The Canon XHA1 is a heavy yet small form camcorder for enthusiastic videographers, groups and news gatherers.
 

The Canon XHA1 feels like it should be on the shoulder, yet it is too small, so if using off-tripod you will probably hold it with your right hand in the handle and the Left hand side under the lens and lens controls, it actually feels comfortable that way, don't bother trying to hold this camcorder with your Right hand only, even he-man would end up complaining of writers cramp after a mere 5 minutes.

The camcorder, although in Black Plastic, is (As already mentioned) heavyweight, feels very nice and sturdy to hold, and will fit in a large dedicated camcorder case or in my case (I spend my time travelling around Bulgaria) in a rucksack with overnight clothes (wrapped round it to keep it safe), laptop and toiletries. The camcorder is big (Again not shoulder mounted big, but big for the word CAMCORDER) so don't expect the word camcorder to mean small!

Dials, controls and zoom rocker all feel sturdy, the battery compartment (Many moan about this, because modern camcorder batteries go on the outside) is inside the back end of the camcorder, some people may think the "Hole" at the back is a waste of space, but believe me they used the rest of the space available in the remaining internals to fit the best components. You can fit quite a few different sizes of battery in the back, by being inside the camera, the battery is kept safe and integrated, I think the reason a lot of videographers don't like the battery being loaded onto the back of the XHA1 is because they like their equipment to look pro, I will stipulate however that this camcorder looks very pro, I don't think they need worry about a poxy battery hanging off the back end to look the part!

Sony have been shown to the the norm on run and gun news shoots (Look at the news, see the cameras in the background, not only are they getting smaller, but a lot of PROFESSIONAL news gatherers are using handhelds nowadays instead of big hulky shoulder-cam's). Canon have great accolades for the XHA1, most reviews have favoured the Canon XHA1 above Sony models, the lens is usually superior to comparable Sony's like the fx1 or fx7, the customisation possibilities on the XHA1 are wider than the Sony's and I think the picture quality both in HD and SD are better than anything that Sony ever produced in this price range.

One great thing about the XHA1 is the presets. The preset mode allows you to make your own (Or "Cheat" and download from various web locations) customised presets which change the look and feel of the recorded video onto the camera. Try the VividRGB and other modes, and you'll see that this is one great camcorder not only for the news gatherer, but also for the digital movie maker.

I got my XHA1 for £1500 used, buying used is sometimes a bad idea, for example drum time may be high so may have to be replaced in the near future, or the camera may be damaged or just generally been treated bad by its last lover.

Although HDV isn't strictly country-standard important, for various reasons (Do your research on this one) it is always a good idea to buy a Pal version of in Europe, you'll find that often the NTSC XHA1's are cheaper and come directly from China or similar, I advise against getting a camcorder programmed for a different region. To change the region (Just like the Sony's) the camcorders can be sent to an official Canon service centre and modified to suit your region, but this will cost, it may far outweigh the cost saving you made when you chose the cheaper option
 

The camcorder is not easy to use, but with a little searching online and pilfering through the various functions, you will eventually get the hang of it, don't be scared to experiment.
 

The Canon XHA1 - Recommended!