I’ve traded in my camera for a new one. I sold my Canon GL2 on Craigslist. I got a little over a third of what I payed for it about three years ago; I guess that’s the way it goes with technology. It was a wonderful camera when I bought it, but that was right before this whole “high definition” trend kicked in, and I was left in the dust.
Canon hasn’t replaced it with any equivalent camera in the HD world, and probably never will. The Canon XHA1 has many more advanced features than the GL2 and is much bigger. The Canon HV30 has far fewer features and is much smaller.
Anyway, I used the money to buy a Canon HV30. I used it to shoot a wedding over the weekend and it worked flawlessly. Weddings are very run-and-gun so automatic controls are a must. I was very impressed with the battery life. But when working on more detailed projects, it would be nice to have more precise focus control and any kind of gain control. The HV30 is a nice camera for the purpose it serves, but it’s no GL2.
I also sprang for one of the cheapest depth of field adapters available, the JAG35. I love the look I got for Lucid Dreams using the RedRock, so hopefully the JAG35 has similar performance. It’s made almost specifically for the HV30. It’s still in the mail right now, but I should have it next week.
With this new equipment, I’ll be ready for HD and hopefully I can really get creative.