There will be a lot of discussions comparing the similarities and differences between the XL2 and Panasonic DVX100A, but here's one little interesting side-corner aspect concerning feature set comparisons: the user-definable Custom Key assignments.

On the XL2, two Custom Key buttons can toggle your choice of these functions:


Time Code
Index Write
Zebra
VCR Stop
TV Screen
Zoom Handle
Audio Level


On the DVX100A, there are three User Buttons which can toggle these options:


COLOR BARS Display/hide the SMPTE color bar
SPOTLIGHT Auto iris spotlight correction ON/OFF
BACKLIGHT Auto iris backlight correction ON/OFF
BLACKFADE Fade out to a black screen (linked with audio)
WHITEFADE Fade out to a white screen (linked with audio)
MODECHECK Display camera settings in viewfinder/monitor
ATW Auto tracking white balance function ON/OFF
ATWLOCK Lock/unlock white balance in ATW operation
GAIN 18dB Switch the gain to +18 dB
INDEX Write the index signal
SLOW SHUT Slow shutter mode ON/OFF


I don't know about you, but I would like to have seen a little more diversity in the Canon options.

Yeah... seems a bit like a let down. But then again, like the its
predecessors, the XL2 has a lot of external nobs. So the gain
thing from DVX is actually not needed as a preset on the XL2?

You're right, Rob, the gain setting would be a superfluous custom key on the XL2. But I wish they had added Skin Detail and a few other things to the custom key options. I like the options better for DVX.

black fade and white fade are kinda useless as well, (I mean even I can do that in post so I'm sure most can) and the spotlight function is still available (it looks like it at least) as user control setting, so in some sense it is a user defined knob.

I think the options on the Ag-DVC30 are even better.

Ron Evans

OH and that $100,000 camera the f900, with about four billion different menu settings, also only has two assignable switches (actually one that goes up and down for two different settings) so I'd say that the custom key's are kind of a non issue, but I guess if you're used to three on the dvx then...

custom keys are a godsend IMO..
for live event work, backlight, White tracking/balance lock, spotlight.. etc makes things easier