A few months in-Areyou still In LOVE? at DVinfo.net

Alastair Brown · January 12th, 2007, 12:08 AM

Now that a few of you have had your XH-A1's for a good few months. Are you still head over heels in love with it, or have the rose tinted glasses slipped any, and little things she does, are starting to irritate you?

Just interested to hear current owners opinions, which will help me and others about to start "going steady" with an XH-A1.

Graham Bernard · January 12th, 2007, 03:14 AM

I'm listenning too!

Philip Williams · January 12th, 2007, 05:49 AM

I still open the Pelican Case just to stare at it and touch it.

If you want niggling problems, I bet the thread on firmware upgrade requests might be a good place to look. I don't think there's a show stopper, at the end of the day the footage is spectacular, especially from such an affordable cam.

Khoi Pham · January 12th, 2007, 08:29 AM

I think the pq is awsome, just have to get use to the zoom rocker, I think the zoom rocker sucks, I just ordered my 2nd A1, will get another A1 in a few more weeks for a completed change over from my 2 FX1 and Z1. Anybody has a need for a Z1 let me know, I will sell it in a few weeks.

Bill Pryor · January 12th, 2007, 10:35 AM

I still like mine. I've been showing off footage around the office and everybody things the stuff I've shot at 24fps is looking better than equivalent footage from the company's DSR500 I normally use.

I got the Sony eyecup last week, and that took care of that problem.

The only thing I would put on my wishlist is that one of the customizable buttons be configurable to turn on and off the OIS.

Matthew Nayman · January 12th, 2007, 11:01 AM

I love it, but my hot pixel is ending the honeymoon...

Anyone have the name of a canon rep in Toronto they have worked with :)

Matt

Lou Bruno · January 12th, 2007, 11:30 AM

Something does not sound right. The CANON REP. can personally hand deliver the camera for service. Push your retailer to give you a NEW camera first...then contact CANON personally and ask to speak to the store's REP.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Nayman

I love it, but my hot pixel is ending the honeymoon...

Anyone have the name of a canon rep in Toronto they have worked with :)

Matt

Meryem Ersoz · January 12th, 2007, 11:31 AM

feel free to e-mail me your asking price for your Z1, koi pham. i've been looking for a used one for less than the price of a new A1....

mersoz@comcast.net

Michael Y Wong · January 12th, 2007, 01:44 PM

I have been fully converted from Sony to Canon, and am thrilled to have chosen this A1 over the Sony Z1/V1 (the Sonys are good too), but imo for the dollar/value, nothing comes close to the Canon.

Matthew Nayman · January 12th, 2007, 02:13 PM

See Mike... drink the coolaid

Michael Y Wong · January 12th, 2007, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Nayman

See Mike... drink the coolaid

I DID... and it tastes GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

Doug Davis · January 12th, 2007, 04:02 PM

I still love mine... I have so far only done a little under 3 hours with it in about a month and half... I think I am suffering from separation anxiety from not shooting anything recently... : - \

David Morgan · January 12th, 2007, 08:21 PM

I wrote some initial impressions of mine a few weeks ago and still stand by those.
However, the HDV format is proving to be more troublesome that I expected. Seems I don't have the hardware and the cost is very high to play in this league. I'm using Final Cut Pro and can't monitor it in real time from my macpro laptop.
The whole HD capability is sort of overblown. I'll have to settle for the great features (minus a few) and forget HDV for now, maybe permanently.

Alex Leith · January 13th, 2007, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Morgan

However, the HDV format is proving to be more troublesome that I expected. Seems I don't have the hardware and the cost is very high to play in this league. I'm using Final Cut Pro and can't monitor it in real time from my macpro laptop.

That's a bit strange. I'm using a MacBook Pro with FCP and HDV very happily. (We've even got HDV working with Final Cut Express on an aged G4 MacMini.)

We use cinema desktop preview to monitor our footage - and although it's not totally colour or resolution accurate, it's good enough whilst editing.

If you're having issues, then there's possibly something wrong with your setup?

David Morgan · January 13th, 2007, 11:04 AM

you may be right.
I was after the traditional setup. Firewire out to deck connected to HD monitor. My understanding is that you can't monitor HDV in this fashion (using Final Cut). You need a machine with a capture card and some other $$ equipment. I do a lot of 2 hr plus work. I hate to use the camera as a deck/player. Sony's deck runs about 2k or better. What's your total setup?
thx

January 12th, 2007, 12:08 AM	#1
Alastair Brown Major Player Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Glasgow/Scotland Posts: 626	A few months in-Areyou still In LOVE? Now that a few of you have had your XH-A1's for a good few months. Are you still head over heels in love with it, or have the rose tinted glasses slipped any, and little things she does, are starting to irritate you? Just interested to hear current owners opinions, which will help me and others about to start "going steady" with an XH-A1.

January 12th, 2007, 05:49 AM	#3
Philip Williams Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Snellville, Georgia Posts: 614	I still open the Pelican Case just to stare at it and touch it. If you want niggling problems, I bet the thread on firmware upgrade requests might be a good place to look. I don't think there's a show stopper, at the end of the day the footage is spectacular, especially from such an affordable cam. __________________ www.philipwilliams.com

January 12th, 2007, 08:29 AM	#4
Khoi Pham Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Dallas Posts: 747	I think the pq is awsome, just have to get use to the zoom rocker, I think the zoom rocker sucks, I just ordered my 2nd A1, will get another A1 in a few more weeks for a completed change over from my 2 FX1 and Z1. Anybody has a need for a Z1 let me know, I will sell it in a few weeks. __________________ Khoi Pham www.proeditproductions.com

January 12th, 2007, 01:44 PM	#9
Michael Y Wong Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Toronto Ontario Canada! Posts: 353	I have been fully converted from Sony to Canon, and am thrilled to have chosen this A1 over the Sony Z1/V1 (the Sonys are good too), but imo for the dollar/value, nothing comes close to the Canon. __________________ dreaming hobbyist + storyteller www.michaelywong.com

January 13th, 2007, 11:04 AM	#15
David Morgan Major Player Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Burbank CA Posts: 466	Alex you may be right. I was after the traditional setup. Firewire out to deck connected to HD monitor. My understanding is that you can't monitor HDV in this fashion (using Final Cut). You need a machine with a capture card and some other $$ equipment. I do a lot of 2 hr plus work. I hate to use the camera as a deck/player. Sony's deck runs about 2k or better. What's your total setup? thx

January 12th, 2007, 03:14 AM	#2
Graham Bernard Old Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London UK Posts: 3,633	I'm listenning too!

January 12th, 2007, 10:35 AM	#5
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	I still like mine. I've been showing off footage around the office and everybody things the stuff I've shot at 24fps is looking better than equivalent footage from the company's DSR500 I normally use. I got the Sony eyecup last week, and that took care of that problem. The only thing I would put on my wishlist is that one of the customizable buttons be configurable to turn on and off the OIS.

January 12th, 2007, 11:01 AM	#6
Matthew Nayman Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Toronto Posts: 917	I love it, but my hot pixel is ending the honeymoon... Anyone have the name of a canon rep in Toronto they have worked with :) Matt

January 12th, 2007, 11:31 AM	#8
Meryem Ersoz Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 3,015	feel free to e-mail me your asking price for your Z1, koi pham. i've been looking for a used one for less than the price of a new A1.... mersoz@comcast.net

January 12th, 2007, 02:13 PM	#10
Matthew Nayman Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Toronto Posts: 917	See Mike... drink the coolaid

January 12th, 2007, 04:02 PM	#12
Doug Davis Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Birmingham Alabama Posts: 259	I still love mine... I have so far only done a little under 3 hours with it in about a month and half... I think I am suffering from separation anxiety from not shooting anything recently... : - \

January 12th, 2007, 08:21 PM	#13
David Morgan Major Player Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Burbank CA Posts: 466	I wrote some initial impressions of mine a few weeks ago and still stand by those. However, the HDV format is proving to be more troublesome that I expected. Seems I don't have the hardware and the cost is very high to play in this league. I'm using Final Cut Pro and can't monitor it in real time from my macpro laptop. The whole HD capability is sort of overblown. I'll have to settle for the great features (minus a few) and forget HDV for now, maybe permanently.