Reviews (6)

Super Quiet - Super Fast - Super System
This computer is so quiet, you have to check it to see if it is still running. I am an daily Photoshop user since 1987, and a loyal Mac user since 1984 (I've worked for Apple, IBM and Motorola). This system is so fast, it will keep up with everything you can throw at it in Photoshop CS2 - no delays - just instant filtering. The last Photoshop job I did (resizing and filtering 96 photos), I could really see the time saved using this computer - about 30% over my older G4 - which spells productivity. I ordered this system as a reconditioned unit for $2299 from the Apple Store with free shipping (53 lbs), and got a free upgrade from the 160G to 250G Hard Disk and Tiger DVD in the box - both were unexpected, plus a full warranty just like a new system. The system appears to be brand new, probably an open box or returned system. I added 2G more RAM for $200 for 2.5G total. Some reviewers have been critical about the lack of ports on the G5 systems (if that is all they can find at fault), but if you need more ports, you can easily add in a 3 USB 2.0/2 Firewire PCI card from IOGear for only $38, or a 4 port USB 2.0 PCI card for about $20 - so stop whining about ports. The rear Firewire 800 port really screams with my LaCie Firewire Backup Drive, which is another reason to upgrade to the G5. Unlike the new 2.7GHz system (only 8% faster for $3000), the 2.5GHz system comes with one ADC and one DVI port on the 9600XT video card, plus a DVI to VGA adapter in the box. The new G5 systems don't support ADC without having to buy a $99 DVI-ADC adapter, which is messy to hook up, requiring a power supply. One more reason for buying the older 2.5GHz model if you own an older ADC LCD display (clear plastic model). Overall, I am very impressed with this 2.5GHz MP system, and can see this system lasting many years. XBench speed score is a fast 252.

After almost a year with this machine...
I've been a Mac user for nearly 20 years. In May of 2004 I upgraded from a 450 MHz G4 (512 MB RAM) to a dual 2.0 GHz G5 (1GB RAM, two 250 GB hard drives). The machine I bought was defective-all nine fans were going full blast all the time. The operating system and software worked fine, but the tower was intolerably loud (it really sounds like a car the way the fans fire up). I spent about 45 minutes on the phone with Apple tech support. The fellow I spoke to was helpful and friendly until he misguided me about pressing a tiny button in the innards of the machine too many times (it's been a year, I don't remember what exactly this little button resets). He instantly became accusatory, telling me I didn't follow his direction and refused to discuss it. He basically told me my computer was hosed and that I may have voided the warranty; I should bring it in to be serviced and not turn it on again. The guy really turned into a jerk. I suppose he was just trying to cover his ass.

I turned the machine back on and it ran just as before. Fine, but loud. I took my machine to the Apple Store in San Francisco for diagnosis, and they confirmed there was a "thermal" problem. I was a part-time student at the time, bought the machine through school and though it was eligible for replacement, I couldn't exchange it directly through the Apple Store. Fortunately, in the time it took Apple and my school to acknowledge that I had a defective computer Apple announced the dual 2.5 GHz, so I was given the option of a partial refund, since the dual 2.0 GHz had gone down in price, or a free upgrade to the dual 2.5 GHz. I went for top-of-the line in the first place (with a 23" Cinema Display HD) with the idea that I wouldn't be buying another computer for a good number of years. I had to wait about four months for the dual 2.5 GHz after they were announced (they let me keep the defective one in the meantime), but it was definitely worth the wait. And this is exactly what anyone should expect after dropping $5,000 + (with the display and software).

The dual 2.5 GHz runs amazingly quiet (when it really needs to think, the fans fire up, but they typically aren't audible for long). The increase in speed (for me) was amazing. The applications I use most often are: FileMaker Developer 7 , Omni Graffle 3, Virtual PC 7 (for testing), Dreamweaver MX 2004 along with Apple's standard mail, text and web browser apps. I'm also increasingly using Final Cut Pro HD, which I think you'd only really want to run on a machine this fast. With the occasional exception of Excel, I don't have a need for Microsoft apps.

The G5 is on nearly 100% of the time, since I sometimes need to access it remotely, and yes, it's crashed a few times, but this is really quite rare. Tip: I've found the best way to tell if a Mac has crashed or is just frozen is to set the clock in the menu bar to display the time with seconds. If the clock has stopped ticking altogether, it's a good indicator that the system has crashed. Otherwise, it's just frozen, so tricking around with it (force-quitting applications or putting it to sleep and waking it back up), tend to bring it back to life. Again, this sort of behavior is rare and, as such, acceptable for me.

For PC users considering a G5, I have this to say: I've always been a Mac user, and I've always, always complained when I've had to use a PC. I'm not snobby about it; I'm just accustomed to very well-designed and integrated products (I drive a Porsche 993, and I'm as passionate about its design, especially its clever temperature controls and cruise control). That said, using VPC (Virtual PC) on my G5 has really given me a different perspective on Windows. I actually LIKE using Windows...as long as it's on my G5. This is largely because of my Apple keyboard and the 23" display, which just make for a better Windows experience. You can run VPC to take over your whole display, or run it within a window as if it were any other app on your Mac. I have a Microsoft 5-button, scrolling optical mouse that I've had for over 5 years (it's great). Right-clicking works without installing any drivers, in both Mac OS X and Virtual PC. I use Windows 2000 Pro, and my colleagues would be surprised to hear I'm actually looking forward to upgrading to XP. Windows isn't as zippy as running it on a top-of-the-line PC, I suppose, and it hangs here and there, but for my purposes it works perfectly. I don't think it's a great idea to run Windows in VPC as your "primary" OS, but for seasoned Windows folks who are looking to make a transition to the Mac and still want to jump back to familiar territory, I'd certainly recommend this hardware/software combo. VPC (to which I've dedicated 512K, or half of my G5's physical RAM) can be a memory hog, slowing everything down on my Mac, so if you plan to use it regularly, I'd recommend more than 1GB RAM. A couple of cool things about VPC: You can run multiple Windows OS's at the same time (I've seen, but not experienced this). You can "pause" a Windows OS so it doesn't hog memory. You can also "save" a Windows state when you quit VPC, so that when you start it up, everything is right where you left it. After too many frustrating visits to my dad's to"fix" his Windows problems, the Mac should be a compelling option for PC users. Virtual PC on this machine makes it especially so.

Bottom line: An excellent system. Advice: If you can, buy directly from an Apple Store; they're far more willing to offer support than if you buy elsewhere and bring your issues in to the store. If you buy an Apple product elsewhere to save money or support a local vendor, know that that can become a support barrier Apple will hide behind (I wish, like Bose, they'd just support their damn products wherever you purchase...it was a hassle for me). Also, don't expect, but do LOOK for problems right away, within the first two weeks. Apple is notorious for not admitting there's something wrong even when it's a known issue (like the fans on the first machine I ordered), and even then they're very reluctant to replace a product outright unless you hound them. It's easy enough to find other people with similar problems in forums and such. I'm a little bitter about my customer support experience, but in the end they got it right. I think the majority of real Apple customers don't have to experience this. I bought 3-year AppleCare, and so far, fortunately, have not had the cause to use it. I believe Apple should stand behind its products without having to purchase additional support, but Murphy's Law guided my judgment there. In any case, I'd highly recommend this machine to anyone who is considering it.

Features

• Design complements the latest Power Macs and PowerBooks
• 2-port USB 2.0 hub, 2 FireWire 400 ports
• Bright, wide 23-inch viewable image size
• 1,920 x 1,200 optimal resolution, 16.7 million colors
• Industry-standard DVI connector

Reviews (15)

Apple 23" Cimema Display HD - No Silver lining
In short I returned my 23" Apple Cinema Display and got back the 20" Apple Cinema display I had bought the day before.The 20" was so good, so I reasoned - wow, go get the 23" it will be even better - wrong.The 23" Apple Cinema Display did actually run under Windows XP but the color fidelity was 0/10.It is almost as if the 23" display is built at a lower standard, or that there is no Quality assurance with this product. This was due to 3 things. 1) a pink color cast to all neutral grey/white areas. 2) A noticeable squeeze effect at the edges where the display looked like it an LCD being squashed.In these edge areas the color of white or grey changed to green and was darker.I also noticed a minor shift in hue on many of the grey pixels across the screen from left to right edges.3) A noticeable blur compared to the 20".

My work station area is a mixed Mac/PC affair to maximize productivity and cross platform work.I already run a first generation polycarbonate style 23" Cinema HD for OSX - 2 years now with no drama.I use the PC in Photoshop and wanted a top quality display for scanning Velvia and manipulating large files of 60Mb or more with quick response.I installed a new silver 20" Apple Cinema display to run under Windows XP SP2 using an ATI Sapphire Radeon 9600XT Atlantis 256Mb graphics card and an ASUS A7V8X mainboard.It is a good card for the 20" and the 23" Apple Cinema Displays.The Asus BIOS had to be set to activate the AGP 8x first.The only fault with this combination was that during a hot-restart, the display would remain off (black) and I had to shut down first, then start.Once the display was in this "apple sleep mode - cannot be woken by XP" I could not tell where the XP launch was at and after pressing the restart switch the BIOS would halt at the error report page (I was guessing, the Cinema display was black) so it required a full power-off - disconnect the apple display from the PC card and then start everything again.Otherwise the results were 5 star for the 20" with excellent color accuracy and evenness, brightness and sharpness.I am very experienced with color accuracy in Photoshop and usually have a neutral desktop background so as not to bias any colors which appear on screen around the Photoshop scans I am working on.I found under windows XP that the Adobe gamma panel was not as good as the ATI color panel (right click desktop/properties/settings/advanced/color) where I could make more precise corrections to the lower/mid/upper ranges of the gamma curve by eye.So far the 20" Apple Cinema display was fantastic and I was again marveling at how well Apple engineers can build or subcontract others to built their gear.Time to rush back to the store and get the BIG brother.Wrong - trouble came to town.See 1/2/3 above.I thought the problem was the Ati 9600XT card - so I switched over the display to run as a second monitor on my Mac Ati9000.So now I had the two 23" displays running side by side, one brand new and silver and the other two years old with 60 hours a week under the hood -that's a lot of hours.Well it was then I knew that the NEW 23" Apple Cinema Display was going straight back to the store.It seems obvious that the display was being squashed at the edges thereby changing the colors in a kind of Newton Ring effect you get with a cheap digital watch.

So I am back using the 20" Apple Cinema Display under Windows XP and all is well - 10/10.This is a perfect way to make Windows XP feel like a friend, even when running right next to my old 23" HD in OSX 10.3.By the way the Ati 9600XT 256Mb is very fast in 2D using Photoshop CS.My warning to buyers of the 23" Apple Cinema Display is that you should be very careful.Don't be fooled by the default blue desktop and fancy visuals they run in the retail environment.Check the product in store in a cool and calm way.Open an Application that uses white/grey like Safari and go to google.com.Set the screen to full width, then check out the fidelity of the grey/white at the edges.Interestingly when I reported this problem to the store they did not even question the fault, or open the box, the guy looked a bit sheepish -mumbled some thing which was hard to hear.It sounded like "yeah we have had this problem before".

Beware of this product for now (20" or 30" displays are OK)
I have been researching this display on various web sites. It's a beautiful display, but a multitude of people -- on CNET, Amazon, and even the Apple web site's forums -- reported color problems commonly described as "pink casting." The problem is described as pink colors or bars on the sides of the screen, and it does not go away.

One user in the Apple discussion forum, for instance, told of an experience in which their facility purchased ten of these displays. All of them had the same pink casting problem. Those are pretty bad odds.

I should note, by the way, that supposedly this problem does not exist with the 20" or 30" Apple Cinema Displays.

After this research, my decision not to purchase was clinched for me today: I phoned my local Apple store and told an employee of my concern. The employee then put me on hold, spoke to one of Apple's so-called "Geniuses," and returned to the phone to tell me that the Genius said that this is a known problem and that I should probably avoid purchasing the display for now. (He seemed a little embarrassed about telling me this, but told me he wanted to be completely honest with me.) He added that they haven't seen this issue with the 20" or 30" displays.

The strange thing about all of this is that the Apple web site is still selling these displays -- no mention of the pink color casting. But do yourself a favor and check the online forums.

Features

• 2-port USB 2.0 hub, 2 FireWire 400 ports
• Requires NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL Card
• 2,560 x 1,600 optimal resolution, 16.7 million colors
• Industry-standard DVI connector
• Design complements the latest Power Macs and PowerBooks

Reviews (10)

Just Plain Beautiful!
I bought this monitor for my Apple Power Mac G5 and it has been wonderful to own it. 30 inches of beautiful viewing and this is a perfect screen for playing games on. You really do have to go all out on this one because it costs almost or the same as the Power Mac G5 at around $2,999.99 which is extremely expensive but it really isn't too expensive for a LCD monitor at this size. The styling Apple did on this monitor is similar to the PowerBook and it looks amazing. You can use this monitor on Windows computers too. It has 2-Port USB 2.0 Hub Built-In and a 2-Por FireWire Hub Built-In right in it! Native Resolution of 2560x1600 pixels. I think this works the best of G5's but I guess you can use it on any computer you like. I would recommend this display to you because it has everything you need. Check it out!

Gamer Card Compatibility
Just wanted to let everyone know that it's been confirmed with multiple owners that the Asus V9999 Gamer Edition based on the 6800 (not GT or Ultra) supports the optimal 2560x1600 resolution.

Features

• Includes Final Cut Pro HD, DVD Studio Pro 3, and Motion
• Essential software suite for film and video production
• Real-time production tools; common user interface elements
• Professional graphics, video, audio, and DVD authoring applications
• Provides seamless, intuitive, and integrated workflow

Reviews (1)

Features

• Creative, professional, and extensible; easy-to-use
• Video editing tool for editing and finishing in SD and HD formats
• Native DVCPRO HD editing of broadcast-quality HD 720p and at 1080i
• RT Extreme with HD real-time multi-stream effects and transitions
• Digital Cinema Desktop for easy HD previewing

Reviews (4)

The Best bester and bestest moving pic edit soft ever!
I am professional editor, in other words I earn my bread and butter from it. I have been using FCP for nearly 2 years now. And I should say I have fun doing so...thanx to Apple Inc. who brought out such a useful software. Simple yet powerful...VERY...I love it. Its ease of use and once you get to know the shortcuts it just zooms...Its like Porsche!!!.....You can really tire your imagination but this thing won't give up. Nice layout and design. Coordinates very well with other prof apps like Compressor, Livetype and QT. Its for anyone from a media student to a professional....much simpler and faster and better than A$%D.
And for hobbyists you have the cheaper version FC Express which is more than you will ever need. So go ahead and buy it and create something that'll move the world.

Woot!
I'm an advanced televison production studetn at my highschool and this porgram rocks my socks! I make any simple film look amazing

Features

• Professional toolset for producing exceptional DVDs in record time
• Comprehensive and flexible DVD authoring software
• Integrates easily with Final Cut Pro HD, Motion, and Adobe Photoshop
• 2 powerful video and audio encoding applications: Compressor and A.Pack
• Create advanced slideshows with just one click

Asin: B00022VNSE
Sales Rank: 3983
Subjects:  1. Mac Macintosh Machintosh Apple    2. Computer software (programs)    3. Video    4. Composting    5. Effects    6. Editing   

Features

• Works with Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator
• Real-time motion graphics design software for easily creating motion graphics
• Behaviors technique for creating animation without complex keyframing
• Simple interface for unmatched onscreen interactivity and real-time feedback
• Combine text, graphic, and video elements for instant gratification

Reviews (5)

Powerful software for those who don't whine
I read the below reviews and feel compelled to clarify some important points regarding this software.1) This is powerful software that allows you to create professional quality effects.You can add explosions, multiply objects in a scene and basically let your imagination run wild. 2)I bought the apple motion instructional book (with dvdrom) and it makes learning motion simple and fun.By the end of the 1st chapter you're animating cg butterflies, i.e. making one butterfly turn into 5 and fly exactly how you would like. 3)I'm new to mac and bought an imac G5 1.8 ghz with 1 gb ram and a 64mb video card (very low end).I could use motion, but the real time rendering was slow.Confused about what I just said?Let me explain.Motion allows you to see what changes you are making immediately so that you can fine tune your effects.Do you want to make a butterfly fly a bit faster? It's easy because the movie is playing in real time allowing you to find the perfect speed without having to render each attempt.If you have a slow computer, the real time frame rate slows down.My imac slowed the frame rate from 24fps to 5 fps.However, I still saw the changes and could print to video at 24fps.4.)Upgrade if you want faster frame rates.I decided to upgrade.I bought a dual 2.0 G5, 1.5GB, 256MB nvidia video card (super fast).Now the frame rate is at 22 to 24 fps in realtime!

Bottom line, if you want to create amazing effects in your movie, buy this.If you MUST see the pre-rendered changes at 24fps, spend about 5 grand on a new computer, otherwise, live with the 5 fps.But whatever you do, don't complain that your movie sucks because you could only see 10 fps in realtime. Chances are your creativity needs a tune up more than your Mac.

Groundbreaking idea, burdensome requirements
I played with Motion at an Apple store and was so impresssed, I immediately/spontaneously bought it. I'm running it on a first generation 2 Ghz dual processor G5 with 2 gigs of RAM and a Radeon 9600 graphic card and it is slow and sometimes doesn't render "on the fly" at all. So now I have to get a faster ($600) "recommended" video card and all will be nice according to Apple. I've purchased the highest end Apple products since the Apple II and now I am annoyed. Hey Apple, if you write software that runs slowly on your fastest professional machine - DON'T RELEASE IT!!! I must have spent $10,000 in the last year and a half on Apple products and NOW I'm burnt out. I'll stick to After Effects (which can't do what Motion does without hours of keyframing) and eliminate my "on the fly" expectations.

Editorial Review

The Canon GL2 (like its predecessor, the GL1, and its big brother, the XL1) is helping to blur the line between consumer and professional video equipment. This camcorder borrows most of those cameras' professional-quality components and puts them into a more compact, affordable camera. Though it's small enough to carry around and doesn't cost much more than a top-of-the-line consumer camcorder, the GL2 produces such high-quality results that it could be used as a broadcast video camera.

The 3 CCD System
The GL2 maximizes the capability of the DV format by using a 3 CCD (charge-coupled device) system with a separate CCD for each primary color (red, green, blue). A beam-splitting prism separates light passing through the lens into individual color components and each is sent to its own CCD. Compared to a single CCD, the 3 CCD system achieves outstanding detail with highly accurate color reproduction suitable for the demands of high-end video production - wide dynamic range, low color noise, high-contrast detail, natural color resolution and low-aliasing. The 3 CCD system also makes advanced Pixel Shift (for increased image quality) and Low Light Recording (for increased flexibility) possible.

Professional L-Series Fluorite Lens
Canon has satisfied the demands of experienced image makers for years through the power, design and quality of 35mm and broadcast TV lenses. Canon's Professional L-Series lenses utilize Fluorite, a material which provides outstanding resolution, contrast, and color reproduction- especially in lightweight, high-magnification lenses. Incorporated into the lens on the GL2, Fluorite delivers the ultimate in clarity and image quality. The Fluorite element inside the lens defeats color aberration -- the effect when the components of light stray from one another within a lens, causing a reduction in sharpness, contrast and color. The Fluorite lens precisely controls components of light providing an excellent balance of these three critical ingredients of picture quality. This is unobtainable with conventional optical glass.

To further improve image detail, Canon has intentionally shifted the green CCD (which contains 60 percent of the picture detail) half a pixel horizontally and vertically. This shift allows more accurate interpolation, resulting in an image that Canon claims rivals those from cameras with 410,000-pixel CCDs. Each pixel is 72 square microns, which is about 1.5 times the size as those in competing camcorders. This increased size increases light sensitivity, allowing you to shoot in low-light situations.All this results in outstanding detail, with highly accurate color reproduction suitable for the demands of high-end video production. The GL2 also incorporates a 20x Professional L-Series fluorite optical zoom lens, which is equivalent to 39.5-790mm, as well as a 100x digital zoom.

Audio
The GL2's omni-directional microphone is designed to deliver realistic stereo sound. Using the GL2's advanced accessory shoe expands your audio options. Audio can be recorded in 16-bit mode on two channels on one track. Alternatively, audio can be record in 12-bit mode, where the audio track is divided into two, and two channels of audio are recorded onto one track, with the other left over for audio dubbing.

Optical Image Stabilizer
Canon's superb optical stabilization system corrects camera shake instantly so even hand held shots, at full telephoto, and shots taken from a moving car, are smooth and steady. And since it is optical, there is no loss of image quality inevitable with electronic image stabilizers. It perfectly complements the high picture quality of the DV format.

Digital Stills
You can turn your GL2 into a still camera by switching to 1.7-megapixel photo mode and capturing high-resolution still images onto the camcorder's MultiMedia/Secure Digital card. (One 8 MB Secure Digital card is included with the GL2.) The full-frame images are free from time-lag blur. A six-blade circular iris, as found on Canon's top-of-the-line XL1 and XL1S models, is used for professional exposure control, helping to deliver stunning video and still photos.

Inputs and Outputs
The GL2 comes with the standard DV IEEE 1394 port (also known as FireWire) for a super-fast, lossless connection to a PC or other DV machines. You can also connect to your PC via a USB connection to download still photos. The GL2 is designed to handle two types of analog input and output: using audio/video cables (composite) or S-video. Both connections are on the camera back.

More Features

• Three shooting modes: normal movie mode, digital photo mode, and the cinema-like frame movie mode.
• The Custom Key function lets you create and save your own custom settings so your common shooting modes can be readily duplicated.
• Digital effects are offered for a greater imaging variety, including fader, sepia, strobe motion, and black and white.
• With the Interval Timer function, you can record for a selected time with a selected interval--convenient for nature observations such as flowers or sunsets.

Editorial Review

Small enough to carry around and costing not much more than a top-of-the-line consumer camcorder, the XL1S produces such high-quality results that it is sure to be the top choice for many independent filmmakers who demand full features and controls. Like its predecessor, the XL1, this camera uses three separate 270,000 pixel CCDs (one for each primary color) for the best picture quality. The XL1S records digital audio, with two channels of 16 bit/48 KHz sound or four channels of 12 bit/32 KHz sound. The body is based on a magnesium-alloy frame for maximum durability. It ships with a 16x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilization, but is also compatible with other XL camcorder lenses. With an optional adapter, you can use Canon EF (EOS) still-camera lenses--some of which also feature optical image stabilization.

The electronics of the XL1S have many advanced features, including a number of programmed AE modes, as well as both shutter and aperture priority modes. There are two different auto modes, one of which allows you to adjust any setting manually, if you want, and the other, which adjusts every setting automatically and lets you adjust nothing. A spotlight mode automatically compensates for difficulties when shooting a subject bathed in a spotlight. The computer-shooting mode gets rid of monitor flicker that happens when shooting a computer screen. There are also three different shooting modes: normal movie, digital photo, and frame movie. Normal movie mode is for any time you want to shoot video footage. Digital-photo mode records a still image for six seconds on the MiniDV tape and also captures any accompanying audio for a commentary track. The frame movie mode records 30 noninterlaced still images per second, instead of capturing 60 fps interlaced images. This mode isn't intended to be used for shooting video (playback may not look completely smooth). Rather, frame movie mode should be used as a burst, or continuous, shooting mode, like you'd find on a still camera.

The XL1S offers many new and updated features over the XL1. There is a 16:9 shooting mode where electronic lines draw are displayed through the viewfinder so you can compose your shots flexibly for later conversion to HDTV, where 16:9 is the standard. SMPTE color bars help establish a proper color reference for shooting and editing. Interval recording lets you shoot time-elapsed motion video with intervals from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Zebra patterns help you determine overexposed areas in your shot so you can adjust the aperture and shutter accordingly.

The MiniDV format supported by the XL1S delivers more than 500 lines of horizontal resolution -- a 25% improvement over analog systems. The DV format allows for near lossless transfer within digital editing environments for faster creation, increased productivity and improved production quality of final prints.

The XL1S maximizes the capability of the DV format by using a 3 CCD (charge-coupled device) system with a separate CCD for each primary color (red, green, blue). A beam-splitting prism separates light passing through the lens into individual color components and each is sent to its own CCD. Compared to a single CCD, the 3 CCD system achieves outstanding detail with highly accurate color reproduction suitable for the demands of high-end video production - wide dynamic range, low color noise, high-contrast detail, natural color resolution and low-aliasing. The 3 CCD system also makes advanced Pixel Shift (for increased image quality) and Low Light Recording (for increased flexibility) possible.

The three CCD image sensors in the XL1S, each with 270,000 pixels, were specifically designed to capture as much image detail as possible and for shooting under extremely low light conditions. The size of each pixel is 72 square microns - 150% larger than the pixel-size on comparable DV models. The result is an approximate 4 dB improvement in sensitivity. This improved sensitivity means that each CCD can capture more information at all light ranges. In super low light, the XL1S still captures crisp and clear digital data. Under extremely bright conditions, the Pixel Shift capabilities of the XL1S greatly reduces vertical white streaks and smears, making it a consummate field recording device for all conditions.

Because human eyes see green more clearly and readily, the green component of a video signal contains 60% of the picture detail whereas the red and blue components together comprise the remaining 40%. With the advanced Pixel Shift on the XL1S, the green CCD is physically shifted the equivalent distance of 1/2 pixel horizontally from the red and blue CCD, and the green signal is electronically shifted 1/2 pixel vertically. This shifting of the green CCD increases the sampling points, resulting in a system that is comparable to 410,000 pixel CCD systems in terms of resolution. With a larger pixel size and the process of Pixel Shift, the Canon XL1S gives wider dynamic range, better low light recording, reduced vertical smears, and high quality still images without sacrificing the highest resolution DV available.

• XL1S Camera
• Zoom Lens 16x XL 5.5-88 mm IS
• BP-930 Battery Pack
• CA-910 Compact Power Adapter
• DC-900 DC Coupler
• SS-1000 Shoulder Strap
• WL-D32000 Wireless Controller
• SP-100 Shoulder Pad
• S-150 S-video Cable
• STV-150 Stereo Video Cable
• Lens Hood

Features

• NTSC
• 1/3 3-CCD Mini-DV format with exclusive CineSwitch technology
• Outstanding sensitivity - F11 @ 2000 lux, minimum illumination - 3 lux (@ +18dB)
• Supports 480i/60 (NTSC), Cinema-style 480p/24 fps, and 480p/30 fps image capture
• Precision wide angle lens with ServoManual zoom (featuring stops and barrel markings)
• Auto / Manual focus f1.6 with 72mm filter size

Reviews (10)

Great camera but...
Hello..

You've heard it all from the other reviews.

The cons:
- No autofocus in 24P... and that really sucks.
- No remote control for focusing either!!!
- Microphones do not sound good.. but that was expected. So get external microphone
- Don't expect to shoot during lowlight environment in 24P... it's just not made for it.
- Expect to buy a lot more stuff after this.
- The manual is really BAD. If you don't know how to use this camera, you have hours/days before understanding it all.

Great camera, but be prepared to buy accessories
- Excellent picture quality
- Very nice large viewfinder
- Lense equivalent to 30-300mm gives excellent wide angle and zooming images.
- Can't beat the large LCD (can't see anything in the sun though)
- pretty stable manipulation in wide angle... but needs support on zoom.
- Auto white balance works great.

- Autofocus only in 60I. Manual only in 30P / 24P
- Bad on-camera microphone, it was expected.
- No info from panasonic on the 24P operation, read your FCP/Adobe manuals well to understand how it works.

Make sure to only use the 63min PQ panasonic tapes!!!
Of course you will have to buy a good microphone like the K6/M64/M66 or AT897.
I suggest you to get rain/dust slicker if you're going to shoot in the countryside/desert... you don't want dust/rain to get inside.
You also going to have to buy a DV deck or a cheap DV camera for playback not to wear the video heads....

Just be creative now.

16mm is dead.
The AG-DVX100 has killed 16mm motion picture camera systems and 16mm film stock except for the die-hard motion picture fans. The bottom line is - do not shoot 16mm or Super 16mm because this camera produces cine images that are better than 16mm and Super 16mm on DV, which means that it is also cheaper because you do not need to buy and process 16mm film stock. If you blow this video up to 35mm the image quality is still better than 16mm film formats.

However 35mm still rules... but the future for digital looks good.

Also the problems with this camera have been corrected in the AG-DVX100a version so you may want to hold back until you see that one on-line here. You would also do well to get the AG-LA7200G anamorphic lens so that you can shoot in scope with a squeezed digital image (Just like a real anamorphic lens!)!

Bottom line. This is a top of the range domestic camcorder with pro qualities. 16mm motion picture camera users should use this in their productions instead. It is a waaaaay cheaper and looks better. The cine-switch technology in this camera is based on the same system that Lucas used to film his New Star Wars movies with. Also the PAL version does not have 24 fps but this does not matter because PAL is 25 fps and the difference can not be noticed with the naked eye alone and transfer to film is easy with 25 fps PAL but not so easy with 30 fps NTSC so the NTSC version of this camera can also shoot 24 fps for that. Also this camera is loaded with functions. There is not a single thing you can do not with it but! and this is a big but! the NEW AG-DVX100a will address the negatives that the AG-DVX100 has (zoom problems and focus problems and other things). Keep an eye out for the AG-DVX100a although it may be $1000 more expensive than this one but should be no concern to those who had to shoot on expensive 16mm film equipment with expensive 16mm film stock and expensive 16mm processing and expensive 16mm to video transfers.

Features

• NTSC
• Info-Shoe for a variety of optional attachments such as an Auto Light, Video Flash, or Stereo Zoom Mic
• BN-V428U 2800 mAh, high-capacity, rechargeable battery pack
• Professional-quality High-Definition DV camcorder and still camera with1.18-megapixel progressive scan CCD
• 10x optical zoom lens (digital zoom to 200x) with Picture Stabilizer for shooting without blur from camera motion when zoomed
• 3.5-inch rotating color polycrystalline silicon LCD and color LCD viewfinder

Reviews (2)

Would be Good if it worked
I bought this camcorder on September 28, 2003 when it was still fairly new on the market and more expensive than it is now. By July 2004 both the LCD screen and the viewfinder just went black. No image but I was still able to record audio. I reported it to JVC. They told me I had to send it in for repair, which I did. It seems that this was a common problem. They didn't ask too many questions. The warranty had already expired so I had to pay a couple hundred dollars. Six months later, the same problem again. I called JVC again and told them the problem. The technician who attended to me suggested that I turn it off and disconnect all power for about an hour and then try again because "that usually works." Now what kind of advice is that? I need this camera to shoot footage of events. What am I supposed to do each time this happens? Turn it off for an hour and ask the event organisers to postpone their events for an hour? Anyway, even that super solution didn't work, so I called again and they said I had to send it in for repair again. So I asked, would I have to be sending this camera in to you every six months? "No," she responded but "thank you for calling JVC."
The words I would like to use to describe this camera and JVC cannot be expressed here but do not buy this camera!!! For the short period of time that it did work, it was great, but I will never buy this or any other JVC product ever again.

I thought about fixing it and then selling it used but then my conscience wouldn't let me pass this problem on to someone else. So I decided to write this review.

If you have an HDTV, you need this camcorder!!!!
This is the first camcorder I have ever used that looks good on an HDTV. No...Let me correct that.It looks great!!!

Have you ever wondered why a normal camcorder looks so bad on an HDTV?It's because an HDTV is very high resolution.When you connect a traditional camcorder (even a Mini DV), the TV sees a much smaller, comparatively low resolution picture and must scale it (digitally enlarge it) to fit the screen.It doesn't matter if you have a $400 low end cam or a $4000 high end cam...Scaling the picture on virtually any HDTV will ruin your camcorder picture.

JVC solved this on the GR-HD1 with the world's first consumer HD camcorder.Basically, it's the first consumer camcorder ever that makes a picture which correctly fits a widescreen HDTV.It records a picture with 720 x 1280 dots, compared with 480 x 720 dots for a normal camcorder.

The result?The detail & resolution is simply phennominal!The colors look great!The video is much more appealing to watch in widescreen because it more closely matches your natural field of vision.

The only thing you need to be careful of is the frame rate.This shoots 720/30P.What that means is it takes video at 30 frames per second.As a result, if the camera uses too fast of a shutter speed you may see a "jitter" in things that move on-screen.The fix is really easy:Simply take the camcorder out of the "auto" mode and lock in a 1/30th of a second shutter speed.This eliminates the vast majority of the jitter.What you are left with is a superb high resolution video with a subtle "film-like" quality.

You don't have to be Stephen Speilberg to appreciate this.This is the ideal camcorder for any type of family video.Think about the great stuff happening today that you'll want to be able to watch 10-20 years from now, and still be happy with the quality.