Hi endoftheroad — a few pros and cons that you may find useful:
Canon XA10
Pros: professional XLR input, full manual control of audio, power zoom, native 24p
Cons: no shallow depth of field
Sony VG10
Pros: Interchangeable lenses, shallow DoF
Cons: consumer 3.5mm audio input jack, no manual audio controls, high pixel count (14.2MP) — good for a still camera, bad for a video camera
The high pixel count and 60i frame rate are reasons not to get the VG10. The VG10’s 14.2 MP sensor and poor compression cause its well-known moire and aliasing problems (see this review). And, if you need the standard 24p frame rate, you’re out of luck.
I recommend the XA10 unless you absolutely need shallow DoF. The Sony can produce great images — it’s just a lot more work.
Good luck with your decision,
Bill
http://hybridcamerarevolution.blogspot.com
