This camera was the beginning for me. Graduated in 2004, saved all my money up for this camera, so many miles, so many great experiences that changed my recording career for life. Forever my favorite piece of hardware.
The Canon XL2 exemplifies what a quality camcorder is all about. We all remember the hardware we came across which changed our lives. For me, it was a Sony CCD-V8 8mm camcorder. When I was in my mid-teens, I worked all summer to save up for the ‘V8 and I used it all the time. I learned so much from it.
I hope so, too! There may be hope. A few viewers pointed out that I may have missed a step when loading the tape. Fingers crossed, my XL2 may be fully functional.
What a wonderful walk down memory lane. I remember purchasing the XL1 after convincing my very first client that I needed a 5000 dollar deposit. He wrote me a check there on the spot despite not having a reel or any verifiable means other than my passion. I immediately walked to a check cashing spot next to a camera shop where they had the xl1 for exactly 5k. I convinced the guy to sell it to me without tax and went home with what became one of the most important purchases of my life. I took the XL1 all the way to Everest for a documentary we were working on at the time. One of the best cameras money could buy. I always wanted the XL2 and will pick one up now. Thank you for this. Also close the inner tape door before the white one and it should work! Excellent content great channel.
I still adore my XL2. My first professional camera that I owned as I got started in video production. We used to call those $4,000 cameras "prosumer" ! What a silly distinction, compared to what'll hit in just a few years after the XL2's release... If it helps, you may tell Dr. Smart to look at your XL2's pinch roller, which is a common point of failure on them (and mine, unfortunately).
Hey 'Matt, I have to admit, I am not as "wowed" by cameras today as when cameras such as the XL2 came out. However, I enjoy using my modern Canon XF605, which offers so much bang for the buck. I can't recommend it enough. That being said, it doesn't "seem" as visually impressive as my XL2.
Having an XL1s in my collection, I appreciate the video and trip down memory lane. I sometimes think the younger generation should spend sometime with the retro equipment to better appreciate what they now have. "Hey - why did you miss the shot? I was in my menu settings."
Bought my XL2 new and used it for recording church stuff. at some point, the tape mechanism stopped working and I was really bummed. I didn't have the heart to dispose of the camera and last year decided to take it to a repair shop to find out how much it would cost to fix it. Well, it was around $400 and I could get a decent HD camera for about that price. I still couldn't part with the camera because of its many great features. I discovered I could get a ClearClick unit and attach it to the back of the camera and now I could record to a micro card and get a very neat viewfinder in the process. The camera is now resurrected. By the way, you didn't mention this but there is a port on the back of the camera that you can plug in a record and zoom control that you can attach to a tripod arm.
I had the Canon XL1. The cassette enclosure was a two stage design. You can even see the yellow label on the inner door. You were supposed to close the inner mechanism first and then close the outer door. That's why it didn't recognize the tape.
Yeah, I was so excited when I opened up the box and checked out the camera, I neglected to read the fine print on the inner tape door. My XL2 is in perfect working condition and it’s just awesome. Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching.
You have to close the metal door before you close the outer plastic DV door. May or may not be the issue but it is marked on the metal door to close first.
Hey John, In my haste I didn’t read the text on the door and of course thought there was something wrong with the camcorder. It turns out my XL2 is in perfect working condition. I appreciate the tip and thanks for watching.
Hi Dave, I see what you've done here. Let's show those kids the 24p switch but not mention it. Let them think that having 24 fps mode on a camcorder in 2004 was completely normal, that there were dozens of other models besides the XL2 and the DVX100 that could shoot 24p. And, to kill two birds with one stone, let's force geezers to watch the whole video to the end, because they will be waiting for you to mention it :) It is a great looking camcorder, I hope you'll fix the tape transport. I like your exuberance, keep them coming!
Yes, I should have been more thorough with my review, but I was so blown away by my new/old XL2 purchase that my brain truncated about half the facts I was supposed to share. Next time, I will try to rein in my excitement so I can focus more on the specs. That being said,...It's such a kick-ass camera I couldn't help myself. Thanks for watching! :)
Nice video, and nice camera :). Hopefully you can get it going. Not sure if you've noticed yet but you are supposed to close the inner tape door (the piece that says "Close this first") before closing the white outer door. I have an XL1, which has a very distinctive '1990s digital video' look to it. I expect the picture from the XL2 will be better. Unfortunately my XL1 is rather tatty, and suffered some severe damage a while back... I will get round to gluing it back together one of these days. I'd be interested to see a comparison between the different lenses.
Hey Steve, Thanks for the tip! This is not the first time I may have overlooked a critical step when quickly testing a camera. I will recheck the tape door this weekend. The lens comparison is a great idea. I will add that to the list of future show ideas. Thanks for watching!
@@davesretrovideolab2709 Yep! I was under the same impression with my XL1 when I first brought it home and it didn’t recognize the tape. The inner door needs to shut before the exterior door. I think your XL2 is good to go. 🙌
Yea I have Dvx100b and I have to close the tape mechanism first before I close the door. So I kinda cringed hard when you shut the door first. Also I wasn’t aware this cam had a Dv /firewire port really good video on the cam.
Not hard at all. There’s several options on Amazon, which accomplish this task. Depending on the quality recordings you want will depend on how much you’re willing to pay. Below is just an example of one of these recorders. a.co/d/4HYzIdM
Think the flashing red tape symbol is a condensation warning from my memories using the XL1s. So may just need to be placed in a dry warmish room tape door open for a couple of hours. Great ergonomics on these cameras, such a brilliant design.
Hi Dave. I'm droooling over your XL2. I love the Canon XL range of cameras. Shot hundreds of weddings and social event videos on them. Question. Just this week my ancient very first XL1 shut down. No power anywhere. Is there a manual way to eject/remove the mini dv tape from the drawer without power? Any help greatly appreciated.
The XL2 is just awesome. My favorite cam, but it’s a beast. Heavier than I expected. As far as getting the tape out of a dead cam? I’m not sure there is a way? The tape may be spooled around the various components within the tape compartment of your XL1 which may require fixing the power issue first so the tape can be ejected with being damaged. Just curious, is there an issue with your AC power supply or the DV coupler maybe? Battery possibly? Just checking.
Hi Dave, thanks for replying. The battery charger lights up and is charging the battery. So presumably the power is getting to the camera and then ..nothing. No lights, sounds, or anything happens. I think what happened was that I used a firewire to usb adapter, bought from the internet, to try to hook up to an imac which has no firewire port. On investigation I found another youtuber who opens up a couple of these cheap usb converters with a Stanley knife to find that in fact there is no conversion circuitry whatsoever in there, just a mash of wires joined together in the plastic case. So it looks like some circuitry inside the camera has been 'fried' as a result. I saw yet another youtuber removing a tape from a dud camera by taking off the bottom panel and connecting two AA batteries to the eject motor. The drawer opened and he recovered his tape. I was wondering if a similar instruction was available for doing the same with an XL1. ps. NEVER use any of those cheap conversion adapters!@@davesretrovideolab2709
I think it's the coolest looking DV camera out there. Almost bought one awhile back but I got the HDV XHA1 instead. If the deck on your XL2 is faulty guess you could use a Fire Store recorder with it.
Good news Bilkon! I didn’t close the XL2’s tape door properly. My XL2 is fully functional! I would like to purchase a Fire Store test it out with the XL2. Thanks for watching!
Back in the day, I owned a Panasonic DVX100 and really enjoyed using it. If I can get one without having to pay an arm and a leg for it, I will pounce on it for sure.
Lmaooo, I think you were supposed to push the tape deck in separate from doing it with the door cause I don't think the door actually gets the deck fully in trying that on my Xl1s.
Yep, that is correct. In my haste, I closed both doors together. I’ve done this before with other cameras. My XL2 works perfectly. I’m very happy with it.
@@davesretrovideolab2709 Good to hear, I won a XL2 auction on eBay $150CAD ($112USD) works perfectly fine. Honestly not a bad price for one of these bad boys, I had bought one a couple months ago for $600 but it got lost during shipping so I had to get my band involved for a refund of a transaction this big. But apart from that I want to know where you found those lens! I already got a lens from XL1s which should be compatible with each other because they use the XL mount. I never knew they made a wide angled lens!
I have an xl1 used about 6 hours in an airport travel case and professional leveling tripod on case. Mint condition. Looking to sell or trade for a small camera.
@@dominicus9891 I guess it surprised me because I wasn't using semi-pro camcorders at the time. Among consumer camcorders, the 24p mode first appeared in 2009 on the Canon HV30.
It looked squished because you had it set to 16:9. And the tape has a door on the inside that clearly says close this first. You tried jamming the whole thing shut. I shot with an XL1 and XL2 for years.
Hey Aaron, I was kind of racing through the whole setup, and missed a few steps. I took my XL2 out to New York City’s Central Park the other day. The camera is a joy to work with.
the true big leap in the consumer video is starting with iphone. The video quality of this XL2 is very low compared to any smartphone nowadays. But in the time, people were trapped in the loop of all this kind of expensive junks. Without the leading innovations from smartphones makers, we would still be playing the beautiful camcorders with many buttons running at low specs.
When I said revolutionary, I thinking more about the ability to have a prosumer camcorder with an interchangeable lens system offered more creativity over a fixed lens camcorder. Also…Yes, the iPhone provides incredible image quality against a camcorder that’s twenty years old. But can’t the same be said about the XL2 comparing it’s quality again Sony’s Betamovie camcorder?
@davesretrovideolab2709 Its not super noticeable but definitely there for people who still have ears capable of hearing pitches that high. I assume the sound im hearing is coming from the CRT TV(s)
@@joewatson3398 This is not the first time I've heard this episode isote. I think it's one of the two CRTs on my set. I don't hear it because my old brain has filtered it out by now. That being said, the comments focus on this show and not any of the others.
Hey Jeremy, Thanks for pointing that out. I did ultimately figure out the tape door issue and my XL2 worked flawlessly after that. Of course this is not the first time I raced through checking out a camera and missed a critical step in the process. This weekend I plan to record a follow up episode to my XL2 unboxing show and point out my error…among other things. Thanks for watching!
This camera was the beginning for me. Graduated in 2004, saved all my money up for this camera, so many miles, so many great experiences that changed my recording career for life. Forever my favorite piece of hardware.
The Canon XL2 exemplifies what a quality camcorder is all about. We all remember the hardware we came across which changed our lives. For me, it was a Sony CCD-V8 8mm camcorder. When I was in my mid-teens, I worked all summer to save up for the ‘V8 and I used it all the time. I learned so much from it.
You rock. Thanks for the energy and passion
I appreciate that!
Thanks, Dave... Always enjoy and wait for your videos.. They are such a blast....Hope you get the Canon to record on DV tapes...
I hope so, too! There may be hope. A few viewers pointed out that I may have missed a step when loading the tape. Fingers crossed, my XL2 may be fully functional.
What a wonderful walk down memory lane. I remember purchasing the XL1 after convincing my very first client that I needed a 5000 dollar deposit. He wrote me a check there on the spot despite not having a reel or any verifiable means other than my passion. I immediately walked to a check cashing spot next to a camera shop where they had the xl1 for exactly 5k. I convinced the guy to sell it to me without tax and went home with what became one of the most important purchases of my life. I took the XL1 all the way to Everest for a documentary we were working on at the time. One of the best cameras money could buy. I always wanted the XL2 and will pick one up now. Thank you for this. Also close the inner tape door before the white one and it should work! Excellent content great channel.
Hey Abdul,
I would like to thank you for sharing your story with us. What an amazing journey you had with your XL1.
Interesting channel, interesting information. Thank you for the good mood.
Thanks for visiting
I still adore my XL2. My first professional camera that I owned as I got started in video production. We used to call those $4,000 cameras "prosumer" ! What a silly distinction, compared to what'll hit in just a few years after the XL2's release...
If it helps, you may tell Dr. Smart to look at your XL2's pinch roller, which is a common point of failure on them (and mine, unfortunately).
Hey 'Matt,
I have to admit, I am not as "wowed" by cameras today as when cameras such as the XL2 came out. However, I enjoy using my modern Canon XF605, which offers so much bang for the buck. I can't recommend it enough. That being said, it doesn't "seem" as visually impressive as my XL2.
Having an XL1s in my collection, I appreciate the video and trip down memory lane. I sometimes think the younger generation should spend sometime with the retro equipment to better appreciate what they now have. "Hey - why did you miss the shot? I was in my menu settings."
Even our cars are getting to be more menu-driven. Uggh,. Thanks for watching!
Oh man this is awesome! I’ve never seen so much of the legendary XL2.
It’s such a great camcorder, I hope to record a follow up video. Good news btw, the XL2’s vtr works!
I remember drooling over this when I was a teenager 😂
It’s definitely a camera worth drooling over. :)
Bought my XL2 new and used it for recording church stuff. at some point, the tape mechanism stopped working and I was really bummed. I didn't have the heart to dispose of the camera and last year decided to take it to a repair shop to find out how much it would cost to fix it. Well, it was around $400 and I could get a decent HD camera for about that price. I still couldn't part with the camera because of its many great features. I discovered I could get a ClearClick unit and attach it to the back of the camera and now I could record to a micro card and get a very neat viewfinder in the process. The camera is now resurrected. By the way, you didn't mention this but there is a port on the back of the camera that you can plug in a record and zoom control that you can attach to a tripod arm.
Hey Ken,
Great story. Glad to hear you were able to get your camera up and running again.
Very interesting- a very popular camera in the cinema industry aside of the Gr-C1U. Thanks for another episode Dave!
Hey GT', I'm glad you enjoyed the episode. The XL2 and the GR-C1u definitely stood out during their respective eras.
That is so cool getting this camera after wanting one for so long.
I was fortunate enough to find one which was fully operational. I just picked up an XL1 and I’m excited to review that camcorder as well.
You deserve a lot more subscribers!
I appreciate that!
I had the Canon XL1. The cassette enclosure was a two stage design. You can even see the yellow label on the inner door. You were supposed to close the inner mechanism first and then close the outer door. That's why it didn't recognize the tape.
Yeah, I was so excited when I opened up the box and checked out the camera, I neglected to read the fine print on the inner tape door. My XL2 is in perfect working condition and it’s just awesome. Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching.
I had never seen a more beautifull and ergonomic camcorder 😍
I really do like the industrial design of the XL2. It's really well thought out.
You have to close the metal door before you close the outer plastic DV door. May or may not be the issue but it is marked on the metal door to close first.
Hey John,
In my haste I didn’t read the text on the door and of course thought there was something wrong with the camcorder. It turns out my XL2 is in perfect working condition. I appreciate the tip and thanks for watching.
@@davesretrovideolab2709 enjoy your new to you ride.
Hi Dave, I see what you've done here. Let's show those kids the 24p switch but not mention it. Let them think that having 24 fps mode on a camcorder in 2004 was completely normal, that there were dozens of other models besides the XL2 and the DVX100 that could shoot 24p. And, to kill two birds with one stone, let's force geezers to watch the whole video to the end, because they will be waiting for you to mention it :) It is a great looking camcorder, I hope you'll fix the tape transport. I like your exuberance, keep them coming!
Yes, I should have been more thorough with my review, but I was so blown away by my new/old XL2 purchase that my brain truncated about half the facts I was supposed to share. Next time, I will try to rein in my excitement so I can focus more on the specs. That being said,...It's such a kick-ass camera I couldn't help myself. Thanks for watching! :)
What Mount B4?
Wasn't it squeezed because it's being displayed on a 4:3 tele but the camera was in 16:9 mode.
Man, what a bag!
Super cam, right?!?!
You are great too,you recall me the days in electronic fairs in the past as a young man...
Thanks! I love old tech.
Great video, it makes want to join the Trumbull AV Club again.
Wow!
Nice video, and nice camera :). Hopefully you can get it going. Not sure if you've noticed yet but you are supposed to close the inner tape door (the piece that says "Close this first") before closing the white outer door.
I have an XL1, which has a very distinctive '1990s digital video' look to it. I expect the picture from the XL2 will be better. Unfortunately my XL1 is rather tatty, and suffered some severe damage a while back... I will get round to gluing it back together one of these days.
I'd be interested to see a comparison between the different lenses.
Hey Steve,
Thanks for the tip! This is not the first time I may have overlooked a critical step when quickly testing a camera. I will recheck the tape door this weekend. The lens comparison is a great idea. I will add that to the list of future show ideas. Thanks for watching!
@@davesretrovideolab2709 Yep! I was under the same impression with my XL1 when I first brought it home and it didn’t recognize the tape. The inner door needs to shut before the exterior door. I think your XL2 is good to go. 🙌
Yea I have Dvx100b and I have to close the tape mechanism first before I close the door. So I kinda cringed hard when you shut the door first. Also I wasn’t aware this cam had a Dv /firewire port really good video on the cam.
How hard would it be to make a tapeless rig for one of these to run around with?
Not hard at all. There’s several options on Amazon, which accomplish this task. Depending on the quality recordings you want will depend on how much you’re willing to pay. Below is just an example of one of these recorders.
a.co/d/4HYzIdM
Think the flashing red tape symbol is a condensation warning from my memories using the XL1s. So may just need to be placed in a dry warmish room tape door open for a couple of hours. Great ergonomics on these cameras, such a brilliant design.
Thanks for the tip!
Hi Dave. I'm droooling over your XL2. I love the Canon XL range of cameras. Shot hundreds of weddings and social event videos on them. Question. Just this week my ancient very first XL1 shut down. No power anywhere. Is there a manual way to eject/remove the mini dv tape from the drawer without power? Any help greatly appreciated.
The XL2 is just awesome. My favorite cam, but it’s a beast. Heavier than I expected.
As far as getting the tape out of a dead cam? I’m not sure there is a way? The tape may be spooled around the various components within the tape compartment of your XL1 which may require fixing the power issue first so the tape can be ejected with being damaged.
Just curious, is there an issue with your AC power supply or the DV coupler maybe? Battery possibly? Just checking.
Hi Dave, thanks for replying. The battery charger lights up and is charging the battery. So presumably the power is getting to the camera and then ..nothing. No lights, sounds, or anything happens. I think what happened was that I used a firewire to usb adapter, bought from the internet, to try to hook up to an imac which has no firewire port. On investigation I found another youtuber who opens up a couple of these cheap usb converters with a Stanley knife to find that in fact there is no conversion circuitry whatsoever in there, just a mash of wires joined together in the plastic case. So it looks like some circuitry inside the camera has been 'fried' as a result. I saw yet another youtuber removing a tape from a dud camera by taking off the bottom panel and connecting two AA batteries to the eject motor. The drawer opened and he recovered his tape. I was wondering if a similar instruction was available for doing the same with an XL1. ps. NEVER use any of those cheap conversion adapters!@@davesretrovideolab2709
Bro, that's sweeeet!👊🏿🔥🔥🔥👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Appreciate it
I think it's the coolest looking DV camera out there. Almost bought one awhile back but I got the HDV XHA1 instead. If the deck on your XL2 is faulty guess you could use a Fire Store recorder with it.
Good news Bilkon! I didn’t close the XL2’s tape door properly. My XL2 is fully functional! I would like to purchase a Fire Store test it out with the XL2. Thanks for watching!
are you going to VCFMW?
I’ll be there!
were can I buy one
eBay or Facebook marketplace.
Perhaps you should do the DVX100?
Back in the day, I owned a Panasonic DVX100 and really enjoyed using it. If I can get one without having to pay an arm and a leg for it, I will pounce on it for sure.
Excellent.. :)
Thank you! Cheers!
❤🔥
Lmaooo, I think you were supposed to push the tape deck in separate from doing it with the door cause I don't think the door actually gets the deck fully in trying that on my Xl1s.
Yep, that is correct. In my haste, I closed both doors together. I’ve done this before with other cameras.
My XL2 works perfectly. I’m very happy with it.
@@davesretrovideolab2709 Good to hear, I won a XL2 auction on eBay $150CAD ($112USD) works perfectly fine. Honestly not a bad price for one of these bad boys, I had bought one a couple months ago for $600 but it got lost during shipping so I had to get my band involved for a refund of a transaction this big. But apart from that I want to know where you found those lens! I already got a lens from XL1s which should be compatible with each other because they use the XL mount. I never knew they made a wide angled lens!
I have an xl1 used about 6 hours in an airport travel case and professional leveling tripod on case. Mint condition. Looking to sell or trade for a small camera.
Please email me more details about your camera. davesretrovideolab@gmail.com.
Thanks for watching!
I love mine....it's in a big box so the shipping company pays attention to it
The XL2 has jumped right to the top of my favorite retro camcorder list. :)
i saw this on a camp in Mexico
Nice! I love I iCarly!
iCarly may have used a Canon XL1, which is still an awesome camera.
I love it! ❤
Is there a modern way to record the video output of the XL2 instead of using tapes?
Yes, there are small inexpensive recorders on Amazon and elsewhere which will do the job. Depends on what kind of quality you’re looking for.
5:53 24p miniDV in 2004? WOW
DVX100 beat it to the punch in 2002
@@dominicus9891 I guess it surprised me because I wasn't using semi-pro camcorders at the time. Among consumer camcorders, the 24p mode first appeared in 2009 on the Canon HV30.
The DVX100 was definitely a formidable camera in its day. I wonder when the first true 24p "prosumer" video camera was introduced? Was it @ 2002?
I also owned a Canon HV30. Come to think of it, I may still have it, but it's probably buried deep in the lab somewhere.
@@B1-Han The HV20 in 2007.
It looked squished because you had it set to 16:9. And the tape has a door on the inside that clearly says close this first. You tried jamming the whole thing shut. I shot with an XL1 and XL2 for years.
Hey Aaron,
I was kind of racing through the whole setup, and missed a few steps. I took my XL2 out to New York City’s Central Park the other day. The camera is a joy to work with.
I used to have one I think they are old
Old, super cool. :)
the true big leap in the consumer video is starting with iphone. The video quality of this XL2 is very low compared to any smartphone nowadays. But in the time, people were trapped in the loop of all this kind of expensive junks.
Without the leading innovations from smartphones makers, we would still be playing the beautiful camcorders with many buttons running at low specs.
When I said revolutionary, I thinking more about the ability to have a prosumer camcorder with an interchangeable lens system offered more creativity over a fixed lens camcorder.
Also…Yes, the iPhone provides incredible image quality against a camcorder that’s twenty years old. But can’t the same be said about the XL2 comparing it’s quality again Sony’s Betamovie camcorder?
there is a horrible high frequency in this audio. is it just me?
I'm guessing you might be hearing the CRT monitor which is next to me. Do you hear it when watching other episodes of DRVL?
there is a highpitched whine in the background audio of the entire video, makes it very painful to listen too
Hey Joe,
Unless you’re talking about my enthusiasm, I don’t hear any high pitched sounds in the video. 🤔
@davesretrovideolab2709 Its not super noticeable but definitely there for people who still have ears capable of hearing pitches that high. I assume the sound im hearing is coming from the CRT TV(s)
@@joewatson3398 This is not the first time I've heard this episode isote. I think it's one of the two CRTs on my set. I don't hear it because my old brain has filtered it out by now. That being said, the comments focus on this show and not any of the others.
Dont you know how to close a tape compartment? You have to snap the tape in before you close the lever. The label was screaming at you.
Hey Jeremy,
Thanks for pointing that out. I did ultimately figure out the tape door issue and my XL2 worked flawlessly after that. Of course this is not the first time I raced through checking out a camera and missed a critical step in the process. This weekend I plan to record a follow up episode to my XL2 unboxing show and point out my error…among other things. Thanks for watching!
RESOLUTION IS GARBAGE