My company performance bonus is about to hit and I'm thinking about stepping up my camcorder from consumer to prosumer. Currently I'm shooting 2 Sony Trv330's for weddings, kids birthdays, basic stuff.

I'm looking to raise the bar a bit and am considering the XL1s or the GL2. What I'm thinking and need opinion on is, will the GL2 give me the results of the XL1s when it comes to raw video output. I know that there are ton of features with the XL1s however, assuming that budget restrictions made the higher end camera out of my reach, will I get the satisfaction from the GL2.

Also I need to add wireless mics and high end video lights to the rig, is this going to be an issue with the smaller camera? I know that there is one advantage and that is the LCD on the GL2. I don't like shooting exclusively on the viewfinder on my Sony's. Even though it saves on battery life by turning off the LCD, sometimes I like to see the shot with some perspective and I think that I'd get a little sick just working on the viewfinder on the XL.

So, any pro's / con's ???


Miguel

what about a cannon xm2
Great picture quality
some say pics better than xl1

I suppose it depends on what you shoot and why. If you aim to make money from what you do or want to make high quality videos, find the most expensive camera's you can afford and then choose between which offers you what you feel is most important (ie picture quality/characteristics, features, expandibility etc). Do your research, visit the user forums for the cameras your interested in, dont make a snap decision.

I have an XL1s and love the results I get with it (and more important so do my clients). It gives me a warm, slightly soft image which can look quite filmic under the right lights. Every setting can be adjusted manually (a must if your serious about cinematography) and has an excellent upgrade path if and when you get the cash. If you dont wanna look through the viewfinder plug it in to a monitor or small LCD screen. Can except four mics (2 stereo). I've found it easy to get to grips with, but an understanding of photography will help.
cons: stock lens zoom ring is naff, the resolution of the view-finder makes it hard to know when your image is sharp, expensive, expensive upgrades.

Hope that helps a bit

tonga

just go for an XL2.... theyre better than GL2, and cost around the same.

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