Regarding Canon XH A1 HDV camera, how can we achieve a progressive film-look. If there are many functions involved, can you please explain step by step?

Not quite sure what exactly you mean by "progressive film-look", but avoiding shooting interlaced and controlling your depth of field as much as you can is a start to avoiding the "video" look. Using a DoF adapter will certainly make it easier but that's extra expense and hassle.

Regardless of the depth of field which can be achieved by the cinema cameras because of their lens capability or the adapters which are used for such purpose, I am asking whether Canon XH A1 can achieve something similar to 24P which exists in many cinema cameras. Here is a sample from youtube in the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l56AM0Uym5M

Can you explain how this look has been achieved?

Just set the camera to record in 24f.

I am asking whether Canon XH A1 can achieve something similar to 24P which exists in many cinema cameras.The Canon XH A1 doesn't achieve "something similar" to 24p -- it *is* 24p.

Go to Menu > Signal Setup > Frame Rate > 24F

That setting puts the XH A1 in native its 24p recording mode. Hope this helps,

What about the shutter speed and the aperture? How much speed should be given for the shutter and size for the aperture?

Haitham,

I don't know your experience level, so I hope this is helpful and not insulting. Conventionally set your shutter somewhere between the frame rate and twice the frame rate, going for twice the rate if light allows. So if you are shooting 30F, try 1/30 to 1/60 (or the closest increment, haven't shot with the A1 in a while). Probably the most film look short of using an adapter is to zoom in as far as you can and shoot with the aperture as high as possible to create a shallower DOF. Also consider a custom preset like the Panalook or Panalook2 presets (listing of other presets in string):

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xh-series-hdv-camcorders/126811-xh-custom-presets-download-library-copy.html

Beyond this, crush the blacks slightly and play with CC in post to achieve the look of a particular film stock.

Note from admin: XL H presets link replaced by XH presets link

Yes in fact it was a useful to me. However, I have purchased this camera from a local store, therefore it only supports PAL so the frame rate can be set at 25f.
I have found in the link posted by Roger Shealy a .CPF file holding the name "PRESET18". How can I make use of this file?

The link posted above was the XL H presets library, not what you
needed. I have replaced it with the link to the XH presets library.

See the first post of that thread for instructions about loading
the presets into the camera. Refer to page 81 of the operator's
manual for more details. If you don't have the manual, you can
download a .PDF copy from the "sticky" threads posted at the
top of this forum's index page. Hope this helps,

Haitham,

In my previous post I said to run aperture as "high as possible"; I should have said "as open as possible" for shallow depth of field.

Yes, I am aware of that. Anyhow thanks a lot.