Our opinion:
The best place on earth for
HD
Camcorders

Comparing the $4000 XH A1 to the $9000 XL H1 comes down to three major areas that distinguish the camcorders from one another: the lens, the Professional Jack Pack, and size. When it comes to video performance, the camcorders are virtually identical, thanks to the fact that they use the same 3-CCD imager and both sport an excellent Canon 20x optical zoom lens.

Canon XH G1

The difference between the XH A1 and the Canon XH G1 is simple. The XH G1 includes the Professional Jack Pack, which amounts to the $3000 price spread between these two Canons.

Sony HVR-V1U

The Sony HVR-V1U offers some competition for the XH A1, and it's likely to appeal to a similar kind of user with an retail price of $4800, and without support for interchangeable lenses.