Shoot Review — Canon GL2 Camcorder

Canon’s new GL2 DV camcorder offers affordable professionalfeatures three at a time.

The Canon GL2 Camcorder can be used by professional videographersfor video, audio, and still acquisition.

About 10 years ago the then-new DV video format and digitaltransmission protocol FireWire/iLink/IEEE1394 set the video communityon its ear with high-quality equipment at an affordable price. Sincethen, all the major camcorder manufacturers have been battling to winthe market by offering the most features for the least amount of money.For consumers looking for three-chip MiniDV format cameras pricedaround $2,500, choices were limited. Not anymore! The new Canon GL2offers the three most important features in a professional-level DVvideo camera: flexibility, superior optics, and digital computability.In fact, the camera should be called the GL3 since its features come inthrees: three CCDs, three recording modes, three major audio modes,three exposure modes, and three main interface options (DV tape,FireWire, and SVHS).

In 1998, Canon joined the fray with its flagship XL1, and then in2002 came out with the more moderately priced GL1, which also was astandard DV camcorder model with flip-out screen and hand-carry bar.When I first heard that Canon had upgraded its popular GL1 camcorder, Iwas about as excited as I am when I'm watching my camera batteriesrecharge. But the new incarnation offers variable-speed zoom control,manual audio, 2 1/2in. color flip-out LCD screen, automatic SMPTEcolor-bar generation, high-res digital still capture, and 16:9letterbox recording. The improvements are substantial, and, aside fromthe prosumer form factor, the GL2 is a professional tool for video,audio, and still acquisition.

One of the interesting things about the GL2 is Canon's Pixel Shifttechnology. The imaging technology splits incoming light into thestandard three separate color components. Each of the three 1/4in. CCDshandles one of the three primary colors — red, green, blue. Sincethe green component of the spectrum carries approximately 60% of theinformation for picture detail in the video, the green CCD is shifted1/2 pixel from the red and blue CCDs, and then is sampled twice asoften to get the maximum detail from the video signal. I'm not much formanufacturer hype, but in comparison with two other three-chip cameras,I found that Canon's claims about Pixel Shift were substantiated,provided the scene was well lit. In areas of low light, the GL2 videoimages exhibited grain and little detail in the shadows.

The GL2 has three video recording modes: Normal Movie, Frame Movie,and Digital Photo. This is a little weird as Normal Movie is actuallythe standard NTSC 30fps video setting, the Frame setting is the way toget your video to look like film, and of course the Photo mode allowsjust that.

The GL2 comes with the same professional L-series Fluorite lens asthe more expensive XL1 camera. The Fluorite material reduces chromaticaberration and, according to Canon, provides the best resolution,contrast, and color reproduction available in any optics system. Unlikethe XL1, the lenses are not interchangeable although there are severaladd-on lens attachments available.

If you're an aspiring filmmaker the GL2's Frame Movie mode and 16:9aspect ratio tools will have your video looking like film (well almost,anyway) in no time. Using a non-interlaced capture method, you recordfull images at 30fps, sort of like a motor drive on a 35mm stillcamera. The results are a little like those achieved by“film-look” software used in postproduction. The video ismore saturated, grainier, and motion seems slower. Combine thisrecording mode with the 16:9 format, and you're talking major motionpicture look (well almost, anyway). Unique 16:9 guides appear as linesonly on the viewfinders so you can compose the shot for letterboxplayback later while recording in standard 4:3 mode. Recording in 16:9mode stretches the video to fill the DTV/HDTV widescreen format withoutvisibly affecting the image too much. Very effective.

The Normal Movie mode records professional-looking standardinterlaced video like every other camera in its class. There are alsothree exposure modes: Automatic, Programmed Auto Exposure (AE), andManual. The same is true for White Balance. One very handy tool iscalled Custom Presets. You can tweak for hours and set up the camera toproduce any kind of look you want at the touch of a button, which cansave you lots of time fooling with black levels, color settings, etc.One provided preset mode I found especially useful for when you areshooting stage shows with bright follow spot lights. It's all veryconvenient.

For making training tapes about computers, software, or the Web, theClear Scan feature, something found on more expensive cameras,eliminates the rolling white bar on RGB computer monitor shots. Need todo a timecode-window burn tape for a client? You can burn the year,month, day, hour, minute, and second onto your video, which is greatfor pre-edit sessions and security or legal video work. The 100xdigital zoom is only okay, and like with most of the other digitalspecial effects (sepia, mirror, solarization), I'm hard-pressed tothink of a professional or personal situation in which I would useit.

The GL2 features a dynamite 1.7 Megapixel digital still camera thatallows you to save high-res photos (1488 × 1128). You can saveimages on two different kinds of storage media: Secure Digital (SD) andMultiMediaCard (MMC) memory card. The GL2 can save still images on DVtape. Using the built-in digital effects, you can transition fromstills to live video and back again. I was not able to test thewell-known “smart” hot shoe, or Advanced Accessory Shoe,that powers a variety of options including still flash units, but I didlike using the variable-speed zoom that is controlled with the standardwide angle to telephoto toggle switch and also with small buttons onthe carry handle and remote control. Theirs is also a medium and fast(not really that fast) as well as variable (by touch) zoom control.

All the controls are right where you would expect them. TheCamera/VCR switch on the top on the unit, however, would not click inplace and is too easily moved from one to the other so that when youpick it up to spontaneously shoot, sometimes the camera will be in VCRmode. Not good. I also found this to be true with the Audio Auto/Manualswitch. It felt like the switches weren't tight. The unit was alsosupposed to come with a CD-ROM with drivers for PC and Mac, pictureviewing and enhancement software. Mine didn't, but it was no problem togo to the Canon website and download the very latest USB drivers.

One of the main drawbacks to most DV cameras is the lack of audiofeatures. Fortunately on the GL2, there are three main audio-recordingmodes: Normal, Voice, and Wind Screen. The Normal mode can capturesound in regular surroundings, the Voice mode raises the operatorsvoice above background sound, and Wind Screen minimizes wind noise.Audio shot from a boat on the San Francisco Bay during standardplayback was unusable, but when I selected the Wind Screen mode, thewind noise was minimized without dampening the audio with excessivebass. In general, the camera's mic captured decent audio with good lowand high frequencies.

Both the left and right audio channels can be manually controlledwith easy-to-reach dials on the back of the unit. You can record on allor just one channel or turn them all off for silence. Best of all, youcan monitor the sound levels with a VU meter on the LCD in theviewfinder or with a small color audio-level meter on the side of thecamera. A 1/8in. headphone jack and a small speaker near the flip-outviewfinder allow you to hear what you're recording. For bettermonitoring, Canon should add basic bass and treble controls.

The camera records 12- or 16-bit audio and offers the ability to dubaudio onto previously recorded tape, known as audio insert, providedthe video's audio was recorded in 12-bit mode. Using the Audio Mixfeature, I was able to adjust the audio level of both the originalvideo and the dubbed audio during playback.

The onboard stereo mic does a good job of capturing audio thatsounds like an off-camera mic. The optional MA-300 microphone adapter,unavailable at press time, connects to the Advanced Accessory Shoe and,with no wires, powers and records from any professional microphone witha balanced XLR connection.

With the GL2 you are really getting three tools in one device: aprofessional-level manual camera with film mode and 16:9; a digitalaudio recorder to be used in a pinch; and a 1.7 MegaPixel digital stillcamera. The camera offers outstanding image and color quality, greataudio tools, a well-written manual, and a very competitive price point.The GL2 should be on your list of serious tools to consider.

I used the GL2 to record video in a variety of situations, from adimly lit nightclub to bright stage lights at a play, as well as fromsports in the sunny outdoors to family gatherings at the ranch. Thecamera produced outstanding images with few flaws in all but the mostdimly lit areas. I even shot some digital photos for my website, andthey turned out great. Weighing in at a little over 2lbs., lighter thanthe GL1, this camera was a delight to hold and operate. It's one of thelightest camcorders available. I found its only real shortcomings are atendency toward graininess in lower light scenes and color that runs onthe cooler blue side of the spectrum.

There are several online sites for users, and Canon has been betterthan average when it comes to listening to and acting on feedback fromits customers. Unlike a few other manufactures that cripple somefeatures to differentiate their product lines, driving you to purchasea higher-priced model, Canon includes most features found on itshighest-end professional model. In fact, there are features on the GL2that users of the much more expensive XL1 wish they had, such as zebrabars in the viewfinder that indicate hot areas (above 100 IRE), SMPTEcolor bars, and viewable VU audio meters. A smart design, valuablefeatures, and handy controls make the improved GL2 ideal for seriousshooters who need an all-around digital acquisition device.

Company: Canon U.S.A.
Lake Success, NY
1-800-OK-CANON
www.canondv.com

Product: GL-2 camcorder

Assets: Camcorder with three 1/4in. CCDs with Pixel Shifttechnology; optical image stabilization; three modes of shooting,including Frame Movie Mode; 16:9 format; SMPTE color bars; variablespeed zoom; 1.7 MegaPixel chip for still pictures with USB terminal;Character Record option.

Demographic: The GL2 is for serious shooters who need anall-around digital acquisition device. The camcorder offers the threemost important features in a professional-level DV video camera —flexibility, superior optics, digital computability — at anaffordable price.

Price: $2,999

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