I would love to see some images taken with the XL2 compared with images taken by other cameras of the same thing. Low light, telephoto, etc. Is there a good place to see such things? I've Googled and found only one, on a DVX100a site that was (obviously) favoring the DVX100a.

I second the request. :D

I would be interested in seeing the results of someone actually taking the time to compile this info. I think it would be a great resource for anyone in the market to purchase one of the cameras featured. However, the overall look of the video is determined greatly by the user and their experience with a particular camera. With that said, it would be easy to give off false impressions of the true capabilities of a camera if the operator is unfamiliar with it. Likewise, having experienced users of each camera would result in the best results per camera, but dissimilar source video would not be as great of a comparison as if all cameras were shooting the same source.

Now if someone could get experienced users of each camera together to shoot the same source and post the results, that would be very interesting.

Here are a few things I posted a long while ago..

http://homepage.mac.com/barrygoyette/PhotoAlbum19.html

There are a number of xl2 clips available there as well.

Marty Hudzik posted a number of xl2 dvx comparisons way back then as well, you might do a search to see if they are still online anywhere.

Hope this hops.

Barry

Howdy from Texas,

I think this last came up about a year ago, but I have access (thanks to resources in nearby Austin) to just about all of the current flavors of camcorders... I'd be happy to compile a sort of all-in-one comparison, but as I mentioned last time, I'd need some guidelines from you guys as to *how* and *what* you want tested, specifically, exactly how and what do you want to see in such a comparison.

Howdy from Texas,

I think this last came up about a year ago, but I have access (thanks to resources in nearby Austin) to just about all of the current flavors of camcorders... I'd be happy to compile a sort of all-in-one comparison, but as I mentioned last time, I'd need some guidelines from you guys as to *how* and *what* you want tested, specifically, exactly how and what do you want to see in such a comparison.
I would love to see shots taken in low light, both in full auto mode, and then with manual settings (0db gain, iris open wide.... then at full gain). Mostly interested in seeing XL2 versus PD170, DVX100, and Z1/FX1. Thanks!

I just shot this in very poor light last weekend.

www.holyzoo.com/media/video/The_Black_Pole.mov

This was shot with controlled lighting:

www.holyzoo.com/media/video/Holy_Zoo-Scrawler_1500kbs.mov

This was shot in day light:

www.holyzoo.com/content/xl2/video/XL2_Test_Outdoors.mov


These, of course, aren't DV files, they're compressed for web, but it give you the idea of some of the looks that are possible.

Digging the on the street footage....

This was shot in day light:

www.holyzoo.com/content/xl2/video/XL2_Test_Outdoors.mov
I notice a definite moire pattern on the shot of the metallic structure. Is this on the camera original or a result of web compression?

Was that shot using 24p?

Here are a few things I posted a long while ago..

http://homepage.mac.com/barrygoyette/PhotoAlbum19.html

There are a number of xl2 clips available there as well.

Marty Hudzik posted a number of xl2 dvx comparisons way back then as well, you might do a search to see if they are still online anywhere.

Hope this hops.

Barry

I took those off line but in all fairness I was new to the camera at the time and really could not "work" it yet. The DVX is a very easy camera to use and I had become spoiled with an almost point and shoot mentality. So those initial tests were often used to demonstrate what I didn't initally like about the XL2. But after a few months I love it and learned how to coax the mojo out of it. I could try to whip up some of my newer stuff and post it this weekend.

I could try to whip up some of my newer stuff and post it this weekend.
That would be a huge help to me (and others). I am really interested in low light comparisons, especially in regard to noise levels, brightness, color saturation, sharpness, etc. Thanks!

That would be a huge help to me (and others). I am really interested in low light comparisons, especially in regard to noise levels, brightness, color saturation, sharpness, etc. Thanks!

I'm afraid I may have bad news for you. I find that the Xl2 is not the best low light camera. It is designed to shine in a studio/controlled lighting environment. IT is however very clean with very little noise but it tends to be less sensitive to extreme low light conditions when compared with the DVX or PD150.

If you light a scene to look dark and light it properly it will pull this off with very little grain or noise. But to try to shoot a dark unlit room you will have to use gain and that always introduces noise to the signal. I wish it were better in low light but I have learned to love it for its amazing imagery when given enough light.

I'm afraid I may have bad news for you. I find that the Xl2 is not the best low light camera. It is designed to shine in a studio/controlled lighting environment. IT is however very clean with very little noise but it tends to be less sensitive to extreme low light conditions when compared with the DVX or PD150.

If you light a scene to look dark and light it properly it will pull this off with very little grain or noise. But to try to shoot a dark unlit room you will have to use gain and that always introduces noise to the signal. I wish it were better in low light but I have learned to love it for its amazing imagery when given enough light.
My problem is that the Z1, which I currently own, produces virtually no image at all in low light when at telephoto settings. I did a quick comparison between the DVX100a and the XL2 in a store recently and found their low light abiities to be better than the Z1. The DVX100a was the best, but the XL2 was still okay. But I would really love to see anything you could post in regard to the DVX100a versus the XL2 in low light at telephoto and wide settings. Thanks in advance!

I just shot this in very poor light last weekend.

www.holyzoo.com/media/video/The_Black_Pole.mov

This was shot with controlled lighting:

www.holyzoo.com/media/video/Holy_Zoo-Scrawler_1500kbs.mov

This was shot in day light:

www.holyzoo.com/content/xl2/video/XL2_Test_Outdoors.mov


These, of course, aren't DV files, they're compressed for web, but it give you the idea of some of the looks that are possible.

The holy zoo - scrawler video was outstanding, Its really breathtaking to see the level of quality of production and Video quality the XL2 is involved in..!!!!

Bravo!!!!!

if doing a shoot out, show focal lengths both the widest settings and longest settings, and be sure to always keep the apertures and gain settings matched or else any lense tests are worthless sime with the color mixer and realy all cameras should pretty much be "zeroed out" so that an accurate idea of where you can go from there is available