Here's a follow-up video that compares footage imported via FireWire to the analog method: th-cam.com/video/U1xhEN9qWwk/w-d-xo.html Thank you to everyone in the comments here who helped me figure out which adapters I needed to make it happen! Overall I think the FireWire footage is definitely better, but it's not quite the drastic difference I expected. I still feel like the analog method gets you 90% of the way there with a much simpler workflow, so that's what I'd recommend for anyone who's not too familiar with cameras. But if you are a camera nerd (and I mean that in the best way possible), then FireWire will give you the best quality possible while also being a fun project to tinker with.
I came to the comments just to say “hey you didn’t use digital out for better quality!” Glad to see you made an update video! I recently bought a non working XL-1 just to have on my shelf! I think it’s one of the best consumer designs ever.
I still use mine connect to Mac Pro an FCP. My 2nd cam having tape problems. I was in college couldn’t buy it. I brought the canon elura dv. A bonus is using tape vd a ssd or dv disc
Also I think PAL was a slightly higher resolution than NTSC. Not sure if the increased resolution was noticeable, I’ve never shot in PAL or actually seen anything on a PAL monitor, but definitely wanted to before I got my hands on an HD camera!
@@rizzo-films I remember back in the day the Star Wars fans was doing re-edits and some said get the PAL for the resolution. One of the guys that did a Star Wars edit said its not enough to really make a differentence. Also with PAL DVDs they have to re-sync the audio or things sound weird with people talking because your now shifting 24 frames in a 25 timeline. Also PAL movies are shorter because they play faster. There is a old trick they would use on Laser DISC movies to speed up the film to get it to fit on one disc. I know they did this with the Panascan 4:3 versions not the letter box ones of Star Wars and Empite Strikes Back to get the film to be on one disc by playing the video a little fast. I've watched these version and never notice the speed up but I was not looking for it also.
Yeah Danny Boyle chose it because of its pretty very obvious digital look that was a good match for the genre of film, it wasn’t for its image quality (as in a clean image) 😅
This was the goto camera for wedding videographers and college A/V departments. I think it helped define the term, prosumer. I remember, I read every article in Videomaker magazine at the time time dreaming of this camera as well. Now you just need to buy a Video Toaster and your 90’s production studio will be complete.
I was a videographer back in the 1990's and really wanted an XL1. Couldn't afford it or the GL1 but watching this brings a smile to my face as I recall all the times I looked at video catalogs wanting them. If you had an XL1, you were hot stuff! And you're right, having physical switches and controls you can press is something I miss too. Your eye could be in a viewfinder and you could instantly feel a switch and hit it as opposed to going thru a menu. When things became menu driven, I wouldn't upgrade for a long time because I hated menu driven controls. This video was a lot of fun to watch.
Thanks to a bunch of suggestions in the comments here I was able to get all the cables/adapters needed to import XL1 footage via FireWire and it looks soooo good! I'll definitely be doing a follow up comparison with footage imported via both methods and how to do it (since it works with any MiniDV cameras and not just the XL1). I'm also really impressed because Final Cut does a great job of de-interlacing footage when necessary and automatically creating clips based on when recording was started/stopped on the tape, which saves a ton of time. Maybe this is nothing new, but I haven't imported footage via FireWire in at least 15 years, back when it was just one long clip that had to be cut up manually. This is awesome, so thank you to everyone who helped explain the difference adapters and everything! 🙏
Yes, by using firewire directly into computer I'd bet the image quality would be a lot better. Have to get out my old footage and see. I started off with the Canon A1 in 89 or so. Hi8. It cost me 1300 bucks or so. Started importing into my pc in 97 or so with a Matrix Rainbow Runner card. Didn't work that great and would drop frames. Along came Canopus Raptor card and Windows XP and that solved all problems.
Yeah composite is literally the lowest quality video standard. Would love to see the difference going through Fireware. Upside if you have thunderbolt you can use the Apple FireWire to thunderbolt two adapter and the thunderbolt 2 to 3 adapter. and it should show up as a WebCam possibly software dependent. That was the way to get a really good WebCam in the day.
This is super important. I watched this video and knew something was wrong. I have a vivid memory of the Gl1 plugged into an old broadcast Sony monitor. Gorgeous image.
I was just going to write about composite VS FireWire 😅 it would be interested comparison. Also can you test low light performance vs phones? Phones shoot well with lots of light, not so good with usual indoor lighting. While 3 chip cameras were praised for low light performance
I used to work at a ritz camera… 1990-1996… I remember 1991, Canon A1 Digital and L1. Of the Hi8 variety but eventually Canon moved to MiniDV tape. We also had the Sony V5000, which everyone lusted after. Fast forward to 2000, I remember using an XL2 on a Powermac G4. They were really cool to use.
Nice memories! I remember using this to film my first total solar eclipse in 1999, fitted with an EF lens! I've included that clip in a recent tutorial I made about eclipses.
The best standard definition camera that I ever used was the Panasonic DVX-100B. The video quality, although standard definition, in the right lighting was close to HD. Some movies were filmed on it
This was my dream camera for years as well. When I first started doing indy film, seeing someone shooting on this made my day. I loved learning everything about it on set.
I remember at the time, Sony had a line-up of 3CCD cameras and, here in Japan, a lot of low-budget direct-to-video stuff was shot on them. It only made me covet the Canon XL-1 more back in the early 2000s while I was still dreaming of owning one.
Back when this was brand new I was helping two friends make indie films for their film classes they were taking. One was attending Emerson the other was taking a film course at Rhode Island college. My friend Jorge (the one going to RIC) was friends with the head of film studies there and since he was familiar with computers (he had one of the first Mac G3's that had come out) he volunteered to set up the school's very first digital editing suite. This was back when Avid had yet to really take over as the main means of editing films. I got to see this in use and it was crazy how much better the visuals looked and how easy and quick it was to put scenes together. We made our own steadicam and dolly's and because it was so light you didn't need huge pieces of equipment to move it around. Our dolly was a few pieces of fiberglass pole and our dolly was some 2x4's and rubber cart wheels with lengths of fiberglass poles for tracks. At the time they were some of the first students making indie films on digital. I really wish I had copies of the one we made for practice. It was a short comedy skit where I chased Jorge through the woods. It's nice to see someone who appreciates this piece of equipment as I have many fond memories of it.
I bought the XL1 in late 1999, and used it extensively. I also felt the same way about it as you did. I was so pleased to stumble upon your amazing review of this beauty. Thank you, for the nostalgic journey. You did a first-class job.
Great video! When I was in high school, I learned basic video concepts on the Canon XL2. And here I am many years later working as a television cameraman. The XL series of cameras will always have a place in my heart 🎥
I loved this camera, used in constantly in film school, when I found out 28 Days Later was filmed with the Canon XL1, I was obsessed. It was the pinnacle of gorilla filmmaking tools. The worst thing was logging footage in real time. I do not miss that at all. Cool to see how things have moved on but at the time the XL1 was the dream. Thanks for showing me what I missed out on!
Because these cameras actually have much better quality than shown here. The composite video out was really limiting the quality, even through S-Video it'd have been much better. I've shot multiple short films on cameras like these when I was a teen, and if you use the firewire port the quality is almost 720p and much clearer.
My gosh, what a trip down memory lane. We used these things in school and I thought they were really neat. They were kind of "reserved" for the big projects, so you knew when you got to use it that it was serious business.
You might not believe me, but I too had a Canon XL-1 poster on my wall! Great video Tom! You even covered what I was going to mention about the XL-1 DNA still being alive and well in todays cinema and professional models. Great video as always!
There's something about Canon; they don't just make great cameras. They build cameras that look so good that you want to own them. The camera itself becomes a suitable subject for videos and photographs. The team over there are very special, and have been for a very long time.
I hear you when it comes to “Dream Cameras”. This was surely one of my favorites as well. I grew up filming BMX street and dirt riding and some skating and I always wanted an XL-1!!
Enjoyed the in-depth nostalgia. It was my first video camera purchase in 1999 along with Final Cut Pro. You did show me some accessories I did not know were available. It paid for it's self many times over with corporate shoots. Good job on the video!
Final Cut in 1999! That's absolutely awesome. My first time editing video was on iMovie 1 in 2000 or so? I also worked at a TV station in 2001 that had an early version of AVID designed for tv reporters to use, but I found it super clunky.
That's great, you started at a good time, just when digital was getting it's legs. I tried Premiere in 1996 and decided video editing was a no go then. My first attempt at digital editing (video-animation) was with MacroMedia in 1992 when it was only grayscale. Little FYI, Apple bought the video engine from MacroMedia and turned it into FinalCut Pro.@@tombuck
The Canon XL1s was an art work in form factor. Thanks for making this video. My girlfriend (now wife) and I both saved from our part time retail and fast food in 2002 while at film school to buy one together. With the very few accessories we needed it was almost $9K AUD from memory. We then started a business doing corporate video and events. Many local competitors at the time were very locked into their larger ENG and even analogue cameras still and the XL1s, and a little creativity gave us a big advantage in adaptability in what and how we could film. I think my first TH-cam video is filmed on it actually. When we finally sold it we actually kept the stock included fold up/down shoulder mount (as we sold the camera with the xlr shoulder mount) and I adapted it to a DSLR shoulder rig that I sometimes still use to this day. Great review though. Oh you missed the hidden buttons under the red circular door, Also very satisfying to access.
Thansk for sharing. I worked with the XL1s in the mid 2000s, while producing my first video content for the internet. It was a great camera and all follow-ups never brought me that feeling again. After your video I regret selling it... 😂
This reminds me my teen years too. You were not alone pinning an XL1 commercial on your wall.. Same here. My parents told me I had to chose for my 18th birthday : car or camera. The rest is history :D
Great video, Tom! I saved up and got an XL-1s back in the day and ended up filming weddings for a while to pay for it. When the XL-2 came out, I saved up again and sold the XL-1s to get it because I HAD to have the true widescreen and 24fps! I mean, I was basically making movies at that point, right?! I never ended up selling the XL-2 and still have it to this day, but my path did take me eventually to the 5DmkII for a web series I made. But i'm with you, I would love to see an XL-3 or XL-4K because the form factor was so amazing on those cameras!
Tom this is amazing! Your clear passion for this camera shines through - I'm loving the change in aspect ratios with different shots, the mixed room setups for each section, and the sound of the DV cover opening took me waaay back! Definitely worth the wait, probably my favourite video of yours ever!
Thanks Kane! I was worried the many aspect ratios could be distracting, but I ended up liking it a lot- it's especially cool to see what camera setups at similar price points but 25 years apart are capable of. The anamorphic shots look so stunning compared to the analog footage.
Congrats on finally getting your dream camera! Mine was the XL2, I finally got one in 2009, it was my first "prosumer" camera and I cut my teeth on videography with it. In retrospect I would have been better off with a 5D Mark II, but it still was a great camera to learn on.
The XL1 and GL2 were the cameras I learned on at my undergrad school, and I loved these things. I was so excited when the Media and AV services dept got the XL H1, so we could use the HDV mini tapes. Amazing how far things evolved in a relatively short time.
Thank you for making this! I've also had a strange fascination with this camera since it was released, and especially with some of its history (e.g. used in filming 28 Days Later). Even though the specs pale in comparison to any modern camera today, Canon really was ahead of their time with the form factor, design and ergonomics of the XL-1. Very much an early preview of features we now have and take for granted shooting video in modern DSLR/mirrorless and cinema cameras.
It really is an awesome camera. Just yesterday I got all the adapters to start importing footage via FireWire and wow, it looks so much better! Still nowhere near what modern cameras can do, but it's nice to see the XL1 living up to its full potential.
Direct digital import of MiniDV footage was definitely better quality than capturing from the analog outputs. It would also be interesting to see what today’s grading tools could do to refine that footage.
when you say "better" do you mean high resolution? Because I'm thinkning about getting one of these for that sweet sweet tape saturation. I want a "worse" quality haha
@@Amddurinyes, upscale and it will denoise, sharpen, and utilizes AI to enhance details and can even remove camera shake. Takes a lot of processing power to do a lot of footage, but the results are worth it. There's old 16x9 SD content that I've upscaled that now looks good enough to put on a reel, at least some of it. Pretty impressive. th-cam.com/video/lZHWPDQYQ9c/w-d-xo.htmlsi=qbX6lU4SgJO8mKot
I do have one xl1s. Bought it in ny manhattan in 1999 at adorama. Never sold it because it really was a dream camera to use it back then. Had many cameras in the next years but that one stayed in my heart.
I used this as a news gathering cam on local tv. When i left, i bought it from them and it's still sitting next to me now. I love it. I use fd and ef lenses on it.
For me, the biggest ground breaking feature of the XL-1 was the “Movie” mode feature which recorded 30 full frames vs 60 interlaced frames. I believe it was the first camera available to the common person that had that feature. When shooting in “Movie” mode, it created more of the look of film , instead of the “soap opera” look.
Awesome video Tom! Only took a few years to get it done! Super happy to see you enjoying creating videos, without the pressure of a Thursday upload! As always, keep up the good work 😀
Bravo!! Wonderful video bro!! I used to drool over this camera but couldn't afford it at the time. I moved out to Cali and was in my first year of filmmaking school. However, I ran out of money and had to move back home. I wish I had stuck with filming regardless of equipment. Now, 20 years later, I'm starting all over. Thanks for the trip down memory lane and a top-notch review of this awesome camera!!
The XL1 is a gem! used it tons back in the day!! You can not put side by comparison to a phone video camera! 1/ 90 percent of what you're see has electronic correction white balance and ND filtering as well as more f stop range.
What a great memory journey this camera review was! I remember starting a new job as an interactive CD developer and after being there for a few weeks I was asked to go spend almost a year in Australia filming for the company for a new interactive product. I knew almost nothing about video but decided to buy the brand new, just released that month, Canon XL-1. I also got the Sony DVCam deck well as a Lowell 3 light kit and a 7" ikegami monitor. And or course power converters. And cases, lots of flight-ready cases. And there I went with what seemed like 9000lbs of equipment, an assistant, and absolutely no idea how to shoot corporate video off to Australia for months at a time. What a great time! I still have the DVCam deck, the hard plastic case from the Lowell set, and the 7" monitor and the "must be the heaviest case ever made" the monitor sits in.
Despite the clunkiness, that sounds like an absolutely awesome setup. I think I'd really like to try and find a way to import XL1 footage via FireWire because I'm sure it would look a bit better yet.
@@tombuck Yes, clunky today...back then it was state of the art! lol Also there are two ways that I did that however the issue today is the drivers on the computer side. 1) you can just pick up an older mac, this might be the easiest :) 2) For a long time I used an older Apple thunderbolt monitor and then used a firewire to thunderbolt adapter to make that connection. There is not current adapter that works for today's computers however.
I'm starting to see these and other older camcorders in use at car shows and other events. People are into the unique way they make the world look I guess. A buddy just picked up a GL2 for that purpose.
They're definitely coming back around! The Sony VX1000 is virtually impossible to find in good working condition because it's still hugely popular for skate videos and stuff.
Acquired this camera, around the time it came out, and used it for a well over a decade. I loved it and had nothing but good things to say about it. It was first in its class at the time. I finally sold it about five years ago after using the 5DIV and C100 for several years. However, missing the functionality and form factor of a camcorder, I just bought the XF605 and am a huge fan of that.
Oh man, I loved that camera when I was a teenager. I so much wanted it. I too had a poster of it. Years later, I wondered, whatever happened to the XL1, did they make an HD version or a 4K years after that. To my disappointment, there was no camera that looked like the XL1 in those resolutions. If they made one day. I would be it. Thanks for featuring this camera, brings back good memories.
I really enjoyed this video, my first pro camera as a young teen was a Canon XH-A1s my father bought for me second hand for a really good price. It was basically the HDV 1080i upgrade to the XL1! I think you can get beter quality out of the XL1 if you capture the DV through firewire and deinterlace it to 60fps!
was my first "real" video camera. photographed a friend's wedding really early on and he paid for it partially with that camera. some amazing memories with that thing.
Great video Tom! Always wanted the XL1 too! Never could afford it but a customer gave me his old one a few years back as well as the older L1. Very cool cameras for the collection. Used the GL2 for many years professionally before going to the XH A1, the XF300 and now the XF605.
I'd still suggest people try the firewire route if possible. Apple make plenty of dongles from firewire to thunderbolt which GREATLY improves the quality.
Sweet! I bought a church's old broadcast equipment lately, and in one bin I found an XL 1. I've been a Canon DSLR guy since 2012, so I have some lenses..... my XL1 is in rough-looking shape and I haven't gone through everything yet to discover more missing parts. But wow, what a cool find! I never had a 3-chip camcorder before.
Hi Tom, you did a great video on Canon XL1 and revived my memories of using this camera. I still have this same camera and my story is same like yours. I was also saving some money to buy this camera in the 90's and now its still packaged in its original box and resting on the shelf. I feel sad that the video quality does not come even close to the cheapest of the cheapest camcorders of today, but XL1 has seen its glorious days.
Beast of a camera - I had an XL1s - I got it for the frame mode, I learned on it while I shot a documentary that got on TV, then shot another one and another one, stabiliser on the lens was fantastic, the included mic was really great as well, and the built in attenuator was fantastic for gigs.... Still have mine. Only problem is tapes sometimes jammed in it and if the heads drift out of alignment playing back the tapes shot in frame mode can be a problem. But it did the job for me over at least 5 years. Shot gigs, riots, weddings, family events, everything...
I LOVE THIS! Thank you for making this video…I was lucky enough to own not 1, but 2 XL1s’s while in college! These literally gave me my start in video production, and I, too, miss these cameras dearly!
Gosh! This takes me back. I remember getting into the wedding arena with one of these. I started off using a Digital 8 format from Sony, and six months later upgrading to the XL1S. It was a lovely example of industrial design and functionality. Surprisingly, in trying to be more discreet, I ended up using two XM2's instead. I found the overall quality of them much better. I often wondered if my XL1s had been knocked and misaligned the 3ccd sensors. The quality was very much hit and miss. Another year later, I moved to the JVC 5001e. That was very impressive. Six month later, HD was on the horizon and the JVC stood up well for a good few years.
Yes! While I was rocking my canon 8mm cameras in the late 90's, I also wanted the XL1 when it came out and still (impractically) want one today! So much nostalgia, thank you!! Oh @18:08 , you could go the other, other, other way. Firewire -> Firewire 800 adapter -> Thunderbolt adapter. Still works (at least with the right combination of hardware, OS, and software), and will give you marginally better video than any RCA output capture/conversion.
I was going to mention that. Connectivity between DV camcorder and Mac via FireWire really revolutionized video production. I think Final Cut still supports DV format (i.e. you can control rewind / forward, play from iMovie or Final Cut)
Used my XL1s to record some personal projects of mine, I really love it although it definitely needs that shoulder mount to be comfortable shooting like an ENG camera. Cameras like these are fantastic for sports videography, especially automotive.
Always wanted this as a kid out of college back in 2001. I ended up settling for a GL2 instead, but used the XL1 at times. I wish camera companies would adopt the design of the XL1. If Canon (or Blackmagic) brought back that design for their cinema line cameras, I'd definitely invest in one. It was such a comfortable camera to shoot with.
I think it'd be a huge selling hit in today's world! And the GL2 is really great too- I was also able to find one in really good condition on eBay not long after getting the XL1. 👍
I filmed weddings with 3 of these up until 2011. I wish I wouldn't have sold all of them. Would be a nice wall hanger today. I remember seeing "Trauma Life in the ER" show in the late 90's used these and had to have them. Great video!
I'll never forget the first time i used a Videonics editor, the first time I used a NLE and then the first camera I used that had HD. Those are memories burned into my brain
This brings back memories.. I got started on that exact model of Sony ENG camera, it was a heavy beast but it sure did get the job done. It then got replaced by XL1´s with a extra large battery pack on the back.
I’ve owned over a dozen cameras through the years, always upgrading as the tech evolved. This is, by far, my favorite camera of al time. You covered it pretty well but I was surprised you didn’t mention the controls hiding behind the red sliding door adjacent to the circular dial. I had all of Canon’s lenses and they were all great but none of them were as amazing as the manual lens. What an absolute beauty that was. I also had the FU-1000 b&w viewfinder which was an absolute dream compared to the junky stock color viewfinder. Maybe someone mentioned it in another comment but Danny Boyle used this camera to shoot 28 Days Later.
This was also my dream camera as a teen. When it released, I was shooting skate videos and this camera was mind blowing. Everything great about the GL-1 and so much more.
Still have my DSR-390, and it was far and away my favorite camera. It's crazy to see the bodies selling for less than $200, considering the amount I spent at the time. The transition to widescreen pushed me towards the Canon XH-A1, which had the best zoom range of any camera I'd ever owned...but the ergonomics weren't nearly as good for an avowed ENG shooter. I appreciate the fact that you shared the same love of these superior (for their time) tools.
YAY another camera biography!!! Good episode dude! Super fun and entertaining… maybe in your top 3 best performances! You could tell you were so into this camera!
I love it so much! Thanks for the kind words! And just today I learned how to import footage via FireWire, so I'm really excited for a little follow-up...
Oh my gosh, I remember poring over brochures for that camera! I was 20 years old in 1998 and I did wind up buying a Canon Hi-8 camera that was the prosumer equivalent of that, then later a Sony PC110 camera which was nice and compact Mini DV. Truly amazing how much things have changed but back then few people had ways to record events and the footage I have is worth every penny those cameras cost, I even started going through old tapes and finding stuff I thought was junk and taped over that is just interesting because it's so long ago. Often the everyday things made for the best memories. I remember editing VCR's, (Panasonic AG1980 SVHS) and titlers, so lossy! When NLE"s came out that was crazy exciting, I had a Canopus DV Storm with a computer just for that. Exciting journey and cool purchase.
I love this camera. I had one from 1999 to 2006 when it was stolen from me on vacation. At the time there was nothing better. And what a look she had. I had obviously replaced it with an XL H1 which I still have.
That’s the exact camera I wanted as a teenager too! A man in the neighborhood I grew up in had that camera. That was around the time I started to obsess about videography. Thanks for the reminder! 😁
This video is hitting me right in the nostalgia... I remember wanting this camera so badly when I was in University... I shot my first short film on a friends XL1 and fell in love with it. great camera! When I was going to buy one I was convinced to get a DVX100a instead... and I'm very glad I did... the DVX100a was definitely better in a lot of ways... but man.. I miss the XL1 form.
I had this camera. Used it professionally and still to this day regard it as the most pleasing to use camera I’ve ever owned. I also had the flight case, and EF lens adapter. Such a great looking camera too…
This is like the kid that had the Lamborghini Countach poster on his wall and grew up and bought one only to find out how miserable it was to drive even though he looks cool. I owned 2 of each... The XL and the L2 and I have never been so glad to get rid of them. Their autofocus was next to useless. They looked cool though... I was indoctrinated into Sony and so far, yes complaints but so glad to see improvements way beyond the old Canon pretty stuff. Good job on the fulfilling childhood dreams. I always wanted the Nakamichi 680 deck and as an adult I bought 4 of them and not a one works now. Funny what childhood memories cause us to do as adults. :)
I had a XL1 back in the day and it was magic at the time. Opened up so many opportunities for me in college and after. Whats really amazing is to put into perspective just how good we all have it today. We nitpick over silly things like camera A only having 13 stops of dynamic range vs 13.2 stops but what we have no is truly amazing. I'm now shooting with a 8k raw Canon R5 with 11-13 stops of range depending on how we handle the noise. It's pretty mind blowing just how far we have come. Fun little fact of the XL1 is it didn't even have a 720x480 set of sensors. It used pixel shifting on a 360 pixel high sensor to boost that resolution to 480 lines. There were 3 chip cameras that didn't use pixel shift and were a bit sharper because of it. They didn't have the same magic however
Oh really? I had no idea about the sensor! That's super interesting. And yeah, it's definitely wild to see how far cameras have come...and how readily people complain about them 😁
Great idea for a video. I bought the XL1 when I landed my first corporate gig in 2000. The next year I took it to the high Canadian arctic for a shoot for Nat Geo, and used that camera for countless shows for them over the next couple of years. The thing that sold it was the 'progressive scan' this non-interlaced look that people - including my bosses - were drawn to, even if they didn't understand exactly what they were seeing. The resolution was terrible, but the 'feel' was unique.
What an interesting video. I never expected to see anything on the Canon L and XL-1 cameras again. I had the L-1 and LOVED it! I shot numerous weddings with it and edited the video in a linear system, tape-to-tape, then gave my brides a final VHS copy. When I went to work for a large insurance company in their in-house video unit, I talked them into buying the XL-1S for all of our work and it did the job well. We still edited tape-to-tape but our master tapes were BetacamSP. Sure, compared to today's phone video, the Hi8 looks bad but when we used the XL-1 in the 1990's we thought we were all that and a bag of chips!
I got to college in 2000 and was lucky to work in a shop with a few xl1s to shoot college sports. I loved this camera. I used the pd150 and the Panasonic, but maan I loved this camera when it was built out with the battery pack and the extender ... great cam!!!
First off, The Aquabats are indeed the best band in the world. Secondly, the XL1 was a cinematic game-changer. Because of it, we no longer have to crawl to Panavision and beg, "Please, sir, may I have a camera?" because Pandora's digital box was opened. Thanks for a great video discussing the history of this essential camera.
Here's a follow-up video that compares footage imported via FireWire to the analog method: th-cam.com/video/U1xhEN9qWwk/w-d-xo.html
Thank you to everyone in the comments here who helped me figure out which adapters I needed to make it happen!
Overall I think the FireWire footage is definitely better, but it's not quite the drastic difference I expected. I still feel like the analog method gets you 90% of the way there with a much simpler workflow, so that's what I'd recommend for anyone who's not too familiar with cameras. But if you are a camera nerd (and I mean that in the best way possible), then FireWire will give you the best quality possible while also being a fun project to tinker with.
I came to the comments just to say “hey you didn’t use digital out for better quality!” Glad to see you made an update video!
I recently bought a non working XL-1 just to have on my shelf! I think it’s one of the best consumer designs ever.
I still use mine connect to Mac Pro an FCP. My 2nd cam having tape problems. I was in college couldn’t buy it. I brought the canon elura dv. A bonus is using tape vd a ssd or dv disc
This camera was used to film 28 Days Later but they used the PAL version that recorded in 25 frames a second but was converted to 24 frames in post.
That’s awesome
What a strange choice. I wonder how they converted from 25 to 24 without it looking all wonky
Also I think PAL was a slightly higher resolution than NTSC. Not sure if the increased resolution was noticeable, I’ve never shot in PAL or actually seen anything on a PAL monitor, but definitely wanted to before I got my hands on an HD camera!
@@rizzo-films I remember back in the day the Star Wars fans was doing re-edits and some said get the PAL for the resolution. One of the guys that did a Star Wars edit said its not enough to really make a differentence.
Also with PAL DVDs they have to re-sync the audio or things sound weird with people talking because your now shifting 24 frames in a 25 timeline. Also PAL movies are shorter because they play faster.
There is a old trick they would use on Laser DISC movies to speed up the film to get it to fit on one disc. I know they did this with the Panascan 4:3 versions not the letter box ones of Star Wars and Empite Strikes Back to get the film to be on one disc by playing the video a little fast. I've watched these version and never notice the speed up but I was not looking for it also.
Yeah Danny Boyle chose it because of its pretty very obvious digital look that was a good match for the genre of film, it wasn’t for its image quality (as in a clean image) 😅
Of of the most stunning examples of industrial design in the history of electronic devices...
This was the goto camera for wedding videographers and college A/V departments. I think it helped define the term, prosumer.
I remember, I read every article in Videomaker magazine at the time time dreaming of this camera as well.
Now you just need to buy a Video Toaster and your 90’s production studio will be complete.
This was not a prosumer camera. Prosumer cameras cost half of what this cost.
Prosumer...good one.
The XL1 and DVX100b were my two dream cameras when I got my start!
Yes. Design, ergonomics, ease of use and good looking. A camera everyone wanted to use to impress clients back then.
I was a videographer back in the 1990's and really wanted an XL1. Couldn't afford it or the GL1 but watching this brings a smile to my face as I recall all the times I looked at video catalogs wanting them. If you had an XL1, you were hot stuff! And you're right, having physical switches and controls you can press is something I miss too. Your eye could be in a viewfinder and you could instantly feel a switch and hit it as opposed to going thru a menu. When things became menu driven, I wouldn't upgrade for a long time because I hated menu driven controls. This video was a lot of fun to watch.
So glad you got to check it out! It's crazy how much of a landmark camera the XL1 was for so many people, whether or not they ever actually had one.
Thanks to a bunch of suggestions in the comments here I was able to get all the cables/adapters needed to import XL1 footage via FireWire and it looks soooo good! I'll definitely be doing a follow up comparison with footage imported via both methods and how to do it (since it works with any MiniDV cameras and not just the XL1).
I'm also really impressed because Final Cut does a great job of de-interlacing footage when necessary and automatically creating clips based on when recording was started/stopped on the tape, which saves a ton of time. Maybe this is nothing new, but I haven't imported footage via FireWire in at least 15 years, back when it was just one long clip that had to be cut up manually. This is awesome, so thank you to everyone who helped explain the difference adapters and everything! 🙏
Yes, by using firewire directly into computer I'd bet the image quality would be a lot better. Have to get out my old footage and see. I started off with the Canon A1 in 89 or so. Hi8. It cost me 1300 bucks or so. Started importing into my pc in 97 or so with a Matrix Rainbow Runner card. Didn't work that great and would drop frames. Along came Canopus Raptor card and Windows XP and that solved all problems.
@@keithwiebe1787 OP is an iSheep though, so don't even mention Windows.
Yeah composite is literally the lowest quality video standard. Would love to see the difference going through Fireware. Upside if you have thunderbolt you can use the Apple FireWire to thunderbolt two adapter and the thunderbolt 2 to 3 adapter. and it should show up as a WebCam possibly software dependent. That was the way to get a really good WebCam in the day.
This is super important. I watched this video and knew something was wrong. I have a vivid memory of the Gl1 plugged into an old broadcast Sony monitor. Gorgeous image.
I was just going to write about composite VS FireWire 😅 it would be interested comparison. Also can you test low light performance vs phones? Phones shoot well with lots of light, not so good with usual indoor lighting. While 3 chip cameras were praised for low light performance
I used to work at a ritz camera… 1990-1996… I remember 1991, Canon A1 Digital and L1. Of the Hi8 variety but eventually Canon moved to MiniDV tape. We also had the Sony V5000, which everyone lusted after. Fast forward to 2000, I remember using an XL2 on a Powermac G4. They were really cool to use.
Oh man, Ritz! I remember browsing their catalogs for hours.
Nice memories! I remember using this to film my first total solar eclipse in 1999, fitted with an EF lens! I've included that clip in a recent tutorial I made about eclipses.
The best standard definition camera that I ever used was the Panasonic DVX-100B. The video quality, although standard definition, in the right lighting was close to HD. Some movies were filmed on it
I had one but sold it for the Panasonic DVX100b.. The squeeze mode was nice.
This was my dream camera for years as well. When I first started doing indy film, seeing someone shooting on this made my day. I loved learning everything about it on set.
I'm so glad to know I'm not alone in being a bit obsessed with the XL1!
I remember at the time, Sony had a line-up of 3CCD cameras and, here in Japan, a lot of low-budget direct-to-video stuff was shot on them. It only made me covet the Canon XL-1 more back in the early 2000s while I was still dreaming of owning one.
Back when this was brand new I was helping two friends make indie films for their film classes they were taking. One was attending Emerson the other was taking a film course at Rhode Island college. My friend Jorge (the one going to RIC) was friends with the head of film studies there and since he was familiar with computers (he had one of the first Mac G3's that had come out) he volunteered to set up the school's very first digital editing suite. This was back when Avid had yet to really take over as the main means of editing films. I got to see this in use and it was crazy how much better the visuals looked and how easy and quick it was to put scenes together. We made our own steadicam and dolly's and because it was so light you didn't need huge pieces of equipment to move it around. Our dolly was a few pieces of fiberglass pole and our dolly was some 2x4's and rubber cart wheels with lengths of fiberglass poles for tracks. At the time they were some of the first students making indie films on digital.
I really wish I had copies of the one we made for practice. It was a short comedy skit where I chased Jorge through the woods. It's nice to see someone who appreciates this piece of equipment as I have many fond memories of it.
Finally someone has rediscovered this beauty, my favourite camera ever. Thx
I bought the XL1 in late 1999, and used it extensively. I also felt the same way about it as you did. I was so pleased to stumble upon your amazing review of this beauty. Thank you, for the nostalgic journey. You did a first-class job.
Great video! When I was in high school, I learned basic video concepts on the Canon XL2. And here I am many years later working as a television cameraman. The XL series of cameras will always have a place in my heart 🎥
DUDE YES! I've been waiting for this video from you, forever. I still wanna get my hands on a XL1, but I did just get a VX1000
You got a VX1000?! Those are so hard to find in good condition without paying a bajillion dollars.
Yeah! Had to import it from Japan, but still in great shape. Just gotta SOMEHOW find the death lens lol@@tombuck
I loved this camera, used in constantly in film school, when I found out 28 Days Later was filmed with the Canon XL1, I was obsessed. It was the pinnacle of gorilla filmmaking tools. The worst thing was logging footage in real time. I do not miss that at all. Cool to see how things have moved on but at the time the XL1 was the dream. Thanks for showing me what I missed out on!
how did icarly look so hd with freddie using this 1900´s cameras
Because these cameras actually have much better quality than shown here. The composite video out was really limiting the quality, even through S-Video it'd have been much better.
I've shot multiple short films on cameras like these when I was a teen, and if you use the firewire port the quality is almost 720p and much clearer.
They just used the professional studio cameras the canon xl1 was just a prop
That’s what I thought
@@M4ttsStuff 28 days later was shot with this and looks better than the iphone footage
We had HD in the 90’s
You can look up a video. Titled:
New York City in 1993 in HD - DTheater DVHS Demo Tape
My gosh, what a trip down memory lane. We used these things in school and I thought they were really neat. They were kind of "reserved" for the big projects, so you knew when you got to use it that it was serious business.
Wow. Thank you very much! I spent days and hours a year ago watching old reviews on that beast. I still want it.
It's so worth it- definitely take a gander at eBay form time to time and you might find a heck of a deal!
You might not believe me, but I too had a Canon XL-1 poster on my wall! Great video Tom! You even covered what I was going to mention about the XL-1 DNA still being alive and well in todays cinema and professional models. Great video as always!
So I wasn't the only one?! Haha, that's awesome. Great minds think alike!
There's something about Canon; they don't just make great cameras. They build cameras that look so good that you want to own them. The camera itself becomes a suitable subject for videos and photographs. The team over there are very special, and have been for a very long time.
Phenomenal dive into this piece of history. Great work!
Thank you! This is one of my favorite videos, it was so much fun to make.
I hear you when it comes to “Dream Cameras”. This was surely one of my favorites as well. I grew up filming BMX street and dirt riding and some skating and I always wanted an XL-1!!
Enjoyed the in-depth nostalgia. It was my first video camera purchase in 1999 along with Final Cut Pro. You did show me some accessories I did not know were available. It paid for it's self many times over with corporate shoots. Good job on the video!
Final Cut in 1999! That's absolutely awesome.
My first time editing video was on iMovie 1 in 2000 or so? I also worked at a TV station in 2001 that had an early version of AVID designed for tv reporters to use, but I found it super clunky.
That's great, you started at a good time, just when digital was getting it's legs. I tried Premiere in 1996 and decided video editing was a no go then. My first attempt at digital editing (video-animation) was with MacroMedia in 1992 when it was only grayscale. Little FYI, Apple bought the video engine from MacroMedia and turned it into FinalCut Pro.@@tombuck
This and your piece on the L1 were really enlightening. I can tell they were a labor of love. Great stuff.
Thank you for saying that! Both of those videos are some of my all time favorites, so that means a lot to hear.
The Canon XL1s was an art work in form factor. Thanks for making this video. My girlfriend (now wife) and I both saved from our part time retail and fast food in 2002 while at film school to buy one together. With the very few accessories we needed it was almost $9K AUD from memory. We then started a business doing corporate video and events. Many local competitors at the time were very locked into their larger ENG and even analogue cameras still and the XL1s, and a little creativity gave us a big advantage in adaptability in what and how we could film. I think my first TH-cam video is filmed on it actually. When we finally sold it we actually kept the stock included fold up/down shoulder mount (as we sold the camera with the xlr shoulder mount) and I adapted it to a DSLR shoulder rig that I sometimes still use to this day. Great review though. Oh you missed the hidden buttons under the red circular door, Also very satisfying to access.
Thansk for sharing. I worked with the XL1s in the mid 2000s, while producing my first video content for the internet. It was a great camera and all follow-ups never brought me that feeling again. After your video I regret selling it... 😂
This reminds me my teen years too. You were not alone pinning an XL1 commercial on your wall.. Same here. My parents told me I had to chose for my 18th birthday : car or camera. The rest is history :D
I think I would've made the same choice too 😁
Great video, Tom! I saved up and got an XL-1s back in the day and ended up filming weddings for a while to pay for it. When the XL-2 came out, I saved up again and sold the XL-1s to get it because I HAD to have the true widescreen and 24fps! I mean, I was basically making movies at that point, right?! I never ended up selling the XL-2 and still have it to this day, but my path did take me eventually to the 5DmkII for a web series I made. But i'm with you, I would love to see an XL-3 or XL-4K because the form factor was so amazing on those cameras!
The jump to DSLR-quality video was massive, but dang, something was definitely lost in the form factor.
Tom this is amazing! Your clear passion for this camera shines through - I'm loving the change in aspect ratios with different shots, the mixed room setups for each section, and the sound of the DV cover opening took me waaay back! Definitely worth the wait, probably my favourite video of yours ever!
Thanks Kane! I was worried the many aspect ratios could be distracting, but I ended up liking it a lot- it's especially cool to see what camera setups at similar price points but 25 years apart are capable of. The anamorphic shots look so stunning compared to the analog footage.
Congrats on finally getting your dream camera! Mine was the XL2, I finally got one in 2009, it was my first "prosumer" camera and I cut my teeth on videography with it. In retrospect I would have been better off with a 5D Mark II, but it still was a great camera to learn on.
Super cool you got to use it closer to it's "heyday" 😎
The XL1 and GL2 were the cameras I learned on at my undergrad school, and I loved these things. I was so excited when the Media and AV services dept got the XL H1, so we could use the HDV mini tapes. Amazing how far things evolved in a relatively short time.
Had an XL1 in my storage forever now. Works but no lens. Just found a complete XL2 kit in a storage unit today! Excited to use both of these
Oh that's awesome!!
Thank you for making this! I've also had a strange fascination with this camera since it was released, and especially with some of its history (e.g. used in filming 28 Days Later). Even though the specs pale in comparison to any modern camera today, Canon really was ahead of their time with the form factor, design and ergonomics of the XL-1. Very much an early preview of features we now have and take for granted shooting video in modern DSLR/mirrorless and cinema cameras.
It really is an awesome camera. Just yesterday I got all the adapters to start importing footage via FireWire and wow, it looks so much better! Still nowhere near what modern cameras can do, but it's nice to see the XL1 living up to its full potential.
Direct digital import of MiniDV footage was definitely better quality than capturing from the analog outputs. It would also be interesting to see what today’s grading tools could do to refine that footage.
when you say "better" do you mean high resolution? Because I'm thinkning about getting one of these for that sweet sweet tape saturation. I want a "worse" quality haha
I've run mini DV video through Topaz AI, and it makes a HUGE difference.
@@lunarvue Did you upscale to 1080p or ? - with Topaz AI
@@Amddurinyes, upscale and it will denoise, sharpen, and utilizes AI to enhance details and can even remove camera shake. Takes a lot of processing power to do a lot of footage, but the results are worth it. There's old 16x9 SD content that I've upscaled that now looks good enough to put on a reel, at least some of it. Pretty impressive. th-cam.com/video/lZHWPDQYQ9c/w-d-xo.htmlsi=qbX6lU4SgJO8mKot
I do have one xl1s. Bought it in ny manhattan in 1999 at adorama. Never sold it because it really was a dream camera to use it back then. Had many cameras in the next years but that one stayed in my heart.
That's awesome. I can only imagine the excitement of walking out of the store with that thing back then!
Mate - such great storytelling on something you clearly are very passionate about. Cheers.
Thanks Julian! I really appreciate that as the video is definitely a labor of love 👍
I used this as a news gathering cam on local tv. When i left, i bought it from them and it's still sitting next to me now. I love it. I use fd and ef lenses on it.
WOW! What a walkthrough Tom!
For me, the biggest ground breaking feature of the XL-1 was the “Movie” mode feature which recorded 30 full frames vs 60 interlaced frames. I believe it was the first camera available to the common person that had that feature. When shooting in “Movie” mode, it created more of the look of film , instead of the “soap opera” look.
Definitely a big deal!
Awesome video Tom! Only took a few years to get it done! Super happy to see you enjoying creating videos, without the pressure of a Thursday upload! As always, keep up the good work 😀
Better late than never? 😬
And yeah, I don't think I would've been as happy with this video if I had tried to cram it into a weekly schedule.
Bravo!! Wonderful video bro!! I used to drool over this camera but couldn't afford it at the time. I moved out to Cali and was in my first year of filmmaking school. However, I ran out of money and had to move back home. I wish I had stuck with filming regardless of equipment. Now, 20 years later, I'm starting all over. Thanks for the trip down memory lane and a top-notch review of this awesome camera!!
Ah, we recieved three of those 3CCD Sony DVCAMs as upgrades to our SVHS-system back in media school 1999. Man this video takes me back! 😅
yes i do remember this camera - would not even dream to own it then, it was to good to be true. 🙂 thanks for bringing memories back 🙂
The XL1 is a gem! used it tons back in the day!! You can not put side by comparison to a phone video camera! 1/ 90 percent of what you're see has electronic correction white balance and ND filtering as well as more f stop range.
I still have one in my studio. Currently used as a paperweight nowadays. Loved it when I bought it.
It's a beautiful paperweight.
This is really well done. How fast life is changing is evident when you see informative videos that bring us back to the way it was. Nice. Thanks!!
Thanks! It really is crazy to step back and get a bit of perspective.
Great video! I had this camera back in the day and *loved* it. I still miss the ergonomics of this design.
Couldn't agree more!
What a great memory journey this camera review was! I remember starting a new job as an interactive CD developer and after being there for a few weeks I was asked to go spend almost a year in Australia filming for the company for a new interactive product. I knew almost nothing about video but decided to buy the brand new, just released that month, Canon XL-1. I also got the Sony DVCam deck well as a Lowell 3 light kit and a 7" ikegami monitor. And or course power converters. And cases, lots of flight-ready cases. And there I went with what seemed like 9000lbs of equipment, an assistant, and absolutely no idea how to shoot corporate video off to Australia for months at a time. What a great time! I still have the DVCam deck, the hard plastic case from the Lowell set, and the 7" monitor and the "must be the heaviest case ever made" the monitor sits in.
Despite the clunkiness, that sounds like an absolutely awesome setup. I think I'd really like to try and find a way to import XL1 footage via FireWire because I'm sure it would look a bit better yet.
@@tombuck Yes, clunky today...back then it was state of the art! lol Also there are two ways that I did that however the issue today is the drivers on the computer side. 1) you can just pick up an older mac, this might be the easiest :) 2) For a long time I used an older Apple thunderbolt monitor and then used a firewire to thunderbolt adapter to make that connection. There is not current adapter that works for today's computers however.
I'm starting to see these and other older camcorders in use at car shows and other events. People are into the unique way they make the world look I guess. A buddy just picked up a GL2 for that purpose.
They're definitely coming back around! The Sony VX1000 is virtually impossible to find in good working condition because it's still hugely popular for skate videos and stuff.
The phone comparison was super interesting to see! It definitely took me back haha
I want to do a whole video about phone cameras now 😁
It's hard to overestimate how much I lusted after this camera when (and LONG after) it came out. Thank you for this walkthrough.
Acquired this camera, around the time it came out, and used it for a well over a decade. I loved it and had nothing but good things to say about it. It was first in its class at the time.
I finally sold it about five years ago after using the 5DIV and C100 for several years.
However, missing the functionality and form factor of a camcorder, I just bought the XF605 and am a huge fan of that.
Oh man, I loved that camera when I was a teenager. I so much wanted it. I too had a poster of it. Years later, I wondered, whatever happened to the XL1, did they make an HD version or a 4K years after that. To my disappointment, there was no camera that looked like the XL1 in those resolutions. If they made one day. I would be it.
Thanks for featuring this camera, brings back good memories.
I really enjoyed this video, my first pro camera as a young teen was a Canon XH-A1s my father bought for me second hand for a really good price. It was basically the HDV 1080i upgrade to the XL1! I think you can get beter quality out of the XL1 if you capture the DV through firewire and deinterlace it to 60fps!
was my first "real" video camera. photographed a friend's wedding really early on and he paid for it partially with that camera. some amazing memories with that thing.
Great video Tom! Always wanted the XL1 too! Never could afford it but a customer gave me his old one a few years back as well as the older L1. Very cool cameras for the collection. Used the GL2 for many years professionally before going to the XH A1, the XF300 and now the XF605.
I'd still suggest people try the firewire route if possible. Apple make plenty of dongles from firewire to thunderbolt which GREATLY improves the quality.
There are also modern pcie firewire bridges that are decent.
Yessssss!!!!!!!! I always saw the XL1 in the magazines. Our dream camera back then was the canon GL2
The XL2 and DVX-100B reigned supreme... memories!!
Wonderful! We used two of these cams when we started to produce very first live streaming and on-demand webcast productions, back in 1998.
I was just thinking about this camera the other day. Thanks for making this video, I was curious what it was like now.
I got my start on the GL2 and XL1. Loved those cameras.
Sweet! I bought a church's old broadcast equipment lately, and in one bin I found an XL 1. I've been a Canon DSLR guy since 2012, so I have some lenses..... my XL1 is in rough-looking shape and I haven't gone through everything yet to discover more missing parts. But wow, what a cool find! I never had a 3-chip camcorder before.
That's awesome! Definitely a fun project to tinker with and get up and running.
So happy for you, nothing better than getting a camera that you love to use!!!
It's so much fun! Even 25 years later.
Hi Tom, you did a great video on Canon XL1 and revived my memories of using this camera. I still have this same camera and my story is same like yours. I was also saving some money to buy this camera in the 90's and now its still packaged in its original box and resting on the shelf. I feel sad that the video quality does not come even close to the cheapest of the cheapest camcorders of today, but XL1 has seen its glorious days.
Beast of a camera - I had an XL1s - I got it for the frame mode, I learned on it while I shot a documentary that got on TV, then shot another one and another one, stabiliser on the lens was fantastic, the included mic was really great as well, and the built in attenuator was fantastic for gigs.... Still have mine. Only problem is tapes sometimes jammed in it and if the heads drift out of alignment playing back the tapes shot in frame mode can be a problem. But it did the job for me over at least 5 years. Shot gigs, riots, weddings, family events, everything...
I LOVE THIS! Thank you for making this video…I was lucky enough to own not 1, but 2 XL1s’s while in college! These literally gave me my start in video production, and I, too, miss these cameras dearly!
purchased that when it was released, also had the XL2 and they were great cameras. probably one of my favorites
Gosh! This takes me back. I remember getting into the wedding arena with one of these. I started off using a Digital 8 format from Sony, and six months later upgrading to the XL1S. It was a lovely example of industrial design and functionality. Surprisingly, in trying to be more discreet, I ended up using two XM2's instead. I found the overall quality of them much better. I often wondered if my XL1s had been knocked and misaligned the 3ccd sensors. The quality was very much hit and miss. Another year later, I moved to the JVC 5001e. That was very impressive. Six month later, HD was on the horizon and the JVC stood up well for a good few years.
Yes! While I was rocking my canon 8mm cameras in the late 90's, I also wanted the XL1 when it came out and still (impractically) want one today! So much nostalgia, thank you!!
Oh @18:08 , you could go the other, other, other way. Firewire -> Firewire 800 adapter -> Thunderbolt adapter. Still works (at least with the right combination of hardware, OS, and software), and will give you marginally better video than any RCA output capture/conversion.
I'm going to try a FireWire method to see if I can get it to work and how the video looks. 👍
I was going to mention that. Connectivity between DV camcorder and Mac via FireWire really revolutionized video production. I think Final Cut still supports DV format (i.e. you can control rewind / forward, play from iMovie or Final Cut)
I still have the little brother the X-M1 (because I couldn't afford the X-L1). Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Used my XL1s to record some personal projects of mine, I really love it although it definitely needs that shoulder mount to be comfortable shooting like an ENG camera. Cameras like these are fantastic for sports videography, especially automotive.
What a great comparison. Keep up your amazing work. Thanks Tom.
Thanks for watching! I really appreciate the kind words!
Always wanted this as a kid out of college back in 2001. I ended up settling for a GL2 instead, but used the XL1 at times.
I wish camera companies would adopt the design of the XL1. If Canon (or Blackmagic) brought back that design for their cinema line cameras, I'd definitely invest in one. It was such a comfortable camera to shoot with.
I think it'd be a huge selling hit in today's world! And the GL2 is really great too- I was also able to find one in really good condition on eBay not long after getting the XL1. 👍
I filmed weddings with 3 of these up until 2011. I wish I wouldn't have sold all of them. Would be a nice wall hanger today. I remember seeing "Trauma Life in the ER" show in the late 90's used these and had to have them. Great video!
I'll never forget the first time i used a Videonics editor, the first time I used a NLE and then the first camera I used that had HD. Those are memories burned into my brain
Oh wow, I remember Videonics! Haha, thanks for reminding me!
This brings back memories.. I got started on that exact model of Sony ENG camera, it was a heavy beast but it sure did get the job done. It then got replaced by XL1´s with a extra large battery pack on the back.
I’ve owned over a dozen cameras through the years, always upgrading as the tech evolved. This is, by far, my favorite camera of al time. You covered it pretty well but I was surprised you didn’t mention the controls hiding behind the red sliding door adjacent to the circular dial. I had all of Canon’s lenses and they were all great but none of them were as amazing as the manual lens. What an absolute beauty that was. I also had the FU-1000 b&w viewfinder which was an absolute dream compared to the junky stock color viewfinder. Maybe someone mentioned it in another comment but Danny Boyle used this camera to shoot 28 Days Later.
This was also my dream camera as a teen. When it released, I was shooting skate videos and this camera was mind blowing. Everything great about the GL-1 and so much more.
Still have my DSR-390, and it was far and away my favorite camera. It's crazy to see the bodies selling for less than $200, considering the amount I spent at the time. The transition to widescreen pushed me towards the Canon XH-A1, which had the best zoom range of any camera I'd ever owned...but the ergonomics weren't nearly as good for an avowed ENG shooter. I appreciate the fact that you shared the same love of these superior (for their time) tools.
YAY another camera biography!!! Good episode dude! Super fun and entertaining… maybe in your top 3 best performances! You could tell you were so into this camera!
I love it so much! Thanks for the kind words! And just today I learned how to import footage via FireWire, so I'm really excited for a little follow-up...
Oh my gosh, I remember poring over brochures for that camera! I was 20 years old in 1998 and I did wind up buying a Canon Hi-8 camera that was the prosumer equivalent of that, then later a Sony PC110 camera which was nice and compact Mini DV. Truly amazing how much things have changed but back then few people had ways to record events and the footage I have is worth every penny those cameras cost, I even started going through old tapes and finding stuff I thought was junk and taped over that is just interesting because it's so long ago. Often the everyday things made for the best memories. I remember editing VCR's, (Panasonic AG1980 SVHS) and titlers, so lossy! When NLE"s came out that was crazy exciting, I had a Canopus DV Storm with a computer just for that. Exciting journey and cool purchase.
I love this camera. I had one from 1999 to 2006 when it was stolen from me on vacation.
At the time there was nothing better. And what a look she had. I had obviously replaced it with an XL H1 which I still have.
Dude you're a geek! I love it! You have a great positive vibe and overall good attitude. Thank you for the work you did on this video.
WOW! What a walkthrough Tom!
That’s the exact camera I wanted as a teenager too! A man in the neighborhood I grew up in had that camera. That was around the time I started to obsess about videography. Thanks for the reminder! 😁
This video is hitting me right in the nostalgia... I remember wanting this camera so badly when I was in University... I shot my first short film on a friends XL1 and fell in love with it. great camera! When I was going to buy one I was convinced to get a DVX100a instead... and I'm very glad I did... the DVX100a was definitely better in a lot of ways... but man.. I miss the XL1 form.
I had this camera. Used it professionally and still to this day regard it as the most pleasing to use camera I’ve ever owned. I also had the flight case, and EF lens adapter. Such a great looking camera too…
That's mad how you speak of 1998.. I could afford this camera only in 2012 and did all my films and tv carrer with it... Beast of a cam!
It's a really beautiful looking camera. Very nice ergonomics!
This is like the kid that had the Lamborghini Countach poster on his wall and grew up and bought one only to find out how miserable it was to drive even though he looks cool. I owned 2 of each... The XL and the L2 and I have never been so glad to get rid of them. Their autofocus was next to useless. They looked cool though... I was indoctrinated into Sony and so far, yes complaints but so glad to see improvements way beyond the old Canon pretty stuff. Good job on the fulfilling childhood dreams. I always wanted the Nakamichi 680 deck and as an adult I bought 4 of them and not a one works now. Funny what childhood memories cause us to do as adults. :)
I had a XL1 back in the day and it was magic at the time. Opened up so many opportunities for me in college and after.
Whats really amazing is to put into perspective just how good we all have it today. We nitpick over silly things like camera A only having 13 stops of dynamic range vs 13.2 stops but what we have no is truly amazing. I'm now shooting with a 8k raw Canon R5 with 11-13 stops of range depending on how we handle the noise. It's pretty mind blowing just how far we have come.
Fun little fact of the XL1 is it didn't even have a 720x480 set of sensors. It used pixel shifting on a 360 pixel high sensor to boost that resolution to 480 lines. There were 3 chip cameras that didn't use pixel shift and were a bit sharper because of it. They didn't have the same magic however
Oh really? I had no idea about the sensor! That's super interesting. And yeah, it's definitely wild to see how far cameras have come...and how readily people complain about them 😁
I need to find one and put some sort of digital recorder on it, is that the iCarly Freddie camera? 90s kid here myself (91)
Great idea for a video. I bought the XL1 when I landed my first corporate gig in 2000. The next year I took it to the high Canadian arctic for a shoot for Nat Geo, and used that camera for countless shows for them over the next couple of years. The thing that sold it was the 'progressive scan' this non-interlaced look that people - including my bosses - were drawn to, even if they didn't understand exactly what they were seeing. The resolution was terrible, but the 'feel' was unique.
That sounds like a super fun project!
What an interesting video. I never expected to see anything on the Canon L and XL-1 cameras again. I had the L-1 and LOVED it! I shot numerous weddings with it and edited the video in a linear system, tape-to-tape, then gave my brides a final VHS copy. When I went to work for a large insurance company in their in-house video unit, I talked them into buying the XL-1S for all of our work and it did the job well. We still edited tape-to-tape but our master tapes were BetacamSP. Sure, compared to today's phone video, the Hi8 looks bad but when we used the XL-1 in the 1990's we thought we were all that and a bag of chips!
Man, that sound of the tape ejecting. Even better when the battery was dying lol. Still have my first Canon and now you have me wanting one of these.
I got to college in 2000 and was lucky to work in a shop with a few xl1s to shoot college sports. I loved this camera. I used the pd150 and the Panasonic, but maan I loved this camera when it was built out with the battery pack and the extender ... great cam!!!
The XL1 really was something special, even though those other cameras are awesome too.
First off, The Aquabats are indeed the best band in the world. Secondly, the XL1 was a cinematic game-changer. Because of it, we no longer have to crawl to Panavision and beg, "Please, sir, may I have a camera?" because Pandora's digital box was opened. Thanks for a great video discussing the history of this essential camera.
Agreed on every point 100%