Combining a compact form factor and professional video features, the Canon XA30 is well-suited for event coverage, wedding videography, independent and documentary filmmaking, and other applications that require a compact, professional camera. It is equipped with a 20x Canon optical zoom lens with a versatile 35mm equivalent range of 26.8 to 576mm, and features a 1/2.84", HD CMOS Pro sensor with enhanced sensitivity for improved low-light performance over the previous model. To fit into your workflow, the camcorders captures up to 1920x1080 video at 23.98p, 29.97p, 59.94p, and 59.94i frame rates, while also offering Slow and Fast Motion recording modes, as well as an interval recording option to capture fast motion of up to 1200x the original speed.

In addition to the standard gamma recording mode, the XA30 offers Wide DR and Highlight Priority Gamma modes. Wide DR compresses high brightness areas to achieve a wider dynamic range of 600%. This not only helps suppress overexposure, but also produces smooth gradations in highlights and shadows, all while maintaining a finalized look that eliminates the need for post-production processing. The Highlight Priority Mode gives an HDR-like quality to your video by reducing the amount of highlight and mid-tone compression on the gamma curve, which helps to maintain highlight exposure. The mode also enhances brightness and saturation for more faithful color reproduction. A View Assist Mode is available to support this mode, enabling you to more accurately monitor what the final images will look like.