After shooting with an XLH1 for about nine months, I decided to sell it and buy an XHA1 instead. I can’t say I loved the attention I got when I went out with the XLH1. I spent a lot of time smiling and waving at people as they exclaimed “Wow, that’s a serious camera you’ve got there…” Also, the less “official” I look, the easier it is to shoot in a much broader variety of places. On top of all of that, the weight of the camera and the necessity of disassembling it when flying was all just a little too much. Selling it allowed me to get a camera much more akin to my beloved DVX100 and put some money back in the bank to boot.

When my camera arrived, the first thing I noticed was that it was small. It’s much smaller than I expected, in fact. I think it was partly due to my familiarity with the XLH1. In my mind, I was still expecting it to be in that size range. Now what I was looking at as I took it out of the box was more like a toy by comparison.

The next thing that surprised me was the weight of the camera. It was a little heavier than I expected and it also felt very solid. This pleased me greatly because it is pretty robust and that’s critical for me given I am out in the field quite a bit.

It felt well balanced although maybe a tad front heavy. I was able to quickly get up and running with all the controls because they were similarly placed to the XLH1. I was disappointed that I could not enable or disable the OIS from a button but had to go into a menu to change it. I switch the OIS on and off quite a bit so that was a significant loss. Also, I was not completely happy about having to search through the menu again to change the gain from 0 to -3 (which I do frequently). On the XLH1, that was also easy to change independent of the menu.

The instant focusing ability of the A1 is nothing short of spectacular. I never much used auto focus on the XLH1 but I am using it quite a bit on the A1. Mostly I set focus to manual and press the focus button for quick checks.

Having color bars so easily available is really nice. It’s one of those things that is very subtle but ends up being a great convenience.

The LCD, like the XLH1 is much brighter than what is being recorded to tape and can be deceiving. I always use zebra stripes as an exposure aid but sometimes can still be fooled by the LCD display, leaving me with underexposed and noisy footage. This is just something I need to watch out for. I haven’t tried playing with the brightness of the LCD although the brightness is an advantage on sunny days.

One thing that I find really annoying is when I have the camera slung over my shoulder using the strap. The white balance switch keeps getting moved and 75% of the time I have to switch it back to where it was.

The battery compartment, although a little odd compared to what I’m used to, doesn’t bother me at all. My 970’s fit in there and slip out without a problem.

Having an iris ring is such a thrill after the little thumbwheel of the XLH1 and it is surprisingly responsive and totally useable even when recording if I want to make a subtle adjustment. I got used to the position and feel of the focus, zoom and iris ring straight away so the whole design feels very intuitive to me.

The position preset focus/zoom switches occupy a huge amount of prime real estate on the camera and it seems such a novelty function to me. I’m a little confused as to why Canon didn’t use this space for at least an OIS button instead, something I would use a hundred times more.

Without going into every physical attribute of the camera let me just say that I find the entire design very logical. Even hunting around for something I hadn’t yet used on the camera while recording, I was able to put my finger right on what I needed.

Even though Canon basically said that the XHA1 and the XLH1 would record the same quality picture, I was a little nervous that there would be something different. I spent some time working on getting the picture from the H1 just perfect to where I loved the colors, etc. I was relieved and thrilled to see that the picture quality matched and I was still able to produce quality footage in a smaller and lighter package. The noise level is significantly lower than what I experienced on my DVX. In fact, the noise the XHA1 produces is much more like fine film grain than the dancing digital dots I’ve seen on some HVX and DVX footage in low light.

All in all I would say that this is the best camera I have ever used. It is absolutely ideal for my shooting style which is usually out in the elements shooting nature footage. The form factor is right as is the weight and positioning of all of the controls. As mentioned earlier, I would like an OIS switch and the sensitivity of the white balance switch is a minor annoyance.

Canon has done a spectacular job squeezing such a great HD image onto a miniDV tape. I have noticed some occasional macroblocking in high motion scenes but it’s really very minor and not something I am worried about at all. It’s the kind of thing that is only visible through close inspection of still frames, not while watching the footage, even on a 50” plasma.

Do I miss my XLH1? Hell no.

Thanks for the detailed report, Steven! Much appreciated,

Do I miss my XLH1? Hell no.

Ha!Ha!Ha!

Well, It's good to see you're still a Canon shooter anyways Steven.

Seriously Steven,

We'll miss your great work on the H1 forum. You were always pushing the camera for for more and generously sharing your insights.

I suppose a testament to that is my H1 is locked on your 'Panalook' setting.

The A1 team is fortunate to have you on board.

Hey Steven:

I recall looking at your Yellowstone video at one point, and in particular I remember a Bald eagle shot that was spectacular, but that I figured was also taken quite a distance away using extreme telephoto. Maybe I"m wrong about that, but do you feel you can get as much out of the fixed lens set up ?

Thanks Ken :)

Chris, I had Century Optics (now Schneider) modify my DVX 1.6x teleconverter and that's what I was using on the XLH1. Fortunately, it also works on the A1. There is some loss in focal length from the H1 but not enough for me to worry about.

Thank you for the review, Steven.

We're looking forward to even more stunning footage than previously shot with H1. With smaller, lighter cam you can boldly go where no one has gone before. Just be safe :)

Personally I'm very impressed with OIS performance in such small package. How do you feel about that?

Bogdan, that's a tall order!

Most of what I've done with the camera (I've had it all of one week) has been tripod-based so I really haven't had a chance to use the OIS yet. I'll let you know when I do.

Well, I did not mean cliff climbing with A1 in one hand, but our expectations are not much less than that ;-) You have raised the bar and now you are epected by our community to push it even higher :)

OIS performance is very similar to XL2/H1 imo. The only thing that keeps me from achieving the same results is form factor. Internally, despite different IS technology, OIS in A1 seems to be as effective as the system used in big Canon cams.

I especially agree with you on the noise subject. It has more filmic, organic feel (esp. in motion) and does not hurt as much as what we see in some other cams.

Steven: I also just purchased an A1, although I kept the H1 and it is still my "A" camera... You mentioned the Gain issue - that bothered me too, but I set L at -3, M at 0 and H at +12 and find that covers about 90% of my shooting...

My biggest gripe is the WB Preset switch being under the LCD - I don't use the LCD much, so I always have to flip it out to change from Daylite to Tungsten - luckily the adjustable K option is on this camera as well, so I use that instead... I like the placement of Exposure Lock button very much - in fact most of the controls are in natural places... OIS switch would be nice, I admit, but I don't use it that much (it is pretty good when you need it).

I actually bought this camera to use (occasionally) with the RedRock M-2, so the focus and zoom presets being instantly available is good for me.. if that's why Canon did it, they forgot to make the finder flippable though...

I find I use the A1 more often that I thought I would, and although I wouldn't say it is my favorite camera ever (my 16mm Aaton takes that slot in film and the old Sony DSR200 in video, both for ergonomic reasons) it is a nice little camera that delivers an amazing picture...

I would have bought your H1 by the way...

Great Cam...
I wish it would balance when hung from handle.

Low shots where cam is hanging from hand, XH-A1 tilts left hand down.

Maybe it was balanced for the XH-G1, the extra attachment on the RHS??

Glad you like the A1 so much. I hated it!

Well not really. It was a good camera but I am a control freak and I need access to everything that the H1 has at my fingertips. I am changing gain and white balance frequently, I switch from XLR to onboard mic a lot, OIS on/off frequently. Most of these are in menus or not as readily available as on the H1. I also found the feel of the zoom lever to be way different than the H1. It was too touchy for me. I couldn't maintain a constant "creep" zoom without it jerking or jumping. These things are probably not important to you but they go a long way in my style of shooting.

Also, this is a situation where "what you are shooting" really dictates what you like. I am doing a lot of corporate, commercials and industrial shooting where clients are paying me a significant chunk of change. As sad as it is, they expect to see more "pro" looking gear. I also do a few weddings here and there and that requires a lot more changing settings on the fly and the A1 stumbles a bit here as too much is left in the menus. Add to that the H1 (wether you love it or hate it) is a bigger, bulkier shoulder style camera that will generally deliver more stable shoulder mount shots. If shooting from a tripod the A1 and H1 are about even. But long handheld shoots are easier with the H1. IMHO.

Having said all of that, I still would love to have an A1 as a second camera. However, the budget is not there for that at this moment.

So I live with the hassles of travelling with this camera for now.

Oh....and have I ever mentioned my little love affair with the 16x manual lens?

:)

I don't think I could live without her!

thanks for the write-up, steven. i love this camera. it's like they bred an XL2 with an FX-1, and this is their love-child. it's got a best-of-both-worlds feature set, plus a few goodies thrown in, like the push focus button and a manual line/mic level button. at an unbeatablel price point. my only complaint is that the component cable with the RCA-to-BNC adapters required to plug into the Marshall monitor are a loose connection, and the Marshall flickers, which is driving me batty. i think i read somewhere that you had the Marshall for your H1. are you using a Marshall monitor with your A1, Steven, and are you experiencing this issue? got a solution?

Mention was made about the XH-A1 drawing less attention to itself but I find it still draws too much attention, albeit from a lower tier of inquisitives than the XL-H1.

I have the HV10 and it's beautiful for candids. People pay no attention. At times I'm blown away by the out of the box HV10 footage, but when I put it side by side with the A1 I come away with the conclusion the tweaked A1 image is subtly superior even in daylight where the HV10 is at its best. You wouldn't expect anything less from the A1 or anything more from the HV10.

Mention was made about the XH-A1 drawing less attention to itself but I find it still draws too much attention, albeit from a lower tier of inquisitives than the XL-H1.



Hopefully an HV20 is in my near future for exactly these reasons. Come on tax return!

Seriously, my H1 will be more for corporate and paying gigs and the Hv20 may become my personal favorite. I'll take it with me everywhere! It does fit in your pocket doesn't it? :)

The, of course, H1 has other advatages.. I too have the 16x and the new 6x.. they make a great combination..

But the A1 is a really good middle-ground camera because the lens is slightly wider, making it very useful for tight spaces like in cars and fishing boats and airplanes.. And it's true that it doesn't attract as much attention (although that unconscionable a__ h___ that made BORAT has totally ruined it for verite style documentary filmmakers, probably forever)...

And if you've got a client-presentation issue, the A1 with a Chrosziel mattebox and a Marshall monitor looks pretty acceptable... Of course you don't have to tell them that the bulbous built-on mike makes it almost impossible to change the back filter, and that the (admittedly excellent) external focus sensor makes the use of a follow focus out of the question...

The, of course, H1 has other advatages.. I too have the 16x and the new 6x.. they make a great combination..



Whenever I consider ponying up for the 6x wide for the H1, I always tell myself I could just spend a few more bucks and buy the A1. Then I have a wider FOV and a 2nd complete camera to compliment my H1. I do realize the 6x WA for the H1 is wider, but it's hard to fork out $2600 for a lens only when an A1 can be had for another $700 when you take rebates into consideration.

I guess there are things that I didn't really care for in the H1, and most of those are in the lens design. These same things are more or less still present in the A1 lens and cannot be overcome by adding a manual lens.

The one other area that others are not addressing and that I "personally" have problem with is the non-fixed iris when zooming. It will not be an issue with well lit scenes and it will not be an issue with shots taken at full wide. But when you do need to zoom and you also need to have your iris wide open for proper exposure, there is a more significant drop in iris than on the H1. I found that I had to zoom more often to frame subjects properly. The A1 seemed to drop more light than the H1 zoomed the same amount (not zoom ration but actual 35mm equivalents).

I spoke with Barlow and he seemed to notice the same thing. In some tests I found the H1 didn't significantly change iris exposure until into the 90s on the zoom meter. That gave me a large range to zoom around in without seeing any effect on my exposure...or minimal effect to be correct.

On the A1 I was seeing serious light loss even when zoomed 40-50. It was significant. I had to put the gain on +6 to compensate for this. The results were footage that is far more noisy and less colorful than the same footage shot on the H1 in the same exact settings. To be fair this really only becomes an issue when shooting interiors with available light. But I personally run into this a lot in my line of work.

This was the "main" contributing factor in returning the A1 and keeping the H1. Add to this the 16x manual has no light loss at all when zooming. So it is the most practical in low light scenarios. In fairness, the 16x manual becomes a little soft when zoomed to max and iris is left at 1.6. However, when I back it down to 3.2 the images sharpens up significantly. So I at least have the choice of getting good exposure but a slightly softer image, or too dark but sharp. And I should mention that when I say softer, I mean on the magnitude of a 35mm adapter....not blurry or fuzzy but dare I say...kinda filmic? The DOF is super shallow too so it can used to get a 35mmish type of look.

Peace!

The iris thing drives me nuts.. on the A1 it is down to 2.6 at the zoom setting I use for the M2 adapter.. AND when you consider the M2 loses almost 2 stops AND the Nikkor lenses are best at around f4, that doesn't leave much bottom end to work with..

The very first post I wrote after selling my XL2 and buying the H1 was - boy do I miss having f1.6 thru the entire zoom range - ultimately that was as important a factor as manual focus when I decided to buy another one...

With the 6x, it doesn't bother me as much because when I put that lens on I treat it like putting a prime 10mm on a super16mm camera and only zoom in occasionally -

But the A1 loses a lot of light through the zoom range - if I remember correctly it's around 3.4 at full telephoto... It is undoubtedly the weakest point with this camera.

But the A1 loses a lot of light through the zoom range - if I remember correctly it's around 3.4 at full telephoto... It is undoubtedly the weakest point with this camera.

thank you Steve. I thought I was going crazy!

I guess with a 35mm adapter that would not help much either. Have you ever used a Letus or anything like it on the H1 that mounts directly? Less light loss I would assume if any, other than the light loss from the actual lens in use?

Thanks

All the electronic lenses stop down when zoomed in. But if you're using a Letus or any of the other spinning ground glass devices, I don't think you'd be zoomed in. Most of them seem to eat up a half to a full stop, and then you add that to whatever lens you're using on the end. I think you'd probably shoot wide open or nearly so with the built-in camera lens.

All the electronic lenses stop down when zoomed in. But if you're using a Letus or any of the other spinning ground glass devices, I don't think you'd be zoomed in. Most of them seem to eat up a half to a full stop, and then you add that to whatever lens you're using on the end. I think you'd probably shoot wide open or nearly so with the built-in camera lens.

Bill. I was led to believe otherwise. Most 35mm adapters that attach to the end of an existing camcorder lens would require some zooming to frame the "ground glass" properly. I think on some camera this can be significant. I thought a major benefit of using an interchangable lens system was to avoid some of this and all the extra glass that the light must travel through.

I am not sure what you mean by electronic lenses......do you mean servo driven lens? The 16x manual lens from canon is manual but it has an electronic controlled iris. The zoom is electronic but it is technically manipulated by an external motor that can be disengaged.

Someone who has more experience with these 35mm adapter can clarify the first part.

Peace.

must admit this was the norm for still cameras to loose about a stop from one end of the zoom to the other, thats with cheap lenses though, the good ones maintain the f stop throughout the range.

I haven't noticed this happen with cams like the HD101 with standard fujinons over whole of the zoom. I might be wrong? But it would obviously be undesirable

Yeah you gotta zoom in about half the lens range using the M2.. I don't know about other devices, because I bought this one (RedRock) sight unseen because it's affordable and I needed a specific look for dramatizations in a doc I'm producing now... Honestly, I'm not crazy about it, but with a lot of patience it does work.

This may not specifically be an A1 topic, except that the A1 has the presets for zoom and focus, and boy would using the M2 be a pain in the a__ without that feature...

I was disappointed that the area of the zoom forces me to shoot with the A1 at f2.6.. it has forced me to totally rethink my lighting plan for these sequences (I had intended to do it simply - use only my 1x1 LitePanel - now I'm having to drag out my old Mini-Brute 9 Lite and run cables everywhere)...

I didn't think you had to zoom in that far. That changes things a bit, doesn't it.

Now look what I've started....sheeesh.

:)

I wonder if all the adapters require that much zooming. If you're at f2.6 with the camera's lens...with the adapter that'd be about an f3.5...add one of my sharp but slow Nikkor lenses, a 2.8 on the 24mm, and now we're up to about an f5.6.

Seeing as we have gone completely off topic here, I would recommend you guys start a new thread because I think what you are discussing is important and it will get lost in this thread.

i have to second what steven is saying...he's an outdoor shooter, and his thoughts on the XH A1 are going to be geared that direction...not too many outdoor shooters are working with M2 adapters because the distance of the camera from the object is substantial, and shallow DOF is achievable with the right combination of wide aperture, ND filters, and manual focus.

seems like a useful discussion deserving of its own thread re: the A1 aperture limits and 35mm adapters....

i just want to thank Steven Dempsey for helping me with a issue and let all know that this is a very standup individual. I know that this is a forum to exchange ideas and support, but when someone goes above and beyond, I really appreciate it and wanted to publicly acknowledge it. Thanks Steven.( I'm on now)

I would recommend you guys start a new thread because I think what you are discussing is important and it will get lost in this thread.Don't worry about that -- I'll probably clean it up by splitting out those posts into a new thread. Thanks as always, Steven!

Stephen

Can you tell us a little more about how you use the camera? What modes you use most frequently and some of the settings? Maybe you have covered that ground with the H1 already? I am most interested in your workflow with the camera. Again if you have covered this with the H1 please let me know...

I've been following your stuff for a long time. I shoot instructional fishing videos and outdoor shots also (but never with your level of precision.) I just moved from the DVX to the A1. I must say I'm so overwhelmed. I was just so used to the placement of everything on the DVX. The scene selector on the back with all my presets... ahhh! What will I do now!?

Time will improve the situation. I appreciate you giving us the pluses and minuses from your perspective and hope that you will continue to post your impressions. You are ahead of me a good bit as I don't have the H1 experience that you have sandwiched in the middle.

The scene selector on the back with all my presets... ahhh! What will I do now!?

Same thing with the A1. It's what the Custom Preset Select button is for on the back left side.

Bill

Same thing with the A1. It's what the Custom Preset Select button is for on the back left side.

Bill

The DVX had a hard switch though. You could look at the dial and see which preset you were on. The A1/H1 requires you to look at the screen and verify and you even have to watch as you toggle through the presets to know which one you are on. On the DVX there was a comfort level there simply by "seeing" what position your camera was in.

Not a biggy but does take a little adjustment. I know I have accidentally shot footage in the wrong mode of my H1 because somehow the little button got touched and it moved from preset3 to preset4 and I didn't realize it. Of course on the Canons the framerate is not tied to the CPs so you can't accidentally shoot in the wrong frame mode.

Peace!

Marty: You're right, the DVX was/is very user-friendly in that regard.. I also LOVED the infinety preset button of the focus - probably the single most useful item I've ever found on any prosumer camera..

Jonathan: Text addressed to Stephen - There are two Steves here - Steven and me, although I always use Steve my full name is Stephen - just to further confuse things -

In answer to your question though, there are many options available in the A1's menu, you just have to take some time, experiment with settings recommended in this forum, and find out which one you like... In my case I never shoot anything without using one of the Cine Gamma and the Cine Matrix... Generally Master Ped down some - crunch blacks across the board, Detail up or down depending, Coring (for me) usually +4, Chroma up +2 to +4.. that sort of thing.. Take a full day and play with it and view your efforts on a good TV (doesn't have to be a pro monitor)...

It is easy to accidentally hit the button that changes the custom presets, as Marty alluded to (both on the H1 and the A1) so you have to remember to check it occasionally in the finder -

One thing I do (because I often have to work fast) is set two presets next to each other identically - say Preset 3 and Preset 4 - then when I'm shooting, I select Preset 3 - if I accidentally hit the button it shifts to Preset 4, but the image doesn't change...

One thing I do (because I often have to work fast) is set two presets next to each other identically - say Preset 3 and Preset 4 - then when I'm shooting, I select Preset 3 - if I accidentally hit the button it shifts to Preset 4, but the image doesn't change...

What if you accidentally bump it a 2nd time?

:)

I kid....I kid.......

I was speaking to (Steve) Disjecta. I've been watching his films since back when the DVX first came out. He has quite a following over at DVXuser. I was hoping to hear more from him regarding the A1 and how he uses it for his outdoor filming and differences he's encountered between the DVX and Canons.

I will definitely be writing about my thoughts on those things and others. It's just a question of finding time and spending a little more time with the XHA1.

Sounds Great Steven. Please keep posting those shots and I'll keep watching. I assume your workflow will be very similar to the H1 but I wasn't present at the forum while you were working with that cam. Only followed back when you had the DVX.

-Jonathan

I will definitely be writing about my thoughts on those things and others. It's just a question of finding time and spending a little more time with the XHA1.

Hey, Steven, I decided I'd post to this existing thread. Hope you don't mind. We don't need another thread started with MY thoughts on the XHA1.

I've been playing around with my new A1 for a few days. Here are my thoughts about it so far. I've really pared the pros down to what I think really separates the A1 from the competition. I've narrowed the cons down by removing the things that “need some getting used to” and just leaving in the thing that can't be fixed.

Pros:
Sharp picture.
Manual iris ring.
Modes similar to SLR cameras.

Cons:
Chromatic aberration in the picture.

I love the picture. It is sharp without the artificial sharpness of the Sony cams. The CA in the picture bothers me, though. Nobody outside the photography or video community that I've showed footage to has noticed the CA, but I know it's there. It's a bit disappointing, especially when one considers that probably one-third of the cost of the camera is in the lens.

The amount of customizing that can be done on the camera could fill a book. I tweaked picture settings for about two hours before even shooting one second of video. I'm not used to this kind of picture control outside of Photoshop. It is a welcome addition. Out of the box, the image doesn't have the contrast of some of the other HD cams, but with so much tweak-ability, I'm pretty sure that can be fixed.

People have complained about the iris ring saying that it's too easy to hit it accidentally. This is just something I'll have to get used to. I figure after a few weeks, I'll have trained myself to know where to hold the camera without hitting the iris. I do like the big ring better than the tiny iris wheels I've grown accustomed to. I also prefer the smooth rotation as opposed to the “clicky” wheels. I think the focus and zoom rings also feel pretty good. The max zoom speed is just a bit slow, however. The zoom isn't as nice a manual zoom on an SLR lens, but it works well and is the best I've felt on the camcorders I have used. No, I've never used the big boy camcorders.

Speaking of holding the camera, that's something that needs to be done with two hands unless you're on the sticks. Trying to hold it with one hand will make your forearm quite sore, and eventually you'd develop Popeye-like forearm muscles (on your right arm, anyway). The balance is front-heavy, but I think it'll balance nicely with the FS-C mounted out back. I don't have the FS-C yet, but it's on my wish list.

Before I got bit by the video bug, I was a big photography buff. I never had the cash for the “professional” SLRs, but did manage to stay just a notch or two below those models. My love of manual control comes from my time with SLR photography. I also learned, however, that usually, I didn't have the time to manually set everything on the camera. Based on the circumstances, I would use the shutter priority or aperture priority modes. I really like that the A1 has these modes available. This makes it easier for someone doing run-n-gun work to control what is most important while letting the camera figure out the rest of the equation. In studio shots, you can go full manual and get exactly what you want. It's better to get a picture that may not be perfect because you shot semi-auto, than it is to get no picture at all.

So, there it is. My 2 cents worth. Probably more like 50 cents, actually, but I'll let you all keep the change.

I've noticed that with the Xh-A1 the highlights tend to be overly orange-ish. With skin tones, I always seem to have to color-correct the highlights by pushing towards Cyan(and a little green). I haven't figured out how to isolate the highlight settings in camera to push them towards Cyan(I don't know if this is possible).

Another difficulty for me with the camera is how the lens handles skin tones in lower light settings. They really become gray and mushy very quickly. The camera is still new to me, so I am trying to find the right procedure to get the best possible skin tones in situations when I am not outside, and there isn't tons of light.

The only other thing I would like to see change, as would some others, is to have the custom function button for zebras and OIS. Other than that, I am really ecstatic about the image quality and form factor.

I've noticed that with the Xh-A1 the highlights tend to be overly orange-ish. With skin tones, I always seem to have to color-correct the highlights by pushing towards Cyan(and a little green). I haven't figured out how to isolate the highlight settings in camera to push them towards Cyan(I don't know if this is possible).

Another difficulty for me with the camera is how the lens handles skin tones in lower light settings. They really become gray and mushy very quickly. The camera is still new to me, so I am trying to find the right procedure to get the best possible skin tones in situations when I am not outside, and there isn't tons of light.

The only other thing I would like to see change, as would some others, is to have the custom function button for zebras and OIS. Other than that, I am really ecstatic about the image quality and form factor.

Before you reinvent the wheel, have you tried Stephen Dempsey's VIVIDRGB preset?

what exactly do you see in what you say is chromatic aberration? purple fringing in dark areas? can you be more specific? bill

Tom, I have Steven's VIVIDRGB, and that is what I'm using. Coming from the DVX100a I appreciate the work that he did to come up with it. For me it is almost perfect, except for the skin tone. It needs a touch of cyan in the highlights to meet my liking for a less orange look.

On overcast days, it looks passable to me. But when there are no clouds it is too orange on the skin. This also happens under tungsten bulbs.

Adding a little cyan in the highlights, does add a very slight green-blue cast on non-skin objects, but I prefer that over warm skin tones.

I did test various comparison shots from my SLR camera (with my favorite lens) of skin tones(which I believe is more accurate) versus the Xh-A1 footage. I then sampled the SLR skin tone with the color corrector and matched the skin tone from the Xh-A1. In each situation, the highlights always shot down to a more Cyan finish in the color-corrector.

It also allows me to add more saturation to the overall image without worrying about the skin tones getting too orange too quickly before rest of the image looks properly saturated.

Anyway, I am grateful all of the work that was done to get the VIVIDRGB so absolutely close to what I was looking for.:)

what exactly do you see in what you say is chromatic aberration? purple fringing in dark areas? can you be more specific? bill

Sort of. I can see fringing in areas of high contrast. It's evident in my videos as well as any videos I've seen on-line from the A1 at wide angle setting. Like I said, most people don't recognize it, but I know it's there and I can see it. Of course, I'm looking for it.

Usually, it's not too bad and it's not in the main areas of interest.

I knew about it before buying the camera, but I just couldn't resist the level of control the camera gives me.

James: I agree on the reddish/orange tone in the vividrgb setting, see your mail.

steve dempsey...do you or have you seen chromatic aberration..purple fringing in the high contrast areas

One week into owning the XH-A1, and I am finally starting to feel comfortable with handling it. I've gotten used to the balance of the camera, and I found a good spot to put my left hand without constantly bumping the focus ring. Plus, I'm able to find and press the peaking, magnification, and Push AF buttons without looking. Now it's time to start tweaking.

I was really interested in seeing how 24F looks from this camera, but wanted to be able to shoot good “normal” video before I started goofing around. Yesterday I shot some video at my kids' t-ball game in 60i and 24F (1/48 shutter). When we got home, I watched the footage straight from the camera on my SD 54” RP television. Of course, the 60i footage looked great...just like real-life even on a SD television. When the footage abruptly switched to 24F, the picture seemed to strobe. After about a minute, I guess my brain adjusted to it and the footage looked great. The 24F gave a different feel than the 60i – much more than I was expecting. Suddenly, the t-ball game looked less like a home video and more like it belonged on a prime-time network drama. Even my wife noticed.

For the immediate future at least, the only thing that's going to look like film is film. Shooting in 24F didn't give me what I'd consider a film look, but it certainly did give a “close to film” feel. I would consider shooting weddings in 24F as soon as I get another 24F camera for b-roll. I think I see an HV20 (or maybe another A1) in my future.

The ability to adjust the white balance in degrees Kelvin is another welcome feature. NO MORE WARM CARDS! I perform a standard white balance adjustment, then tweak the image warmer or cooler based on what I want. However, twisting that tiny K dial makes me glad the days of having to adjust iris with a similar wheel are in the past. The big iris ring is the only way to go.

After a week, I can honestly say I like the camera more now than I did when I first fired it up. Enough to look past the CA which should be fixable in post. Next, I'll start messing with custom presets. It's like Canon put Photoshop inside the camera!

I've been playing around with my new A1 ....

I love the picture. It is sharp without the artificial sharpness of the Sony cams. ....

The amount of customizing that can be done on the camera could fill a book. I tweaked picture settings for about two hours before even shooting one second of video....

Speaking of holding the camera, that's something that needs to be done with two hands unless you're on the sticks. Trying to hold it with one hand will make your forearm quite sore, and eventually you'd develop Popeye-like forearm muscles (on your right arm, anyway). The balance is front-heavy, but I think it'll balance nicely with the FS-C mounted out back. I don't have the FS-C yet, but it's on my wish list.

....

A month later, Ken, having presumably tweaked some more, what settings/programmes do you now find useful, specifically outdoors?

I handhold XM2 (GL2) almost all the time but it's a pound lighter than XHA1. Any Popeye-like developments on your forearms?

Is autofocus quick to respond when you lift A1 off the ground and shoot again ?

A month later, Ken, having presumably tweaked some more, what settings/programmes do you now find useful, specifically outdoors??
If I'm just shooting landscapes, I really like to use the VIVIDRGB preset by Steven Dempsey. I don't use it if people are in the shot, though as I feel it tends to give their skin too much glow. Indoors in poor lighting, I use LOWLT12 by Alister Chapman at 6db gain. If I have good lighting and will be shooting people, I usually stick with factory settings and tweak the look in post if I want.
As far as program modes are concerned, in 24F I use full manual control. In the interlaced mode, I use Av program most of the time. I'm an old still photo shooter and feel the need to control that iris. Plus, the A1 has that KILLER iris ring and I just gotta use it.

I handhold XM2 (GL2) almost all the time but it's a pound lighter than XHA1. Any Popeye-like developments on your forearms?
Hand-holding is easier than I expected. Bear with me while I try to explain this. I use my left thumb supporting the bottom of the camera just under the shutter dial and three fingers to operate the rings on the lens. My right elbow get put against my stomach right below my rib cage. The base of my right hand supports the camera while the strap is really just there to keep the camera from tilting. To me, it feels as if the weight is pretty well distributed between both arms. I've been able to keep this hand-held style for 15 minutes at a time comfortably.
No huge forearm muscles yet.


Is autofocus quick to respond when you lift A1 off the ground and shoot again ?
I think the autofocus works great in the interlaced mode if you keep the IAF sensor active. I've never used as much AF before as I do with the A1.
Shooting in 24F mode slows the autofocus down quite a bit and I find myself having to help it along by over-riding it with the focus ring and occasionally going to manual focus. All landscapes are done in MF regardless of frame rate. Make sure to keep the IAF sensor clean.

That is very helpful Ken and very specific, thank you.

I hope you can go further and from your outdoor experience with XHA1 try to visualize how it might turn out footage of big birds in flight, example on this link ...

http://www.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/votacio.phtml?idVideo=15072

How would this sort of footage, shot handheld + autofocus + default settings on my XM2 (GL2) be improved by being shot with XHA1, handheld + autofocus + VIVIDRGB settings?

All thoughtful contributions from XHA1 people welcome.