Yesterday I bought XL-H1a and I am very disappointed with LCD. There is a LOT of ghosting when you move camcorder, when zooming in & out, and also when the camcorder doesnt move but the objects are (even slightly) moving.
Is this normal (which is horrible!) or there is malfunction??

P.S.
I also have Canon Xl1s (2 pcs.), Canon XL2, Canon XH-A1, and with them there was no problem.

it's pretty normal, and yup it sucks.

It is 10x worse if it is cold outside. Are you shooting in cold temperatures? I am not talking sub-zero, I simply mean chilly (50s-low 60s Farenheit). Overall the LCD is the weakest link in the XL-H1's armor.

I am shooting inside at room temperature! The cheapest camcorder has got better lcd. Every digital compact camera has better lcd. Even mobile phones!

If what you (Nick) say is normal for this camcorder, has anyone of the Canon's engeener ever seen LCD of the ordinary mobile phone?

I have been shooting more today. It is impossible to focus (MF) even a slightly moving object. For example, human head when it's moving left-right for 2 inch!

Chris?

While I agree that the LCD is probably the worst thing I don't like about the XL-H1 (and 'S' and 'A' versions), you can still do manual focus on it, I do it all the time. try using your peaking in combination with instant B&W (this can be configured in your custom functions setting).

I've done rack an follow focusing with the LCD itself. If you are having difficulty with a barely moving human head, then maybe you should get the camera checked out? Maybe you have a bad, malfunctioning LCD ...

Either you have a seriously malfunctioning unit, OR you have NR1 on. If so, turn it off!

*edit* OR... slow shutter speeds? :)

try using your peaking in combination with instant B&W (this can be configured in your custom functions setting).


When I turn on peaking, white dots which show peaking - disappear when camcorder or object slightly moves! So peaking is not usable like on my XH-A1.
New thing is: When I turn off camcorder, a lots of small thin lines stay on for 2-3 seconds after. But not every time.


OR you have NR1 on. If so, turn it off! *edit* OR... slow shutter speeds? :)


Thank you for your help but I have been working with camcorders and studying them for many years and I know all about settings of camcorder menu and camcorder itself. And I shot with all manual settings (focus, iris, shutter, WB, gain) all the time. So advices like shutter speed or NR1/NR2 filter are something that I already know. Some of my videos shooted with XL2 you can see on my web pages under Videography/weddings:
http://www.gamma-video.com

If you've just bought it new from a shop/dealer, then I'd take it straight back and replace with another new viewfinder or even camcorder, or at least get it looked at to check for contacts and malfunctions in the eyepiece. Those lines on the LCD display may be an indicator that the screen has been knocked sometime during transit prior to purchase, or loose wires etc.

There is video clip (recorded with Canon Powershot G7) which shows how LCD displays peaking lines/dots. When you move camcorder they diffuse/disappear:

Xl h1a display?? on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/3910858)

I think that is moderately normal. Peaking is based on the cameras ability to define edges and when you are panning left and right, the edges become blurred and the camera is not able to lock onto anything sharp so the peaking appears to go away momentarily. I am not sure about the blur as it is just too hard to tell on this particular clip. I will say that is does not appear to be much different that what I see in my viewfinder....if it is different at all it is subtle or I cannot make it out in this video.

As we have all stated...the LCD/Viewfinder is a bit lacking....but with a little work it is usable. I'll take a look at the clip again to see if anything stands out.

Unfortunately the LCD display on the Canon XL H series is not the best. In my opinion it's a definite weak point of the camera. There are two ways to get around it, both of which involve money. First, you can replace it with Canon's other viewfinder, model #FU1000 (the worst model number ever assigned). This is a monochrome CRT viewfinder which is far superior to the color LCD screen. It's made by Ikegami and sold under the Canon brand.

The other option is to cable out to a better external LCD display, most commonly mounted on top of the camera. We have an entire forum dedicated to this option; see http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/sdtv-hdtv-video-monitors/ -- hope this helps,

I rented two XLH1s for a project last year and walked away extremely unimpressed with the camera. The LCD like you said, smears so much that it's almost impossible to decipher focus on a moving subject. How in the heck did Canon put such a weak LCD on their flashship camera?

Shot 24P with 1/48 shutter so it wasn't a slow shutter issue. The vimeo video you posted was exactly what I experienced on the two H1s.. and I was shooting in the cold as well so double whammy I guess..

I just re-read on of your previous posts and noticed that you said you didn't have this issue with the Canon XH-A1. In my experience with the H1 and A1 they were about the same. I expected the larger LCD of the A1 to make a difference but it didn;t really help in my opinion. The culprit isn't just the LCD in my opinion, it is the processing going on inside the camera to create the progressive frames. It seriously delays the signal to the LCD causing even more issues. If the H1 is that much worse than the A1 then it sounds as if something is wrong.

However, you do have the newer H1 with more peaking options so that might come into play here.

What does everyone else think about the A1 LCD? I haven't used it in a while but my memory was that it was about the same as the H1 only bigger.

...First, you can replace it with Canon's other viewfinder, model #FU1000 (the worst model number ever assigned). This is a monochrome CRT viewfinder which is far superior to the color LCD screen. It's made by Ikegami and sold under the Canon brand...
Echo Chris statement here, but note that there is a difference between the PAL and NTSC model!
I assume that you're in PAL-land Goran? In this case you have to get an PAL model and they are a bit difficult to find, AFAIK!

I think that is moderately normal. ......
As we have all stated...the LCD/Viewfinder is a bit lacking....but with a little work it is usable.

Marty
... In my opinion, the LCD of XL2 (and XH-A1) is a bit lacking but after a couple of hours is really usable. XL2 has a little blur when moving but not a lot! XLH1a LCD with a lot of ghosting/blurring is usable only if you shooting from the tripod and want to focus the flower that is not growing fast. I wrote: "It is impossible to focus (MF) even a slightly moving object. For example, human head when it's moving left-right for 2 inch!"

Unfortunately the LCD display on the Canon XL H series is not the best. In my opinion it's a definite weak point of the camera.

I am satisfied with LCD/VF on XL2 and XH-A1 although I know they are not the best. How would you rated XL2 vs. XLH1a? I would like that this is a malfunction and I am afraid it is not! It is really unusable!
However, neither of the ways (solutions) are not suitable for me because I use VL10Li and dual holder on camcorder. After all, I bought the camcorder for cca 6000$ and I cannot focus with it because of poor LCD!!!(???)

Maybe I shouldn't have put this clip with peaking because it does not show the main problem - ghosting/blurring objects. I returned the camcorder to the only one Canon service in Croatia ("Photo-centar", Hondlova 2, Zagreb, Croatia).
They are trying to make a fool of me! They say that they don't see any "blurring or ghosting" and that the LCD is totally as good as those on the XL2, XH-A1 and many other camcorders too!!!!
I repeat again - I own both camcorders XL2 and XH-A1.
By my own estimation, on scale from 1 to 10, (where the SONY Z7 is 10) I give following ranking:
XL1s = 5
XL2 = 6
XH-A1 = 6
XL-H1A = 1!!!!!!! (with my indication - that it is the worst LCD that I have ever seen)

I hope you understand me better now.
What do you recommend me to do?
Does anyone know where (main Canon service in Europe?) can I mail my complains at that service center in Zagreb?

On this clip you can see better how it looks.
Pay attention to the car's wheel.

LCD on XLH1A ghosting and smearing on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/3976540)

I don't know about anyone else, but to me it looks like NR1 is active, but you say it's not in an earlier reply.

I don't know about anyone else, but to me it looks like NR1 is active, but you say it's not in an earlier reply.

When NR1 would be active - in the display would be shown the name of active custom preset.

Well it depends on if it's setup to display them. I don't have an XL-H1A... I have the XHA1 and have CP's to always display, and when they aren't active, "CP" blinks. On yours CP isn't displaying. Maybe they're different?

Well it depends on if it's setup to display them. I don't have an XL-H1A... I have the XHA1 and have CP's to always display, and when they aren't active, "CP" blinks. On yours CP isn't displaying. Maybe they're different?

Cp is not displaying because is not active! And I have CP's to always display
I know everything about setup of XL1, XL1s, XM-2 (GL2), XL2, XH-A1, XL-H1, XL-H1s, XL-H1a!
I own XL2 and XH-A1!

Well then if that's the case, then the A1 & your XLH1 behaves differently, like I said above. Sorry, just trying to help. I'll quietly bow out of this now :-\

Sorry, just trying to help. I'll quietly bow out of this now :-\

Thank you for trying to help.

That looks about what I expected as far as ghosting, I honestly think I may have gotten use to the ghosting in my camera but maybe it's not quite as bad as yours. I wish I had a solution that didn't involve buying the fu-1000 but honestly I can't think of one. (you could get a hd-sdi monitor as well I suppose...)

I was at the service center this week. They have changed their opinion. Now they claim that they didn't say that the LCD on the H1a, A1 and XL2 are the same quality. Now they say that LCD on the A1 and XL2 is much better than the one on XLH1/XLH1A/XLH1S! And that the LCD on the all XLH1/XLH1A/XLH1S camcorders are really bad and that there is no help!!!!

I did not take the camcorder back and now I am waiting to get new one! (And they say that LCD on new camcorder will be also bad!)

Five days ago, I finally got another camcorder (XL-H1) to try it on. (But not from service in Zagreb). I am absolutely satisfied with LCD on this camcorder. It is almost the same as the one on the XL2. That shows that I was right and that what they were claiming in Zagreb service is not true at all.
(Btw., after three weeks of waiting for the new camcorder, they've notified me today that I cannot get a new camcorder even if it has good LCD!!!!)

Here is the clip from XL-H1:
LCD on XL-H1 on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/4296173)

and old one from XL-H1a
LCD on XLH1A ghosting and smearing on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/3976540)

While it is not a direct comparison as your content differs, I will agree that the xlh1 clip you just posted does seem to be cleaner with much less ghosting. Watching the first clip you can clearly see the LCD leaves a remnant of the "edge" that you are panning to and from. It looks like and old fashioned LCD that was way too slow, or, like my XLh1 when shooting in 32 degree or lower temperatures.

So what are you going to do at this point? The dealer/Canon won't get you a new one? To be clear, the EVF on the H1 series really does stink, but apparently you got one that is even worse than normal! But even when it is working right, it pales in comparison to other cameras nowadays.

Good Luck.

I forgot to write on this forum what happened at the end of "the case" LCD ghosting!
After waiting 3 weeks they told me that they can not get new camcorder.
I did not want to take back XL-H1a and I was shooting entire season with old but good XL2.
Now, I finally bought a Sony HVR-s270. (LCD & VF are much more better)

That one & only service in Croatia is really bad commercial for Canon!