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Camcorders: Canon GL2 vs. small HD Camera?

I'm looking for a video camera that has a great picture. I want to know if the Canon GL2 is better than the smaller, handheld Hi-Def cameras... or if the HD camcorders do, in fact, output a better picture.

and... I'd like to know why one is better than the other.

Public Comments

1. It depends what you want to use the camera for. "Better" is a relative term.

The GL2 is still considered prosumer (or low-end pro) camcorder. The manual controls - focus, zoom, iris, audio level control, white balance, among others - are easier to get to. The large lens and large imaging chips (when compared to the smaller lens and imaging chips used by consumer cams - whether HD or not) will do a much better job in low-light situations. The lens set up makes for easier depth of field applications. The integrated "handle" makes for easier/steadier "run and shoot" video capture.

If a consumer HDV cam and a GL2 are used on tripods next to each other under ideal light, yes, the consumer HDV cam will provide a much clearer video image - after all, HDV captures 4 times more video information than DV. And, if you use a Canon HV30, it does 24p and 30p capture that the GL2 does not do. The GL2 has been available for many years and is still considered a workhorse under many conditions.

But your comparing these different categories of camcorders is like comparing a 2003 Cadillac CTS to a 2009 fully loaded Malibu.