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electronic digital resources>Camcorders>

I am working commercially for other companies but also shoot my own projects as a film maker. I am unsure whether to get the XL2 or XH A1 I need advice. I really wanted a camera with progressive scan, 3 ccd, hdv AND 24P options. XH A1 meets everything but w/o progressive and 24P (24F is not 24P because its interlaced). XL2 has 24P but no HDV. I'd go for full HD but my budget is not that high (I know HDV is not TRUE HD). The reason I mainly want HDV is because it is becoming more and more common and asked for commercially and I may use it for some of my own projects. So if you know a camera in the same price range that has everything in it I was looking for that I listed above PLEASE tell me, or let me know your input between these two amazing cameras. Again I am looking for something I can use personally for a film look, but can also meet standards companies hire me for (such as recording in HD). Thanks a lot!For the XH-A1, 24F and 24P are exactly the same. The A1 stores native, progressive 24fps footage on tape. It uses a special method to get progressive frames from its interlaced sensors. It has been tested many times by pro broadcast engineers, and there is no drop in resolution or any kind of interlacing artifact in 24F mode. Canon just chose to call it 24F because there is a company out there with a trademark on 24P for video cameras, and Canon didn't want to pay the fee. The XL2 and HV20 (and the Sony cameras too) use pulldown to store 24p as 60i on tape, i.e. not native progressive frames. Trust me, the A1 has the best 24fps mode of any camera under $10k. The next step up from the A1 is a RED (well there are other cameras between the A1 and RED in quality, but they all cost way more than a RED.)

Also btw, it is false to say that HDV is not "TrueHD." TrueHD is just a marketing term that some companies use to try to discredit other companies' cameras. Anything that shoots 720p, 1080i or 1080p is definitely "True HD". Lots of professional broadcast and film productions are shot on HDCAM (which is 1440x1080 just like HDV), DVCPRO-HD (which is 960x720 or 1280x1080, i.e. less than HDV), etc.

If you don't believe me, go do some research on dvinfo.net, which is where a lot of famous and high-end pros hang out to discuss this stuff, and they will confirm what I said.You should go for the HDV camera. The only thing the Canon XL2 has an advantage with is the lens. Also, don't be fooled into thinking that 24p is somehow better than 30p (which more HDV cameras are capable of). Film is only shot at 24 fps because it was the lowest frame rate the movie studios could get by with and still support sound (before sound, they saved more money by shooting at 15-18fps). Unless you plan on combining your digital footage to footage shot on film, OR if you plan on having your digital films transferred to motion picture film for projection in theatres, there is no reason to shoot at 24p. If you're planning on finishing on TV/DVD (which runs at 30 fps) then you're relying on the camcorder or editing computer to stretch those 24 frames into 30 - basically asking the camcorder or computer to create 20% of your film electronically. People often think 24fps is better than 30fps for some reason, but it just doesn't make sense. The main thing that makes film look different than a lot of video is the resolution - a more detailed image. You will of course have more detail when you have an extra 6 frames every second. Ignore the 24p feature and focus on resolution. HDV has much better image and temporal resolution and will provide for better color, higher contrast ratio, and much richer images.