The Canon GL2 (like its predecessor, the GL1, and its big brother, the XL1) is helping to blur the line between consumer and professional video equipment. This camcorder borrows most of those cameras' professional-quality components and puts them into a more compact, affordable camera. Though it's small enough to carry around and doesn't cost much more than a top-of-the-line consumer camcorder, the GL2 produces such high-quality results that it could be used as a broadcast video camera. This is Amazon.com's Product Review
The 3 CCD System
The GL2 maximizes the capability of the DV format by using a 3 CCD (charge-coupled device) system with a separate CCD for each primary color (red, green, blue). A beam-splitting prism separates light passing through the lens into individual color components and each is sent to its own CCD. Compared to a single CCD, the 3 CCD system achieves outstanding detail with highly accurate color reproduction suitable for the demands of high-end video production - wide dynamic range, low color noise, high-contrast detail, natural color resolution and low-aliasing. The 3 CCD system also makes advanced Pixel Shift (for increased image quality) and Low Light Recording (for increased flexibility) possible.
Professional L-Series Fluorite Lens
Canon has satisfied the demands of experienced image makers for years through the power, design and quality of 35mm and broadcast TV lenses. Canon's Professional L-Series lenses utilize Fluorite, a material which provides outstanding resolution, contrast, and color reproduction- especially in lightweight, high-magnification lenses. Incorporated into the lens on the GL2, Fluorite delivers the ultimate in clarity and image quality. The Fluorite element inside the lens defeats color aberration -- the effect when the components of light stray from one another within a lens, causing a reduction in sharpness, contrast and color. The Fluorite lens precisely controls components of light providing an excellent balance of these three critical ingredients of picture quality. This is unobtainable with conventional optical glass.
To further improve image detail, Canon has intentionally shifted the green CCD (which contains 60 percent of the picture detail) half a pixel horizontally and vertically. This shift allows more accurate interpolation, resulting in an image that Canon claims rivals those from cameras with 410,000-pixel CCDs. Each pixel is 72 square microns, which is about 1.5 times the size as those in competing camcorders. This increased size increases light sensitivity, allowing you to shoot in low-light situations. All this results in outstanding detail, with highly accurate color reproduction suitable for the demands of high-end video production. The GL2 also incorporates a 20x Professional L-Series fluorite optical zoom lens, which is equivalent to 39.5-790mm, as well as a 100x digital zoom.
Audio
The GL2's omni-directional microphone is designed to deliver realistic stereo sound. Using the GL2's advanced accessory shoe expands your audio options. Audio can be recorded in 16-bit mode on two channels on one track. Alternatively, audio can be record in 12-bit mode, where the audio track is divided into two, and two channels of audio are recorded onto one track, with the other left over for audio dubbing.
Optical Image Stabilizer
Canon's superb optical stabilization system corrects camera shake instantly so even hand held shots, at full telephoto, and shots taken from a moving car, are smooth and steady. And since it is optical, there is no loss of image quality inevitable with electronic image stabilizers. It perfectly complements the high picture quality of the DV format.
Digital Stills
You can turn your GL2 into a still camera by switching to 1.7-megapixel photo mode and capturing high-resolution still images onto the camcorder's MultiMedia/Secure Digital card. (One 8 MB Secure Digital card is included with the GL2.) The full-frame images are free from time-lag blur. A six-blade circular iris, as found on Canon's top-of-the-line XL1 and XL1S models, is used for professional exposure control, helping to deliver stunning video and still photos.
Inputs and Outputs
The GL2 comes with the standard DV IEEE 1394 port (also known as FireWire) for a super-fast, lossless connection to a PC or other DV machines. You can also connect to your PC via a USB connection to download still photos. The GL2 is designed to handle two types of analog input and output: using audio/video cables (composite) or S-video. Both connections are on the camera back.
More Features
The Canon GL2 digital video camcorder uses the standard MiniDV cassette, producing the highest quality video possible from nonbroadcast equipment. The MiniDV format standard delivers more than 500 lines of horizontal resolution. And, because it records both video and audio as digital data, this information can be transferred--without any loss of picture or audio quality--to a computer for editing, then transferred back to DV tape, without a reduction in either picture or audio quality.
The Canon GL2 has three CCDs, delivering outstanding picture quality, highly accurate color reproduction and a wide dynamic range with virtually no color noise. On top of that, Canon has improved a broadcast technology to create a new form of Pixel Shift, producing greater picture quality than that of camcorders using CCDs with almost twice the number of pixels.
Lens and Optical Image Stabilization
The GL2 gives you the ability to take your videos to new levels of performance, whether you're a video professional or simply a highly discerning hobbyist. Your exploration of this remarkable camcorder should start with its lens: The GL2 is equipped with the highly acclaimed Canon Professional L-Series (luxury) Fluorite Lens. To further enhance your videos, there's an Optical Image Stabilizer to correct camera shake, plus there's a Precision Circular Iris and ND Filter for total control of the picture.
Shooting Modes and Aspect Ratios
The GL2 has three shooting modes: Normal Movie Mode, Digital Photo Mode, and the cinema-like Frame Movie Mode popularized by Canon's leading edge XL1 and XL1S. The GL2 also offers both the standard 4:3 aspect ratio and 16:9 wide screen TV aspect ratio.
Exposure Modes
The GL2 offers both the versatility to meet all exposure challenges and ease of use when you're happy to let the camera make all the choices. Amazingly sophisticated circuitry and computer algorithms analyze the light coming through the lens to deliver proper exposure automatically under almost any lighting condition. You also can easily adjust the exposure system in any one of several creative ways to meet specific needs. By turning the easily accessible Program Dial to select one of seven exposure modes, you control how you want the video to look.
Shooting Enhancements
The Canon GL2 offers many on-camera enhancements that help avoid common shooting errors and make capturing high-quality footage trouble-free. The shooting enhancements also include basic conventional features that are commonly found on broadcast camcorders.
Picture Adjustments
Attaining the best picture possible is the essence of filmmaking, photography, videography and Canon. The GL2 automates and also allows manual control of the essential ingredients that go into capturing great images.
Audio Adjustments
The GL2's omnidirectional microphone is designed to deliver great quality sound: realistic, life-like, and in stereo. Using the GL2's Advanced Accessory Shoe expands your audio options.
Also consider that you have sound options to meet both your recording and editing needs. One option gives you two channels for recording sound and two channels for adding sound at the editing stage.
Audio and Video Inputs and Outputs
The GL2 is designed to handle two types of analog input and output: using audio/video cables (composite) or S-video. Both connections are on the camera back.
Custom Keys and Presets
One Custom Key
The GL2 offers a Custom Key (one setting for camera mode and one for VCR mode). This lets you create and save your own custom settings so your common shooting modes can be readily duplicated. Select options from either the Camera Menu or the VCR Menu and create a customized setting for each.
Custom Preset Key
In addition to creating a custom setting for camera and VCR mode via the custom key, you also can establish one preset registration for the following camera features: camera sharpness, color gain, setup level, and color phase.
Camera Sharpness
Change the degree of sharpness in the picture. There are 13 steps to choose from.
Camera Color
Shift the color towards red or green. There are 13 steps to choose from.
MultiMediaCard and SD Memory Card compatible
For the storage of digital still images captured by the GL2, you can use either MultiMediaCards or SD memory cards in the GL2. An 8MB SD Card comes with the camcorder, storing up to 17 fine quality still pictures or 32 standard quality images.
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Product Features and Technical Details
Product Features
- 20x optical zoom lens (digital zoom to 100x) and image stabilizer
- 2.5-inch LCD with 270-degree rotation
- Save to MiniDV tape or MMC/SD card (8 MB SD card included)
- Record for up to 65 minutes on one battery charge
- A beam-splitting prism separates light passing through the lens into individual color components and each is sent to its own CCD.
Technical Details
- Brand Name: Canon
- Model: 7920A001
- Media Type: Mini DV
- Optical zoom: 20 x
- Display Size: 2.500000 inches
- Optical Sensor Resolution: 410000 Pixels
- Optical Sensor Technology: CCD
- Weight: 10.00 pounds
- Product Dimensions: 12 x 5.5 x 5 inches ; 2.8 pounds
The 3 CCD System
The GL2 maximizes the capability of the DV format by using a 3 CCD (charge-coupled device) system with a separate CCD for each primary color (red, green, blue). A beam-splitting prism separates light passing through the lens into individual color components and each is sent to its own CCD. Compared to a single CCD, the 3 CCD system achieves outstanding detail with highly accurate color reproduction suitable for the demands of high-end video production - wide dynamic range, low color noise, high-contrast detail, natural color resolution and low-aliasing. The 3 CCD system also makes advanced Pixel Shift (for increased image quality) and Low Light Recording (for increased flexibility) possible. Professional L-Series Fluorite Lens
Canon has satisfied the demands of experienced image makers for years through the power, design and quality of 35mm and broadcast TV lenses. Canon's Professional L-Series lenses utilize Fluorite, a material which provides outstanding resolution, contrast, and color reproduction- especially in lightweight, high-magnification lenses. Incorporated into the lens on the GL2, Fluorite delivers the ultimate in clarity and image quality. The Fluorite element inside the lens defeats color aberration -- the effect when the components of light stray from one another within a lens, causing a reduction in sharpness, contrast and color. The Fluorite lens precisely controls components of light providing an excellent balance of these three critical ingredients of picture quality. This is unobtainable with conventional optical glass.
To further improve image detail, Canon has intentionally shifted the green CCD (which contains 60 percent of the picture detail) half a pixel horizontally and vertically. This shift allows more accurate interpolation, resulting in an image that Canon claims rivals those from cameras with 410,000-pixel CCDs. Each pixel is 72 square microns, which is about 1.5 times the size as those in competing camcorders. This increased size increases light sensitivity, allowing you to shoot in low-light situations. All this results in outstanding detail, with highly accurate color reproduction suitable for the demands of high-end video production. The GL2 also incorporates a 20x Professional L-Series fluorite optical zoom lens, which is equivalent to 39.5-790mm, as well as a 100x digital zoom. Audio
The GL2's omni-directional microphone is designed to deliver realistic stereo sound. Using the GL2's advanced accessory shoe expands your audio options. Audio can be recorded in 16-bit mode on two channels on one track. Alternatively, audio can be record in 12-bit mode, where the audio track is divided into two, and two channels of audio are recorded onto one track, with the other left over for audio dubbing.
Optical Image Stabilizer
Canon's superb optical stabilization system corrects camera shake instantly so even hand held shots, at full telephoto, and shots taken from a moving car, are smooth and steady. And since it is optical, there is no loss of image quality inevitable with electronic image stabilizers. It perfectly complements the high picture quality of the DV format. Digital Stills
You can turn your GL2 into a still camera by switching to 1.7-megapixel photo mode and capturing high-resolution still images onto the camcorder's MultiMedia/Secure Digital card. (One 8 MB Secure Digital card is included with the GL2.) The full-frame images are free from time-lag blur. A six-blade circular iris, as found on Canon's top-of-the-line XL1 and XL1S models, is used for professional exposure control, helping to deliver stunning video and still photos.
Inputs and Outputs
The GL2 comes with the standard DV IEEE 1394 port (also known as FireWire) for a super-fast, lossless connection to a PC or other DV machines. You can also connect to your PC via a USB connection to download still photos. The GL2 is designed to handle two types of analog input and output: using audio/video cables (composite) or S-video. Both connections are on the camera back.
More Features
- Three shooting modes: normal movie mode, digital photo mode, and the cinema-like frame movie mode.
- The Custom Key function lets you create and save your own custom settings so your common shooting modes can be readily duplicated.
- Digital effects are offered for a greater imaging variety, including fader, sepia, strobe motion, and black and white.
- With the Interval Timer function, you can record for a selected time with a selected interval--convenient for nature observations such as flowers or sunsets.
The Canon GL2 digital video camcorder uses the standard MiniDV cassette, producing the highest quality video possible from nonbroadcast equipment. The MiniDV format standard delivers more than 500 lines of horizontal resolution. And, because it records both video and audio as digital data, this information can be transferred--without any loss of picture or audio quality--to a computer for editing, then transferred back to DV tape, without a reduction in either picture or audio quality.
From Digital Living Today
Upon its introduction, the Canon XL-1 immediately established itself as the standard-bearer of the digital video revolution. The good news is that now Canon has introduced a line of lower-priced consumer cameras that incorporate many of the innovations developed for the XL-1 at a significantly reduced price. Introducing the GL2: a 3 CCD camera that is sure to produce footage with a crisp picture, accurate color, and a wide dynamic range. Utilizing a broadcast TV technology called Pixel Shift, the GL2 can generate images of a quality comparable to 680,000 pixel CCDs. Add to this an L-Series Fluorite Lens, an Optical Image Stabilizer to dampen shakes and jitters, a Precision Circular Iris, fine tunable picture and color controls, 16-bit stereo sound recording capabilities, and SMPTE time code and you've got a camera good enough to shoot a DV feature film, yet affordable enough to have as a quality home camcorder.
From the Manufacturer
The GL2 is a 3 CCD Digital Video Camcorder that incorporates Canon's precision optics, superior digital processing, and a sleek innovative design. Its advanced feature set allows users to handle even the most challenging tasks with confidence. Offering the highest level of control, the camera fully complements the user's vision and passion for excellence. The GL2 boasts a 20x Professional L-Series Fluorite optical zoom lens that transforms distant subjects into dramatic close-ups with outstanding resolution, contrast and color reproduction. The digital zoom is capable of extending up to 100x, providing sharp detail and maximizing lens quality. Utilizing Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer System, camera shake is instantly corrected so even hand-held shots, at full telephoto, and shots taken on the move are smooth and steady. The GL2 has three shooting modes; Normal Movie Mode, Frame Movie Mode, and Digital Photo Mode which captures stunning 1.7 megapixel, images. 3 CCDThe Canon GL2 has three CCDs, delivering outstanding picture quality, highly accurate color reproduction and a wide dynamic range with virtually no color noise. On top of that, Canon has improved a broadcast technology to create a new form of Pixel Shift, producing greater picture quality than that of camcorders using CCDs with almost twice the number of pixels.
Lens and Optical Image Stabilization
The GL2 gives you the ability to take your videos to new levels of performance, whether you're a video professional or simply a highly discerning hobbyist. Your exploration of this remarkable camcorder should start with its lens: The GL2 is equipped with the highly acclaimed Canon Professional L-Series (luxury) Fluorite Lens. To further enhance your videos, there's an Optical Image Stabilizer to correct camera shake, plus there's a Precision Circular Iris and ND Filter for total control of the picture.
Shooting Modes and Aspect Ratios
The GL2 has three shooting modes: Normal Movie Mode, Digital Photo Mode, and the cinema-like Frame Movie Mode popularized by Canon's leading edge XL1 and XL1S. The GL2 also offers both the standard 4:3 aspect ratio and 16:9 wide screen TV aspect ratio.
Exposure Modes
The GL2 offers both the versatility to meet all exposure challenges and ease of use when you're happy to let the camera make all the choices. Amazingly sophisticated circuitry and computer algorithms analyze the light coming through the lens to deliver proper exposure automatically under almost any lighting condition. You also can easily adjust the exposure system in any one of several creative ways to meet specific needs. By turning the easily accessible Program Dial to select one of seven exposure modes, you control how you want the video to look.
Shooting Enhancements
The Canon GL2 offers many on-camera enhancements that help avoid common shooting errors and make capturing high-quality footage trouble-free. The shooting enhancements also include basic conventional features that are commonly found on broadcast camcorders.
Picture Adjustments
Attaining the best picture possible is the essence of filmmaking, photography, videography and Canon. The GL2 automates and also allows manual control of the essential ingredients that go into capturing great images.
Audio Adjustments
The GL2's omnidirectional microphone is designed to deliver great quality sound: realistic, life-like, and in stereo. Using the GL2's Advanced Accessory Shoe expands your audio options.
Also consider that you have sound options to meet both your recording and editing needs. One option gives you two channels for recording sound and two channels for adding sound at the editing stage.
Audio and Video Inputs and Outputs
The GL2 is designed to handle two types of analog input and output: using audio/video cables (composite) or S-video. Both connections are on the camera back.
Custom Keys and Presets
One Custom Key
The GL2 offers a Custom Key (one setting for camera mode and one for VCR mode). This lets you create and save your own custom settings so your common shooting modes can be readily duplicated. Select options from either the Camera Menu or the VCR Menu and create a customized setting for each.
Custom Preset Key
In addition to creating a custom setting for camera and VCR mode via the custom key, you also can establish one preset registration for the following camera features: camera sharpness, color gain, setup level, and color phase.
Camera Sharpness
Change the degree of sharpness in the picture. There are 13 steps to choose from.
Camera Color
Shift the color towards red or green. There are 13 steps to choose from.
MultiMediaCard and SD Memory Card compatible
For the storage of digital still images captured by the GL2, you can use either MultiMediaCards or SD memory cards in the GL2. An 8MB SD Card comes with the camcorder, storing up to 17 fine quality still pictures or 32 standard quality images.
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Canon's new GL2 allows even the most novice videographer and aspiring filmmaker to create outstanding videos even under the most difficult shooting conditions. By combining advanced technologies in lens design and signal processing, along with manual and automatic features and controls, the GL2 achieves a perfect balance of amazing picture quality and performance. Thanks a lot.
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