Here's a follow-up video that compares footage imported via FireWire to the analog method: ruclips.net/video/U1xhEN9qWwk/видео.html Thank you to everyone in the comments here who helped me figure out which adapters I needed to make it happen! Overall I think the FireWire footage is definitely better, but it's not quite the drastic difference I expected. I still feel like the analog method gets you 90% of the way there with a much simpler workflow, so that's what I'd recommend for anyone who's not too familiar with cameras. But if you are a camera nerd (and I mean that in the best way possible), then FireWire will give you the best quality possible while also being a fun project to tinker with.
I came to the comments just to say “hey you didn’t use digital out for better quality!” Glad to see you made an update video! I recently bought a non working XL-1 just to have on my shelf! I think it’s one of the best consumer designs ever.
I still use mine connect to Mac Pro an FCP. My 2nd cam having tape problems. I was in college couldn’t buy it. I brought the canon elura dv. A bonus is using tape vd a ssd or dv disc
Also I think PAL was a slightly higher resolution than NTSC. Not sure if the increased resolution was noticeable, I’ve never shot in PAL or actually seen anything on a PAL monitor, but definitely wanted to before I got my hands on an HD camera!
@@rizzo-films I remember back in the day the Star Wars fans was doing re-edits and some said get the PAL for the resolution. One of the guys that did a Star Wars edit said its not enough to really make a differentence. Also with PAL DVDs they have to re-sync the audio or things sound weird with people talking because your now shifting 24 frames in a 25 timeline. Also PAL movies are shorter because they play faster. There is a old trick they would use on Laser DISC movies to speed up the film to get it to fit on one disc. I know they did this with the Panascan 4:3 versions not the letter box ones of Star Wars and Empite Strikes Back to get the film to be on one disc by playing the video a little fast. I've watched these version and never notice the speed up but I was not looking for it also.
Yeah Danny Boyle chose it because of its pretty very obvious digital look that was a good match for the genre of film, it wasn’t for its image quality (as in a clean image) 😅
Because these cameras actually have much better quality than shown here. The composite video out was really limiting the quality, even through S-Video it'd have been much better. I've shot multiple short films on cameras like these when I was a teen, and if you use the firewire port the quality is almost 720p and much clearer.
This was the goto camera for wedding videographers and college A/V departments. I think it helped define the term, prosumer. I remember, I read every article in Videomaker magazine at the time time dreaming of this camera as well. Now you just need to buy a Video Toaster and your 90’s production studio will be complete.
I was a videographer back in the 1990's and really wanted an XL1. Couldn't afford it or the GL1 but watching this brings a smile to my face as I recall all the times I looked at video catalogs wanting them. If you had an XL1, you were hot stuff! And you're right, having physical switches and controls you can press is something I miss too. Your eye could be in a viewfinder and you could instantly feel a switch and hit it as opposed to going thru a menu. When things became menu driven, I wouldn't upgrade for a long time because I hated menu driven controls. This video was a lot of fun to watch.
Thanks to a bunch of suggestions in the comments here I was able to get all the cables/adapters needed to import XL1 footage via FireWire and it looks soooo good! I'll definitely be doing a follow up comparison with footage imported via both methods and how to do it (since it works with any MiniDV cameras and not just the XL1). I'm also really impressed because Final Cut does a great job of de-interlacing footage when necessary and automatically creating clips based on when recording was started/stopped on the tape, which saves a ton of time. Maybe this is nothing new, but I haven't imported footage via FireWire in at least 15 years, back when it was just one long clip that had to be cut up manually. This is awesome, so thank you to everyone who helped explain the difference adapters and everything! 🙏
Yes, by using firewire directly into computer I'd bet the image quality would be a lot better. Have to get out my old footage and see. I started off with the Canon A1 in 89 or so. Hi8. It cost me 1300 bucks or so. Started importing into my pc in 97 or so with a Matrix Rainbow Runner card. Didn't work that great and would drop frames. Along came Canopus Raptor card and Windows XP and that solved all problems.
Yeah composite is literally the lowest quality video standard. Would love to see the difference going through Fireware. Upside if you have thunderbolt you can use the Apple FireWire to thunderbolt two adapter and the thunderbolt 2 to 3 adapter. and it should show up as a WebCam possibly software dependent. That was the way to get a really good WebCam in the day.
This is super important. I watched this video and knew something was wrong. I have a vivid memory of the Gl1 plugged into an old broadcast Sony monitor. Gorgeous image.
I was just going to write about composite VS FireWire 😅 it would be interested comparison. Also can you test low light performance vs phones? Phones shoot well with lots of light, not so good with usual indoor lighting. While 3 chip cameras were praised for low light performance
The best standard definition camera that I ever used was the Panasonic DVX-100B. The video quality, although standard definition, in the right lighting was close to HD. Some movies were filmed on it
Direct digital import of MiniDV footage was definitely better quality than capturing from the analog outputs. It would also be interesting to see what today’s grading tools could do to refine that footage.
when you say "better" do you mean high resolution? Because I'm thinkning about getting one of these for that sweet sweet tape saturation. I want a "worse" quality haha
@@Amddurinyes, upscale and it will denoise, sharpen, and utilizes AI to enhance details and can even remove camera shake. Takes a lot of processing power to do a lot of footage, but the results are worth it. There's old 16x9 SD content that I've upscaled that now looks good enough to put on a reel, at least some of it. Pretty impressive. ruclips.net/video/lZHWPDQYQ9c/видео.htmlsi=qbX6lU4SgJO8mKot
I'd still suggest people try the firewire route if possible. Apple make plenty of dongles from firewire to thunderbolt which GREATLY improves the quality.
was my first "real" video camera. photographed a friend's wedding really early on and he paid for it partially with that camera. some amazing memories with that thing.
I used to work at a ritz camera… 1990-1996… I remember 1991, Canon A1 Digital and L1. Of the Hi8 variety but eventually Canon moved to MiniDV tape. We also had the Sony V5000, which everyone lusted after. Fast forward to 2000, I remember using an XL2 on a Powermac G4. They were really cool to use.
With all the trends of VHS Look, Film Look, Grain Look, VCR look, are we really going back to this road in our creative lives? Do you think its the right time to ditch our mirrorless cameras and start holding camcorders again?
I think the old school cameras are fun, and I honestly do prefer it when people use them for that "retro" looks vs. adding a filter to a modern camera, but modern cameras are just so unbelievable. As someone who grew up with no other options besides old analog cameras, I'm very happy to not HAVE to use them anymore. But I love the form factors! 😁
I totally agree with you! We that used all these cameras in their (uff ufff coughing) beginning show much respect to the modern cameras and we realize how much technology has advanced through the years. That retro look though gives us some melancholic vibe to maybe our younger selves. I will definitely try to get my hands to some old cameras and follow your idea of using them, instead of effects and filters. @@tombuck
Nice memories! I remember using this to film my first total solar eclipse in 1999, fitted with an EF lens! I've included that clip in a recent tutorial I made about eclipses.
I loved this camera, used in constantly in film school, when I found out 28 Days Later was filmed with the Canon XL1, I was obsessed. It was the pinnacle of gorilla filmmaking tools. The worst thing was logging footage in real time. I do not miss that at all. Cool to see how things have moved on but at the time the XL1 was the dream. Thanks for showing me what I missed out on!
For me, the biggest ground breaking feature of the XL-1 was the “Movie” mode feature which recorded 30 full frames vs 60 interlaced frames. I believe it was the first camera available to the common person that had that feature. When shooting in “Movie” mode, it created more of the look of film , instead of the “soap opera” look.
Thank you for making this! I've also had a strange fascination with this camera since it was released, and especially with some of its history (e.g. used in filming 28 Days Later). Even though the specs pale in comparison to any modern camera today, Canon really was ahead of their time with the form factor, design and ergonomics of the XL-1. Very much an early preview of features we now have and take for granted shooting video in modern DSLR/mirrorless and cinema cameras.
It really is an awesome camera. Just yesterday I got all the adapters to start importing footage via FireWire and wow, it looks so much better! Still nowhere near what modern cameras can do, but it's nice to see the XL1 living up to its full potential.
Great video, Tom! I saved up and got an XL-1s back in the day and ended up filming weddings for a while to pay for it. When the XL-2 came out, I saved up again and sold the XL-1s to get it because I HAD to have the true widescreen and 24fps! I mean, I was basically making movies at that point, right?! I never ended up selling the XL-2 and still have it to this day, but my path did take me eventually to the 5DmkII for a web series I made. But i'm with you, I would love to see an XL-3 or XL-4K because the form factor was so amazing on those cameras!
My gosh, what a trip down memory lane. We used these things in school and I thought they were really neat. They were kind of "reserved" for the big projects, so you knew when you got to use it that it was serious business.
Oh my gosh, I remember poring over brochures for that camera! I was 20 years old in 1998 and I did wind up buying a Canon Hi-8 camera that was the prosumer equivalent of that, then later a Sony PC110 camera which was nice and compact Mini DV. Truly amazing how much things have changed but back then few people had ways to record events and the footage I have is worth every penny those cameras cost, I even started going through old tapes and finding stuff I thought was junk and taped over that is just interesting because it's so long ago. Often the everyday things made for the best memories. I remember editing VCR's, (Panasonic AG1980 SVHS) and titlers, so lossy! When NLE"s came out that was crazy exciting, I had a Canopus DV Storm with a computer just for that. Exciting journey and cool purchase.
This is like the kid that had the Lamborghini Countach poster on his wall and grew up and bought one only to find out how miserable it was to drive even though he looks cool. I owned 2 of each... The XL and the L2 and I have never been so glad to get rid of them. Their autofocus was next to useless. They looked cool though... I was indoctrinated into Sony and so far, yes complaints but so glad to see improvements way beyond the old Canon pretty stuff. Good job on the fulfilling childhood dreams. I always wanted the Nakamichi 680 deck and as an adult I bought 4 of them and not a one works now. Funny what childhood memories cause us to do as adults. :)
I really enjoyed this video, my first pro camera as a young teen was a Canon XH-A1s my father bought for me second hand for a really good price. It was basically the HDV 1080i upgrade to the XL1! I think you can get beter quality out of the XL1 if you capture the DV through firewire and deinterlace it to 60fps!
Thansk for sharing. I worked with the XL1s in the mid 2000s, while producing my first video content for the internet. It was a great camera and all follow-ups never brought me that feeling again. After your video I regret selling it... 😂
I'm starting to see these and other older camcorders in use at car shows and other events. People are into the unique way they make the world look I guess. A buddy just picked up a GL2 for that purpose.
They're definitely coming back around! The Sony VX1000 is virtually impossible to find in good working condition because it's still hugely popular for skate videos and stuff.
I know the first season of the office was shoot on a mini dv panasonic camera and they used probably a wire fire in a pci port method that allow u to don't loose any quality compared to the usb or hdmi and u can see the quality of that show is far better than the tests u made here, or maybe i am wrong
Transferring digitally is definitely the way to go, and even with the same tech, I'm sure the legit production crew had a way more efficient workflow than I do 😁
You might not believe me, but I too had a Canon XL-1 poster on my wall! Great video Tom! You even covered what I was going to mention about the XL-1 DNA still being alive and well in todays cinema and professional models. Great video as always!
There's something about Canon; they don't just make great cameras. They build cameras that look so good that you want to own them. The camera itself becomes a suitable subject for videos and photographs. The team over there are very special, and have been for a very long time.
This reminds me my teen years too. You were not alone pinning an XL1 commercial on your wall.. Same here. My parents told me I had to chose for my 18th birthday : car or camera. The rest is history :D
Wow! I had the little bro to that camera the Canon GL2 that I paid 5k for CAD. I saved up forever for that camera. It's amazing how dated the footage looks
I watched your video. It was like watching a thoughtful discussion on a dear old friend. Your video was very well presented, and brought back so many lovely memories. Have you tried using the parfocal lens from the xl1 with any full frame cameras? I would LOVE to see the footage! Thanks again, I am feeling good. p.s. I would buy a modern version of the same form factor tomorrow if Canon offered it!
Thank you for all the kind words, I'm really happy you enjoyed the video! I haven't been able to find a way to adapt the XL1 lento anything else unfortunately, but I would love to see that too!
Sweet! I bought a church's old broadcast equipment lately, and in one bin I found an XL 1. I've been a Canon DSLR guy since 2012, so I have some lenses..... my XL1 is in rough-looking shape and I haven't gone through everything yet to discover more missing parts. But wow, what a cool find! I never had a 3-chip camcorder before.
Even though I ended up getting into music and (for work, computer networking), I had always had a passion for photo and video since the late 1990s. I used two VCRs to edit dubs of footage I shot off of Digital8 Canon and Sony cameras (the Canons were always better). The XL-1 was my Dream Camera for a screenplay I wrote but like you, $4k might have well been $4MM to me when I was 18 and this camera was first released. I had always wanted a "real" camera from the perspective of having that big body that offered stability and ergonomics like nothing else in the sub-$10k range. Like everybody else, I now shoot on 4k DSLRs & Mirrorless (and Canon is still better than Sony, but far more expensive), as today's sensors are insanely amazing and the lens lineup is undefeated. But I took something you said to heart when you said you believe there would be a market for an 8k prosumer/semi-pro XL1-like body mirrorless camera. I now own the relatively inexpensive (though still Very pricy) a7iii by Sony and the endless touch screens is not a workflow I would enjoy if I had to do video work for a living. Same with my Canon EOS 850D. At the end of the day, those bodies were made for photography, same with the lenses. This is why "real" productions use CINE lenses that are parfocal with T-stops (not F-stops) for aperture control, and camera bodies like the ones you see made by ARRI are in that form-factor (not to mention it really helps with cooling). You have to (like I did) buy all this extra hardware and gear to bulk up these tiny, lightweight cameras so you can hold them low with overhand handles or, even better, shoulder-mount them like in the old days and use a viewfinder for some of the most stable, handle-held footage possible without a multi-thousand dollar SteadiCam rig. Because you Can buy hardware to get "close" to the same ergonomics while still having relatively tiny cameras with super powerful image processors and chips filming 4,6 and even 8k video, I doubt even the legends at Canon will really go all the way in the non-pro market with a camera body like this ever again, but you never know. And I hope they do. Like you, I dreamed of such beautiful piece of technology and engineer that was the mighty XL-1.
Oh those VCR to VCR days definitely bring back memories! I think you're right on the money about why they wouldn't develop a modern version of these cameras. I suppose their answer would be to go for one of the cinema cameras, which makes sense, but they one person run and gun ergonomics still aren't at the same level as the XL1.
The Canon XL1s was an art work in form factor. Thanks for making this video. My girlfriend (now wife) and I both saved from our part time retail and fast food in 2002 while at film school to buy one together. With the very few accessories we needed it was almost $9K AUD from memory. We then started a business doing corporate video and events. Many local competitors at the time were very locked into their larger ENG and even analogue cameras still and the XL1s, and a little creativity gave us a big advantage in adaptability in what and how we could film. I think my first RUclips video is filmed on it actually. When we finally sold it we actually kept the stock included fold up/down shoulder mount (as we sold the camera with the xlr shoulder mount) and I adapted it to a DSLR shoulder rig that I sometimes still use to this day. Great review though. Oh you missed the hidden buttons under the red circular door, Also very satisfying to access.
@@tombuck You'll need to chain a bunch of adapters 😂 1. Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter. 2. Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire 800 Adapter 3. Either a Mini Dv To Firewire 800 cable, or a FireWire 400 female to FireWire 800 male + Firewire 400 Mini DV cable. 4. Adobe Premiere to capture the footage. Also consider the deinterlace method and field order, I'm quite sure you'll get a higher quality video.
I shot my movie "Swingers" (2002) with it. Printed it in post to 35mm negative, to create theater copies (pre DCP era). The movie had a nation wide theatrical release in the Netherlands. Love the look of the image.
Thanks for this video. I'm like you and wanted a XL-1 for a very long time. When I finally got one and all the accessories that could be found for it, when I firewired the footage into my MacBook I thought the sensors were messed up. the footage was real bad. But now after seeing the footage of yours I know that's just the way the look on fancy high resolution monitors we have now. I loved your A-B comparisons with the iPhone models.
As a teenager I bought the xL2 because it was used in the movie 28 days later, it just is so sexy looking it made my GF jealous 😅. Bought the HD version for TV work but hated its colour science.
I was working in broadcast when this came out, and saw ads for ths cam in the trade mags. But even though I was a working adult, this was beyond my budget as well. I settled on a Sony Digital8 camcorder in 2000, as regular 8mm tape was lower cost than MiniDV.
I hear you when it comes to “Dream Cameras”. This was surely one of my favorites as well. I grew up filming BMX street and dirt riding and some skating and I always wanted an XL-1!!
We used one of these for all of our cartoon videos from 2003 to 2019! Poor thing finally died, unfortunately - great lens on the thing though! Very fond memories.
Love this stuff . And ya it wold be cool to see a re boot XL1 4k .. or maybe just lower end C300 - C500 like a c70 but in a camcorder buddy. although I like the way the C70 is to. I have been trying out camcorders resiliently. And there much better then I was thinking they wold be. And yes I saw your vary well made camcorder video. Wold love to see more stuff like that one and this one. I am relay happy I found your channel.. you just make relay well done videos. And I like that they are long enough to get into the weeds of it.
So glad you liked these videos! I'd really love to do more like them too. I ordered all the adapters to use the XL1 with FireWire, so if that works and the image quality is better, I'll do a follow up comparison. I've also got the Canon GL2 that I'd love to make a video on, and just yesterday I discovered Sony's "Video Walkman" 8mm player that even had wireless "streaming" capabilities. Also, just thank you for saying that. This and the camcorder video specifically are special to me, so it totally makes my day to not only hear that you enjoyed them but would want more videos like them. 🙏
Back when this was brand new I was helping two friends make indie films for their film classes they were taking. One was attending Emerson the other was taking a film course at Rhode Island college. My friend Jorge (the one going to RIC) was friends with the head of film studies there and since he was familiar with computers (he had one of the first Mac G3's that had come out) he volunteered to set up the school's very first digital editing suite. This was back when Avid had yet to really take over as the main means of editing films. I got to see this in use and it was crazy how much better the visuals looked and how easy and quick it was to put scenes together. We made our own steadicam and dolly's and because it was so light you didn't need huge pieces of equipment to move it around. Our dolly was a few pieces of fiberglass pole and our dolly was some 2x4's and rubber cart wheels with lengths of fiberglass poles for tracks. At the time they were some of the first students making indie films on digital. I really wish I had copies of the one we made for practice. It was a short comedy skit where I chased Jorge through the woods. It's nice to see someone who appreciates this piece of equipment as I have many fond memories of it.
I am so fed up with touchscreens. What happened to be "the future" (TM), has become a cheap flood of trash. Real haptic buttons on a well designed panel are not replacable.
Mine just arrived today! All sticky-old-rubbery and gross. But nothing a little rubbing alcohol can’t fix! Small price to pay because everything functions great. Can’t wait to start shooting.
Oh, I can just hear the parents of a super-enthusiastic 13-year-old telling him that, you know, Tom, expensive electronics don't grow on trees. And now that you've proved them wrong, you finally have your XL1. Yeah, I laughed out loud when you panned to the Casio keyboard in a tree. And yeah, I miss my Canon XL1S, for all the exact reasons you covered in this XLent video. And as someone who's been searching, fruitlessly, for a modern version of that form factor and those specific features, I'm totally with you on wanting an XL-4K. Please, Canon?
I remember pitching Canon on an idea to let us borrow one of these… they never replied. We continued filming surf videos on our consumer-grade camcorders.
This form factor is missing in modern day I guess smart phones make it not worth making as there isn't a big enough market. I'd love to try a big camcorder style or over the shoulder camera like these with modern quality. The professional stuff is like £40k and then there's literally nothing worth having below that. The Mirrorless stuff like the FX6/3 or C70 are better.
Oof, that's rough. As a former digital media teacher, I know all too well the pain that comes when students are careless with checked out gear (not that the other crew was necessarily careless, but still).
Enjoyed the in-depth nostalgia. It was my first video camera purchase in 1999 along with Final Cut Pro. You did show me some accessories I did not know were available. It paid for it's self many times over with corporate shoots. Good job on the video!
Final Cut in 1999! That's absolutely awesome. My first time editing video was on iMovie 1 in 2000 or so? I also worked at a TV station in 2001 that had an early version of AVID designed for tv reporters to use, but I found it super clunky.
That's great, you started at a good time, just when digital was getting it's legs. I tried Premiere in 1996 and decided video editing was a no go then. My first attempt at digital editing (video-animation) was with MacroMedia in 1992 when it was only grayscale. Little FYI, Apple bought the video engine from MacroMedia and turned it into FinalCut Pro.@@tombuck
Congrats on finally getting your dream camera! Mine was the XL2, I finally got one in 2009, it was my first "prosumer" camera and I cut my teeth on videography with it. In retrospect I would have been better off with a 5D Mark II, but it still was a great camera to learn on.
Great video! I have one of these and I noticed that you “X’d” out the clip where you mentioned the “bits & dittles” located under the red ring that sits below the mode selection dial. Quite the Easter egg. What gives?
Form factor is right! I totally get your lust for this design (form and flexibility). Controls in the handle? Awesome! The round shapes on the broken back are a faint echo of the old Bolex shoulder-mount film cameras. Years and years ago when our company was investing in a new camera - I really wanted to demo the XL1H. I wanted HD with changeable lenses. I begged a supplier to loan me one and he was surprisingly very reluctant to do so. But one appeared and I filmed with it and ....I hated it. I totally sucked. The picture quality was surpassed by other cameras we already owned. I was heartbroken as I really wanted it to be amazing. But it was SO not up to snuff. Couldn't believe there wasn't a current set of tech in the same curvy body. (I guess the supplier knew it was a waste of time.) Other cameras have embraced the box, the cube, and the SLR shapes for video. I really feel Canon is leaving awesomeness on the table. I agree: a full sensor 4k (8k?) version of this rounded, angle-back shape would likely turn a lot of heads. Fun video
Used my XL1s to record some personal projects of mine, I really love it although it definitely needs that shoulder mount to be comfortable shooting like an ENG camera. Cameras like these are fantastic for sports videography, especially automotive.
Tom this is amazing! Your clear passion for this camera shines through - I'm loving the change in aspect ratios with different shots, the mixed room setups for each section, and the sound of the DV cover opening took me waaay back! Definitely worth the wait, probably my favourite video of yours ever!
Thanks Kane! I was worried the many aspect ratios could be distracting, but I ended up liking it a lot- it's especially cool to see what camera setups at similar price points but 25 years apart are capable of. The anamorphic shots look so stunning compared to the analog footage.
I've alway wanted to have the camera that Freddie used in iCarly, never knew what is was called but thought it looked cool in the show. At least now I know what its called!
This was my dream camera for years as well. When I first started doing indy film, seeing someone shooting on this made my day. I loved learning everything about it on set.
I remember at the time, Sony had a line-up of 3CCD cameras and, here in Japan, a lot of low-budget direct-to-video stuff was shot on them. It only made me covet the Canon XL-1 more back in the early 2000s while I was still dreaming of owning one.
Here's a follow-up video that compares footage imported via FireWire to the analog method: ruclips.net/video/U1xhEN9qWwk/видео.html
Thank you to everyone in the comments here who helped me figure out which adapters I needed to make it happen!
Overall I think the FireWire footage is definitely better, but it's not quite the drastic difference I expected. I still feel like the analog method gets you 90% of the way there with a much simpler workflow, so that's what I'd recommend for anyone who's not too familiar with cameras. But if you are a camera nerd (and I mean that in the best way possible), then FireWire will give you the best quality possible while also being a fun project to tinker with.
I came to the comments just to say “hey you didn’t use digital out for better quality!” Glad to see you made an update video!
I recently bought a non working XL-1 just to have on my shelf! I think it’s one of the best consumer designs ever.
I still use mine connect to Mac Pro an FCP. My 2nd cam having tape problems. I was in college couldn’t buy it. I brought the canon elura dv. A bonus is using tape vd a ssd or dv disc
This camera was used to film 28 Days Later but they used the PAL version that recorded in 25 frames a second but was converted to 24 frames in post.
That’s awesome
What a strange choice. I wonder how they converted from 25 to 24 without it looking all wonky
Also I think PAL was a slightly higher resolution than NTSC. Not sure if the increased resolution was noticeable, I’ve never shot in PAL or actually seen anything on a PAL monitor, but definitely wanted to before I got my hands on an HD camera!
@@rizzo-films I remember back in the day the Star Wars fans was doing re-edits and some said get the PAL for the resolution. One of the guys that did a Star Wars edit said its not enough to really make a differentence.
Also with PAL DVDs they have to re-sync the audio or things sound weird with people talking because your now shifting 24 frames in a 25 timeline. Also PAL movies are shorter because they play faster.
There is a old trick they would use on Laser DISC movies to speed up the film to get it to fit on one disc. I know they did this with the Panascan 4:3 versions not the letter box ones of Star Wars and Empite Strikes Back to get the film to be on one disc by playing the video a little fast. I've watched these version and never notice the speed up but I was not looking for it also.
Yeah Danny Boyle chose it because of its pretty very obvious digital look that was a good match for the genre of film, it wasn’t for its image quality (as in a clean image) 😅
how did icarly look so hd with freddie using this 1900´s cameras
Because these cameras actually have much better quality than shown here. The composite video out was really limiting the quality, even through S-Video it'd have been much better.
I've shot multiple short films on cameras like these when I was a teen, and if you use the firewire port the quality is almost 720p and much clearer.
They just used the professional studio cameras the canon xl1 was just a prop
That’s what I thought
@@M4ttsStuff 28 days later was shot with this and looks better than the iphone footage
We had HD in the 90’s
You can look up a video. Titled:
New York City in 1993 in HD - DTheater DVHS Demo Tape
Of of the most stunning examples of industrial design in the history of electronic devices...
This was the goto camera for wedding videographers and college A/V departments. I think it helped define the term, prosumer.
I remember, I read every article in Videomaker magazine at the time time dreaming of this camera as well.
Now you just need to buy a Video Toaster and your 90’s production studio will be complete.
This was not a prosumer camera. Prosumer cameras cost half of what this cost.
Prosumer...good one.
The XL1 and DVX100b were my two dream cameras when I got my start!
I need to find one and put some sort of digital recorder on it, is that the iCarly Freddie camera? 90s kid here myself (91)
Ugh… now you went and made me buy one on eBay… thanks
I was a videographer back in the 1990's and really wanted an XL1. Couldn't afford it or the GL1 but watching this brings a smile to my face as I recall all the times I looked at video catalogs wanting them. If you had an XL1, you were hot stuff! And you're right, having physical switches and controls you can press is something I miss too. Your eye could be in a viewfinder and you could instantly feel a switch and hit it as opposed to going thru a menu. When things became menu driven, I wouldn't upgrade for a long time because I hated menu driven controls. This video was a lot of fun to watch.
So glad you got to check it out! It's crazy how much of a landmark camera the XL1 was for so many people, whether or not they ever actually had one.
DUDE YES! I've been waiting for this video from you, forever. I still wanna get my hands on a XL1, but I did just get a VX1000
You got a VX1000?! Those are so hard to find in good condition without paying a bajillion dollars.
Yeah! Had to import it from Japan, but still in great shape. Just gotta SOMEHOW find the death lens lol@@tombuck
Thanks to a bunch of suggestions in the comments here I was able to get all the cables/adapters needed to import XL1 footage via FireWire and it looks soooo good! I'll definitely be doing a follow up comparison with footage imported via both methods and how to do it (since it works with any MiniDV cameras and not just the XL1).
I'm also really impressed because Final Cut does a great job of de-interlacing footage when necessary and automatically creating clips based on when recording was started/stopped on the tape, which saves a ton of time. Maybe this is nothing new, but I haven't imported footage via FireWire in at least 15 years, back when it was just one long clip that had to be cut up manually. This is awesome, so thank you to everyone who helped explain the difference adapters and everything! 🙏
Yes, by using firewire directly into computer I'd bet the image quality would be a lot better. Have to get out my old footage and see. I started off with the Canon A1 in 89 or so. Hi8. It cost me 1300 bucks or so. Started importing into my pc in 97 or so with a Matrix Rainbow Runner card. Didn't work that great and would drop frames. Along came Canopus Raptor card and Windows XP and that solved all problems.
@@keithwiebe1787 OP is an iSheep though, so don't even mention Windows.
Yeah composite is literally the lowest quality video standard. Would love to see the difference going through Fireware. Upside if you have thunderbolt you can use the Apple FireWire to thunderbolt two adapter and the thunderbolt 2 to 3 adapter. and it should show up as a WebCam possibly software dependent. That was the way to get a really good WebCam in the day.
This is super important. I watched this video and knew something was wrong. I have a vivid memory of the Gl1 plugged into an old broadcast Sony monitor. Gorgeous image.
I was just going to write about composite VS FireWire 😅 it would be interested comparison. Also can you test low light performance vs phones? Phones shoot well with lots of light, not so good with usual indoor lighting. While 3 chip cameras were praised for low light performance
The best standard definition camera that I ever used was the Panasonic DVX-100B. The video quality, although standard definition, in the right lighting was close to HD. Some movies were filmed on it
I had one but sold it for the Panasonic DVX100b.. The squeeze mode was nice.
Direct digital import of MiniDV footage was definitely better quality than capturing from the analog outputs. It would also be interesting to see what today’s grading tools could do to refine that footage.
when you say "better" do you mean high resolution? Because I'm thinkning about getting one of these for that sweet sweet tape saturation. I want a "worse" quality haha
I've run mini DV video through Topaz AI, and it makes a HUGE difference.
@@lunarvue Did you upscale to 1080p or ? - with Topaz AI
@@Amddurinyes, upscale and it will denoise, sharpen, and utilizes AI to enhance details and can even remove camera shake. Takes a lot of processing power to do a lot of footage, but the results are worth it. There's old 16x9 SD content that I've upscaled that now looks good enough to put on a reel, at least some of it. Pretty impressive. ruclips.net/video/lZHWPDQYQ9c/видео.htmlsi=qbX6lU4SgJO8mKot
I'd still suggest people try the firewire route if possible. Apple make plenty of dongles from firewire to thunderbolt which GREATLY improves the quality.
There are also modern pcie firewire bridges that are decent.
Never use Composite output , you get the worst signal ever made
was my first "real" video camera. photographed a friend's wedding really early on and he paid for it partially with that camera. some amazing memories with that thing.
I used to work at a ritz camera… 1990-1996… I remember 1991, Canon A1 Digital and L1. Of the Hi8 variety but eventually Canon moved to MiniDV tape. We also had the Sony V5000, which everyone lusted after. Fast forward to 2000, I remember using an XL2 on a Powermac G4. They were really cool to use.
Oh man, Ritz! I remember browsing their catalogs for hours.
With all the trends of VHS Look, Film Look, Grain Look, VCR look, are we really going back to this road in our creative lives? Do you think its the right time to ditch our mirrorless cameras and start holding camcorders again?
I think the old school cameras are fun, and I honestly do prefer it when people use them for that "retro" looks vs. adding a filter to a modern camera, but modern cameras are just so unbelievable.
As someone who grew up with no other options besides old analog cameras, I'm very happy to not HAVE to use them anymore. But I love the form factors! 😁
I totally agree with you! We that used all these cameras in their (uff ufff coughing) beginning show much respect to the modern cameras and we realize how much technology has advanced through the years. That retro look though gives us some melancholic vibe to maybe our younger selves. I will definitely try to get my hands to some old cameras and follow your idea of using them, instead of effects and filters. @@tombuck
Nice memories! I remember using this to film my first total solar eclipse in 1999, fitted with an EF lens! I've included that clip in a recent tutorial I made about eclipses.
I loved this camera, used in constantly in film school, when I found out 28 Days Later was filmed with the Canon XL1, I was obsessed. It was the pinnacle of gorilla filmmaking tools. The worst thing was logging footage in real time. I do not miss that at all. Cool to see how things have moved on but at the time the XL1 was the dream. Thanks for showing me what I missed out on!
For me, the biggest ground breaking feature of the XL-1 was the “Movie” mode feature which recorded 30 full frames vs 60 interlaced frames. I believe it was the first camera available to the common person that had that feature. When shooting in “Movie” mode, it created more of the look of film , instead of the “soap opera” look.
Definitely a big deal!
Thank you for making this! I've also had a strange fascination with this camera since it was released, and especially with some of its history (e.g. used in filming 28 Days Later). Even though the specs pale in comparison to any modern camera today, Canon really was ahead of their time with the form factor, design and ergonomics of the XL-1. Very much an early preview of features we now have and take for granted shooting video in modern DSLR/mirrorless and cinema cameras.
It really is an awesome camera. Just yesterday I got all the adapters to start importing footage via FireWire and wow, it looks so much better! Still nowhere near what modern cameras can do, but it's nice to see the XL1 living up to its full potential.
Great video, Tom! I saved up and got an XL-1s back in the day and ended up filming weddings for a while to pay for it. When the XL-2 came out, I saved up again and sold the XL-1s to get it because I HAD to have the true widescreen and 24fps! I mean, I was basically making movies at that point, right?! I never ended up selling the XL-2 and still have it to this day, but my path did take me eventually to the 5DmkII for a web series I made. But i'm with you, I would love to see an XL-3 or XL-4K because the form factor was so amazing on those cameras!
The jump to DSLR-quality video was massive, but dang, something was definitely lost in the form factor.
The phone comparison was super interesting to see! It definitely took me back haha
I want to do a whole video about phone cameras now 😁
Mate - such great storytelling on something you clearly are very passionate about. Cheers.
Thanks Julian! I really appreciate that as the video is definitely a labor of love 👍
I have a xl1 16mz what looks like a wide angle lens. really heavy piece of glass
is this worth anything? cant find a ton online
I don't think so since ht4e mount can't really be adapted to anything, but I could be wrong.
My gosh, what a trip down memory lane. We used these things in school and I thought they were really neat. They were kind of "reserved" for the big projects, so you knew when you got to use it that it was serious business.
Oh my gosh, I remember poring over brochures for that camera! I was 20 years old in 1998 and I did wind up buying a Canon Hi-8 camera that was the prosumer equivalent of that, then later a Sony PC110 camera which was nice and compact Mini DV. Truly amazing how much things have changed but back then few people had ways to record events and the footage I have is worth every penny those cameras cost, I even started going through old tapes and finding stuff I thought was junk and taped over that is just interesting because it's so long ago. Often the everyday things made for the best memories. I remember editing VCR's, (Panasonic AG1980 SVHS) and titlers, so lossy! When NLE"s came out that was crazy exciting, I had a Canopus DV Storm with a computer just for that. Exciting journey and cool purchase.
This is like the kid that had the Lamborghini Countach poster on his wall and grew up and bought one only to find out how miserable it was to drive even though he looks cool. I owned 2 of each... The XL and the L2 and I have never been so glad to get rid of them. Their autofocus was next to useless. They looked cool though... I was indoctrinated into Sony and so far, yes complaints but so glad to see improvements way beyond the old Canon pretty stuff. Good job on the fulfilling childhood dreams. I always wanted the Nakamichi 680 deck and as an adult I bought 4 of them and not a one works now. Funny what childhood memories cause us to do as adults. :)
I really enjoyed this video, my first pro camera as a young teen was a Canon XH-A1s my father bought for me second hand for a really good price. It was basically the HDV 1080i upgrade to the XL1! I think you can get beter quality out of the XL1 if you capture the DV through firewire and deinterlace it to 60fps!
Man, how many times did I reinstall the IEEE 1394 drivers on my computer? Not the camera's fault...WINDOWS fault
Thansk for sharing. I worked with the XL1s in the mid 2000s, while producing my first video content for the internet. It was a great camera and all follow-ups never brought me that feeling again. After your video I regret selling it... 😂
I'm starting to see these and other older camcorders in use at car shows and other events. People are into the unique way they make the world look I guess. A buddy just picked up a GL2 for that purpose.
They're definitely coming back around! The Sony VX1000 is virtually impossible to find in good working condition because it's still hugely popular for skate videos and stuff.
I know the first season of the office was shoot on a mini dv panasonic camera and they used probably a wire fire in a pci port method that allow u to don't loose any quality compared to the usb or hdmi and u can see the quality of that show is far better than the tests u made here, or maybe i am wrong
Transferring digitally is definitely the way to go, and even with the same tech, I'm sure the legit production crew had a way more efficient workflow than I do 😁
You might not believe me, but I too had a Canon XL-1 poster on my wall! Great video Tom! You even covered what I was going to mention about the XL-1 DNA still being alive and well in todays cinema and professional models. Great video as always!
So I wasn't the only one?! Haha, that's awesome. Great minds think alike!
There's something about Canon; they don't just make great cameras. They build cameras that look so good that you want to own them. The camera itself becomes a suitable subject for videos and photographs. The team over there are very special, and have been for a very long time.
This reminds me my teen years too. You were not alone pinning an XL1 commercial on your wall.. Same here. My parents told me I had to chose for my 18th birthday : car or camera. The rest is history :D
I think I would've made the same choice too 😁
Wow! I had the little bro to that camera the Canon GL2 that I paid 5k for CAD. I saved up forever for that camera. It's amazing how dated the footage looks
The design was incredible… i bough one ten years ago, just to get one behind my desk ;)
I still have mine and the GL2 but the foam disintegrated on the mic.
Yeah, that happened with a few of my other cameras, but fortunately it wasn't too hard to find replacement foamies.
I used one in school for a while, it was my favourite. Except for the digitizing process. Log and capture = nap time
I watched your video. It was like watching a thoughtful discussion on a dear old friend. Your video was very well presented, and brought back so many lovely memories. Have you tried using the parfocal lens from the xl1 with any full frame cameras? I would LOVE to see the footage! Thanks again, I am feeling good. p.s. I would buy a modern version of the same form factor tomorrow if Canon offered it!
Thank you for all the kind words, I'm really happy you enjoyed the video! I haven't been able to find a way to adapt the XL1 lento anything else unfortunately, but I would love to see that too!
My dream camera when i was at uni. I think 28 days later was filmed on one of these
This was my first professional camera back in 2008 😳
FYI: This is the camera, that Freddy uses in Nickelodeon show, iCarly!
Sweet! I bought a church's old broadcast equipment lately, and in one bin I found an XL 1. I've been a Canon DSLR guy since 2012, so I have some lenses..... my XL1 is in rough-looking shape and I haven't gone through everything yet to discover more missing parts. But wow, what a cool find! I never had a 3-chip camcorder before.
That's awesome! Definitely a fun project to tinker with and get up and running.
Had the GL1 and while we really wanted the XL1 we just could not afford it... the GL1 was amazing.. at the time!
The GL series is phenomenal! I was able to get a used GL2 recently and it's so much fun.
@@tombuck now it’s time to find a good AI up scaler and see how it goes
Even though I ended up getting into music and (for work, computer networking), I had always had a passion for photo and video since the late 1990s. I used two VCRs to edit dubs of footage I shot off of Digital8 Canon and Sony cameras (the Canons were always better). The XL-1 was my Dream Camera for a screenplay I wrote but like you, $4k might have well been $4MM to me when I was 18 and this camera was first released.
I had always wanted a "real" camera from the perspective of having that big body that offered stability and ergonomics like nothing else in the sub-$10k range.
Like everybody else, I now shoot on 4k DSLRs & Mirrorless (and Canon is still better than Sony, but far more expensive), as today's sensors are insanely amazing and the lens lineup is undefeated. But I took something you said to heart when you said you believe there would be a market for an 8k prosumer/semi-pro XL1-like body mirrorless camera. I now own the relatively inexpensive (though still Very pricy) a7iii by Sony and the endless touch screens is not a workflow I would enjoy if I had to do video work for a living. Same with my Canon EOS 850D.
At the end of the day, those bodies were made for photography, same with the lenses. This is why "real" productions use CINE lenses that are parfocal with T-stops (not F-stops) for aperture control, and camera bodies like the ones you see made by ARRI are in that form-factor (not to mention it really helps with cooling). You have to (like I did) buy all this extra hardware and gear to bulk up these tiny, lightweight cameras so you can hold them low with overhand handles or, even better, shoulder-mount them like in the old days and use a viewfinder for some of the most stable, handle-held footage possible without a multi-thousand dollar SteadiCam rig.
Because you Can buy hardware to get "close" to the same ergonomics while still having relatively tiny cameras with super powerful image processors and chips filming 4,6 and even 8k video, I doubt even the legends at Canon will really go all the way in the non-pro market with a camera body like this ever again, but you never know. And I hope they do. Like you, I dreamed of such beautiful piece of technology and engineer that was the mighty XL-1.
Oh those VCR to VCR days definitely bring back memories!
I think you're right on the money about why they wouldn't develop a modern version of these cameras. I suppose their answer would be to go for one of the cinema cameras, which makes sense, but they one person run and gun ergonomics still aren't at the same level as the XL1.
Ah, we recieved three of those 3CCD Sony DVCAMs as upgrades to our SVHS-system back in media school 1999. Man this video takes me back! 😅
The Canon XL1s was an art work in form factor. Thanks for making this video. My girlfriend (now wife) and I both saved from our part time retail and fast food in 2002 while at film school to buy one together. With the very few accessories we needed it was almost $9K AUD from memory. We then started a business doing corporate video and events. Many local competitors at the time were very locked into their larger ENG and even analogue cameras still and the XL1s, and a little creativity gave us a big advantage in adaptability in what and how we could film. I think my first RUclips video is filmed on it actually. When we finally sold it we actually kept the stock included fold up/down shoulder mount (as we sold the camera with the xlr shoulder mount) and I adapted it to a DSLR shoulder rig that I sometimes still use to this day. Great review though. Oh you missed the hidden buttons under the red circular door, Also very satisfying to access.
Please review the Moana PD 400X, I think it’s a hidden gem of a mic.
I bought one of these used a decade ago and it was busted. I was so bummed out. 28 Days Later inspired me.
The DV quality of the tape is higher than the S-Video output, consider getting a MiniDV tape deck or a FireWire adapter.
I'd really like to figure out a FireWire situation.
@@tombuck You'll need to chain a bunch of adapters 😂
1. Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter.
2. Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire 800 Adapter
3. Either a Mini Dv To Firewire 800 cable, or a FireWire 400 female to FireWire 800 male + Firewire 400 Mini DV cable.
4. Adobe Premiere to capture the footage.
Also consider the deinterlace method and field order, I'm quite sure you'll get a higher quality video.
My favorite camcorder is the canon vixia HV 40. I have 5 of them.
There is one on I see for sale now thats a Cannon XL1s for $100 but it needs a new battery. Thinking of picking it up maybe
Totally worth it! Batteries are pretty easy to find on eBay and stuff.
I shot my movie "Swingers" (2002) with it. Printed it in post to 35mm negative, to create theater copies (pre DCP era).
The movie had a nation wide theatrical release in the Netherlands.
Love the look of the image.
Thanks for this video. I'm like you and wanted a XL-1 for a very long time. When I finally got one and all the accessories that could be found for it, when I firewired the footage into my MacBook I thought the sensors were messed up. the footage was real bad. But now after seeing the footage of yours I know that's just the way the look on fancy high resolution monitors we have now. I loved your A-B comparisons with the iPhone models.
As a teenager I bought the xL2 because it was used in the movie 28 days later, it just is so sexy looking it made my GF jealous 😅. Bought the HD version for TV work but hated its colour science.
Going to wipe the melted travel case foam goo off my XL-1s when I get home.
Shot a lot of footage with this camera back in the day. Kept it for a long time until it started eating tapes.
I still have the little brother the X-M1 (because I couldn't afford the X-L1). Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
my dreamed unaprochable camera is the sony nex v10g
I was working in broadcast when this came out, and saw ads for ths cam in the trade mags. But even though I was a working adult, this was beyond my budget as well. I settled on a Sony Digital8 camcorder in 2000, as regular 8mm tape was lower cost than MiniDV.
I hear you when it comes to “Dream Cameras”. This was surely one of my favorites as well. I grew up filming BMX street and dirt riding and some skating and I always wanted an XL-1!!
We used one of these for all of our cartoon videos from 2003 to 2019! Poor thing finally died, unfortunately - great lens on the thing though! Very fond memories.
Love this stuff . And ya it wold be cool to see a re boot XL1 4k .. or maybe just lower end C300 - C500 like a c70 but in a camcorder buddy. although I like the way the C70 is to. I have been trying out camcorders resiliently. And there much better then I was thinking they wold be. And yes I saw your vary well made camcorder video. Wold love to see more stuff like that one and this one. I am relay happy I found your channel.. you just make relay well done videos. And I like that they are long enough to get into the weeds of it.
So glad you liked these videos! I'd really love to do more like them too.
I ordered all the adapters to use the XL1 with FireWire, so if that works and the image quality is better, I'll do a follow up comparison. I've also got the Canon GL2 that I'd love to make a video on, and just yesterday I discovered Sony's "Video Walkman" 8mm player that even had wireless "streaming" capabilities.
Also, just thank you for saying that. This and the camcorder video specifically are special to me, so it totally makes my day to not only hear that you enjoyed them but would want more videos like them. 🙏
Back when this was brand new I was helping two friends make indie films for their film classes they were taking. One was attending Emerson the other was taking a film course at Rhode Island college. My friend Jorge (the one going to RIC) was friends with the head of film studies there and since he was familiar with computers (he had one of the first Mac G3's that had come out) he volunteered to set up the school's very first digital editing suite. This was back when Avid had yet to really take over as the main means of editing films. I got to see this in use and it was crazy how much better the visuals looked and how easy and quick it was to put scenes together. We made our own steadicam and dolly's and because it was so light you didn't need huge pieces of equipment to move it around. Our dolly was a few pieces of fiberglass pole and our dolly was some 2x4's and rubber cart wheels with lengths of fiberglass poles for tracks. At the time they were some of the first students making indie films on digital.
I really wish I had copies of the one we made for practice. It was a short comedy skit where I chased Jorge through the woods. It's nice to see someone who appreciates this piece of equipment as I have many fond memories of it.
I am so fed up with touchscreens. What happened to be "the future" (TM), has become a cheap flood of trash.
Real haptic buttons on a well designed panel are not replacable.
Gimme buttons all day every day.
Detailed breakdown as always….when I was in high school I had a Back to the Future wall…..and you had a picture of a camera. 😂
We definitely would’ve been friends.
isn't that sensor like 1/3" type? crop factor of 7x makes a 24-105mm EF lens quite... long-reaching
Yes. Design, ergonomics, ease of use and good looking. A camera everyone wanted to use to impress clients back then.
Mine just arrived today! All sticky-old-rubbery and gross. But nothing a little rubbing alcohol can’t fix! Small price to pay because everything functions great. Can’t wait to start shooting.
So glad you got one! I’m working on a follow up video about how to transfer footage via FireWire.
The best cámara... Everything dream Whit this cam
I remember using this at university back in 2001
Oh, I can just hear the parents of a super-enthusiastic 13-year-old telling him that, you know, Tom, expensive electronics don't grow on trees. And now that you've proved them wrong, you finally have your XL1. Yeah, I laughed out loud when you panned to the Casio keyboard in a tree. And yeah, I miss my Canon XL1S, for all the exact reasons you covered in this XLent video. And as someone who's been searching, fruitlessly, for a modern version of that form factor and those specific features, I'm totally with you on wanting an XL-4K. Please, Canon?
My parents never bought me an XL1, but they sure as heck bought be a Casio!
I remember pitching Canon on an idea to let us borrow one of these… they never replied. We continued filming surf videos on our consumer-grade camcorders.
Their loss!
Canon please remake this camera with today’s technology… I’ll buy 3
Me too. Immediately!
The L1 is going to be used as a sci-fi prop, and I’m here for it.
Eu queria uma versão 2024 dela com vídeo 4K!
This form factor is missing in modern day I guess smart phones make it not worth making as there isn't a big enough market. I'd love to try a big camcorder style or over the shoulder camera like these with modern quality. The professional stuff is like £40k and then there's literally nothing worth having below that. The Mirrorless stuff like the FX6/3 or C70 are better.
I'm sure there's a whole practical/business side that I'm not considering, but dang it, I want an XL4K! 😁
Phenomenal dive into this piece of history. Great work!
Thank you! This is one of my favorite videos, it was so much fun to make.
I used it back in college. Loved that camera. CCS had only one. And another crew took it out and it got stolen.
Oof, that's rough. As a former digital media teacher, I know all too well the pain that comes when students are careless with checked out gear (not that the other crew was necessarily careless, but still).
Oh the ingesting of footage in real time! Kids won’t know what we went through back in the day 😂
"Oh awesome we filmed a whole hour of stuff!" 🫠
Had an XL1 in my storage forever now. Works but no lens. Just found a complete XL2 kit in a storage unit today! Excited to use both of these
Oh that's awesome!!
Enjoyed the in-depth nostalgia. It was my first video camera purchase in 1999 along with Final Cut Pro. You did show me some accessories I did not know were available. It paid for it's self many times over with corporate shoots. Good job on the video!
Final Cut in 1999! That's absolutely awesome.
My first time editing video was on iMovie 1 in 2000 or so? I also worked at a TV station in 2001 that had an early version of AVID designed for tv reporters to use, but I found it super clunky.
That's great, you started at a good time, just when digital was getting it's legs. I tried Premiere in 1996 and decided video editing was a no go then. My first attempt at digital editing (video-animation) was with MacroMedia in 1992 when it was only grayscale. Little FYI, Apple bought the video engine from MacroMedia and turned it into FinalCut Pro.@@tombuck
It was a toss-up for me between the XL1 and the DVX100A
Oooh, both good choices!
omg... does this bring back memories!
couldn't pry it from my father's hands.
threatened to give me up for adoption when he caught me playing with it!
Tough but fair 😉
Congrats on finally getting your dream camera! Mine was the XL2, I finally got one in 2009, it was my first "prosumer" camera and I cut my teeth on videography with it. In retrospect I would have been better off with a 5D Mark II, but it still was a great camera to learn on.
Super cool you got to use it closer to it's "heyday" 😎
Hi, what is the lavalier mic you are using ? thanks for the great content !!
Thank you! I’ve been trying to get better with lav mics. This was the Sennheiser EW-DP 👍
Great video! I have one of these and I noticed that you “X’d” out the clip where you mentioned the “bits & dittles” located under the red ring that sits below the mode selection dial. Quite the Easter egg. What gives?
Hmm, I'm honestly not 100% sure which part you're referring to?
Dreamed of having this camera in high school. Alas was stuck using Sony mini dvs.
Form factor is right! I totally get your lust for this design (form and flexibility). Controls in the handle? Awesome! The round shapes on the broken back are a faint echo of the old Bolex shoulder-mount film cameras.
Years and years ago when our company was investing in a new camera - I really wanted to demo the XL1H. I wanted HD with changeable lenses. I begged a supplier to loan me one and he was surprisingly very reluctant to do so. But one appeared and I filmed with it and ....I hated it. I totally sucked. The picture quality was surpassed by other cameras we already owned. I was heartbroken as I really wanted it to be amazing. But it was SO not up to snuff. Couldn't believe there wasn't a current set of tech in the same curvy body. (I guess the supplier knew it was a waste of time.) Other cameras have embraced the box, the cube, and the SLR shapes for video. I really feel Canon is leaving awesomeness on the table. I agree: a full sensor 4k (8k?) version of this rounded, angle-back shape would likely turn a lot of heads. Fun video
Great Brother.... i know that feeling 😊
I wanted one of these so badly when I was in college.
The XL2 was even better ... I had two of them, and - like a fool - I sold them 10 years ago.
Oh dang, it'd be awesome to still have them now!
The answer is yes. I managed a local cable access channel using an XL1 and a GL2.
They were both definitely titans of public access! 😁
Used my XL1s to record some personal projects of mine, I really love it although it definitely needs that shoulder mount to be comfortable shooting like an ENG camera. Cameras like these are fantastic for sports videography, especially automotive.
Tom this is amazing! Your clear passion for this camera shines through - I'm loving the change in aspect ratios with different shots, the mixed room setups for each section, and the sound of the DV cover opening took me waaay back! Definitely worth the wait, probably my favourite video of yours ever!
Thanks Kane! I was worried the many aspect ratios could be distracting, but I ended up liking it a lot- it's especially cool to see what camera setups at similar price points but 25 years apart are capable of. The anamorphic shots look so stunning compared to the analog footage.
I've alway wanted to have the camera that Freddie used in iCarly, never knew what is was called but thought it looked cool in the show. At least now I know what its called!
Haha, it's definitely the iCarly Cam 😁
I WANTED THAT CAMERA SO BAD!!! Sorry. I'm only 10 seconds into the video. I'm so excited to watch this one 😂
It lives up to all the hype and more, that's for sure.
This was my dream camera for years as well. When I first started doing indy film, seeing someone shooting on this made my day. I loved learning everything about it on set.
I'm so glad to know I'm not alone in being a bit obsessed with the XL1!
I remember at the time, Sony had a line-up of 3CCD cameras and, here in Japan, a lot of low-budget direct-to-video stuff was shot on them. It only made me covet the Canon XL-1 more back in the early 2000s while I was still dreaming of owning one.