all do it, and I certainly appreciated the honesty. I asked whether they would correct the problem in a later release but she said she wouldn't know in advance. At $2000 I can't conscience this kind of flaw; maybe if it's price drops to around that of the G10....
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I received my XA10 two (2) days ago and I must say that I really love this little guy! There are a couple things that surprised me right out of the box:
1. The camera body feels really sturdy and rugged. I expected it to feel a little cheap.
2. It feels heavier than it looks. This is great when you're trying to get a good moving and hand-held shot.
Lets get the "bad" stuff out of the way first.
Cons:
1. The handle buttons DO rattle a bit, but I haven't had an issue with them interfering with the sound as of yet. If they do, I'll just put a Velcro strap over them. Problem solved for 10 cents.
2. The menus are difficult at first, but with a little practice and use of Canon's shortcuts at the bottom these can be overcome.
3. The touch screen isn't as responsive as I'd like, but it's only a minor annoyance. I plan on getting a stylus to operate it a little easier. I don't like getting fingerprints on the beautiful LCD.
4. The stock battery leaves something to be desired, but that's not an expensive fix either.
Now for the good (awesome) stuff:
Pros:
1. The handle is a GREAT feature! Even if it didn't have XLR inputs on the handle, I'd get the camera just for that. It makes lower angled shots a joy not to mention carrying the thing.
2. Are you kidding me with this LCD? It's bright and helps a lot with focusing. I can hardly wait to get a hood on it to make the viewfinder obsolete.
3. Depth of field. I know this is only a 1/3" chip, but it looks fantastic when you want to throw your background out of focus so your audience is drawn in to the emotion of the scene. Don't get me wrong, it's not as great as a DSLR (because size does matter), but for a camera of this size and cost, I don't think it's matched (yes I know the VG20 just came out, but it doesn't have XLR or built-in memory so there :-p).
4. Built-in memory! 64GB is PLENTY for your average day (and well above-average day too). I can shoot for a week on that without having to dump anything to a computer. What does this mean for me? I DON'T have to take a laptop to Africa or wherever I'm shooting. Try getting that out of any other camera for less than $2500.
5. Dual SD slots. Instant backups are nice when you're on a film. People lose stuff. I lose stuff. It's the way of life. I'd rather have 2 (or 3) of something and lose 1 than the alternative.
6. The lens is awesome too. Sure it's only a 10x zoom, but what does that mean really? It's a 30-300mm 35mm equivalent which gets me pretty close to most action. I shoot football games on the sideline for a local high school. I WAS using a Sony DSR-250 with a 12x zoom (about the same magnification, ~25-300mm 35mm equivalent) and that reached where I needed it to 99% of the time. Plus the trade-off here is that you get a constant f-stop throughout the zoom. Not many cameras can boast that.
7. Great low-light performance for a single-chip. At low light the noise is visible, but I can live with that. It's not like I shoot in a room with no lights on all the time. "Slumdog Millionaire" won best cinematography and had A LOT more noise in some of their shots... just sayin'.
8. This one goes without saying, but professional XLR inputs with dials and phantom power! 'Nuf said.
Anyway. I could go on, but this review is getting long. Bottom line is: I think that the complaints about this camera are valid ones, but they're easily dealt with. If you're on a budget (like myself), you have to be mobile, and you need XLR inputs, this is the camera for you.
(3/27/2012 edit)
A few new thoughts about this camera:
I STILL haven't had a problem with the buttons rattling and I shoot mostly handheld and following action.
One thing that does bother me (so minor for me that I don't really care but some might) is the headphone jack is under the LCD screen. This seems like an odd place if you're going to use the viewfinder. Solution: Use the LCD, and if sun is a problem, get or make a hood for it.
I have an older IOGear HDMI cable (had it for a couple years now) that's never given me trouble. The older one came in a really fancy package and cost a fortune. I was a little skeptical when I found this one priced this cheap. It doesn't feel quite as well made as my first IOGear cable (and it was simply packaged in a plastic bag). But for the price, it's better than expected.
