Canon GL2
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Canon GL2 is a NTSC Mini DV camcorder, the successor to the Canon GL1. For the PAL version, see Canon XM2
Features
One of Canon's "prosumer" camcorders, the GL2's features include three 1/4" CCDs, a fixed fluorite 20x zoom lens, and a portable formfactor. It has a 2.5" flip-out LCD display and 0.44" color viewfinder. It also has Canon's advanced accessory shoe, allowing on-camera lighting or a camera-mounted microphone. It has the ability to record in 480i60 as well as 480p30 onto standard MiniDV cassettes. The progressive scan output of this camera is obtained through Canon's proprietary frame mode processing of the GL2's interlaced sensor, as opposed to a more traditional progressive sensor[1]. Its operating weight, when batteries and tapes are included, is just under three pounds, making it one of the most portable handheld 3 CCD cameras.
Changes from the GL1
The GL2 differs from its predecessor, the Canon GL1, in a few notable ways. The CCD was improved to 380,000 effective pixels per CCD from the GL1's 250,000 and corrected to allow more accurate edge-to-edge imaging. While this was in the overscan area of broadcast television, the improvement is visible in conversions to film and in video distributed on the web. The sensitivity of the camera was improved, but still left the sensor less sensitive than competing cameras, making the GL2 a fair to poor camera for low-light situations[2]. Slower shutter speeds were introduced, down to 1/8th of a second in video mode. The GL2 also introduced features for digital effects and color bars in-camera, as well as 1.7 Megapixel (1428x1128 pixel) still camera features for use with a SD Card, although the 8MB card included with the camera is only capable of storing seven to eight pictures. The camera is also capable of recording still images directly to the MiniDV tape at the standard resolution of 720x480.
Not all changes to the GL2 were upgrades. The GL1 featured two infrared remote sensors, one on the front and the back of the camera. The GL2 only featured one on the front. The GL1 is capable of f-stops from 1.6 to 12 while the GL2 has a shorter range of 1.6 to 8. The LCD viewfinder is also slightly smaller on the GL2. The GL2 is a very common for use with a fisheye lens when used by Skateboarders, as it is the "Main Skate Cam" because of the top handle which makes it very mobile.
Specifications
- ¼" 470K pixel 3CCD with pixel shift
- Canon Professional L-Series Fluorite Lens
- 20x optical zoom/100x digital zoom
- Optical image stabilizer
- Direction accurate omni-directional microphone
- Two-channel audio level manual control with digital VU meter
- 2.5" 200K color LCD screen
- Sockets Include: LANC, Headphone, Dc In, Microphone, Dv in/out (IEEE 1394), Av in/out, USB (for still images only), S-Video, and an Advanced Accessory Shoe.
Included Accessories
- 3-foot a/v cable (with composite video and stereo audio)
- BP-915 rechargeable battery (providing 45 to 65 minutes of use per charge)
- CA-920 Compact Power Adapter and battery charger
- Shoulder Strap
- Wireless Remote
- S-video Cable
- USB Cable
- Lens Hood
- 8MB SD Card
- Software and Driver CD for Windows and Mac