Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
I have a friend who's owned an XL1s for some time now and he's produced some excellent results (including a short piece on Springwatch). I currently have a GL2 on loan (a predecessor similar to the XM2) but haven't had it for very long to assess its performance. The latter is newer but the XL1 is much more of a professional camera having interchangable lenses etc.
Sorry but I've no experience with Sony other than palmcorders.
At the end of the day the older models don't equal their current HD equivalents in picture quality but that comes at a price so it probably comes down to how much you want to spend.
If you're interested I can put you in touch with the XL1s owner as he's contemplating selling his and moving up to HD.
Broadcast quality non-HD isn't a million miles behind low-cost palmcorder HD from what I've seen but the equivalent broadcast camera HD is awesome in comparison (but at a price!). Obviously HD viewed on an HD TV brings out the best.
The Springwatch piece was in 2007 as I recall and showed stoats in the rather unsual setting of heather in the Peak District. The output from the XL1s used is particularly good because of the quality of the lens.
I have two SD MiniDV camcorders (TRV22 4:3 & TRV60 16:9), and one HD MiniDV camcorder, a Sony HDR-HC5E. So far, I haven't seen any of my HD footage on an HD TV.
I have uploaded SD and HD data to my computer, and have made SD DVDs (I don't yet have a Blue Ray burner.) I'm pleased with the quality I get from any of the SD uploads when burnt to DVD, but the HD uploads from the HC5E tend to be somewhat jittery. Whether this would improve with a Blue Ray burner, I've no idea. None of my camcorders has what would be considered as a "professional" grade lens, let alone one suitable for bird capture.