News and Reviews

Canon XF300 in 2026: Still Usable for HD Video? Real Tests & Specs

Details: By admin; Jan 21; Hits: 23

Canon released the XF300 and XF305 camcorders as their premier video camera solution for filmmakers in 2010. At that time, it wasn't clear that large sensor cinema cameras would come to dominate the market, and the new camcorders were Canon's answer for videographers looking for durable, high-quality imagery in full HD. They were remarkable cameras with outstanding color science and ergonomics. But, do they still offer usable image quality today? We purchased an XF300 for our business in 2012, shortly after Canon put this camera out to the market. At the time the Canon Cinema EOS C300 and C100 cameras had been announced and we thought about waiting for one of those. But, neither of those cameras offered autofocus, something we needed for the types of work we were shooting for our clients at the time.

The result, we purchased the XF300.

We've now used the XF300 for 13 years. And, while we've invested in new cameras for client work, we still find that the XF300 has a place in some productions.

But how does it hold up in 2026? We tried to answer that question in 2025 with a video review on YouTube that covers aspects of the camera and its operation.

To put it into context compared to more modern, larger sensor cameras, we also shot test footage to compare it with the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 6k Pro. I think the comparison is surprising, to say the least.

Finally, one of the significant advantages of the XF300 is that with larger capacity memory cards it can record for a huge amount of time. Originally it supported up to 128 GB cards. But what about larger, 256 GB cards? Those came after the XF300 had already been on the market for a while. Do they work with the camera. We tested that recently and you an watch that here:

All in all, we have been pleased with the Canon XF300 and expect to continue to use it for several more years. It's HD image quality is quite good and it upscales to 4k in Davinci Resolve easily and efficiently when using new Apple M series chips.

Canon XF300 and XF305 Key Specs

Sensor: 1/3-inch CMOS (3-chip design)

Resolution: 2.07 megapixels effective per chip

Lens: Canon L-Series HD Video Lens (non-interchangeable)

Focal length: 4.25–57.75 mm (35mm equivalent: 29–392 mm)
Zoom ratio: 14× optical
Maximum aperture: f/1.6–2.8
Built-in ND filters (1/4, 1/16, and 1/64)

Recording Format: MPEG-2 Full HD (4:2:2, 50 Mbps)

Codecs: Canon XF Codec (MXF container)
Resolutions: 1920×1080 (60i/50i/30p/25p/24p), 1280×720 (60p/50p/30p/25p/24p)

Bit Rate & Chroma: Up to 50 Mbps, 4:2:2 color samplingStorage: 2× CompactFlash Type I/II slots (supports UDMA CF cards)

Can use up to 256GB CF cards in our testing.

Audio: 2 XLR inputs with +48V phantom power, manual audio controls, 16-bit linear PCMViewfinder & LCD: 1.3 cm / 0.52-inch color EVF (1.55 million dots)

3.5-inch LCD (1.23 million dots, flip-out, rotatable)

Connectivity: HD/SD-SDI output, Timecode in/out, Genlock input, Component/Composite outBattery: BP-975/970/955/945 series (BP-975 standard)

Runtime: ~2–3 hours typical

Dimensions & Weight: 6.9 × 7.7 × 14.0 in (175 × 195 × 355 mm)

Body only: ~5.6 lbs (2.5 kg)

Where to Buy?

The Canon XF300 and XF305 are no longer available new. But, they pop up on used retailers and on Ebay. We often buy used equipment from MPB.com. The XF300/305 is often available there [Affiliate Link]. If you buy one from them using our link, we get a small commission, but it doesn't cost you anything. Check them out, you might find something you like, maybe even an XF300.