I would suggest using a product called JB Weld if you are dealing with metal. It appears to be part of the body framework which is a magnesium alloy.

Hope this helps. I noticed you are located not far from me. Just down the road in Plano.

regards,

-gb-

Where did it break? Mine once broke at the neck, right up by the where the viewfinder slides on. I used SuperGlue and 6 " black plastic "tie-downs" (Home Depot). CAREFULLY put on the glue and then pull the straps on as tight as you can with pliers. Then, using a sharp knife cut off the remaining plastic tie.

Hello,
Could somebody please help. I have just bought a xl1. I powered it up and switched to record mode and put a brand new tape in it but in the viewfinder it is displaying that there is no tape. I'm sure or hoping that it is something simple that I have missed out. I would be very grateful for an answer to this problem. Thank you.
Alan.

Did you push the tape carriage until it locked in place? Or did you just close the outer door?

Thank you very much Jeff. It works.
Kind regards,
Alan.

I've not worked with such an adapter, but if I'm not mistaken
you can either not zoom through them (ie, pick your focal length
before you shoot the scene -> which is a good practice anyway)
or you have a shorter than normal zoom range.

Some testing might be in order before you decide to actually
shoot something with it in my opinion.

I'm trying to understand what you are trying to do.

Your NLE package needs to support 4-track in order to receive 4-track across the DV (firewire) connector. Not all NLEs do (I think Premiere does).

If your NLE does not you can get a program called Scenalyzer (http://www.scenalyzer.com/) that will. You can then import the audio into your NLE.

Someone else will have to answer whether the S will output 4-track analog through the audio input connectors. On the older XL-1, analog audio will be output through the headphone connector. The 3 options allow you to select either main, sub, or mix by pressing the audio monitoring button.

Hope this helps,

As Nathan notes, many NLE's/capture software/drivers do not support 4-channel capture via firewire. But if you did record 4-channel, the XL1 will output 4-channel on firewire. Check the specifications of your NLE capture system to see if 4-channel is supported. [Canon is ahead of most MiniDV camcorder makers in supporting 4-channel audio.]

You can obtain 4-channel analog output as well on playback. Output is from the Audio1 and Audio2 jacks. Details are in the manual on page 61.

when the XL1S are set to automatic, which are the default parameters ,the original setup ?

I have 2 cassettes.
First, I shoot with canon XL1S.
Second, I shoot with other camera.

The first and the second cassette can't playback in my XL1S camera. There are noise in my audio, the video is good.
But when the first and the second cassette, I playback with other camera, the result is good.
Why that can happen ??? My XL1S can shoot, but can't palyback.

Thanks for your help.

ALOHA

I recently lost my xl-1 12v battrey adaptor, module clipped into camera space with car cigarette adaptor on the other end of coiled cord and am looking for a source to purchase a new one. Any sourc info appreciated.

MAHALO


Jerry

I am not completely sure I understand your problem.

Question 1:
Does the audio recorded on the second cam play OK on the XL-1S?
Yes - XL-1 is probably OK.
No - Configuration error or faulty XL-1.

Question 2:
When you play your recording on the NLE (computer's editing package) is the audio OK? When you render back to the camera is audio OK through headphones?

If you cannot get the audio correct on the XL-1 at this point, check you audio setting and read the sections in manual about audio. If you are using 4-track, realize that audio monitor must be set to mix or sub in order to hear the other audio channels.

If after all this it is still not working it is possible that the XL-1 does have a fault.

Question 1 :
No, the audio recorded on the second cam can't play OK.

Question 2 :
When I play on the NLE and through headphones, the audio isn't OK.
I'm not using 4 track, I am using 16 bit audio.

I don't think it has any (except shutter?), since it all depends on
lighting etc. Shutter is probably 1/50th for PAL and 1/60th for NTSC.

Are you talking about these kind (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=3484&BI=155) of adaptors?

BINGO!!! Rob,

Thanks much.

Jerry

Hey Guys

I just wanted to say that I am now a proud member of the xl1s club. I picked it up monday and I couldn't be more happier.

Any tips or tricks you guys might have would greatly appreciated.

Welcome aboard. Read a lot here and get the most expierence
with the camera as you can. The more the better.

Take off that cover on the front of the lens, hit that red button on the side and move your arms around ;)

Seriously though, congratulations John! What are you going to be doing with your new camera? Shorts? Home stuff? News?

If I were you, one thing I'd recommend playing with is frame mode. It was something that I didn't really do when I first got my XM2 and when I actually came to having a project that might have benefitted (In hindsight it would have) I didn't know enough about it to risk shooting in it. In the end I deinterlaced. I would have preferred frame mode fooage to save the render times.

Cheers
Aaron

For all you “old hands” this probably isn’t anything you have already discovered. However, I thought I would pass this on to others, like myself, that are gaining experience with the XL1s.

There are times when a zoom in to a subject is needed or appropriate. The shot I required was a “zoom in” to a set of church doors and when the zoom was complete, have the door open (with no one opening the door). Typically, there are two possible ways to do this with the stock lens. Put the camera in auto focus and pray it doesn’t start hunting for focus on the zoom (then have an assistant open the door out of shot) or put it manual and adjust or follow through focus on the zoom…problematic at best with the stock lens.

I discovered a third and successful way (by accident). Instead of shooting the shot with a zoom in, start the shot with the door open and just release it to close on its own and then zoom out. Then in post simply reverse the clip in your NLE program. It works fantastic and…importantly…the camera stays focused on the zoom “in” shot.

Mark

The actual tip behind this is to zoom in to your subject (doors
in this case), focus on that and then zoom out again. The subject
should be in clear focus (and you should be able to do a zoom
in, if you need/want to). This way you will better set your focus
than when you do it zoomed out.

Ofcourse doing this typical shot the way you did is an excellent
way of doing it indeed. A lot of punching shots etc. are shot in
such ways as well.

I think I already know the answer to this question ("No") but is there a way to make the XL1s act as a transcoder, taking S-Video in the back and spitting it out DV so I can record directly into the computer?

I have some external video I'd like to dig but don't want to spend the time and headwear dumping it to a tape and then playing it back off the camera into the computer. I'd ideally like to pipe the vid into the XL1s via S-Video and then free-digitize it into the computer over firewire.. but it doesn't appear this is possible, even if you record to a tape at the same time, as having the DV cable plugged in makes the XL think it's supposed to be getting it's input from there.

i was playing around tonight and shot some test footage with a kindof ghetto wideangle i made.

works nicely for fixed shots or zooming through the first 50% of the zoom range on the stock canon lens. not the greatest thing in the world.. but hey i made it for free. also, i didn't center it properly in the mount i made so you can see some shadowing at the top versus the bottom.. this falls into the overscan area i suspect though so not much of a problem, but i'll still recenter it :D

not sure if image tags are enabled on this board..

(copy and paste the image address if it doesnt appear)

http://www.adamgeek.com/wide1.jpg

I think you can with the av insert button on the top handle. havnt tried it myself, but thats what the canon site says.

http://www.canondv.com/xl1s/f_av_inputs.html

I have a dazzle, so i just use that for bringing footage from other sources into my cpu. but if the av insert works then u should be set.

Rich

hehehe....thats cool man. How did u do it? how about a home made anamorphic next?

<<<-- Originally posted by Rich Lee : hehehe....thats cool man. How did u do it? how about a home made anamorphic next? -->>>

i took apart an old lens i had (for photography) and mounted one of the elements on the canon lens.

i have been thinking a lot lately about trying to build an anamorphic adapter.. there are a lot of older 16mm lenses for sale on ebay for very cheap (bolex, etc) and i am pretty sure i could rig one of these up pretty easily.. but i am thinking maybe i will just buy a mini35 and get it over with haha.

Rob is right.

also, another useful technique is if you are doing a dolly shot on an object for instance, where you want it to go from very out of focus, to a perfectly crisp focus as the dolly approaches a certain mark/point.. you can shoot the scene backwards (from the mark, prefect focus, roll dolly backwards, and lbur the focus) and then play it back in reverse in your NLE, and voila, you will neverhave to mess with many many takes of trying to pull the exact right focus as the dolly stops on the mark.

Hmmm bit of a problem with the noise made by the zoom, I have isolated the senheiser mic by using O rings, but still a discernable amount of noise is picked up when zooming. I have soundsoap, peak 4.0 Pro and would like to know if anyone knows roughly what the frequency is of the zoom noise? Then hopefully I will be able to remove it. Have ordered the hotshoe adapter for the mic so it hopefully wont happen again, but the Christening footage I am working on is blighted by the noise

Thanks in advance

Jed

That's possible only if you go through tape. So you can record
the SVHS source on tape and then capture that to your computer.
This only works on the newer S model!

I had the same problem. Fixed it with a filter in FCP, I think it was the high pass filter. I wasn't able to find the exact frequency because I don't have sound soap. If you are using FCP, try the different filters, or try the different filters with whatever NLE you are using. Soundsoap should be able to locate the frequency now that I think about it....however, that may be a problem because as I remember the sound starts low and then gets a little higher as you zoom in or out? So, a general filter in your NLE should help. The hotshoe adapater will also help! Good Luck!

edit: you might also do a search if you haven't already as I know this topic has been covered before.

Just wondering, what kind of accessories are out there for the XL1?? I am familiar with the usual suspects (viewfinder, lenses, adapters, etc.) But what are some of the "unknown" peripherals that compliment or enhance the XL1s performance?? (i.e. matte boxes, filters, things of the like) What are the must have "unknowns??"

Chris, search these topics, because volumes have been written on matte boxes, filters, focusing aids etc. There are articles on the XL1 Watch Dog (part of the DV Info Network) that go over accessories too.

Thank you. I'll check it out.

Okay, so I've been to the Adam Wilt site, and read some threads on here, but the setup thing still confuses me.

What the deal is, is that digital cameras DON'T add setup, right? So you actually get a wider contrast range, due to the lowered blacks, then you are capable of broadcasting on NTSC, right?

So, if I use the XL1s' presets to lower the black level, say, two notches, will this negatively affect me?

We already have a thread running on this subject here (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19160), so
I'm closing this one.

But basically, see it like this. In the standard setting (which is
broadcast SAFE more or less) the camera is NARROWING your
available bandwidth / contrast. You are not getting the whole
range. If you lower setup you get a larger dynamic range, but
it won't be NTSC safe anymore. Is this an issue? That depends.
When going to DVD, VHS or web it shouldn't be a problem. If
the tape goes straight to a TV station it might (although they
can compress it there too realtime I think, not sure).

Did any of you catch the new show on Animal Planet last night (20 Jan)? It takes place in Africa and all the wildlife shots are done with the XL-1 and G-1.

If you happen to have FTN (comes with freeview, sky etc) look out for the programme 'Sin Cities'. I think it was entirly shot on the XL1s.

(WARNING- THIS SHOW CONTAINS MILD ADULT FOOTAGE)

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20120

Hi all,

I work for a company that shoots a news show and uses 3 Canon Xl1s. We have been instructed this year that all shows will be delivered in a 16x9 format. The main company is moving to HD. They have not required us to do HD (as they do not want to pay more for the show). Actually they are not currently giving us anymore money, so this puts us in a bind. We shoot all over the world on an extremely tight budget (sometimes almost impossible).

To cut to the chase they did a upconvert of our show to HD from our 4:3 master (protected for 16:9). They liked some scenes but saw artifacting in others. Curse of 4:1:1. Unfortanetly the show is shot in frame mode (oh makes it tougher), great picture (reduced resolution). The frame mode look is part of the style of the show. Plus the Canon is professional looking, detachable lens, camera. Gives us more respect and happy shoulder mounted camera men.

The big company is now talking about us using a DVX 100 (requiring unless we can show why the XL1s is needed). I suggested the SDX 900, but unfortanetly it comes down to no increase in pay, which means no way for that beauty of a camera.

So if you were me and wanted to put points on the table for keeping the XL1s, as opposed to the DVX100 what would you list. I have made a list but I want to make sure I got everything for my boss when he goes to the meeting tommorow in the afternoon.

I truely believe that for many reasons this is the best solution when no further pay (budgets tight with all companies now-a days)is availble.

Also we have started shooting so waiting for the mythical XL2 coming at NAB is to late.

Thanks

Michael

P.S. Already used a 16x9 adapter, it limits us on the adapters we can use on the lens and does not work with style of shooting.

You already own the Canon's. That should be a pretty good
point, I'd say. Keep in mind that the DVX100 is still 4:1:1 DV,
so if they are complaining about compression / color space
artifacts then the DVX100 should have it too. Also your crew
has the experience and knowledge to operate those camera's.
With the DVX100 you will need to learn a new camera. And it
definitely isn't shouldermount ofcourse!

From your piece about shouldermount I figure you guys have
invested in some/quite a lot of accessoires. Those will be wasted
on the DVX100 as well and you will have to buy new things if
you require additional stuff.

Voiceover ME66 or Senn 100 wireless?

Any suggestions as to which would sound better? I have some acoustical foam in the room I'd be recording in that softens the sound some & has made a big difference.
I'd also take this as advice for any interviews in the same space.
Thanks, Chris.

For a voiceover you want as clean a clear a mic as possible. Generally a lav and wireless in particular is used when another mic can't get close enough to the subject. I would try the me66 first. Stand away from any walls, but with your back to ward the corner with the most absorption. Put the mic a little above your mouth, to avoid breath, but so that it points toward your mouth and this dead corner. You'll want it as close as possible, while avoiding any breath and the over indulgence of proximity effect. I would use your wind protection to avoid t's and p's blowing into it. {unless you only have a full blimp, it might make it hard to read}

In an interview, you may not want a mic six inches from your subject.

Hi all

Is there such a thing that will hold two of the above batteries on an MA-100?

Thanks
Donie

The device you're looking for is known as the CH-910. It can hold two batteries, can be used to charge the batteries and can be mounted on the MA-100's plate.

Hi all

When I listen to the sound with manual gain (happens in auto as well) and I have the volume fairly high (70%) I can hear this hiss noise that is amplified if I increase the volume.

I plugged out the mic to see if it's coming from the mic but it is still there (no change) when the mic input is disconnected.

The sound is similar to a anologue tape drive. Just low level white noise.

Is this normal? Will this effect my recordings?

Donie

thank you, just bought one on ebay for $138

regards
donie

You are hearing the noise floor of the preamps. All preamps have an noise level. Earphones close couple the sound to your ears and make it more apparent than normal listening with speakers. With the XL1 it is typically more than 60- dB below peak record levels at the mic setting. It will not cause a problem for typical program material and applications.

If you need lower noise floor, try MIC ATT or line input level settings and use higher quality (read expenisve) external preamps, or swtich to separate professional audio recording systems.

Ok, thanks. It seems awful loud but I will do a few more experiments to see if it's going to effect recordings.

Thanks for the help
Donie

Thanks Martin, but I just found out that a close friend got a digital recording set up + a very nice mic (don't know what kind) so it looks like I've got a much better alternative. Chris

Just did my weekly visit to their web site to visit my "wish list" They have the 3x used for $899. I've ordered one so don't know how many are left. If your looking for a place you can trust I'd recommend B&H (after all that's where I got the XL1S from).