Canon XF305 Review

Canon’s choice ofording format is the first item on the long list of reasons why e celestial twins are lovely. They compress full 1080p/I HD using 4:2:2 MPEG-2 at 50Mbits/s, and then they save the MXF files that are produced as a consequence on good, publicly accessible, and reasonably inexpensive Compact Flash cards. This is done at the maximum quality settings.

Those manufacturers who demand exorbitant prices for their specialized cards deserve to get screwed. Yeah, boo, and suckers to them. You can record up to 50 frames per second at 720p resolution if you choose a format less than 1080p. However, other forms provide you with more recording time on a card. For example, you should have roughly 80 minutes of recording time with a 32GByte card if you’re recording at 50Mbits/s; ther,e are two card slots so you can hot-swap between them. In addition, there is a slot for an SD card, which may be used to save individual user preferences.

The XF305 uses three CMOS sensors that are one-third of an inch in size and can capture full 1920 x 1080 resolution. In addition, these sensors have an optimized, quick readout that helps reduce the ‘rolling shutter’ issues typically associated with CMOS.

In front of the image, the sensor is an 18x zoom lens that carries Canon’s famous ‘L’ grade. This red ring is seen on Canon’s professional lenses that employ Ultra Low Dispersion grass with aspherical elephants or something along those lines.

The lens has a focal length of 4.1 millimeters when set to its widest zoom setting, which is roughly comparable to a still frame of 29 millimeters on a 35mm camera. The maximum aperture may be set anywhere between f/1.6 and f/2.8.

The XF305 has two outstanding features, the second of which is this lens. I’ll get to the image quality in a little. Still, first, I want to point out that Canon makes a big fuss about the degree to which they consulted broadcasters and cinematographers during the design process for this camera. The lens handling is where you can see this collaboration the most.

It is possible to utilize the focus ring as a genuine manual control, complete with a scale that can be calibrated and end stops. However, the calibrated scale will be removed if you push a button and spin the lens barrel behind the focusing ring. The focusing ring will transform into an “endless encoder” that may be used for manual and automatic focusing. This is a feature that I genuinely like using.

Regarding auto-focus, we should mention that the XF305 has Canon’s incredible, magnificent, and one-of-a-kind auto-focus assist sensor. To achieve an auto-focus response quicker and more accurate than any of their competitors, the camera electronics focus on combining the data from the image sensors and this unique external sensor.

After seeing how quickly Canon camcorders can focus, you won’t want to use anything else for run-and-gun filming after that experience. The ring that controls the zoom is also calibrated and has end stops, whereas an endless encoder controls the iris. Unfortunately, the zoom ring does not have a power source, and if you switch to utilizing the power-zoom rocker, the zoom ring will no longer work.

The camera operation requires careful attention to detail, not limited to lens adjustments alone. There are a lot of specific buttons for things like zebra, peaking, image stabilization, and other stuff. All of these buttons are neatly placed and logical, and none of the fiddliness plagues Sony’s HXR-NX5.

The menu thumbwheel does not have a “press to choose” function; instead, you must press the Set button next to it. However, I would rather have this limitation than the NX5’s too-sensitive click, which caused me to pick unintended and erroneous menu items.

A joystick on the handle may be used to navigate the menu and make selections if you prefer only to use a single control. The menus themselves are not complicated in any way.

This takes me to the second remarkable characteristic of the brand-new Canon: the liquid crystal display (LCD). It has a four-inch diagonal, 1.23 million dots, an actual 100 percent view, and an unusual attachment that enables it to be used on both the left and right-hand side of the camera; when it is stored, it resides underneath the transport controls on the handle.

The size and high resolution make me consider using an old film camera with a ground glass screen. Still, this one has the added advantages of ‘peaking’ focus assist (two selectable settings, each with programmable color, gain, and frequency), magnification, and a comprehensive waveform monitor and vectorscope inlay (as well as the usual suspects of camcorder on-screen data).

It is difficult to see in direct sunshine, as with most big LCDs; thus, you may wish to invest in a shade or switch to utilizing the excellent electronic viewfinder instead.

Quality of the Image

The XF305 features a very high-quality lens with an L-spec designation. There is some barrel distortion at the widest setting, but there is not the slightest trace of chromatic aberration anywhere in the image. ExtAs a result, rendering out-of-focus areas is intense, and contrast is kept strong even in scenes with flaring lighting circumstances.

The lens and sensor combination is rated to resolve “1000 TV lines or more (1920x1080i mode).” Still, the review unit I tested was able to resolve many more than that, even at the frame boundaries when the lens was fully open. The noise is effectively managed, especially considering the sensor’s small size and superb color reproduction, with smooth tonality and a tremendous dynamic range.

Digital image management includes the typical cine-style gammas and color mapping (custom configurations can be programmed), all contributing to the XF305’s exceptional capacity to capture breathtaking photographs. Of course, the little sensor will always have a disadvantage in terms of sensitivity compared to cameras with more silicon to catch the photons. Still, other than that, the XF305 has supplanted Sony’s EX1 at the top of my cleverly called “Best Pictures from a Fixed Lens Camcorder List.”

There are two XLRs with phantom power and limiters in addition to the built-in, handle-mounted stereo mic, and sound is recorded using 16-bit linear PCM. Because these microphones and the LCD mount stick out somewhat far in front of the lens, you might need to consider this if you wish to add a matte box that a third party manufactured.

People are concerned about tapeless workflows, but Canon has developed a plug-in that can be used with Final Cut Pro and most other NLEs (Avid, Adobe Premiere, and GV).

The camera features a USB interface, and because it uses an “open” standard card format, you can also use a very inexpensive external card reader. The plug-in in FCP will automatically transcode the MPEG 2 into the standard ProRes format; however, you can select any of the additional ProRes choices or import the material in its native format. It really couldn’t be much more straightforward.

Canon XF305 Specifications

Imaging

Built-In ND Filter	Mechanical Filter Wheel with 2 Stop (1/4), 4 Stop (1/16), 6 Stop (1/64) ND Filters
Minimum Illumination	0.8 Lux

Lens

Optical Zoom Ratio	18x
Maximum Aperture	f/1.6 to 2.8
Filter Size	82 mm
Video I/O	1 x BNC (HD-SDI) Output 1 x BNC (Composite) Output 1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm TRRS A/V (Composite) Output 1 x HDMI Output
Audio I/O	2 x 3-Pin XLR Mic/Line Input 1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm TRS Stereo Headphone Output
Other I/O	1 x Mini-USB 1 x 2.5 mm Sub-Mini (LANC) Control 1 x BNC (Genlock) Input 1 x BNC (Timecode) Input 1 x BNC (Timecode) Output

Environmental

Operating Temperature

32 to 104°F / 0 to 40°C

Packaging Info

Package Weight	13.45 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)	19 x 12.5 x 10.5″

Conclusion

Pre-orders for the XF305 are presently being taken in stores at around £6200 plus VAT (the XF300 is available for a lower price of £5500 plus VAT). Although that is a significant sum, it ought to become more affordable as the product ages. Nevertheless, even if you have a large enough budget, you won’t be able to find a camera with this form factor that is either simpler to operate or takes higher-quality photographs.

Canon XF305 Price

Canon XF305 Faqs