As I’ve said before we are in Canon repeating the Scoopic story 40 years later. The 16mm camera was an order from NHK to have a sturdy news camera to compete with the Beaulieu and Bolex of the time. It was sturdy but had that committee feel to it. Using a Beaulieu in Vietnam was playing Russian Roulette, a Bolex died the first day.
The XC10 is in the same category. After almost 6 months using it for what it is, a news reporter video and photo camera, I’m highly please. We don’t do small documentaries but again it would fit the bill if we had too. And I’m sure that some are used as C cameras in big budget production, at the price they’re expendable after all and nobody will notice a 48 frames cut. As long as the card survives, everybody is happy.
To try to express how sick and tired I am of the purist would be an understatement. The XC10 does the job. What I don’t understand is the XC-15, but then again I still don’t get E=MC2 perfectly.
But what I truly don’t understand is the lack of a power zoom or the feeling that the XC line could be an ecosystem on its own. Why not offer on the bottom a replica of the I/O, usb, hdmi, sound and viewfinder out? Or at the flash head, viewfinder out and sound in? Imagine a small Oled viewfinder on top! Not a great engineering feat. But imagine how many 3rd party accessories would come to life.
And what about a choice of lens, the one supplied which does the work, a shorter but faster one and one with a Canon mount.
As is it is an excellent compromise. If you want a C700, then get one. If you are limited in resources, get this. And by the way, hundred of thousands of hours of tv programs worldwide are shot on cameras well below the specs of the XC-10.