after reading manual for xl-2 I came up with a couple of questions i wasn't sure about:

1. will be using xl-2 for transfer to adobe preimere 6.5 (1.5?) will burn to dvd also to vhs tapes .Vhs isn't considered film is it? i'm thinking motion film not vhs.Which leads me to the next question.What rate should i shot at? I read the manual but still am questioning myself.I just want to transfer to dvd and vhs through adobe premiere.Is there a mode to shot at if there is ever a chance i want to go to film that will work with what i want to do as listed above?


2 What about the drop frame mode?Do i use the non-drop time code as stated for editing with the premiere? also , is there video or a book that has these instructions in the manual broken down to be a little user friendly for someone new to this camera? and help is appreciated thanks in advance.

No, VHS is not the same as film. Film comes in reels, like for photography, if you expose light onto it, it will get ruined. VHS is magnetic analog media.
If all you want to do is transfer your footage to DVD or VHS, the frame is only a matter of the look you want to give your video. But like you mentioned, if you want to transfer your footage to film, then you should shoot at 24P advanced mode.

If you edit or shoot on Drop frame, you will get an exact readout on how long your footage is. It doesn't mean that a frame of footage is getting dropped, it only refers to the measure of time. Just remember that one hour of footage measured in non-drop frame isnt really one hour exactly, but a bit longer.

thank you for making that clearer