I Bought My Dream Camera…From 27 Years Ago | Canon XL1

The Canon XL1 was my dream camera when it was released in 1998, but as a broke 13 year old its $4000 price tag was far beyond anything I could ever have hoped to afford. Years later thanks to the magic of eBay, I was finally able to buy my dream camera and I’m happy to say it lives up to the hype! So let’s take a look at the absolutely awesome XL1, understand its history, and explore how its video-centric DNA lives on in modern cameras.

•Here's a followup video that compares the quality of footage imported via FireWire vs. analog:
   • Firewire or Analog? The Best Way to C...  

🎬 Some tools I use with the XL1:
•Elgato Video Capture: https://geni.us/7dQE (Amazon)
•Analog to HDMI Converter: https://geni.us/acxCUI (Amazon)
•Elgato CamLink: https://geni.us/vddHN (Amazon)

If you’re looking to find an XL1 or other “vintage” camera of your own, your best bet is to scour eBay and setup an alert to let you know when a new listing is available. There are a lot of broken and damaged cameras out there, but if you’re patient it’s definitely possible to find a diamond in the rough at a reasonable price.

💡If you like this video and want to dive into video editing, my Final Cut Pro course will walk you through everything from start to finish and this video's timeline (including all of the original footage) is included as a sample project: https://learnfinalcutpro.com

🔈 Music for this video is from Artlist & Epidemic Sound:
•Artlist (2 extra months free): https://geni.us/ArtlistTom
•Episidemic (30 Day Free Trial): http://share.epidemicsound.com/enthus...

📼 My video about the Canon L1:
   • The Weirdest Camcorder You've Ever Se...  

⏱️ Chapter Markers:
0:00 - The Basics: Canon XL1 101
1:31 - Part 1: Context - “The X-L-ent One”
3:13 - Let’s Focus on Lenses
6:45 - Design Cues from the Pros
10:05 - Part 2: Does the XL1 Excel?
10:48 - XL1 vs. Smartphone Cameras (2009-Current)
12:56 - Why the XL1 is Better Than Modern Cameras
18:00 - Working With XL1 Footage & Modern Computers/Software
20:30 - Part 3: The (L)egacy
25:03 - Wrap Up: XL-Yeah!

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——————————— VIDEO GEAR ———————————
•Sony FX3 (Main Camera): https://bhpho.to/3EJuBde (B&H)
•Sony a7SIII: https://bhpho.to/3f8mMlS (B&H)
•Sony a7IV: https://bhpho.to/33mOGZo (B&H)
•Sony 24 1.4 (Main Lens): https://geni.us/sony24 (Amazon)
•Tamron 20-40 2.8: https://geni.us/Rp3NeMc
•Zeiss 85 1.8: https://geni.us/zeissbatis (Amazon)
•Sony 70-200: https://bhpho.to/3B4tCr2 (B&H)
•Anamorphic Lens: https://bhpho.to/309H0rV (B&H)
•Rodecaster Video: https://bhpho.to/3Ub88j2 (B&H)

——————————— AUDIO GEAR ———————————
•Rodecaster Pro II: https://bhpho.to/3wCwaqI (B&H)
•Sennheiser MKH 50: https://geni.us/mkh50 (Amazon)
•Shure SM7B: https://geni.us/tepsm7b (Amazon)
•Earthworks Ethos: https://bhpho.to/3CthFs4 (B&H)
•Lewitt LCT 240 Pro: https://geni.us/4fww (Amazon)
•Sony Video Mic: https://bhpho.to/3ztb6Vb (B&H)
•Tall Mic Arm: https://geni.us/A39EvH (Amazon)
•Short Mic Arm: https://geni.us/zc7hAbW (Amazon)
•Sennheiser Wireless System: https://bhpho.to/43JgqkL (B&H)
•Rode Headphones: https://bhpho.to/3JNacqg (B&H)

—————————— LIGHTS & SUPPORTS ——————————
•Nanlite Forza 200 (Key Light): https://geni.us/9Ofr (Amazon)
•Aputure Light Dome Mini: https://bhpho.to/4eMAiJs (B&H)
•Small Nanlite RGB Tube Lights: https://geni.us/nanlite (Amazon)
•Big Nanlite RGB Tube Lights: https://geni.us/pavotubes (Amazon)
•Rolling Camera Stand: https://bhpho.to/3PbJGg3 (B&H)
•Camera Backpack: https://geni.us/aEH2 (Amazon)

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🎥 Check out my full gear list here:https://himynameistom.com/gear
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– Who Am I? –

Hi! My name is Tom Buck, a lifelong A/V nerd and former high school Digital Media teacher. I started this channel in 2017 as a project to share my enthusiasm for everything related to audio and video production.

It's my goal for each video to be interesting/helpful/atleastmildlyentertaining, from a helpful enthusiast’s point of view. You can take a look at my bio to learn more about my background, both personally and professionally: https://himynameistom.com/about

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Episode 369: Is The Canon XL1 The Coolest Camera Ever Made?