Canon GL2 Mini DV Camcorder

Pros: takes great pictures, easy to use, and has many great features
Cons: Design problem leads to broken rewind mechanism.

The GL2 takes great pictures, easy to use, and has many
great features, BUT; it has one major problem, the rewind
mechanism has a design flaw! Like many others, I got the
infamous "EJECT TAPE" message.

Until Canon recalls the cameras with rewind problems, I wouldn't recommend any Canon products.
The quote I got for fixing the problem was $420.

Unless you've got 400 bucks to toss in a year or so, don't
buy a Canon camcorder.

Pros: GL2 is very easy to shoot with and the picture looks great.
Cons: Dead pixels ruin the great picture.

I am very very disappointed with the GL2. Mine is about 2 years old with very little use. Recently I've noticed 2 dead pixels on my footage. This is extremely frustrating because I also have a XL1s with the same issue. I use the cameras for wedding videos and can't afford to shoot with these blemishes. I will never buy anything Canon again!!

Pros: Lots of great features. works pretty good for a year.
Cons: Things go bad after a year and a half.

In a two-year span I have done three important projects that went to DVD and maybe five family home videos. I'm getting pretty good at using manual settings to get rich colors and high quality shots. But lately, as I watch the video from the last two projects I am noticing a couple of dead pixels, tiny white spots that are always there. They are especially noticeable when you zoom in on someone’s face. So on the next project I borrowed a GL2 from my friend to avoid having this flaw in my shots, but his camera is about the same age and it also has this problem. I called Canon to see what it might be, and it turns out that it is something wrong with the CCD and prism system. The Part is $500.00 and the labor starts at $400.00. In other words, its is not worth fixing. So I consider the GL2 a throw away piece of junk after about a year and a half. For real quality, check out the Sony VX2000.

Pros: High quality video with ease of use when it is working.
Cons: Three times back to Canon. Never fixed the rewind problem

Frustrating problems with tape transport. In particular, the rewind mechanism. Come on Canon...Fess up...this is the Edsel of the Prosumer Video gear.