Is it time to purchase yet or wait?

[Bruce Pelley]

Gents,

I would really appreciate some guidance & advice from the experts and seasoned professionals.

Where can I find a thoughtful discussion of the pros, cons (of each model) & the differences between the XH-A1 and the A1S?

Can either of those models shoot directly in 720p like the GL-2 or is downsizing to 720p from HD the only option?

What is the anticipated product lifespan remaining seeing that’s its already been on the market for a couple of years? When will Canon release the next line of prosumer camcorders? Should I wait a few months and see what happens?

Can these models produce a warm look with vibrant colors closely akin to the Canon GL-2? Have any of you duplicated that look on the A1 or S? If so, would you be willing to share that/those preset(s) with me?

Should I consider saving approx 1k (over buying 1 new) by buying a used one from a fellow DV’er? What is a fair price and what sorts of questions should I be asking in such a case?

Has Canon given up offering rebates for their camcorders?

At this point seeing that the A1 is over 3 years old since it was released, are there any other alternatives that can compete feature and pricepoint-wise yet?

Thank you

[Steve Phillipps]

Those models are getting quite old now.
Canon are likely to make a big announcement at NAB, see this thread http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/digital-...2-2-codec.html
All tape cameras are looking a bit old in these solid state days. A current alternative is the JVC HM700, or the Sony EX1 maybe?
Steve

[Noa Put]

To answer a few of your questions as I have a xh-a1

Originally Posted by Bruce Pelley

Where can I find a thoughtful discussion of the pros, cons (of each model) & the differences between the XH-A1 and the A1S?

You can use the search option in this forum, this topic has been discussed more then once here, you can also look here to see the changes: Canon XH A1 / XH A1S Comparison - January 2009 - picturelineNews

Originally Posted by Bruce Pelley

Can either of those models shoot directly in 720p like the GL-2 or is downsizing to 720p from HD the only option?

No, it does 1080i or 1080p or plain old standard dev

Originally Posted by Bruce Pelley

Can these models produce a warm look with vibrant colors closely akin to the Canon GL-2?

No, the xh-a1 produces a very flat image but I like it like that, it allows me to collorcorect in post as needed, never liked the presets though, they can give you a nice look but if you mess up it's hard to adjust afterwards.

Originally Posted by Bruce Pelley

Should I consider saving approx 1k (over buying 1 new) by buying a used one from a fellow DV’er? What is a fair price and what sorts of questions should I be asking in such a case?

I would wait for the next gen from Canon to come out, the xh-a1 is for sure a great camera, even a used xh-a1, but it start showing it's age. Don't underestimate the advantage of tapeless workflow, especially the time gained when transferring footage or being able to browse through your footage during a shoot. Also the "old" xh-a1 has some bigger problems like the too small lcd screen making focusing right a real hassle and quite poor low light capability. It produces quite some grain with insufficient light conditions.

Originally Posted by Bruce Pelley

At this point seeing that the A1 is over 3 years old since it was released, are there any other alternatives that can compete feature and pricepoint-wise yet?

When I bought my xh-a1 it was the cheapest I could find in it's class with xlr, when the new xh-a1s came out the price got a lot higher and now is still about 700 dollar higher then what i paid for it. On the other hand it has quite some improvements that does justify that pricedifference somewhat. Some camera's that come to mind (taken EU prizes into consideration) are the pana hmc150 which has teh same price as a xh-a1s here but from then the pricedifference goes up to about 1200 dollar for the next comparable model (like a sony hvr-z5)

A hmc150 does produce a much nicer colorpalet then the canon and it's tapeless, it also has a wider angle lens and has about the same (maybe a bit better) low light capability.
I'd say that here in Europe the HMC150 is the best priced in it's class now (only comparing tapeless camera's)