Canon XH-A1 or Canon XH-A1S?

[ProducerHarley]

Hello all.Could someone please tell me whether to buy a Canon XH-A1 or a Canon XH-A1S?Are the XH-A1S worth the extra money?I have heard that the XH-A1 is front heavy.Has anyone experienced this?And if they have,how do you work around it?Is the XH-A1S front heavy also?Thanks.

[Soopafresh]

I don't think it's worth the extra $1000 . I agree with the post in the link below to spend that extra money on a Steadicam Merlin instead. Or get the $400 wide angle lens adapter for the XH-A1.

See discussion
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-xh-series-hdv-camcorders/138944-xh-a1-vs-xh-a1s.html

I have heard that the XH-A1 is front heavy.

It's kind of heavy period, in that hand-holding it will result in fatigue fairly quickly. It has a shoulder mount, but it's an awkward design because the XH-A1 isn't all that long. Balance it with a Merlin if you want cinematic moving shots, or use a "real" shoulder mounted stabilizer if you plan on doing a lot of shooting without a tripod. Speaking of tripods, don't cut corners in that area. Here are some suggestions for some good fluid head ones:

http://www.hv20.com/showthread.php?t=15069

[SCDVD]

@ Soopafresh - What is the brand and model of the shoulder brace in your post?

[Soopafresh]

That one in particular in from Red Rock Micro. There are similar, less expensive (and more expensive) devices to be had at BHphoto.com

http://www.redrockmicro.com/microShoulderMount/index.html

[SCDVD]

I've been thinking about this one http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/147274-REG/Mighty_Wondercam_Videosmith__001_Clas...ulder_Pod.html

Any opinions?

[Soopafresh]

This looks a bit more heavy duty and the price is almost the same:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/531905-REG/Cavision_RS1580D_SPE_RS1580D_SPE_Shou...ad_System.html

Something close to ideal would be a device with a counterbalance via the shoulder brace, making the whole rig with camera less fatigue prone. Always nice to take the weight off of your arm.

http://www.dynamicmotionvideo.com/products/cb105.php