Canon XF105 First Impressions Camcorder Review

Introduction

The XF105 has a slightly cheaper sister model, the XF100, that is essentially identical to the XF105, except it lacks the professional Genlock/Timecode and HD/SD-SDI BNC connections. Both camcorders are expected to ship in mid-January 2011 with the XF105 retailing for around $5000 and the XF100 going for roughly $4000.

Lens & Imaging System

Canon made some huge changes under the hood with the XF105, and these changes are definitely a downgrade when compared to the company's previous XF camcorders, the XF305 and XF300. Instead of using a three-sensor image system, which is essentially the standard in the pro camcorder market, the XF105 utilizes a single CMOS imager that is 1/3 of an inch in size. Just for comparison sake, that's roughly the same size sensor that you'll find in Canon's flagship consumer model, the HF S21 (actually, the HF S21 has a slightly larger sensor at 1/2.6 inches).

How much will this one-sensor system effect overall image quality? That's a darn good question, but we imagine certain performance aspects will be significantly altered, with our biggest concerns being low light performance and sharpness. Canon Technical Advisor Chuck Westfall appeared confident in the XF105's low light capabilities, stating, 'if there's any difference at all, it's extremely subtle.' Honestly, we'd be surprised if that's true. We think it's more likely that the XF105 will have a similar low light performance to the Canon HF S21 consumer camcorder.

Front

The front of the XF105 is mostly lens, with the built-in mic resting above.

Right

On the right you'll find the SD/SDHC memory card slot and the audio ports on the handlebar.

Back

The back has a few controls, but it is mostly taken up by the battery pack and viewfinder.

Left

The left side has the LCD panel and you get a good view of the lens ring.

Top

The top of the handlebar has a secondary zoom rocker and record switch, along with an accessory shoe.

Audio Features

Canon definitely didn't skimp on the audio features with the XF105—it is loaded with tons of controls for a compact camcorder. You'll find a built-in stereo microphone up front that should be good for most on-location shooting where audio isn't a top priority. On the left side of this mic you'll find a bunch of audio control switches, while on the right side you'll see two XLR inputs and a 3.5mm mic jack.

The fact that the XF105 has onboard XLR inputs is a great sign. Many of the cheaper, more compact pro camcorders will avoid including XLR ports in order to save space, but Canon realizes these are necessary terminals for professional users. There's also a mini mic (3.5mm) jack for people who want to connect less professional audio equipment to the XF105.

The camcorder is also equipped with a shotgun mic holder on the top of the handlebar. This holder is great for connecting an external mic to the camcorder so you don't have to have a boom mic operator around while you're shooting (the shotgun mic must be purchased separately). You can see this all-in-one setup in the photo below:

Compression

The XF105 records HD video using Canon's own XF codec, which is based on the MPEG-2 compression system. The XF codec is a file-based recording system that uses an MXF file wrapper. According to Canon, this gives the video clips wider compatibility with non-linear editing systems. The XF codec also allows for a very high recording bitrate (50Mbps maximum) and 4:2:2 color sampling.

There are no standard definition recording options on the XF105, but you can record using a variety of bitrates and resolutions (including 720p). The 50Mbps and 25Mbps record settings utilize a continual bitrate system, while the 35Mbps option is a variable bitrate. See the table below for full details.

Media

Like the other members of Canon's XF pro lineup, the XF105 records to Compact Flash (CF) memory cards. There are two card slots on the camcorder, both of which are found inside the cluttered LCD cavity. The card slots are well protected and they pop open with the flick of a small switch, but they are surrounded by a variety of buttons and controls, so you do have to be careful not to accidentally press anything while you are accessing the memory card slots.

There's also an SD memory card slot on the right side of the camcorder, but it's only good for storing photos or custom preset data (it can't store movie files).

Editing

It appears that Canon has worked hard to make its new XF compression system compatible with most common editing programs and systems. The fact that the video clips shot with the XF105 use the MXF file format is good news for anyone who uses a non-linear editing system that supports that format (most programs do). Shipping with the XF105 is a basic XF Utility software that allows you to import and playback your clips on a computer, as well as organize or edit their metadata.

Auto Mode

The XF105 does have a dedicated auto mode, but we expect most users will want to play around with the manual controls on the camcorder. The XF105 is, after all, a pro model that is loaded with features and controls that you simply don't see on consumer models. Still, if you're shooting on the fly and don't have time to prep you can take comfort in the fact that the XF105 can shoot in auto mode rather effectively. The camcorder has face detection, auto white balance, auto aperture and shutter speed, auto gain, and a good auto focus system. If you want to set some controls manually while leaving others in auto mode, you can do that too. Just switch the XF105 off of the dedicated auto mode and select the controls you want to adjust—the rest will remain in automatic control unless you switch their settings.

Zoom

Like Canon's other pro models, the XF105 has three methods for adjusting zoom. There's the lens ring (also used to adjust focus and aperture), the large zoom rocker on the right side, and a small zoom rocker on top of the camcorder's handlebar. The large zoom rocker is the best (and most comfortable) method for adjusting zoom, and it can be set to variable zoom speed control or one of 16 different zoom speeds.

We like using the zoom ring for convenience sake, but overall it doesn't offer the best zoom control. We found the ring to be a bit unresponsive at times, although it worked much better for adjusting focus (a little switch above the ring determines what function the ring controls).

Zoom Ratio

The XF105 has a 10x optical zoom lens, which is significantly smaller than the 18x zoom found on the Canon XF300 and XF305. A 10x optical zoom isn't that bad for a pro camcorder, however, and it is similar to the amount of zoom available on Canon's high-end consumer camcorders (the HF S series).

Manual Controls

The XF105 has a similar set of manual controls to the Canon XF305 before it. By this, we mean the camcorder is loaded with a ton of features and options. In fact, we think the camcorder has more controls than the competition from JVC, Panasonic and Sony.

Let's start with the basics. You can manually control shutter speed, aperture (iris), gain, and white balance on the camcorder with many different adjustment intervals. Our only complaint is that there are too many places on the camcorder where you have to set the controls over to manual before you can actually adjust them. For example, you must press the shutter speed button on the side of the camcorder and set the shutter control to 'speed' in the menu before you can manually select a shutter speed. Same thing goes with iris—you have to press the iris button and set the lens ring or control dial to manual iris control to actually set it. This makes it difficult to quickly switch between controls while your shooting and it is a confusing setup that takes some getting used to.

Digging deeper into the XF105's menu you'll find the Custom Preset options, which have been a staple of Canon's pro camcorders for years. The XF105 has the same huge set of Custom Preset options, which include 6 gamma settings, black level adjustment, knee controls, sharpness, noise reduction, skin detail, color matrix, color correction, and setup level (among others). The problem, however, isn't with the amount of controls—that's fantastic—but it is with the way these controls are adjusted. The menu is basically one long list of options, which means you have to scroll through everything to find what you're looking for. We like the one-screen Custom Preset display on Canon's HDV camcorders a whole lot better.

Other manual controls include variable frame rate recording, which is a fun feature to play around with. In 1080i recording you can speed up the film to 2.5x the normal rate or as slow as 1/2.5 times. 720p record mode allows you to increase the speed by 5x or go as slow as 1/1.25 times.There's also an interval recording option and a frame-by-frame setting that's great for stop-motion videography.

While we're talking about frame rates, we should also mention the camcorder has an optional upgrade that allows you to include PAL frame rate options. If upgraded, you'll gain access to 50i and 25p frame rates in addition to the 60i and 24p modes on the camcorder.

All the extraneous controls you'd expect to find on a pro camcorder are present on the XF105 as well. There's a couple ND filters, peaking and focus assists, zebra patterns and a waveform monitor to help with exposure adjustment, and a variety of onscreen markers.

Ease of Use

Don't be fooled into thinking the XF105 is a simple camcorder just because of its small size. It's not. In fact, the camcorder may be more difficult to use than other pro camcorders because of its compact design. Obviously, having a compact camcorder has its benefits: it's easier to take with you on the road and it isn't as tiring for your wrist on long hand-held shoots. But its small body means the buttons are more cluttered and the controls aren't as intuitive or as easy to get access to.

Fortunately, Canon does include lots of customizable buttons and displays, so that does help in fine-tuning the XF105 to your liking. Still, we prefer the larger Canon's in terms of ease of use. They have more fancy dials and switches that are great for adjusting controls on the fly, compared to the confusing button layout you get on the XF105. So, be prepared to take some time in learning the ins and outs of the XF105 if you choose to purchase it. Thankfully, Canon also generally does a good job with its instruction manuals, so you can look forward to using it as a resource.

Handling

The XF105 is small, we'll definitely give it that, but as far as overall handling goes we're not that crazy about it. Let's start off with what we like: compact design, comfortable hand strap, multiple zoom options, and a solid handlebar at the top. We also like the design of the camcorder's lens ring for adjusting focus, but we wish it did a better job with zoom (not responsive enough) and iris (too responsive).

We'd also like to see more than one lens ring on the camcorder, although Canon does include a sizable control dial instead. The control dial is well-designed, but it can only be used to adjust a few things—and some of them are very strange, like headphone volume adjustment. Wouldn't it be better to allow for shutter speed control with the dial?

Since the dial and lens ring are limited in what they control, you are forced to use joystick mounted on the LCD panel to adjust many other controls on the XF105 (like shutter speed). We really don't like using the joystick for anything other than menu navigation, and we wonder why Canon would choose to limit what the dials and rings are capable of adjusting.

Overall, we found the button layout and design of the XF105 confusing the first few times we played around with the camcorder. Since Canon does allow for lots of customization with preset buttons and customizable display options, we do feel the XF105 can be calibrated to fit your needs. Its layout just isn't as streamlined or intuitive as what we saw on previous Canon models (we're thinking of the XF305 and the HDV models from a few years ago). When we look at the XF105, we see something more like the Canon HF S21 consumer camcorder in a slightly larger body with a boatload of extra buttons and features.

Stabilization

Much like Canon's line of consumer camcorders, the XF105 is equipped with an optical image stabilization system (OIS). The OIS has three modes: Standard, Powered, and Dynamic. Since the XF105 has a different weight and form factor than the pro cams that came before it, we'll have to wait until we can bring a model into our testing labs before we can determine the quality of the system.

Portability

Portability is one of the key features of the XF105, as it is one of the smallest pro camcorders on the market. The camcorder weighs 1179g, which is less than half the weight of its larger cousin, the Canon XF305. The XF105 is also similar in weight and size to the JVC GY-HM100 and the Panasonic AG-HMC40. The XF105 is also a whole lot smaller than Canon's old tape-based HDV models, which were difficult to keep small because of their sizable tape decks.

Keep in mind that Canon had to cut lots of corners in order to keep the XF105 from becoming bulky. The biggest cuts were scaling back the number of CMOS sensors from three to one and reducing the zoom lens from 18x to 10x. The fact that the XF105 only has one sensor is very significant because most pro models feature 3-sensor arrays. We'll have to see how much this alteration affects the performance of the XF105.

Weight: 1179g (2.6 lbs.) Size: 121 x 148 x 250mm

Battery

The XF105 uses a battery pack that is rechargeable via the 7.4V DC terminal. Of course, the battery compartment is not enclosed, so you can purchase larger batteries in addition to the smallish pack that comes with the camcorder if you need longer-lasting performance. The camcorder works with Canon's new BP-925 battery pack, as well as previous Canon BP-900 series batteries.

LCD & Viewfinder

In order to make the XF105 more compact than the XF305, Canon not only reduced the number of image sensors and the size of the lens, but it also trimmed the LCD by 1/2 an inch (down to 3.5 inches). This smaller size probably won't make too much of a difference, although the resolution of the screen has also been cut back a bit to 920,000 pixels. These LCD specs certainly aren't bad, although they aren't any different than what you see on high-end consumer models (like the HF S21).

The viewfinder on the back of the XF105 is larger and more adjustable than what you get on a high-end consumer model, but we still didn't find it all that comfortable to use. The viewfinder has a 0.24-inch screen with a 260,000-pixel resolution. According to Canon you can angle the viewfinder up to 68 degrees, which is a good amount of flexibility, but you cannot extend the viewfinder or move it from side to side. We understand Canon had to make the viewfinder smaller to maintain the portable design on the XF105, but we like to see large, comfortable EVFs on pro models and this certainly doesn't fit that bill.

Menus

The menus on the XF105 have a similar design to what we saw on the XF305. We're not all that into this menu setup, though. The menu lists are very long and it makes the task of finding a specific option rather difficult. This is especially true with the Custom Preset menu, which is essentially just a very long list of options. We liked Canon's setup on its HDV models a whole lot better (like the XL H1A or the XH A1S), as they showed the Custom Preset options on one large screen so you could see everything at once.

Playback

Playback on the XF105 isn't anything special, which is how it should be on a pro camcorder. Since the camcorder uses a tapeless recording system, clips are arranged as thumbnails in playback mode and you can select individual videos from this display. There are dedicated VCR controls on the left side of the camcorder, which we like, but they do take up a lot of space. We would prefer to see this controls on the handlebar or somewhere that isn't as close to other important buttons.

Connectivity

The only difference between the XF105 and its cheaper brother (the XF100) is the presence of two BNC terminals on the XF105. These terminals are professional outputs, with one acting as a Timecode/Genlock port and the other as an HD/SD-SDI for outputting uncompressed video. If you have no need for these jacks, then you should save some cash and buy the XF100 over the XF105. One thing we should note, however, is that the XF105's 3D assistance feature does make use of the Genlock port when you connect two XF105's together. This means it is more difficult to calibrate two XF100s together to shoot 3D than two XF105s.

The rest of the connectivity options on the XF105 are what you'd expect to find on a pro camcorder: AV-out, DC-in, USB, HDMI, and audio ports. There's also a regularly-sized cold accessory shoe on the top of the camcorder. The ports are scattered all over the camcorder, with a collections found on both the back and right side of the XF105.

Other Features

Being a pro camcorder, the XF105 is full of lots of extra features, but most of them are things that Canon has incorporated on previous models. There are two new features on the XF105, however, and we discuss them at length below. Keep in mind, the XF105 can also capture still photos, although its options are very limited (and photos must be saved to SD/SDHC memory cards).

3D Assistance

First of all, let's be clear: the Canon XF105 cannot record 3D video on its own. What the camcorder does have is a 3D assistance feature that helps you calibrate two XF105s that are mounted together for 3D recording. Keep in mind, you can really do this kind of 3D shooting with any two camcorders setup side-by-side, so it's just the assist functions that Canon includes that make the setup a bit easier.

The XF105 is equipped with a calibration setup that utilizes the optical image stabilization system to make sure both camcorders are in sync as far as optical alignment is concerned. There's also a focal length guide that displays the zoom position of each camcorder, and you can connect two XF105s using the Genlock terminal for syncing purposes.

The assist features are fairly simple to use, although you do have to buy two XF105s to make use of them. Canon tries to tout this 3D assist feature by saying the XF105 is the cheapest camcorder on the market with a Genlock terminal, but if you're buying two of them that means you're shelling out close to $10,000—and that's not cheap—although it is a whole lot cheaper than Panasonic's professional 3D camcorder, the AG-3DA1, which retails for around $21,000.

Infrared Recording

Infrared recording is a new feature for Canon, but it is not a new feature for the industry. Sony has included infrared modes on its Handycam models for years, dubbing the feature as 'NightShot.' The infrared recording on the XF105 is basically the same thing, although it does allow you to shoot in monochrome so you can avoid having your video look all green like most infrared modes. We wouldn't call this feature revolutionary, or even all that useful for a pro shooter, but it is definitely something that doesn't hurt to include.

Conclusion

The compact design of the XF105 is certainly impressive, but the camcorder is a bit too late to the party for it to really be considered noteworthy. JVC and Panasonic (with the GY-HM100 and AG-HMC40, respectively) both released compact pro models last year, so why has it taken so long for Canon to take its turn?

We'd be more considerate to the XF105 if it had loads of new features that we haven't seen before on a pro model. Yes, the camcorder has built-in 3D assistance and an infrared record setting, but those two features don't qualify as 'game-changing' or 'remarkable.' Perhaps if the XF105 had an actual 3D recording option with an attachable lens, then we could at least be rejoicing about something relatively cutting-edge.

In our time with the XF105 at the Canon Expo in New York, we were frustrated by the camcorder's cluttered design and confusing layout. The lens ring wasn't great for making certain adjustments and the control dial didn't allow us to adjust the kind of controls we wanted to have access to. We also weren't impressed by the camcorder's electronic viewfinder or its extensive menus.

We applaud Canon for making a compact model that is loaded with pro features and controls, but we are very concerned about what kind of video performance the XF105 will be capable of delivering. The camcorder features a single CMOS sensor, which is a steep downgrade from the three-sensor array featured on most professional models (the Canon XF305 included). Since the XF105 has just one sensor, we feel like its performance may end up being more comparable to that of the Canon HF S21 consumer camcorder than its competition on the professional market. We're hoping this isn't the case, but Canon sure has us worried in this regard.

The XF105 will be available in mid-January 2011 and it should retail for around $5000, which isn't a bad price for a pro model. At the same time Canon will also release the XF100, which is identical to the XF105 except that it lacks Genlock/Timecode and HD/SD-SDI terminals for uncompressed video output. Because it lacks these professional port options, the XF100 will be available for around $1000 less than the XF105.

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