Canon XA50 XA50 XA55 Instruction Manual - Page 2

Introduction Highlights of the Camcorder The Canon XA55 / XA50 4K Camcorder is a high-performance camcorder whose compact size makes it ideal in a variety of situations. The following are just some of the many functions featured in the camcorder. 2 4K Recording Advanced sensor and image processor At the heart of the camcorder is the 1.0 in. single plate CMOS sensor with an 8,290,000 effective pixel count, and the DIGIC DV 6 imaging platform. Thanks to its advanced high-sensitivity and noise reduction technology, the camcorder can shoot nuanced images with little noise even in low-light situations. XF-AVC and MP4 formats You can choose the video format according to your workflow needs. You can record in XF-AVC format or MP4 format. Both formats use the MPEG-4 AVC/ H.264 codec, but XF-AVC clips are recorded as Material eXchange Format (MXF files), compatible with all major non-linear (NLE) editing software. Wide zoom lens The camcorder features a 15x optical zoom lens with a focal length at full wide angle of 25.5 mm* (35 mm equivalent), offering superb wide-angle shooting capability. * Except when using Dynamic IS. Convenience and Functionality Emphasis on versatility This camcorder has features to make it usable as a main camera but is also small enough to be very portable. The advanced image stabilization (A 60) will let you shoot in a variety of situations in the field. The handle unit is removable so you can attach it to enjoy additional audio options and infrared functionality, or remove it when you need improved portability. Manual controls at your fingertips The focus/zoom ring helps you achieve the focus you are looking for. You can easily change the ring's functionality so that you can operate the zoom. You can also assign certain frequently used functions to a customizable button and adjust those functions with the accompanying dial (A 93). Additionally, the camcorder also features 5 assignable buttons on the camcorder and one onscreen assignable touch button to which you can assign a variety of functions to access them with ease (A 94). Infrared recording Record in darkness using infrared recording (A 88). With the built-in infrared light on the handle unit, you can record nocturnal animals in their natural environment or other such scenes. SD card recording options The camcorder can record 4K video in MP4 or XF-AVC format on an SD card. It is equipped with 2 SD card slots, allowing you to use dual recording to record the same clip on two SD cards, or relay recording to automatically switch to the other SD card when the one being used is full (A 34). Time code options (A 74) The time code generated by the camcorder can be output from the SDI OUT terminal (u only) or HDMI OUT terminal in order to synchronize it with other external devices. A user bit code (A 76) can also be output with the output signal. Dual Pixel CMOS AF The camcorder features Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology for improved autofocus functions (A 47). In addition to continuous AF, AF-boosted MF lets you focus manually most of the way and let the camcorder finish focusing automatically. With AF-boosted MF the camcorder does not perform unreliable focus adjustments, resulting in a more stable focusing operation than with continuous AF. The camcorder can also focus automatically on people's faces and track moving subjects while keeping them in focus (A 53). Furthermore, the camcorder can be in manual focus but switch to autofocus when a face is detected (face-only AF), ensuring that important subjects are in focus (A 54). Dual Pixel Focus Guide (A 49) The focus guide serves as a visual, intuitive guide that you can use to check if the image is in focus and the required adjustment, if it is not. This can be very helpful to ensure you always get amazingly sharp 4K video.