The Canon GL1's MSRP is $2,700, but I bought one from eCost.com for $2,150 including shipping and handling (and there's no tax outside TN and CA). The camera is a very good buy, because it takes broadcast- quality video for a third the cost.(posted 8866 days ago)It has 3 CCDs, but its secret is the lens: fluorite. People other than Canon have claimed that it's even a sharper lens than the XL1's and it rivals the multi-thousand-dollar lenses on fully professional videocameras. The lens is also the longest optical zoom range of any I've seen in 10 years: 20:1.
The GL1 has pixel-shift for higher res, just like the XL1, and although the GL1's chips are only 1/4", rather than 1/3" like the XL1, users of both have said that the images from each are indistinguishable. Since it's $1,500 cheaper, I'd take the GL1.
Three features exclusive to the XL1 have been touted as reasons to buy it over the GL1. First, the XL1 has manual audio control. But a pro I know who owns an XL1 said that he usually leaves it on auto anyway. Beware of setting the gain yourself. He said that he had to spend hours fixing the sound on an independent film that he was editing, because the filmmaker manually set the audio levels on his Sony VX1000. If he had let the camera do it, it would have been fine. I had a hard time myself letting go of manual audio control, but then I remembered that the only time you really want it is for music and the like: and of course you don't record that until post. During principle photography all you really want is dialogue, and I can't think of any situation in my 10 years of experience where manually setting the audio was necessary to record dialogue.
The second feature that is missing on the GL1 is an interchangeable lens. But remember the 20:1 zoom?
The third reason, and the only one I would call considerable, is that the XL1 is bigger and looks more like a serious camera. The GL1 is even a bit smaller than the VX1000, so to the inexperienced it looks like a plaything. If you are an event videographer who requires the dignity of shooting with a shoulder-mountable camera, buy the XL1. But if you are shooting a digital movie, or if you are a videographer and you think your clientele won't be insulted by the GL1's modest appearance, save yourself much money and get it instead.