Recently, I sent a list of questions to Canon’s public relations department about the new XA20 and XA25 cameras. A couple of weeks later, I got answers. Most were excellent news; some were unclear; while some were bad news for the short term, although could possibly improve via a firmware update.

TÉPPER asks: With SD cards, do the XA20 and XA25 work with FAT32, exFAT, or UDF formatting? If all three, can exFAT or UDF be used only with SDXC cards, or may exFAT or UDF also be used with SDHC cards?

CANON responds: XA20/XA25 has adopted the FAT32 system. The cameras can also read SDXC cards that have been formatted to exFAT. We are checking to see whether they can read cards that have been formatted to UDF.

TÉPPER asks: Can the XA20 and XA25 perform the exFAT or UDF formatting internally, or must the exFAT or UDF formatting on cards be performed with an external computer?

CANON responds: XA20/XA25 can only format internally to FAT32.

TÉPPER comments: For those unaware, SDXC cards ship from the factory already formatted as exFAT.

TÉPPER asks: When using exFAT or UDF formatted cards and recording .mp4 (not AVCHD), can the XA20 and XA25 record a single file larger than 4GB? Or when requiring more than 4GB, do the XA20 and XA25 create sequential files even with exFAT or UDF?

CANON responds: MP4 and AVCHD individual clips recorded with XA20/XA25 never exceed 4GB.

TÉPPER comments: Please let me know as soon this improves via a firmware update.

TÉPPER asks: Do the .mp4 files created by the XA20 and XA25 include metadata (i.e. timecode, etc.)?

CANON responds: Yes. Such data is recorded to a private tag. Currently, Apple FCP X and Adobe Premiere support XA20/XA25 metadata. Avid is working on a compatibility update.

TÉPPER asks: When the camera is set to shoot 1080/23.976p (aka “23.98p”), is their any HDMI setting which will allow the camera to output the native 1080/23.976p over HDMI, or must it output exclusively over HDMI with a pulldown over 59.94?

CANON responds: HDMI output is exclusively 60i even when the recording mode is 30P or 24P. Users can overlap a pulldown flag for the 60i signal via menu control when the camera is set for 24P recording.

TÉPPER comments: This answer is inconclusive. I’ll have to test this personally.

TÉPPER asks: When the camera is set to shoot 1080/29.97p, is their any HDMI setting which will allow the camera to output the native 1080/29.97p over HDMI, or must it output exclusively over HDMI with a pulldown over 59.94?

CANON responds: See prior answer.

TÉPPER comments: This answer is inconclusive. I’ll have to test this personally.

TÉPPER asks: When the XA25 is set to shoot 1080/23.976p (aka “23.98p”), is their any HD-SDI setting which will allow the camera to output the native 1080/23.976p over HD-SDI, or is there an option for it to output 1080/23.976PsF over HD-SDI, or must it output exclusively over HD-SDI with a pulldown over 59.94?

CANON responds: At the system level, HDMI and HD-SDI are the same. So the menu setting for 24P pulldown affects both ports.

TÉPPER comments: This answer is inconclusive. I’ll have to test this personally.

TÉPPER asks: When the XA25 is set to shoot 1080/29.97p, is their any HD-SDI setting which will allow the camera to output the native 1080/29.97p over HD-SDI, or is there an option for it to output 1080/29.97PsF over HD-SDI , or must it output exclusively over HD-SDI over 59.94?

CANON responds: See prior answer.

TÉPPER comments: This answer is inconclusive. I’ll have to test this personally.

TÉPPER asks: What XA25 framerates are available over HD-SDI in 720p? Only 59.94p, or also lower framerates?

CANON responds: In 720p, only 29.97 and 23.98 fps are available on XA20/XA25.

TÉPPER asks: With the XA20 and XA25, are AGC and limiter available for the XLR inputs? (Apparently with the XA10, the AGC is only available via the 3.5mm input.) If so, is this now physically selectable via a physical switch on the handle (i.e. AGC/Manual) and for each input (Left/Right or channel 1/channel2), or is it only switchable in the camera’s menu? (If that selector is now on the handle, could I have a picture showing it/them?)

CANON responds: The XA20/XA25 supports both AGC and limiter functions for XLR inputs via menu controls.

TÉPPER asks: I am very glad to see that the website specs for the XA20 and XA25 reflect non-integer framerates as decimals, i.e. 29.97p (as opposed to the rounded “30p” as what was/is the case with the XA10). Is that the way they appear in the XA20/XA25’s camera menu? If so, could I please have a screen shot of one of them?

CANON responds: No screen shots available yet, but according to the preproduction working sample we have, frame rates are displayed on the OLED screen as 59.94, 29.97 and 23.98.

TÉPPER comments: This was later confirmed with the operator’s manual, and the answer is good.!

TÉPPER asks: I am very happy to see that Canon supports dual-band (5 GHz/2.4 GHz) WiFi, especially since other manufacturers have neglected 5 GHz. Does the FTP over WiFi in the XA20/XA25 also support SFTP (to send the password encrypted)?

CANON: XA20/XA25 does not have an encryption function for FTP transmission. SFTP is not supported in the current firmware.

TÉPPER comments: Please let me know as soon as this is fixed via a firmware update.

TÉPPER asks: Is Canon planning to offer a “worldcam” version (and/or after purchase upgrade) for the XA20 and XA25, as you have in the past with other cameras, to unlock the 25p framerate? If so, what are the details (if yet established)?

CANON responds: We will inform you of Canon’s plans for this once they have been finalized.

All of the above issues that are related to Beyond AVCHD are covered in detail in the article called Canon XA20 and XA25 take key steps towards Beyond AVCHD.

Other related articles

• Canon’s new XA20 and XA25 cameras fulfill wishes from my Open Letter to pro AVCHD cam manufacturers
• Beyond AVCHD: a proposed new standard for AVCHD cam manufacturers
• Sony NX30: currently best in its class, yet improvable
• Canon XA20 and XA25 take key steps towards Beyond AVCHD

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