GL2 better than the XLs? Consumer grade HDs better than pro-sumer Mini DVs?

I had thought the Canon XLs were of higher quality than
the GL2, but in another discussion group someone said
the GL2's sensor is better because it has a higher resolution,
producing a noticeably better video. Is that true? In another
group someone suggested getting a consumer grade HD
camcorder like a Canon HV20 or 30. They are cheaper
and HD, so what's better about the pro-sumer grade Mini DV
cameras over the consumer grade HD cameras, if anything?

<dh@.> wrote in message news:e6vab45igi51i2b74g284i1ojbve085a4s@4ax.com...
>I had thought the Canon XLs were of higher quality than
> the GL2, but in another discussion group someone said
> the GL2's sensor is better because it has a higher resolution,
> producing a noticeably better video. Is that true?

No, it is not. Standard definition video is 720 x 480 pixels. Period. A
higher resolution sensor won't change that (though there may be some nominal
improvement if it does pixel subsampling). What it will do, however, is cut
down on low-light sensitivity.

> In another
> group someone suggested getting a consumer grade HD
> camcorder like a Canon HV20 or 30. They are cheaper
> and HD, so what's better about the pro-sumer grade Mini DV
> cameras over the consumer grade HD cameras, if anything?

The HV20/30 is a terrific HD camcorder. However, manual control is
difficult and, in some cases, impossible, the viewfinder and LCD overscan,
you're limited to a single lens, which isn't too bad but doesn't compare to
the glass on the XL2, it doesn't support XL mike inputs or separate control
over each audio channel, etc. The intended demographic for the XL2 and the
HV20/30 are fundamentally different -- the latter is a consumer camera, the
former a prosumer one. I don't happen to be a fan of the GL2 -- I don't
think it compares favorably with, for example, Sony's VX2000/2100.