GEAR REVIEW. CANON XF605
ALTERNATIVE FLAGSHIP The XF605 might not officially be Canon’s top all-in-one camcorder, but it boasts tech that is newer and more advanced
WORDS AND IMAGES. Adam Duckworth W hen Canon launched its flagship XF705 broadcast- style camcorder, many news and events shooters beat a path to dealers’ floors to snap one up due to its great features and performance – as well as its relatively affordable £5999/$6999 asking price. But now, the brand has unveiled the even more compact and portable XF605, which inherits lots of features from Canon’s best cine and mirrorless cameras, and at an even lower price. It’s an all-in-one package built for ENG, events and live streaming – and at £4319/$4499, is cheaper than the official flagship, as well as being 10% smaller and 30% lighter. The XF605 is the first of the next generation of Canon’s XF series, with more advanced features in key areas, like 4K/60p 4:2:2 10-bit image quality and FHD up to 120p. It has a large 1.0-type CMOS sensor and Digic DV7 processor, custom picture options such as HDR (HLG/PQ) and Canon Log 3, and you can upload your own LUTs. This is a camcorder made for everyday use, with everything an ENG
switches. The left side of the main camera body has controls for the ND filters and ISO/gain, white-balance presets or auto white-balance, push AF/MF, image stabilisation, peaking, zebras and waveforms. There are also auto buttons to get the camera up and working immediately in a rush, and an IR button engages the super low-light settings for shooting in darkness. The handgrip has an easy rocker switch for zooming, although you can take control and use the lens rings instead if that’s your preferred method. The back end of the camera has all the pro connections you’d want, such as timecode and genlock, as well as 12G-SDI output. This is where the camera shows its true colours as a highly modern machine. On top of broadcast-style I/O options, it has IP live streaming that supports multiple protocols, remote control for multicamera operation alongside Canon’s range of PTZ cameras – or can be used as a simple webcam via USB-C. Streaming is in HD though; for 4K streaming you’d still need to go for the flagship XF705.
or events shooter needs, and nothing extra added on. It can record in MP4 H.265 or XF-AVC in MXF for broadcast use in high bit rates. It also has 12G-SDI and HDMI outputs. The lens is a beauty, and a big selling point, with a huge zoom range thanks to a 15x optical f/2.8 zoom with equivalent 35mm focal length range of 25.5-382.5mm. To get wider or longer, Canon offers screw-on converters. You can use digital zoom to get even closer to the action, though this does hurt image quality and resolution. But if you’re a news shooter and a long way from your subject, it gets you out of a hole. There are also the traditional three control rings and built-in ND filters, of course, which are stepped rather than variable. The camera can also record audio separately to a memory card as a WAV file, ideal for using transcription or translation apps, so is perfect for YouTubers or news applications. It’s in everyday use that this camera is a true professional tool, with all the most-used functions handled by dedicated buttons or
ALL-ROUNDER The XF605 is a capable performer on most shoots, making it a great choice for pros
QUICK ACCESS All the pro inputs and outputs you need come
as standard on the impressive XF605
“It’s in everyday use that this camera is a professional tool, with the most-used functions handled by dedicated buttons”
58. DEFINITIONMAGAZINE.COM
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