Canon XL1 (1998)
You can’t talk about the evolution of digital imaging in the ‘90s without a mention of one of the most iconic digital camcorder designs from that decade. Although its predecessor, the Canon GL1, had made a solid name for itself amongst videographers, it was the Canon XL1, with its unique ‘bent’ design, that would be embraced by amateur filmmakers and creative types working with less-than-Hollywood-sized budgets.
Like the GL1, the Canon XL1 featured three CCDs, although bumped up in size to 1/3-inch, which each independently captured red, green, and blue light that had been separated by a prism. This, along with a beefy 16X optical zoom lens and image stabilization, allowed the XL1 to capture incredibly detailed footage with excellent color reproduction and impressive low-light performance for the era.
