XH A1 by Canon is a relatively lightweight HD camcorder loaded with impressive feature set. It's a great choice for users ranging from film students to professionals.

In the burgeoning market of hand-held pro camcorders, the tape-based Canon XH A1S isn't anything close to ground-breaking. Still, with a $4000 price tag, it is a reasonably-priced model that's loaded with features and did quite well in our performance testing.

Canon's XH A1 uses the same technology as the company's professional-level XL H1, but trades in the interchangeable lens for a price that's far easier to stomach -- making it an appealing model for prosumers

Excellent video quality; Extremely customisable; Great lens and optical stabiliser; Fast focus

No 720p recording capability; Coarse; low-resolution LCD

This model was reviewed as part of our group test of HD camcorders . Last year, Canon's XH-A1 bowled us over with its keen price and exceptional capabilities in low light. But the market has moved forward – particularly Sony's offerings.

Ever since the advent of digital video, Canon has been the uncontested king of prosumer level camcorders. From the all-conquering XL-1, to its elite HD successor , the manufacturer has consistently produced the best high-end models around.

Exceptional high-definition image quality; huge level of customisability; professional components and design

Represents good value for money -- but only to those who can afford it; tiny low resolution LCD screen

I bought this camera to shoot my first documentary. i couldn't afford a crew, so i purchased this camera, separate mike, boom, the works. the image quality is excellent. shooting in manual and making adjustments is easy. everything is right at your fingertips.

Easy Computer Connectivity; Great sound/audio; Accurate; Vivid Colors; Compact Design; excellent image quality; durable; Easy TV Connectivity; easy to use

Short battery life

Older Technology but great HD video regardless. Mini DV tapes are readily available online and relatively inexpensive....I like the idea of having video in storable format that I dont need to store and restore on new computer hardware every few years ..

I bought this for multiple reasons, professional, and semi-professional use, looks as good as I hoped. The only problem is it can't record onto memory card, everything else is great!! I love the HD footage it captures, especially the slower frame rates.

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Good in Low Light; Great Picture Quality; Great Sound; Great Zoom; Zoom range/performance

Complicated To Operate; Not for Beginners; Poor Still Image

Perfect picture and sound! SD picture look awsome too. The 1080 picture is what you would expect from High Def. I love this camera I have 2 of them and I want 2 more! For the most part there are no problems with this camera.

Comfortable to Operate; Durable; Great Features; Great Picture Quality; Great Sound; Simple Controls

No live Letterbox output; No WB Tansfer