At CES this week Canon announced a new 1.7lb XA10 professional camcorder. Said to be ideal for low-cost newsgathering, the XA10 records at full HD 1080p video using an AVCHD codec.
The compact XA10 includes a detachable handle for low-angle shooting and portability. With the handle attached, the XA10’s functionality is further enhanced with the addition of XLR inputs and an external microphone holder.
The camcorder can shoot in the dark, via built-in infrared video capture technology. It provides the option of recording to a 64GB internal flash drive or two SDXC-compatible card slots, as well as Relay Recording and the ability to record simultaneously to two cards for instant backup.
The XA10 features a Canon 10x HD zoom lens, DIGIC DV III image processor and a 1/3in native 1920 x 1080 CMOS image sensor. The 10x HD zoom lens on the camcorder boasts a 35mm equivalent zoom range of 30.4mm-304mm with an eight-blade iris capable of rendering natural, smooth background blur with reduced lens diffraction. The lens also features Canon’s SuperRange Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) system with standard, dynamic and powered IS modes.
For extreme low-light shooting, the camcorder includes an infrared feature to help enable the capture of HD video in conditions with little to zero ambient light. The camcorder also includes an infrared emitter with a diffuser as well as a green or white color option to shoot pleasing HD infrared imagery even in complete darkness.
The XA10 features dual XLR inputs for external audio sources as well as a built-in stereo microphone. The new camcorder supports Dolby Digital 2ch (AC-3 2ch) with automatic and manual audio level adjustment. It will be available in March.