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Canon GL2 Mini DV Digital Camcorder

Summary

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Summary: Digital, Mini DV, NTSC, 3 x CCD, Up to 1.68 Megapixels Still Shots, 20x Optical Zoom, 2.47 lb.
Overall Rating: 3 / 5
Ease of Use: 4 / 5
Durability: 3 / 5
Battery Life: 4 / 5
Movie Quality: 5 / 5
Setting a performance benchmark for a prosumer-level camcorder, the GL2 offers high-quality digital video up-to 530 lines of resolution. Building on Canon's expertise in 35mm photographic and broadcast TV lenses, the GL2 is equipped with Canon's exclusive L-Series Fluorite optical technology for outstanding imaging power and shooting versatility in a lightweight, portable design. The camcorders three CCDs, delivers outstanding picture quality, highly accurate color reproduction and a wide dynamic range with virtually no color noise. On top of that, Canon has improved a broadcast technology to create a new form of Pixel Shift, producing greater picture quality than that of camcorders using CCDs with almost twice the number of pixels. In addition to the camcorders high video quality it incorporates a built-in Digital Photo mode for capturing crisp, high-definition photos up-to 1488 x 1128 pixel.

Reviews (27)

Write a review of Canon GL2 Mini DV Digital Camcorder
Overall Rating:
Ease of Use:
Durability:
Battery Life:
Movie Quality:
Best semi-pro camcorder? Closest there is. - by papalazarou
Overall Rating:
5 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Durability
3 / 5
Battery Life
2 / 5
Movie Quality
5 / 5
Pros: Full manual spec. Well laid out. That lens!.
Cons: Bulk. Plastic bodied. No stop frame function. AF switch resets.
Reviews By
Bottom Line: Sony's new VX camera will have to be something special to beat the GL1/XM2. Image quality second to none at this price.
Review: The successor to the outgoing XM1/GL1 adds manual audio record levels to the spec sheet and a beefed up still camera.

Canon pretty much got it right with the XM1/GL1 so there is little to fault on this machine.

The optics are the best in it's... (more)
Excellent for aspiring film makers! - by Thedude
Overall Rating:
5 / 5
Ease of Use
3 / 5
Durability
4 / 5
Battery Life
4 / 5
Movie Quality
5 / 5
Pros: Awesome image quality
2.5 inch color LCD
great audio controls
Cons: 8mb memory card a little too small
Not for the average user
Reviews By
Bottom Line: If you are serious about film, check this camera out. It has many great features.
Review: I got this camera as a gift, and I love it to death. I can honestly say it's the most amazing camera I've ever had. You get what you pay for, and you get a lot from this camera. I cannot however say that this is a camera that the general public should... (more)
Excellent camera hands down. - by alphaproject
Overall Rating:
5 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Durability
4 / 5
Battery Life
5 / 5
Movie Quality
5 / 5
Pros: Lens 20x zoom. Video/sound quality. Features.
Cons: Harder to balance than older full size shoulder cams. Need Glidecam.
Reviews By
Bottom Line: Buy this if you want a quality camera. Don't cheap out and get 1-chip cameras.You might want to wait for the Sony HD-CAMS though at this point.
Review: I was looking for a new miniDV cam for a long time. I had to make sure that the choice was researched and researched so I didn't go wrong. I knew I wanted a 3CCD camera. That seperates colors and luminance and contrast I think. Something like that. You... (more)
Canon XM2 (GL2) Camcorder - by honet
Overall Rating:
1 / 5
Ease of Use
3 / 5
Durability
3 / 5
Battery Life
3 / 5
Movie Quality
5 / 5
Pros: 3 CCD chip camera gives awesome picture quality, nice camera.
Cons: WARNING - problem with the EJECT TAPE malfunction, costs hundreds to fix.
Reviews By
Bottom Line: An excellent camcorder until you get the REMOVE CASSETTE warning in big red letters on the LCD.
Review: Great video camera ...until the tape system craps out ...only after use for a while you find out common problems with Canon's range of camcorders. At the end of 2002 I had been looking to upgrade from my old Sony Hi 8 camcorder to one of... (more)
GL2 tape system needs to be recalled - by crimesceneguy
Overall Rating:
1 / 5
Ease of Use
5 / 5
Durability
3 / 5
Battery Life
3 / 5
Movie Quality
5 / 5
Pros: Wonderful video camera
Cons: Faulty substandard tape handling probably designed for planned obsolescence not up to presented performance
Reviews By
Bottom Line: Canon needs to honestly recall the tape handling system due to the number of customers experiencing failures in a short period as this cancels out any of its great qualities
Review: My GL2 was eagerly awaited and received. I have been using a XL1 since April 2000 which has well over 350 hours of shooting time, not counting tape packing, playback and dubbing. It has survived harsh environments and handling and is still running... (more)
The Best in It's Class, Hands Down! - by revertmedia
Overall Rating:
5 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Durability
5 / 5
Battery Life
4 / 5
Movie Quality
5 / 5
Pros: Incredible Lens, Frame Mode (30fps), Image Quality, Incredible Microphone, Level Meters
Cons: No Focus Stops,
Reviews By
Bottom Line: The GL-2 is a reliable and consistent performer that delicately balances it's impressive features with a rugged and tough design.
Review: The Canon GL-2 sets the standard for pro-sumer level digital video equipment. With the introduction of level meters, more pixels per CCD, and many more innovations, Canon improved on the already impressive GL-1. Canon's pixel shift technology combined... (more)
dv filmmaking: WAY biggest bang for the buck - by geffxl5
Overall Rating:
5 / 5
Ease of Use
5 / 5
Durability
4 / 5
Battery Life
4 / 5
Movie Quality
5 / 5
Pros: Numerous manual adjusts, upgraded 3-CCD technology, custom presets, Viewfinder volume meters, top ejject
Cons: (wish list) direct XLR inputs, gamma adjust, stock zoom speed LANC control.
Reviews By
Review: No doubt about it, the consensus in the film community is clear: the CANON GL2 (in the UK called "XL2") is the best bang for the buck in the semi-pro miniDV format (remarkably, this includes Canon's own XL1s!). What's more, the next best camcorder in... (more)
Canon should be shot from a cannon - by rocky_racoon
Overall Rating:
1 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Durability
2 / 5
Battery Life
3 / 5
Movie Quality
4 / 5
Pros: takes great pictures, easy to use, and has many
great features
Cons: Design problem leads to broken rewind mechanism.
Reviews By
Review: The GL2 takes great pictures, easy to use, and has many great features, BUT; it has one major problem, the rewind mechanism has a design flaw! Like many others, I got the infamous "EJECT TAPE" message. Until Canon recalls the cameras with rewind... (more)
Canon Gl2 Rewind and Eject Cassette Problems - by cliklive
Overall Rating:
1 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Durability
3 / 5
Battery Life
3 / 5
Movie Quality
4 / 5
Pros: High quality video with ease of use when it is working.
Cons: Three times back to Canon. Never fixed the rewind problem
Reviews By
Review: Frustrating problems with tape transport. In particular, the rewind mechanism. Come on Canon...Fess up...this is the Edsel of the Prosumer Video... (more)
Dead Pixel Problem - by timburrland
Overall Rating:
1 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Durability
2 / 5
Battery Life
4 / 5
Movie Quality
4 / 5
Pros: GL2 is very easy to shoot with and the picture looks great.
Cons: Dead pixels ruin the great picture.
Reviews By
Review: I am very very disappointed with the GL2. Mine is about 2 years old with very little use. Recently I've noticed 2 dead pixels on my footage. This is extremely frustrating because I also have a XL1s with the same issue. I use the cameras for wedding... (more)
Good camera til the tape transport fails - by dealferret
Overall Rating:
2 / 5
Ease of Use
3 / 5
Durability
3 / 5
Battery Life
4 / 5
Movie Quality
5 / 5
Pros: Great Picture Great Sound
Cons: Poor quality tape transport
Reviews By
Review: This is a great camera, features-wise, and gives great video results. The audio upgrades over the GL-1 are also very good. The controls are reasonably ergonomic and the operation of the camera is comfortable. However, all the positive attributes of this... (more)
Stay away from Canon - by fedup_w_canon
Overall Rating:
1 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Durability
1 / 5
Battery Life
4 / 5
Movie Quality
5 / 5
Pros: Good pictures. Decent sound.
Cons: Bad tape loader, worse customer service.
Reviews By
Review: The infamous "Eject" problem. Rewinding function fails after very light use (less than 100 hrs). This is the my 2nd Canon camcorder that had the same problem. I bought a ZR40 a few years back. It "ate" up my tape while rewinding. Rather than paying... (more)
Canon GL2 - EJECT Tape Message - by wfogarty
Overall Rating:
1 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Durability
4 / 5
Battery Life
3 / 5
Movie Quality
5 / 5
Pros: Excellent picture quality
Cons: Without any warnings it instruct you to eject the tape from the camcorder.
Reviews By
Review: The camera a itself is great until suddenly it gives you a Reject Tape message. It is very easy to use, but with this major problem I do not recommend... (more)
Good camcorder but poor customer service and outrageous prices to fix - by studpoker1
Overall Rating:
2 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Durability
1 / 5
Battery Life
3 / 5
Movie Quality
4 / 5
Pros: Good quality video. Lightweight, easy to find the controls
Cons: Outrageous prices to have it repaired and very poor customer service people to deal with.
Reviews By
Review: I purchased 2 Canon GL2's about 2 years ago. They are good cameras and do a fine job until you need to get some work done on them. There are only 2 facilities in the US to get them worked on. NJ and CA. To clean the heads it is a minimum of $250.00... (more)
Works pretty good until the warranty runs out - by speedball9
Overall Rating:
1 / 5
Ease of Use
3 / 5
Durability
2 / 5
Battery Life
1 / 5
Movie Quality
2 / 5
Pros: Lots of great features. works pretty good for a year.
Cons: Things go bad after a year and a half.
Reviews By
Review: In a two-year span I have done three important projects that went to DVD and maybe five family home videos. I'm getting pretty good at using manual settings to get rich colors and high quality shots. But lately, as I watch the video from the last two... (more)
Good Camera Or More Of A Problem? - by blondie1513
Overall Rating:
3 / 5
Ease of Use
3 / 5
Durability
4 / 5
Battery Life
2 / 5
Movie Quality
5 / 5
Pros: Good quality of videos, Easy to use, durable.
Cons: batteries did not last long, and camera was hard to understand at first.
Reviews By
Review: I like this camera a lot, the videos came out perfectly, almost as if it was done by a professional. The problems I did encounter were the batteries not lasting too long, and some troubles understanding the buttons and how to use them. It took me awhile... (more)
Eject Tape message -- these cams should be recalled - by julie799
Overall Rating:
1 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Durability
1 / 5
Battery Life
3 / 5
Movie Quality
5 / 5
Pros: great picture quality
Cons: Good chance it will break if you plan to use it often
Reviews By
Review: I've had my Canon gl2 for a little over a year and I recently started getting the Eject Tape message listed above by one of your reviewers here. I am currently sending my camera back to the Canon Repair Center (which you have to actually mail it to)... (more)
Why not save your video memories to the Best? - by gw3194
Overall Rating:
5 / 5
Ease of Use
3 / 5
Durability
4 / 5
Battery Life
5 / 5
Movie Quality
4 / 5
Pros: Quality video and sound; Options; Fairly easy to use; Battery life; 1.7 megapixel still
Cons: Takes an above average intelligence to operate; Heavier and bulky compared to the mini-cams.
Reviews By
Review: I have many years of video experience (starting in '85). Recently I transferred ALL 60 hours of video (Beta, VHS-C) to DVD. The interesting thing is the better the quality the better the memory. I have "grainy" video from the daughter's birth in... (more)
Great camera...also large weakness - by bglazen
Overall Rating:
3 / 5
Ease of Use
5 / 5
Durability
4 / 5
Battery Life
3 / 5
Movie Quality
3 / 5
Pros: high quality shots, very versatile
Cons: cant change lenses, consumer looking camera
Reviews By
Review: great for a prosumer level camera...very versatile and takes a beating, large weakness of permanent lens...can only use a clip on wide angle adapter....keep this in mind....once you get past a prosumer level of shooting...you'll need to buy a new... (more)


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Full Details

Product MPN

MPN:
GL2

Key Features

Camcorder Type:
Digital
Recording Format:
Mini DV
Recording System:
NTSC
Sensor Quantity:
3
Memory Still Resolution:
1.68 Megapixels
Optical Zoom:
20x
Weight:
2.47 lb.

CCD

Sensor Quantity:
3
Sensor Size:
1/4"
Number of Pixels:
410K pixels

LCD / Viewfinder

Display Type:
With LCD Panel
LCD Panel Size:
2.5 in.
Color Viewfinder:
With Color Viewfinder

Lens

Optical Zoom:
20x
Digital Zoom:
100x
Lens Focal Length:
4.2 - 84 mm
Filter Diameter:
58 mm

Video Modes

Recording Speed:
SP • LP
Image Stabilizer:
With Image Stabilizer
Recommended Illumination:
100 Lux
Low Lux:
6 Lux

Audio

Audio Format:
12/16 Bit PCM Digital Stereo Audio

Memory Photography

Memory Card Type:
SD Card • Multimedia Card (MMC)
Digital Still Shot Mode:
With Still Shot Capability
Memory Still Resolution:
1.68 Megapixels
Max Still Image Size:
1488 x 1128
MPEG Movie Mode:
Without MPEG Movie Mode

Interfaces

Output Interfaces:
S-Video • Composite (Video) • Audio (RCA) • FireWire / DV / i.Link • USB • Headphones Jack
Input Interfaces:
S-Video • Composite (Video) • Audio (RCA) • FireWire / DV / iLink • USB
Microphone Type:
External/Optional • Installed

Power Supply

Battery Type:
Proprietary Lithium

Dimensions

Width:
4.63 in.
Depth :
12 in.
Height :
5.38 in.
Weight:
2.47 lb.

Warranty

Warranty:
1 Year

Miscellaneous

Included Accessories:
2 x AAA Batteries • Software • USB Cable • A/V Cable • Shoulder Strap • 8 MB Memory Card • Lithium Propriety Battery • AC Power Adapter • Remote Control
Product ID:
20250907

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