Other Odds and Ends
Another nubbin of goodness is the camera's pause control. When you hit the pause button during playback, the camera will freeze with a crystal-clear picture on the screen. No more horizontal scan lines. Even when you use slow frame advance (for slow motion), you won't get a refresh line screwing up your playback. In fact, slow-motion playback worked so well, we used it live while digitizing a clip to a computer here at the office, and it worked better as an effect than anything we could have done in Premiere.
The XMI is going to run into some competition in the still-picture category. The XMI takes a nice still image and records it to tape, but it doesn't hold a candle to the new megapixel capabilities that are built into the new Sony miniDV camcorders. And while Canon is coming out with a floppy disk still-image recorder that attaches to your camera via its 1394 port, it looks klunky next to Sony's ultraslim Memory Stick. Another thing many Sony cameras have that the XMI doesn't is technology to let you film in absolute darkness. The XMI can read in lighting down to six Lux, but it does not measure up to Sony's NightShot. To give you an example of how well the XMI does shoot in darkness, check out this picture that is lit only with a candle.
For those of you curious about the camera's audio, the XMI can record two channels at 16-bit 48kHz, or four channels at 12-bit 32kHz. But to reiterate, there's only one audio input in this model. If you're like us and hate using a camera's built-in mic to record anything, there is a standard mic jack in the side of the camera.
And finally, we decided to save the coolest feature for last. It's the one feature that most wanna-be filmmakers will appreciate. It's called the frame movie mode, and it de-interlaces the video. So instead of capturing 60 fields per second, it does a true 30 fields per second. People have compared the look of this effect to actual film. And most filmmakers we know who are shooting on video are always trying to find new ways to make their videos look like film. Admittedly, the effect does have slight cinematic quality, but you might still have to take the video into Cinelook, or Adobe Premiere, to scratch-grain it up a little bit. The frame movie mode is also good for capturing high-quality video stills.
Overall, we have nothing but praise for the XMI. It is a highly compact camera, which delivers an outstanding picture that holds its own against Sony's vaunted VX1000 and Canon's GX1 and has the professional features low-budget filmmakers need to shoot long-form projects. If you're looking to make the next Blair Witch Project, this is the camera you've been waiting for.
Canon XM1
Company:Canon Australia
Ph:1800 816 001
Price:AU$5,799
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