Smaller-market TV stations face a constant challenge to produce
compelling, cost-effective local news that builds audiences amid
multichannel competition. For KRGV TV-5, in Weslaco, Texas, meeting that
challenge combines award-winning journalism with affordable, ultra
compact XA10 professional HD camcorders from Canon U.S.A., Inc., a
leader in digital imaging solutions. Equipped with infrared features for
shooting in total darkness, the station’s hand-held Canon XA10 HD
camcorders were instrumental in producing “The Battle in Brooks County,”
a special report on the plight of illegal immigrants that won a 2011
Lone Star Emmy Award. Reporter Jordan Williams and photographer Mike
Ortiz accompanied sheriff’s deputies on night patrols of vast ranchlands
and used the XA10 HD camcorders to document the perils of illegal
immigrants abandoned by human traffickers in the deserts of southern
Texas.
“During the past decade, our area has seen hundreds of illegal
immigrants cross the border, get lost in the brush, and die,” Williams
explained. “We were out on patrol one day and found two men who were
dehydrated and in very bad health. Mike had his shoulder-mounted ENG
camera and I had the Canon XA10, and we did an instant two-camera shoot
right there on the side of the road. The men told us their story and
were suffering so badly they had to be taken to the hospital. It’s a
sequence that will always stick in my mind.”
“We captured memorable footage at night as well, including interviews
with volunteers who patrol the ranchlands in the dark looking for lost
illegal immigrants,” Ortiz added. “The XA10 is small, versatile,
non-intimidating, and it gives us great video. That’s what I need in my
line of work.”
Capable of shooting in conditions with little to no ambient
light, the Canon XA10 professional HD camcorder features infrared video
capture and an infrared emitter with a diffuser, as well as a GREEN or
WHITE color option to shoot HD infrared imagery even in complete
darkness.
Professional Creative Control
Weighing just 1.7 lbs., the Canon XA10 professional HD camcorder
captures 1080p Full HD video using an AVCHD codec recording to a 64GB
internal flash drive or two SDXC-compatible card slots. Equipped with a
built-in Genuine Canon 10x HD zoom lens (with a 35mm equivalent zoom
range of 30.4mm – 304mm), Canon 1/3-inch native 1920 x 1080 CMOS image
sensor, and Canon DIGIC DV III image processor, the XA10 provides users
with complete manual control for creative, professional use. Those
manual controls include variable frame rates (60i, PF30, PF24, and
native 24p), shutter speed, aperture control, gain control, white
balance (adjustable from 2000K to 15,000K in 100K increments), and zoom
speed. The focus ring on the lens can be set for MANUAL, and users can
set the direction of rotation as well as three levels of response
control. In addition to the focus ring, auto-focus speed can be adjusted
for smooth transitions, as well as to a FACE-ONLY AF mode allowing for a
blurred image as a person walks off-screen. The XA10’s lens also
features Canon’s SuperRange Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) system with
STANDARD, DYNAMIC, and POWERED IS modes for steady video in most any
shooting situation.
Packing a Big Punch
“As the station’s former chief photographer I know cameras,” noted KRGV
operations manager Israel Alfaro. “I do the budget for the news
department, and look for equipment that can help the news team. The
Canon XA10 caught my attention because of its infrared features. We do a
lot of undercover news here in South Texas, where nights are dark out in
the brush of ranch country. The XA10 also caught my attention for its HD
image quality, professional features, mobility, and file-based workflow
convenience. It’s just like connecting an external hard drive to your
computer editor. I showed it to our news director, Jenny Martinez, and
she wanted one immediately. The XA10 is small but it packs a big punch
in quality and looks nice and sharp on the air in HD. It’s also very
cost-effective. We just purchased a second one.”
Additional features of the Canon XA10 HD camcorder include a 3.5-inch
high-resolution (922,000-dot) touch-panel fold-out LCD screen that can
be flipped for solo shooting with the LCD facing the subject. The XA10
also includes a 0.24-inch, 260,000-dot color EVF for use in bright
daylight or other conditions that could prevent use of the LCD. For
checking critical focus, a Touch and Track feature provides instant
focus and exposure correction on any point of interest touched on the
LCD. Auto focus and exposure can be adjusted independently or turned off
for full manual operation. Also, two peaking modes and a 2X magnify
focus-assist function are available in STANDBY and RECORD mode on both
the LCD and EVF. The XA10 also features Canon’s Edge Monitor Focus
Assist system, which displays a green monitor at the bottom of the LCD.
A green waveform provides dynamic focus feedback to intuitively tune
focus or quickly change the zone of focus. A custom key and dial allow
for convenient, one-touch access to various functions such as focus or
exposure and are set through the camcorder’s menu system.
The Canon XA10 HD camcorder features a built-in stereo microphone and a
detachable handle for low-angle shooting. The handle includes dual XLR
inputs, audio switches, audio level dials, and a removable microphone
holder. The XA10 supports Dolby Digital 2ch (AC-3 2-channel) with
automatic and manual audio-level adjustments.
“Some of the best sounds bites in ‘The Battle in Brooks County’ were the
interviews we did with the camera mic right there in the middle of
darkness,” Williams noted. “It worked just fine.”
Raising the Bar
“I have taken the XA10 to various locations and use it both on regular
day-of stories and special projects, and it has been a real asset,”
Ortiz explained. “I still love my shoulder-mount camera, but the compact
design of the XA10 enables me to get more angles, which is really
important for a photographer. I think that hand-held and
shoulder-mounted cameras can work very well together, and if you’ve got
them both then you’re going to bring back some really great footage. I
am able to utilize both during multi-camera shoots. I can aim the XA10
at my talent or my subject and when matching the audio up it works
wonderfully. I had the XA10 up in a helicopter and gave it to the
reporter to get shots of the pilot while I shot aerial footage with my
shoulder-mount. The XA10 works great in various scenarios and it’s
small, versatile, and gives you great B-roll, great video and great
colors. The XA10 is a handy extra camera that lets you make your video
more compelling and your story that much better.”
“The XA10 gives us the capability not just to have great night shots but
also more shots during the day from different angles that you wouldn’t
normally get,” Williams stated. “We keep both of our XA10 HD camcorders
charged and we grab them whenever we are shooting a story that might
lend itself to multiple angles. From a reporter’s perspective, that
raises the bar of any story.”
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer,
business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With
approximately $45.6 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon
Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents registered in 2011†
and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2012.
Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction
and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and
support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is
dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental
responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A.,
sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.
†Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and
Trademark Office.
All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of
their respective owners.
