You are not going to find much difference in the two for shallow depth of field when using similar adapters on the lens that comes with each kit. However, the XL-H1 offers far more due to you being able to swap and change with a variety of different lenses, not only Canon, but the vast range of Nikons and other lenses. Add a decent 35mm such as the Letus or P+S Technik to provide a narrower depth of field with wide lenses; although you'll get decent focal shifts and apparent dof also using the longer telephotos.

The big problem with most digital camcorders of course is that the sensor is so small it provides a huge amount of dof, so bigger sensors such as in the 5D will make things easier in that respect. That's of course if you can put up with all the other hassles that come with using a stills camera that doesn't have enough manual control or mic options and short filming sequences.

The Red of course is in a different league than the 5D and handles completely differently so I'm not sure if a 5D would benefit you so much in learning the ropes and controls of upper-tear cameras.

If resolution and quality of footage is not the main criteria, then maybe it is better to hire some of the cameras to see how you get on before actually buying the equipment.

Maybe the best solution is to wait for Scarlet to be released, and buy a fixed lens 2/3" camera. When it's time to shoot the feature, rent the ONE, S35, FF35 or Epic. That way, you're not only learning the RED way of doing things, but you'd also be working out the entire workflow, including RAW processing.

Personally, I think that Scarlet Fixed 2/3" and the 5D Mark II are perfect foils. The Scarlet does everything well that the Canon does not: no aliasing, 24p, slo-mo, rolling shutter (must be less to support 180 fps), longer recording times, HD monitoring, RAW recording, built-in pro video and audio features. By the same token, the 5D2 has what the 2/3" does not: full field sensor, super low light, variety of lenses, and stealth.

You could buy a 5D2 kit today to get used to shooting with 35mm lenses, sell it in three months, and use the money to buy a Scarlet Fixed to learn RED shooting. Personally, I can't imagine buying a 35mm adapter these days.

How much are the lower-end Scarlets gonna go for, and won't they be released in at least a year?

Everything is subject to change. I believe that a fixed lens Scarlet is something like $3,500. As to shipping dates, it's anybody's guess. I believe that the S35 Scarlet is scheduled to come out first.