Hands-On Review: Does Canon’s XC10 Change The Game?

The XC10 is arguably one of Canon’s more innovative cameras in recent years, offering some fantastic features such as internal 4K recording, 12 stops of dynamic range, and internal stabilization. Although the camera’s fixed lens and relatively small 1-inch sensor will turn off some filmmakers, event videographers, news shooters, and other live content producers will likely find this camera to be worthy of its $2,500 price tag.

Design
The XC10’s design is definitely its strongest suit. Having owned a C100 for several years, I feel very much at home when operating the XC10—it’s like a shrunken version of its bigger brother.

The camera’s hand grip and its light weight (2.1lbs) make for some very comfortable shooting, even over long periods of time. Often lightweight cameras are extremely sensitive to small hand movements, but thanks to the built-in stabilization on the XC10, that issue is largely mitigated.

The biggest drawback of the XC10 from a design perspective is the LCD/loupe system. Canon opted to not integrate a dedicated EVF, and instead have chosen to include a loupe that can be attached to the LCD. I don’t find this combination to be particularly strong as the loupe can be difficult to attach and isn’t always perfectly sharp. That said, it is essential to use when shooting in direct sunlight.

Image Quality
Canon’s forte, in my opinion, has always been their color science, and the XC10 is certainly no exception. Like many of Canon’s higher-end cinema cameras, the XC10 delivers beautifully rich colors that are accurate and consistent across a wide variety of lighting conditions. The camera also offers some fantastic picture profiles (such as Canon Log), which allow for maximum flexibility in the color suite.

The images the XC10 captures are both sharp and detailed, not only in 4K mode but in HD mode as well. Many 4K capable cameras suffer from a subpar 1080 mode, but the XC10 is definitely an exception to this rule.

The low-light performance on the XC10 is also relatively strong considering its small sensor size. It is certainly no Sony a7S/II, but for shots up to ISO 4000 you can expect some very clean results.

What We Liked
The form factor of this camera has been well conceived and will inevitably be appealing to event shooters. Add to that its ability to record internal 4K at 305Mbps, and clearly the XC10 packs a lot of punch.

Additional video-centric features such as Zebras, Focus Peaking, and flat picture profiles are welcome additions, as they open up possibilities for shooting in a true run-and-gun fashion.

The XC10 also offers the ability to capture 12-megapixel stills, which will prove useful for hybrid-style shooters. It certainly won’t replace your DSLR in terms of still image quality, but in a pinch it’s great to have that functionality built right in.

What We Didn’t Like
The XC10 may boast some pretty impressive features, but it definitely has a fair amount of downsides too, the biggest being the lens. I’m a believer that the glass on any fixed lens camera needs to be spectacular, simply because it will always be your only option. Unfortunately the XC10 leaves a lot to be desired in this department, mainly due to its variable aperture (f/2.8-f/5.6)—not to mention, many basic settings can only be adjusted via the menu system, which only adds to the problem.

When your exposure drops after zooming in on a shot (because of the variable aperture), you will need to dig through the menus just to change your ISO setting to compensate. Working this way somewhat defeats the purpose of shooting on a camera that was seemingly designed for speed.

The small sensor also isn’t ideal for achieving shallow depth-of-field shots, which is a consideration for shooters with a DSLR background. By the same token, a full-frame sensor wouldn’t have worked in this camera since it would make pulling focus that much more difficult. However, something a bit larger (perhaps Micro Four Thirds size) would have been preferable.

How it Compares
The XC10 has a number of competitors at the moment, with its closest rival being the Panasonic FZ1000. This offering from Panasonic also includes a fixed lens, but it has more reach (25mm-400mm), higher megapixels for stills (20 vs. 12), and an LCD that can both tilt and swivel.

By the same token, the XC10 has its advantages too, namely its superior low light performance, built-in ND filter and headphone jack.

While neither camera is going to be perfect for everyone, the XC10 will likely find its home with videographers that are looking to shoot the occasional still photo, while the FZ1000 may appeal to photographers with occasional video needs.

Related:

Canon Introduces Its Fastest Camera Ever: The 1D X Mark II 
8 Money-Making Filmmaking Add-Ons and Upsells