Buying a used Canon

[nikkor]

For my first camcorder I was considering just buying a used one, I was looking at the GL2 and the XL1S. I know they are kinda dated, but soldiers don’t get paid much anymore. Would either of these make a good choice for someone just starting off?

Thanks

[mfish653]

I bought a used XH-A1 recently and I am really happy with it. You can get both of the above mentioned cameras (GL2 and XL1S) used for a pretty good price and I have heard a lot of raves about the XL1S and looks like a camera that, even tho it shoots SD only, will have a presence for some years yet to come. The GL2 on the other hand has reportedly had a large numbers of “Remove Tape Errors” that is about a $400 repair. Might want to google the problem and do research before you make any purchases on this model. Some people have never had problems but if you would get one of the ones that do it would be a headache unless you dont mind doing something like this guy did

http://www.eventx.com.au/avc.htm

Hope that helps, Merle

[Kenkyusha]

 Both are great models, but beware high drum hours- repairing/replacing the tape transport can be a spendy prospect.

[nikkor]

Ah ok, is it true with the XL1 that I can get an adapter to use SLR lenses on it?
Also, can those tapes be reused? What do I use to transfer the video to the computer?

[mfish653]

I wouldnt recommend reusing tapes. It increases your chances of dropouts and the quality degrades with every use (or so I have been told). Also stick with high quality tape brands such as canon, sony, or panasonic. And dont switch brands – if you get used you should make sure the previous owner followed that rule or the heads will need to be replaced before to many days! Most camcorders download thru firewire or usb. Im sure there are 3rd party adapters out there but it may degrade the quality. I cant say for sure because I have never used an XL1.

[nikkor]

Alright cool- I have to ask if I was to use an SLR lens on the thing- would it basically be manual focus- or is their video AF?

[nikkor]

I am thinking I might end up doing the same thing with video as I did with photo:

Get the camera, bash my face against the wall, find people that know what there doing to guide me, practice my ass off. This whole thing seems waaaaay harder then still work.

[nikkor]

Better question, scratch that I mentioned those camcorders:

What would you buy for something that is around 600 dollars or so, used, and uses either CF cards or MicroSD?

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