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Canon unveils dual HDV followups to prosumer GL2
It sure took them long enough (four years, in fact) but Canon has finally released some successors to their famed GL2 cam: the XH G1 and XH A1. The two cameras offer a slew of new options to the prosumer, not least of which is the HD resolution offered by the HDV format. Both cams feature the same 16:9, 1/3-inch CCDs of Canon's XL H1, along with 1080i recording at 60 and 24fps and Canon's 24p-like 24f option. The XH cams nicely fill the GL2 gap, trading the XL's interchangeable lenses for size and cost savings. Both models feature 2.8-inch LCDs, 20X zoom lenses and even XLR inputs, but the XH G1 has an extra "jack pack" and a $3000 premium. What'll that three grand get you? Pro ports like HD/SD-SDI, Genlock and TC in/out that allow a serious shooter to output uncompressed HD footage for recording to another format with less compression than the consumer-ish HDV tapes. Smooth move on Canon's part, and we're sure more than a few pro video types will gladly fork over the extra cash for the privilege. The vanilla XH A1 version goes for $4000, and should be available in October, while the XH G1 will follow in November for $7000.[Via Camcorderinfo, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
