I know that my post may be late but based on your budget, and what you are shooting, I’d say it’s between the XHA1s and the XA-10. The HF-G10 is totally out of the equation. This doesn’t mean that it’s a bad camera. In fact it’s an awesome camera but, for what you get with the XA-10, it doesn’t make sense to pass on all of the upgrades. If you’re close up, the XHA1s can’t even compare to the quality that you’ll get from either the HF-G10 or the XA-10. I would imagine that you’ll find this to be the same when further back despite the larger sensor in the XHA1s. It’s old technology. I have one and I love it but, I can’t discard the superiority of the HF-G10 and the XA-10. If you’re just starting out and want a more professional looking set up, go with the XHA1s and you should be able to get a manfrotto tripod with a fluid head, a mic and well you’ll have to pass on the lights for now. If you’re in the recording industry as statedm you can’t go wrong with either of the two that I suggested. If you can get both, I might actually consider it as an option. It’s just tough to pass on all of the manual features on the XHA1s. If shot properly, you’ll get some really good footage.
