XH A1 vs. XH A1s

Jonathan MacDonald · January 12th, 2009, 03:57 PM

Bit of an old thread revival but I'm having the same dilemma - XH-A1 or XH-A1s. From what I can gather, some of the differences between the two include:

Headphone jack is quite fragile - solved in A1s
screws attaching the ext. mic holder are much too tiny - solved in A1s
input line on one channel and mic on another
firewire connection from 4 pin to a 6 pin.
focus and zoom at the same time
OIS can be switched on or off from a custom key

Have I missed anything?

I'll be mainly using the camera for motorsport - trying to work out if it's worth my while spending almost £1000 more on an A1s. I'd probably go for the A1, only for the ability to focus and zoom at the same time with the A1s. Would I be right in saying that this would be a vital feature for capturing cars flying past me?!

Mark Fry · January 13th, 2009, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonathan MacDonald

Bit of an old thread revival but I'm having the same dilemma - XH-A1 or XH-A1s. From what I can gather, some of the differences between the two include:

Headphone jack is quite fragile - solved in A1s
screws attaching the ext. mic holder are much too tiny - solved in A1s
input line on one channel and mic on another
firewire connection from 4 pin to a 6 pin.
focus and zoom at the same time
OIS can be switched on or off from a custom key

Have I missed anything?

I'll be mainly using the camera for motorsport - trying to work out if it's worth my while spending almost £1000 more on an A1s. I'd probably go for the A1, only for the ability to focus and zoom at the same time with the A1s. Would I be right in saying that this would be a vital feature for capturing cars flying past me?!

UK price difference is more like £500-£600 ATM. A quick web search suggests roughly £2450 - £2600 for the old model (almost no change in 2 years!) and £3050 - £3200 for the new "s" model. I'd guess that the prices of both will drop a little in the coming weeks, especially once the new model is in stock in numbers. However, the Pound is rather weak at the moment, against the US Dollar and the Yen, so retailers have less room for discounting than usual.

I think the new model is worth a little more than the old one, but the present difference in asking price would be enough to make me think long and hard.

Do you know about the Broadcast & Video Expo at Earls Court, London, 17th - 19th Feb? It would be a good chance to have a close look at the new model and its rivals, and there are often special discounts from the dealer stands. Admission is free if you register in advance.

Jonathan MacDonald · January 13th, 2009, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Fry

UK price difference is more like £500-£600 ATM. A quick web search suggests roughly £2450 - £2600 for the old model (almost no change in 2 years!) and £3050 - £3200 for the new "s" model. I'd guess that the prices of both will drop a little in the coming weeks, especially once the new model is in stock in numbers. However, the Pound is rather weak at the moment, against the US Dollar and the Yen, so retailers have less room for discounting than usual.

I think the new model is worth a little more than the old one, but the present difference in asking price would be enough to make me think long and hard.

Do you know about the Broadcast & Video Expo at Earls Court, London, 17th - 19th Feb? It would be a good chance to have a close look at the new model and its rivals, and there are often special discounts from the dealer stands. Admission is free if you register in advance.

I'm near sure I saw the A1 for just under £2k at Bentonville Mall a couple of weeks ago but now it's up to £2229 :( (No idea what Bentonville Mall's reputation is like?) Mind you, these things seem to be changing on a near daily basis. The A1s is still showing in my shopping basket at Warehouse Express for £2935...and they have since increased the price to £3099!

Thanks for the heads up re Earls Court, I'll get a flight booked and take a trip over!

Nathan Quattrini · January 23rd, 2009, 03:22 PM

Is there anyone on here that has posted a differencing between the 2 and a general critique of comparison. I trust the members of this site to have good reliable and helpful info :) I will try looking elsewhere as well, but I would like to know some personal accounts of upgrading as well. Thanks

Curt Fargo · January 23rd, 2009, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonathan MacDonald

Headphone jack is quite fragile - solved in A1s
screws attaching the ext. mic holder are much too tiny - solved in A1s
input line on one channel and mic on another
firewire connection from 4 pin to a 6 pin.
focus and zoom at the same time
OIS can be switched on or off from a custom key

This is from 3 posts above and the only thing I can add is that the rubber on the 3 lens rings are slightly different and the whole group of output jacks are a little diferent. The A1s has an additional Component out that is a "Viewfinder Component Out"

Jeff Kellam · February 3rd, 2009, 12:08 PM

Does the A1s have a HDMI output?

I don't see that it does in the specifications. I guess that would also do away with the G model too. But HDMI would be a huge bonus.

Curt Fargo · February 3rd, 2009, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Kellam

Does the A1s have a HDMI output?

I don't see that it does in the specifications. I guess that would also do away with the G model too. But HDMI would be a huge bonus.

No it does not.

Brian Lakusta · February 4th, 2009, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jose Ortiz

I also think that is not worth it. I would say with the additional money can be use for accessories.

I would agree here too.

Getting a MRC1K and a Rode NTG-1 mic would be good accessories for the $1000 difference.

I recent bought a slightly used XH A1 and WD-H72 wide angle and thinking the 2 above items will be my next purchases.

Chris Hurd · February 4th, 2009, 06:29 PM

Keep in mind that the S models are replacements, not additions.

So it's really a matter of choosing a used XH A1 vs. a new XH A1S.

Shahryar Rizvi · February 4th, 2009, 08:25 PM

I myself had purchased a used XH A1 back in September from fellow DV Info member Dave Uriarte (from this thread here actually: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/private-c...-warranty.html). Unfortunately, just a few weeks after getting it, we had a house fire. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but my XH A1 was deemed "beyond economic repair" from Canon when I Sent it in. Once the settlement works out in the next few months, I'll look to replacing it and am probably going to go wit the XH A1s. Seems the differences aren't too much, but I'm getting the impression from looking around that it's easier to record to a hard drive with this camera which is something I would like to do.

I'll look more into it as I get closer.

O/T, but I also lost my HC1, but I'll probably be looking to replace that more immediately with an HV30.

Brian Lakusta · February 4th, 2009, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

Keep in mind that the S models are replacements, not additions.

So it's really a matter of choosing a used XH A1 vs. a new XH A1S.

Yes, my thoughts of this idea are for the place like B&H that still has the XH A1 in stock.

OK, got an idea for people.

Checking some accessories out I seen that Vistek is selling the XH A1s for $3879 Canadian.

With the current conversion it works out to $3162.40 US funds ( your visa exchange might be a bit different )

3,879 CAD
(CAD = Canadian dollar)
Date: USD = U.S. dollar (noon) Exchange rate:
04 Feb 2009 3,162.40 USD 0.8153 (1.2266)

So, that price works out to $150 more then the XH A1 price in the USA

Here is the link

Canon XH A1S HDV Camcorder Kit Pro Camcorders 3238B001 HDV10 - Vistek Canada Product Detail

Shipping looks like $50 Canadian so about $40 USD.

Canadian and US Shipping Rates and Frequently Asked Questions - Vistek Camera Store - Toronto, Calgary Canada

Vistek is a big company and I have bought from their local store in my city.

Some may want to maybe order here and save $800 USD on the camera.

Brian

Curt Fargo · February 5th, 2009, 02:32 AM

Not a bad price as most everyone here in the US is still sitting on "A1"s so they won't discount the "A1s"s. I got a great deal from Sammy's but even after freight that is $200 better than I did.

Shaun Walker · May 22nd, 2009, 01:24 PM

I'm waiting for a memory-card-based but hopefully not ACVHD version of the A1s ... OR just getting the different but probably great little JVC HM100 because of the wonderful, modern, digital-age features ... Tapeless, convert-less .mov recording to cheap SDHC cards, HDMI out (hellooooo Canon?!? It is the 21st century!!!), and the smaller size will be nice sometimes.

Ah, how I long for next year's 20x zoom high-quality memory card prosumer cams ...

Taky Cheung · May 31st, 2009, 08:39 PM

After reading all these, I'm sold. For what I did (wedding videography), the ability to turn on/off OIS with a button, better sound, and the Zoom/Focus enhancement is enough for me to get one.

I'm going to get the XH-A1s. I am currently using XH-A1 as the main cam and HV30 as B-Roll. Now will use the XH-A1s as main cam and XH-A1 as second. Will sell my HV30 afterwards :)

Chris Hurd · May 31st, 2009, 10:06 PM

I think you should keep your HV30!

January 23rd, 2009, 03:22 PM	#34
Nathan Quattrini Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Warwick, Rhode Island Posts: 740	A1 versus A1s? Is there anyone on here that has posted a differencing between the 2 and a general critique of comparison. I trust the members of this site to have good reliable and helpful info :) I will try looking elsewhere as well, but I would like to know some personal accounts of upgrading as well. Thanks __________________ Cinematography Site

February 3rd, 2009, 12:08 PM	#36
Jeff Kellam Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 656	Does the A1s have a HDMI output? Does the A1s have a HDMI output? I don't see that it does in the specifications. I guess that would also do away with the G model too. But HDMI would be a huge bonus. __________________ Panasonic HMC150/Canon A1/JVC HD1/Sony Vegas 8.0c

February 4th, 2009, 06:29 PM	#39
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Keep in mind that the S models are replacements, not additions. So it's really a matter of choosing a used XH A1 vs. a new XH A1S. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

February 4th, 2009, 08:25 PM	#40
Shahryar Rizvi Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, MD Posts: 134	Bought used XH A1 in 9/2008, Lost in house fire in 10/2008, prob buying XH A1S now I myself had purchased a used XH A1 back in September from fellow DV Info member Dave Uriarte (from this thread here actually: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/private-c...-warranty.html). Unfortunately, just a few weeks after getting it, we had a house fire. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but my XH A1 was deemed "beyond economic repair" from Canon when I Sent it in. Once the settlement works out in the next few months, I'll look to replacing it and am probably going to go wit the XH A1s. Seems the differences aren't too much, but I'm getting the impression from looking around that it's easier to record to a hard drive with this camera which is something I would like to do. I'll look more into it as I get closer. O/T, but I also lost my HC1, but I'll probably be looking to replace that more immediately with an HV30. __________________ Current Audio Equipment: two AT822 mics, Sony MZ-RH1, and KE-110CCR. What else should I get for short films and recording stand-up comedy? http://is.gd/kePy

February 5th, 2009, 02:32 AM	#42
Curt Fargo Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Vacaville, CA USA Posts: 83	Not a bad price as most everyone here in the US is still sitting on "A1"s so they won't discount the "A1s"s. I got a great deal from Sammy's but even after freight that is $200 better than I did. __________________ Curt Fargo

January 12th, 2009, 03:57 PM	#31
Jonathan MacDonald Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Bangor, Northern Ireland Posts: 29	Bit of an old thread revival but I'm having the same dilemma - XH-A1 or XH-A1s. From what I can gather, some of the differences between the two include: Headphone jack is quite fragile - solved in A1s screws attaching the ext. mic holder are much too tiny - solved in A1s input line on one channel and mic on another firewire connection from 4 pin to a 6 pin. focus and zoom at the same time OIS can be switched on or off from a custom key Have I missed anything? I'll be mainly using the camera for motorsport - trying to work out if it's worth my while spending almost £1000 more on an A1s. I'd probably go for the A1, only for the ability to focus and zoom at the same time with the A1s. Would I be right in saying that this would be a vital feature for capturing cars flying past me?!

May 22nd, 2009, 01:24 PM	#43
Shaun Walker Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Eureka, Calif. Posts: 98	No hdmi?!?! I'm waiting for a memory-card-based but hopefully not ACVHD version of the A1s ... OR just getting the different but probably great little JVC HM100 because of the wonderful, modern, digital-age features ... Tapeless, convert-less .mov recording to cheap SDHC cards, HDMI out (hellooooo Canon?!? It is the 21st century!!!), and the smaller size will be nice sometimes. Ah, how I long for next year's 20x zoom high-quality memory card prosumer cams ...

May 31st, 2009, 08:39 PM	#44
Taky Cheung Inner Circle Join Date: May 2007 Location: Los Angeles, USA Posts: 2,114	After reading all these, I'm sold. For what I did (wedding videography), the ability to turn on/off OIS with a button, better sound, and the Zoom/Focus enhancement is enough for me to get one. I'm going to get the XH-A1s. I am currently using XH-A1 as the main cam and HV30 as B-Roll. Now will use the XH-A1s as main cam and XH-A1 as second. Will sell my HV30 afterwards :) __________________ LA Color Pros Blog RODE Authorized Reseller . Comer LED Camera Lights . TakyBox HTML5 Menu Generator

May 31st, 2009, 10:06 PM	#45
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	I think you should keep your HV30! __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!