Camcorder - Optical Zoom: 20 - Digital Zoom: 100x - Weight: 1.1 kg, 1.3 kg - Flash memory: SD Memory Card - Supported Media Type: Mini DV - Viewfinder: without Viewfinder more
The new Canon XM2 camcorder has the latest technology and many useful sound and picture adjustments and enhancements to cater for a variety of shooting situations and preferences.... more
adjustments and enhancements to cater for a variety of shooting situations and preferences. Its highly sensitive 3CCD unit achieves 540 lines horizontal
professional videographers. Its advanced technology delivers unrivalled image quality in its class.The XM2 offers all the features of the market-leading XM1 plus some enhanc...
Canon XM2
DigitalMini DVPAL3 x CCD1.68 Megapixelss 20.0 X optical zoom 2.47 lbProduct DescriptionThe ... more
new Canon XM2 camcorder has the latest technology and many useful sound and picture adjustments and enhancements to cater for a variety of shooting situations an...
silver Localisation English Media Type Mini DV Flash Memory 1 x 8 MB Analogue Video Format PAL Sensor Resolution 470 Kpix Effective Sensor Resolution Video...
adjustments and enhancements to cater for a variety of shooting situations and preferences. Its highly sensitive 3CCD unit achieves 540 lines horizontal resolution ...
A review by benraiben on Canon XM2 camcorder - Mini DV October 29th, 2004
Author's product rating:
Ease of use
Excellent
Recording quality
Good
Picture quality
Good
Sound quality
Excellent
Value for money
Good
Advantages:
Great for special events .
Disadvantages:
Pricey !
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
As most top quality items do, we get a nicely packaged item, with all the appropriate information, such as the instruction manual, which is overall very easy to follow and it even includes diagrams for those of you out there who are not over technically minded.
The XM2 is Canon's replacement for the DM-XM1 three-CCD MiniDV camcorder. If you have seen a Sony VX2000, you will notice that these two camcorders look quite alike.
Although the image of it looks quite sturdy it actually isn't (measuring 11.8 cm x 30.6 cm x 13.6 cm) , also weighing in at 1.12 kg, it makes it all that comfortable to hold. So, no tired arms!
The Canon XM2 digital camcorder is the ideal choice for recording broadcast or web content, making educational videos or registering an event like a wedding. A point worth raising is that the battery lasts for a fair while, and so makes it a lot more suitable for such events, just don't forget to charge up!
The camcorder owns the ability of analogue inputs and outputs (S-video, composite video, L/R audio) - not just DV in/out - and adds a card slot (SD Memory Card or MultiMedia Card) for still-image storage. Also included is a mini USB socket, which is useful for doing things such as downloading stills to your personal computer, which is a useful feature.
As with the previous version, the size of the imaging CCDs remains the same. That being at 0.25in, although according to the manual, the number of effective pixels has apparently been increased from 300,000 to 440,000. Also according to the manual the cam is said to "deliver 540 lines resolution and a claimed improvement of 3dB in the signal-to-noise ratio - factors said to enhance colour reproduction, low-light performance, exposure range and resolution."
Manual control over audio levels was an omission on the previous model, but the XM2 has right and left non-directional microphones, adjustable via dials on the camcorder body. Also present is an option to which allows you to change the frequency response to normal, voice, which allows a lot more crisper speech, and also "wind screen", which obviously is used for reducing wind noise, which can be an awful pain! These settings are useful and you can also prevent distortion or overloaded levels by turning on the mic attenuator. After watching recordings with this camera, I have to say that the quality of the sound recorded, with each of the features, is very pleasing.
Another useful new addition to the cam is the feature which allows you to set "Clear Scan" , which prevent flicker when filming a computer or TV screen; Analogue-DV-analogue pass-through conversion; colour-bars generation; and custom settings for video levels and picture sharpness.
The camcorder is EASY to use, and all buttons are clearly marked, and if there is any confusion, which I doubt, there is an instruction manual which is clearly labelled. Talking of keys there is a custom key that can be used to assign functions used frequently, which I found to be very useful and an extremely good feature.
Overall, the XM2 is a major improvement over the XM1, one reason being the fact that there is the added bonus of manual audio controls and solid-state memory card capabilities for stills.
Then, there is the lens, which produces excellent detail. This is helped by the optical image stabiliser which as a result feels good when focusing; however, it does need end-stops. There is a dial, rather than an "iris ring", which is ok, but an Iris ring in my opinion would be a lot more sufficient.
The LCD screen itself, is a little too small for serious monitoring, but the colour viewfinder is good, and compensates well.
As the manual states: Having analogue in/outputs, FireWire and USB means there’s a good connectivity, plus there's effective analogue-DV-analogue pass-through. I was rather impressed with the stereo audio quality from the onboard microphone, and felt that the controls, sharpness, phase and black levels of the picture are professional features worth having, making it a great piece of equipment for filming at events like weddings, parties and so on.
However, although the Canon may have better audio, colour reproduction is less natural than that from the Sony TRV950 , which also offers better still images (plus a built-in flash), and is also kinder on the bank balance. So, after weighing up which of these final pointers you find the most important, you may have a rough idea if this is for you, or not as the case may be. Either way, there is no denying that this is an excellent product.
Advantages: Excellent lens quality, clear image, good colour reproduction, manual overrides, colour viewfinder Disadvantages: Not brilliant in low light, mic could be better, not HD
The Canon XM2 is the middle child of the camcorder world. Often sighted as too expensive by true amateur ‘point-and-shoot’ users, yet overlooked by the budding Spielberg who leap straight to it’s older brother the Canon XL2. So is this camera a stop gap in the pricing war, or are there other reasons to consider?
If you're looking to get high quality picture definition from your camcorder then nothing short of 3CCD will do, and the XM2 delivers. ... ...that the success of the Canon lens is well known in stills cameras. The only company to still make their own glass, even Sony have had to admit defeat and team up with Carl Zeiss to produce their latest range of camcorders in order to equal the Canon clarity and reproduction. I can’t reiterate strongly enough how brilliant this lens is. So much so that I will tell you that from the £1400 price tag, upon inquiring about a replacement glass for the ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Lightweight, excellent picture quality, ease of use, hot-shoe for attachments Disadvantages: Manual isn't so helpful. Not so good with low-light conditions.
...decided to go for the Canon XM2.
My first thought on this camera is it's size and weight. It's small enough to pack into a rucksack, and it is light enough to be used and carried for a whole day without straining the users arms or hands.
I just couldn't wait to get my hands on this camera. I opted for a finance option as payment and as soon as I knew my forms had been recieved and ok'd I was jumping every time the doorbell went. I certainly wasn't ... ...it is to get the Canon lens replaced. There are many deals on the internet for filters, I suggest getting a set which contain a UV filter for basic lens protection, Polarised filter to remove glare as well as increasing light contrast and an FD filter for removing the yellow flourescent tint and increases colour saturation and bringing true colours to life.
I would also like to suggest purchasing an aluminium case from your local music store, one ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Every Function you Could wish for! Disadvantages: Hard to find said functions!
...been stuck, one call to Canon and it's sorted. Their service is really worth it's weight in gold.
Overall, I'd say this is a great bit of kit, just don't expect to pull it out the box and know straight away how it works. You'll be able to record things without a problem, but to get it's full potential, read the manual and play with it till your happy! ...
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Ease of use
Recording quality
Picture quality
Sound quality
Value for money
helpful
01.04.2005
Canon XM2 Review ofCanon XM2 camcorder - Mini DVby
the7animator
Advantages: Value for money Disadvantages: Not good enough for commercial use
Overview:
I think this camera is a great all round choice for people who want a top range video camera without paying ridiculas prices. its about the cheapest you can go before you start to reduce in quality, its right on the border,
Right cam for you?
For instance; if you just want something to mess about with (mates and stuff):
not for you, get a cheaper hand cam for about £150
Trying to start up video making company:
probably not the best ... ...make high quality videos that will look great on portfolios while keeping some money in the bank.
better than you average camera with great manual focus,
£1300 - 1500 is probably a fair price to pay.
Features:
Av out (great for crane work)
DV firewire out (faster import)
Manual focus ring (simplicity with function)
fold out screen (good for awkward positions)
optional lense hood
microphone input (improoved sound is an option)
sound recording ...
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Advantages: Picture quality, interface/functionability, weight, size Disadvantages: Sound quality, can't charge and mains power simultaneously
...a problem with many videocameras.
Canon have concentrated on the lens and semi-professional, to professional functions on this camera and have not cluttered it with effects. It has many handy functions such as Zebra (which you can adjust the sensitivity on) which allows you to set your exposure to the right levels, preventing brilliant white. It also has all of your standard functions such as white balance (Manual and Auto), Exposure (Manual and ... ...XLR) or by buying a canon DM-50 microphone attachment. Neither of these can be done for less than £130 at present to the best of my knowledge.
With the camera you get standard accessories such as a remote control, battery pack, battery pack charger, mains connection, drivers and manual. The Mains connection is easy to damage as the lead comes out of the battery attachment upwards meaning it is constantly being bent over itself and can be damaged ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
The new Canon XM2 camcorder has the latest technology and many useful sound and picture adjustments and enhancements to cater for a variety of shooting situations and preferences. Its highly sensitive 3CCD unit achieves 540 lines horizontal resolution and super low light performance. A new Super Pixel Shift provides a wider dynamic range for movies, reducing vertical smear, and gives 1.7 mega-pixel high-resolution digital photos. The camcorder's professional L-Series fluorite lens provides 35mm and broadcast TV quality. It can deliver extremely sharp images and high magnification with less color aberrations. An Optical Image Stabilizer keeps the image steady with no loss of quality. And video recordings made with the Canon XM2 will sound as good as they look with the "Direction Accurate" microphone giving accurate stereo ambiance and less mechanical background noise. The microphone frequency has three modes to match recording conditions (normal, voice, windscreen). Manual adjustments on the XM2 include buttons for color and light adjustment, such as Color Phase, Color Gain, Camera Sharpness and Setup Level. Other features are Zebra Pattern, to indicate overexposure, Interval Timer, to record at selected times, and Clear Scan, to record a CRT monitor. A Custom Key can be used to assign functions used frequently. The new Canon XM2 digital camcorder is the ideal choice for recording broadcast or web content, making educational videos or registering an event like a wedding.
Camcorder - Optical Zoom: 20 - Digital Zoom: 100x - Weight: 1.1 kg - Flash memory: SD Memory Card - Supported Media Type: Mini DV - Viewfinder: without Viewfinder
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