Canon XA10 – Review, Unboxing, User Manual
HIGHLIGHTS:
CANON XA10 - OVERVIEW
If you want a lightweight and affordable video camera, you can add the name of Canon XA10 video camera to your wish list! This compact HD camcorder is perfect for shootings that need mobility and semi-pro specs. It is equipped with the genuine Canon 10X HD video lens, 2.07 MP CMOS sensor, and DIGIC DV III image processor to deliver stunning imaging performance.
It is handy; has adjustable EVF and touchable LCD with 100% field coverage; takes smooth and stable HD quality shots; ready to go with long battery life and media storage capacity of 64GB internal memory and dual media slots. Is there anything one could expect from an affordable semi-professional camcorder?
But you can! The Canon XA10 video camera also has some pro features, including AVCHD codec recording with various frame rates, cinema-look filters, and enhanced connectivity options(XLR inputs).
CANON XA10 HD PROFESSIONAL CAMCORDER REVIEW
Design & Features
The Canon XA10 is designed for journalists, documentary makers, or BTS shooters. You can use it as a compact run-and-gun solution by attaching the removable handle unit. On this handle unit you can find these: lockable record button, zoom lever, accessory mounting shoe, and microphone holder, including dual XLR audio input interfaces and manual audio level controller options.
The camera body itself carries a minimal weight and provides ample manual setting options for zoom, focus, exposure, gain, white balance, and shutter speed. This handle part offers a comfortable grip for taking handheld shots; plus, the rotatable LCD display and tilting eyepiece make the shooting job easy, even during low or high angled shots.
The 3.5” swivel LCD screen has a 922,000 dots resolution touch screen that delivers a natural-looking bright display of recorded videos and one-touch camera setting options. The focus assist function includes touch focus, touch exposure, touch & track, etc., making it super easy for the users to check and confirm the focus and exposure even in the critical focusing area.
The 0.24-inch eyepiece provides 260,000 dots colored electronic preview with 100% field coverage. It can be tilted up or down at around 45-degree; the backlight, brightness, and color contrast are adjustable.
The genuine Canon wide-angle zoom lens offers a 10X optical and 200X digital magnification range and 30.4 to 305.35 mm focal length range to enable point-and-shoot efficiency. The f/1.8 to 2.8 camera lens is perfect for shooting wide-angled close shots.
However, the efficient lens group structure and the super integrated range optical image stabilization mechanism maintain stability during zooming and ensure decent clarity at the highest magnification point. The 8-bladed circular aperture helps you capture shots with shallower depth-of-field and enhance the sharpness of the image quality.
The 1/3” large CMOS image sensor and Canon DIGIC DV 3 image processor play a great role in delivering superb image quality. The 2.7 MP HD image sensor of this semi-pro camcorder genuinely gives a pro-like low-light performance. Plus, the processor reduces noise in flat or dark areas, improves processing speed, and enables vivid color reproduction and color-rich gradation.
Image and video quality
The Canon XA10 HD Professional camcorder uses the AVCHD codec for recording 8-bit 4:2:0 colored 1080P resolution video with up to 24Mbps bit rate and 60 FPS frame rate. The 24Mbps, 17Mbps, 12Mbps, 7Mbps, and 5Mbps bit-rate recording modes are available for 60i/ AVCHD H.264 videos. You can use the PF30 frame rate to get the web-ready version for IP streaming, select PF24 mode for cine-like home videos, and native 24P frame rate mode for serious filmmaking.
The Canon XA10 offers a wide dynamic range, instant HDR workflow, and some cine-like filter effects to generate professional-looking videos with stunning picture quality. Moreover, all professional editing software would support the AVCHD videos in H.264 encoding format. So, if you want to do color correction or color gradation of the footage, you can do so easily.
STORAGE
The included lithium-ion rechargeable battery Canon BP-828 has a 2670 mAh power capacity, which lasts for a decent time.
The Canon XA10 camcorder comes with a memory capacity of 192 GB in total; whereas, 64 GB is internal flash memory. It has dual media slots that support class 4 rated SDHC or SDXC higher memory cards. You can record videos using two memory cards simultaneously or store an automatic backup of the recording while shooting.
It also allows you to record videos in different formats or bit rates, but you need to select the memory card manually.
Connectivity and Compatibility
For live streaming videos with 4:2:0 color space, you can connect video devices using a 2.0 mini HDMI port, 3.5 mm A/V composite port, or mini B-type USB port. A LANC terminal is also available in the camcorder; that lets you use the LANC remote controller for camera settings.
The camcorder features a pair of 3-pin XLR audio input interfaces to enable multi-person shoots using two microphones. The microphone with a 3.5mm jack can also be connected with this camcorder. Canon XA10 comes with two separate 3.5 mm jack ports for the microphone and headphones.
Also check out the individual reviews of Canon XA11 camcorder and Canon XA20 camcorder !!
BEST FEATURES OF CANON XA 10 PROFESSIONAL HD CAMCORDER
The target audience of the Canon XA10 professional camcorder appreciates its portable design and point-and-shoot recording system with the
- High-quality camera lens
- Integrated image stabilization mechanism
- Highly précised autofocusing functions
- Improved image sensor and processor
- Pre-set cine-like filter effects
- HDR recording mode with a wide dynamic range.
Despite providing such versatile features, Canon costs you an affordable price point for their semi-professional XA10 model.
SPECIFICATIONS OF CANON XA10
LENS SPECIFICATION
Focal Length | 4.25 to 42.5 mm |
Zoom | 10X Optical Zoom, up to 200X digital Zoom |
Maximum Aperture | f/1.8 to 2.8 |
Minimum Focus Distance | 1 cm |
Filter Size | 58 mm |
Control Rings | Focus, Zoom |
Focus Control | Auto-focus | Manual Focus |
IMAGE SENSOR
Sensor Size | 1/3" |
Sensor Type | CMOS sensor |
Effective Resolution | 2.07 Megapixel |
CAMERA SPECIFICATION
Image Stabilization | Dynamic Stabilisation process by DIGIC DV 4 image processor |
Built-In ND Filter | RGB Primary Color Filter |
Shutter Speed | 1/2 to 1/2000 sec |
Gain | 0 to 24 dB (Native) |
Minimum Illumination | 1.5 Lux at 1/30 Shutter Speed |
White Balance | 2000 to 15000K |
VIDEO RECORDING
Recording Formats | AVCHD or MPEG4-AVC / H.264 |
Video Resolution | 8-bit 4:2:0 AVCHD: |
DISPLAY SCREEN
Screen Size | 3.5" |
Resolution | 922,000 Dot |
Display Type | LCD Touch Screen |
EVF
EVF Display Type | LCD |
Screen Size | 0.24" |
EVF Resolution | 260,000 Dots |
Connectivity
Wired Connection | Video Device Connectors |
Mounting Feature
Accessory Mount | Cold Shoe |
Tripod Mount | 1/4″-20 Thread |
Power
Battery Model | Canon BP-828 Lithium-ion battery packs |
Battery Capacity | 2670mAh |
CANON XA10 HD CAMCORDER TEST FOOTAGE
CANON XA10 UNBOXING
CANON XA10 CAMCORDER USER MANUAL
You will be receiving a detailed user manual while purchasing a Canon XA10 professional camcorder. But, you can also view the user manual from the Company's official website. The user manual will have a complete guide on the different camera settings, firmware, and safety precautions you will need to follow while using this camcorder.
If you wish to check the official user manual of this Canon XA10 camcorder, click here.
CANON XA10 ACCESSORIES
Extra Batteries
The Canon XA10 video camera supports all the Canon BP-8 Series batteries; you can purchase some higher power capacity batteries to extend shooting time.
ND Filters
The Canon XA10 has no built-in ND filters. You should buy a 58 mm threaded UV filter to protect the expensive camera lens, as well as some dedicated ND filters to get the best-controlled shutter speed and exposure shots.
Microphone
For newsgathering, interviewing, and BTS shooting, you have to buy a 3.5 mm jacked or 3-pin XLR port compatible jacked shotgun microphone to record professional-level noise-free audio.
Conclusion
The Canon XA10 is formerly known as a semi-professional camcorder model. It is not capable of 4K resolution recording, but it offers similar pro-level features that one could expect from a high-quality camcorder. Canon has already launched several updated models with slightly higher general specifications, but the XA10 HD model still sells as much as the latest 4k Professional models. The Canon XA10 is much less expensive than other models and ideal for those; who have semi-professional filming requirements.
