Originally Posted by NoWhErE

It all depends on what you want to do. If you wanna do Gonzo type material, don't even bother with the bigger cameras like the XL2, go with a small handheld. It'll be easier on your shoulders (try running around for 3-4 hours with a cam on your shoulder, you'll see your back starting to kink up pretty fast, trust me).


Personnally, I own an XL1 and regularly use XL2s. The image quality on the XL2 is outstanding and the 24p mode is Awesome for special effects work. If you're looking to do semi pro stuff, I recommend to go with the Canon because it is without a doubt the most versatile camera. Hell, they filmed 28 Days Later using only Canon XL1s.


Just to give you an idea of the quality of the XL2, here is a shot I'm doing for one of my movies. It was shot in an old auditorium and what you see is the same actor over and over again. This type of shot needs quite some good definition to be achieved and the XL2 served me well.




The end shot will be pretty cool. All the seats will be filled and everyone of them will get up and run towards the camera