Canon XL1S

Canon's three-CCD XL1 camcorder has made a deep impression on the high-end DV market in recent years, and the recently launched XL1S comes across as a minor update rather than a thorough overhaul. Aside from the welcome addition of analog AV input, most of the XL1S's new features are found in its firmware, such as visual 16:9 guide lines, allowing you to see how a shot will be composed if cropped for wide-screen TV sets. Manual control is good and very tactile, with focus and zoom controls on the lens barrel, and comprehensive control over colour balance and audio levels. Unusually for a camcorder at this price point, the XL1S can take a line input while shooting video.

The chassis is very distinctive and looks impressive. This can be a bonus when you need to make a good first impression with a client, but has obvious setbacks when trying to capture candid shots in public places. There's no flip-out LCD monitor, although the viewfinder is large and very clear. More annoyingly, the XL1S is very front-heavy. There's no decent shoulder support either - it comes with a shoulder mount that rests on the shoulder rather than sitting on it. Hand-holding this machine for any length of time will prove very uncomfortable.

Despite appearances, the XL1S isn't a professional camcorder. Focus and zoom rings aren't calibrated and can't be used with the quantitative accuracy of more high-end camcorders such as JVC's GY-DV500. There are no balanced XLR audio inputs on-board and the viewfinder, good as it is, won't satisfy many professionals, being used to higher-resolution black-and-white displays. Lenses and viewfinders can be changed, however, and XLR connections can be added with an external adaptor, but the cost of doing so could make JVC's pro cam a more cost-effective bet.

All that said, there's no denying the XL1S gives great results. In general use, the picture quality it achieved was stunning; the only disappointment was some detail loss under red light. As well as excellent colour reproduction, the XL1S gives its video a lovely tone that's almost cinematic. Its optical image stabiliser was a great bonus when shooting hand-held, even if the overall balance wasn't. And when paired up with an OHCI FireWire card and Ulead MediaStudio Pro 6.5, it behaved impeccably.

In short, the XL1S gives fabulous results and looks stunning, but it isn't the right choice for candid shooting or anything that might involve a lot of hand-held work.