Features

This is a general workhorse for Professional/Consumer camcorders. The model I have is 2004 vintage and still going strong. Although it has a photo apability, the quality falls short of dedicated still digital cameras.

It operates exactly the same as the big brother XL2, the main difference being that virtually all functions have to be accessed via the menu system. Also, 16:9 shooting is not as easy since it can only be accessed when the easy-shoot system is disabled and the viewfinder shows the scene is 4:3 with everything stretched vertically.

¼” 470K pixel 3CCD with pixel shift Canon Professional L-Series Fluorite Lens 20x optical zoom/100x digital zoom F1.6 Optical image stabiliser with VAP Direction accurate stereo microphone Two-channel audio level manual control 2.5” 200K colour LCD/0.44’ 180K colour VF Three shooting modes: normal, photo, frame movie

The XM2’s advanced technology delivers unrivalled image quality in its class

The XM2 improves on the market leading and successful XM1 in a number of key areas. It comprises of a brand new 1/4″ 470,000-pixel 3CCD increasing image quality. Not forgetting a new manual control in picture adjustments and shooting adjustments even for professional users. Technology The XM2 includes a new high-sensitivity ¼” 470,000-pixel 3CCD for superb 540-line horizontal resolution and super low light performance. A new generation camera signalling processing LSI improves approximately 3dB in S/N ratio from the XM1. The result is an improvement in colour, low light performance, resolution and dynamic range. Pixel shift The XM2 is equipped with a pixel shift system that boosts both resolution and sensitivity and allows users to achieve superb picture quality results. Picture adjustments The following picture adjustments have been greatly improved in the XM2. · Colour gain adjustments, colour phase adjustments, sharpness adjustment and black level can be adjusted to desired value and up to 1 type of preset registration is possible. · Custom preset – after picture adjustments, settings can be stored as a custom · Slow shutter speed – XM2 can be set to slow shutter speeds to 1/6 of a second · Gain control – gain can now be increased up to a maximum of 18dB · Frame movie mode – frame mode can make progressive shooting at 25 fps. Footage with 1/50 slower shutter is very similar to fine cinema. · 16.9 guides – allows accurate 16.9 framing when shooting so that image can be cropped. Improved sound The XM2 supports a direction-accurate stereo microphone that includes two non-directional microphones to give more precise stereo reproduction. Users can choose three types of frequency characteristics for the built-in microphone: normal, voice and wide-screen mode. Additionally, a 2-channel manual audio level control where input level can be adjusted by a special dial and L/R level can be set for 2 channels. Audio-level meter with right-and-left independent 24-segment peak holder and the audio-level meter can be displayed in LCD and EVF. An optional MA -300 microphone adapter allows the simultaneous recording of 2 independent channels from microphones with XLR connections. A BNC picture Out Terminal is also present. PC connectivity The XM2 is equipped with a DV terminal for non-linear editing. By using a USB terminal, transmission of still images from a JPEG file to a PC is easy.