 beware of amazon sellers |
| Review Date: November 7, 2004 |
| Reviewer: Brett Dahlenburg, Albuquerque, NM United States |
| This is an brilliant camera definately worth the $5000. But, if you see a seller selling it groundbreaking new for less than $3000 beware. Watch out for anyone asking to be emailed before hand or anyone wanting western union or any kind of Escrow service. Be absoultely positive before sending any payment. |
Top-shelf Camera, Top Scam Artist Target (mjbstucki)
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| Review Date: February 9, 2005 |
| Reviewer: M. Won, Kahaluu, Hawaii or Macalester College St. Paul, MA |
The XL2 is truly a gorgeous and desirable piece of machinery. It won't turn any aspiring filmmaker into a new Scorsese, and some of its onboard editing features seem superfluous in the age of advanced desktop editing, but for any filmmaker with a honest budget this should be a target.
Unfortunately, as many other reviewers have pointed out, there are many scam artists and scoundrels populating the Marketplace section of Amazon.com. Some match the exact profile mentioned by honest reviewers here on Amazon.com, like cumatru_urs (props to past reviewers for the heads-up). Most deals truly are too excellent to be right, especially the ridiculous ones, like those priced under $400. Some sellers use Amazon.com Marketplace to lure buyers, then hitting them with an email later saying they will have to pay a much higher sum and outside of the Amazon guidelines if they want to get their product.
Mbjstucki is one seller who uses this practice, and extremely rudely.
Basicallly, buying these cheap items is just an expression of interest to these sellers, not a real buy as intended on Amazon.
BUYER BEWARE! Amazon will cover a substantial amount of your buy, more than you'd ever buy, if you go through the official channels of Amazon. But if you conclude your buy anywhere else, Amazon will only cover $250 of your buy, which is understandable.
Don't be fooled by some sellers who have high feedback ratings. They can just as easily be fraudulent. Since you can only leave feedback to sellers once they've shipped your item, you have no recourse against these frauds except this review service. Your buy will remain in limbo and these sellers will not receive negative feedback, an unfortunate flaw in the Amazon system. So question a lot of questions, and don't allow a hint of doubt into your final buy, as your own gut is the best radar for detecting frauds. BE AWARE |
Best Buy
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| Review Date: February 4, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Burt Reynolds, California |
Now, some individuals will try to convince you the XL2 is a poor Prosumer camcorder and will give seemingly excellent arguments. Don't buy into it.
For instance, a reviewer lower down this page complains the camera arrived broken and thus reviews it as a horrible machine. Unfortunately, this said reviewer doesn't talk about the actual functionality of an actual undamaged product, rather his own broken camera. Needless to say, his opinion is vastly slanted.
Another compares the XL2 to the DVX100 series from Panasonic and prefers the latter. He states the XL2 is too heavy and doesn't achieve the same calibre results as the cheaper Panasonic camcorder.
First of all, Canon has continued to revolutionize the photography industry for decades. They have proven themselves in both film and digital formats, for both still camera and camcorder. Right, the XL2 lacks some features other more expensive cameras have (compare the JVC GU1000) but that's okay. And, yes, the camera has a very large body and is definately heavier than the Panasonic DVX100, but this is for specific reasons.
You have to first consider why you want a prosumer camcorder. If you just want to shoot leisure activity small films and want a professional look, I suggest you stick with either the higher-end Canon or JVC or Panasonic or even Sony (god forbid) consumer camcorders which run around $900. On the other hand, if you're considering becoming a serious hobbyist and don't intend to turn it into some sort of profession then Panasonic's DVX series is a excellent buy. The DVX 100's are cheaper, smaller, and somewhat simpler to use. They are far more "point-and-shoot" than the other prosumer camcorders on the market. And they do a honestly excellent job.
Yet, the XL2 manages to not only hold its own, but also triumph over all other camcorders in the industry. First and foremost, the XL2 has the option to change lenses. This is a fantastic boon for any serious shooter because attaching an actual lens to a camera gives far better results than slapping on some sort of adapter, which distort the image. Canon offers two lens types for the XL2: the included 20X zoom lens and a 3X wide angle lens; both are very expensive by themselves. But, with an optional Canon ring adapter running for $300, you could take your normal Canon SLR still camera lenses and attach them to the body and have them function perfectly. This allows the user a plethora of imaging options when shooting. Now, the normal user won't ever use anything other than the 20X zoom lens (a remarkable piece of machinery in itself), but that's just fine. You're buying the camera for its options and potentials as well as the physical benefits. Reckon of it like buying a BMW: you buy the car for its physical features you're likely to use (the radio, heated seats, leather, sunroof, etc.) but you also buy it for its safety and cumstomer service, things you'll hardly ever need. It just makes you feel excellent you have those options available.
Furthermore, the XL2 is a wonderful camera. It shoots perfectly without problems of any sort. Yes, it takes some getting used to, but that's because it has a lot of fuctions and options. The physical body design is simple enough that all the necessary shooting options (i.e., 24P, 30i, 60i, mic adjustments, white balance controls, presents, etc.) are easily accessible. The end product of a regular shoot is stunning. The Canon lens captures colors nearly perfectly and the image stabilization built into the camera is a fantastic help. The large body design (though awkward for some) is really a benefit. The camera can be placed on the shoulder, giving greater stability to the shoot. You can't do that with a Panasonic or Sony.
No, the camera doesn't have a LCD screen on the side, but do you really need one? An LCD screen is not only distracting but also a battery hog, and takes precious room for control options or accessories that could other wise be placed where the LCD is built in. An LCD is fantastic for consumer cameras because they're small and nobody wants to look through those one-inch viewfinders. But the XL2 has a very nice, large color viewfinder, and can be comfortably used with the camera on your shoulder. For those running hand-held shots you can flip part of the viewfinder open and can see a 1.5" LCD show. It's not dazzling or fantastic, but it gets the job done. You're out in the field to get footage, not admire the LCD screen.
Finally, the XL2 offers XLR microphone inputs, a huge bonus for people who want excellent sound in their video. You won't find this feature in either Panasonic or Sony prosumer camcorders.
In the end, Canon's XL2 is a gorgeous camcorder. It offers you a lot more than you know at first glance, and delivers near-perfect results. The closest competitor would be the far more expensive (by at least $1000) Panasonic GU1000, which is very similar to the XL2. If you're still not sure about the camera, I suggest you take a ride down over to your nearest Fry's to experiment. Or, you can visit the local TV station and question them to tell you a small bit about why they're all using XL2's over the other camcorders on the market. No...seriously...they are.
Go figure. |
Please Read This:
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| Review Date: March 3, 2005 |
| Reviewer: JoeRam, Portland, OR USA |
Please Please Please read this: Don't believe the lowest Price on Amazon.com. And never/ever doesn't send money directly to the seller or doesn't contact seller directly for any kind of correspondence because: (This is largest SCAM going in & around Amazon.com) and Amazon.com may known that particular seller doesn't have anything to sell that price.
(For Example:
Sony HDRFX1 HDV High Definition Camcorder w/12x Optical Zoom - List Price: $3,999.99 - 12 used & new from $999.00.
Canon XL2 3CCD MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom - List Price: $6,499.99- Buy new: Click for price - Used & new from $500.00)
(Because I tried so many items for Lowest price but never received any item)
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Excellent thing I read the reviews.
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| Review Date: March 16, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Julius Farkas, Cleveland, OH |
| Had I not read all your reviews, I would have been the miserable victim of fraud. Everything was going fantastic until I was questioned to Western Union the $700 to Rome, Italy. Even though the product supposedly ships from New York. Thanks to all of you who posted your warnings. Another type of scam I encountered was the guy who listed a used one for $200. Then when I because interested, the price was $2,000 because he "listed it incorrect." Watch out! |
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December 6th, 2009 | 
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