Canon XA40, XA50, XA55 and LEGRIA HF G50, HF G60 Camcorders Announced

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by Jeff LochApril 2^nd, 2019

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Days ahead of NAB 2019, Canon expands its XA line of professional camcorders with three new models. Also, Canon just announced two new entry-level 4K LEGRIA camcorders. Let’s take a look at these new camcorders.

Canon XA40, XA50 and XA55

The XA40 is the most compact camcorder of the three and features a1/2.3-type sensor with a 20x Optical Zoom.

Both the XA50 and XA55 feature a 1.0-type sensor, Dual Pixel CMOS AF and 15x Optical Zoom with Super UD elements (Ultra-Low Dispersion). Also, the XA55 model is equipped with a 3G-SDI out port.

All models include the new DIGIC DV6 image processor as well as the very neat 5-axis image stabilization. Part of all three XA cameras is the Dual Pixel Autofocus technology with Face Detection AF, Face-priority AF, Face only AF and touch tracking AF. Also, a Dual Pixel Focus Guide provides a graphical user interface to help with manual focusing, like on the Canon C200 and C300 Mark II.

The new XA40, XA50 and XA55 records to dual SD cards for backup and relay recording.

In terms of recording formats, the XA40 only supports MP4 in 4K UHD at 25P at 150Mbps and Full HD at 50P/25P at 35Mbps/17Mbps. A continuous Slow and Fast motion recording mode is available in both UHD, and Full HD with a claimed “maximum speed of 1200x”, most certainly with a very low quality at such a high speed. 

The XA50 and XA55 give you a bit more options and supports recordings in XF-AVC and MP4 up to 4K UHD 25P. It looks like there is no 4K 50P mode for any camera. The same Slow and Fast motion recording mode as the XA40 is also part of the recording options.

In terms of audio capabilities, there is a built-in stereo mic and two XLR inputs with support for linear PCM 4-channel audio recordings.

Finally, all models include a 3 inch LCD touchscreen and a small viewfinder on the back of the camcorders.

Canon LEGRIA HF G50 and HF G60

The LEGRIA HF series is Canon’s entry-level professional line of handheld camcorders. The previous HF G40 is a 2016  – 1080p only – camcorder, it really was time for an upgrade. No revolution in terms of design, the HF G50 looks similar to the previous HF G40. The HF G60 is slightly longer and features more buttons on the camcorder’s body. Both the HF G50 and HF G60 are 4K camcorders designed for video enthusiasts.

The LEGRIA HF G50 is a 1/2.3-type sensor camcorder that features a 20x wide-angle zoom lens that goes from F/1.8 to F/2.8 maximum aperture.

The LEGRIA HF G60 features with a 1.0-type sensor and a 15x F/2.8 – F/4.5 zoom lens. The larger sensor should give you better performances in low-light and shallower depth of field. Also, a nice addition to the HF G60 is Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF, one of the best phase detection autofocus system in the industry.

Other than that, most of the new features are the same between the two camcorders. These include:

• Optical image stabilizer (IS) with a dynamic mode
• Dual SD card slots.
• Customizable focus speeds to suit your shooting style
• “Automatic everything” mode or full manual control over the camcorder settings (ISO/Shutter Speed/Aperture/White Balance/Focus)
• A dedicated focus ring on the front of the lens that you can also assign to control something else, like aperture for example
• Professional grade zoom rocker
• Built-In ND filters for wider apertures in daylight conditions while keeping your shutter speed in control
• 3.0-inch capacitive touch screen to adjust tracking, focus and exposure. Also, there is a 0.24-inch tilting EVF at the back of the camcorders
• Mini-HDMI out, 3.5mm microphone input, 3.5mm headphone jack output

Pricing and Availability

For pricing details, see links to B&H and CVP below. All camcorders are expected to become available in the coming months.

What do you think about these LEGRIA and XA updates? Do you consider buying it? Let us know in the comments down below!