We’d like to send our congratulations to Canon for winning this year’s Best Camcorder with its four new UHD 4K camcorders in the Canon XA line.X
The Canon cameras announced at NAB this week include the XA40, XA45, XA50 and XA55 as well as the consumer-focused Vixia HF G60.
The XA40 and XA45 each sport a 1/2.3” CMOS sensor, while the XA50 and XA55 feature a larger 1.0-inch sensor. The XA45 and XA55 add SDI connectivity and all the cameras are designed to be both lightweight and compact.
Although all four new cameras in Canon’s XA line are worthy of recognition, let’s focus on the base model, the XA40.
Video shooting
First, the big question: What are the video specs? The XA40, like the rest of the new XA line, can shoot video at up to UHD 4K 30p. That makes these the first camcorders to shoot 4K 30p video in the XA series. The cameras can also shoot Full HD 1080p at up to 60 fps. Both 4K and 1080p video can be captured to dual SD card slots and output via a mini-HDMI port or, with the XA45 and XA55, over 3G-SDI.
The dual card slots are great for making sure you don’t run out of space when in the field since you’ll most likely be shooting with this camera on the go.
The cameras can also output up to 1920 x 1080p 10-bit 4:2:2 video at 59.94 fps via its mini-HDMI output. To keep things stable, the cameras feature both optical and electronic image stabilization.
Autofocus
When you need to focus your image, the XA40 and XA45 both offer a number of different options, including Hybrid, Normal, Face Only, Manual Focus, Instant, and Canon’s Medium autofocus. The XA50 and XA55 add Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF.
Audio
For audio, cameras in the XA line support up to four channels of LPCM audio with manual/automatic recording levels. The cameras feature two XLR inputs with phantom power and a 3.5mm stereo mini input. There is also a built-in stereo microphone along with a headphone jack as well.
Congrats, Canon!
There’s a lot to like about Canon’s new XA lineup. Starting at $1,700 for the XA40, you will get a UHD 4K 30p camcorder that is both compact and easy to carry. The XA40 and XA45, priced at $2,200, will be available in April 2019. The XA50 and XA55 will be released in June 2019 for $2,700 and $2,200, respectively.
Congrats again, Canon — the XA Series is a worthy winner of Videomaker’s Best Camcorder of NAB 2019.
Image courtesy Canon
