When parents of the young students of the Reston Conservatory Ballet received DVD copies of a December 2006 performance of "The Nutcracker Suite," they saw video unlike any they had seen before.
Although this suburban Washington, D.C., ballet company has been videotaping its performances for more than 25 years, this latest production was captured in HD clarity using the Canon XH A1 HD camcorder.
The Reston Conservatory Ballet serves more than 1200 students ranging from 3 years old to adults. It has used a succession of videotape formats throughout the years.
A major reason for upgrading to the XH A1 HD camcorder was its ability to shoot in the 16:9 HDTV aspect ratio, which is well suited for capturing stage performances.
The Canon XH A1 HD camcorder relies on a Canon 20X HD video zoom lens and three 1/3in native 1440 x 1080 16:9 CCDs. This is the same image-sensor technology used in Canon's XL H1 HD camcorder.
The XH A1 HD camcorder features Canon's next-generation DIGIC DV II digital signal processing chip, which processes the camcorder's HD signal at 1440 x 1080 with 4:2:2 color sampling.
Having a variety of dancers moving about the stage used to present a challenge for maintaining focus with the conservatory's SD cameras. The XH A1 HD camcorder's Instant AF, however, makes maintaining accurate focus easier.
Documenting performances isn't the only use for the camcorder at the conservatory. Many students are required to submit short videotapes when applying to colleges or for scholarships. Initial auditions and submissions for awards and roles are often submitted on videotape shot with the camcorder as well.
For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.
