We just recently had an identical thread on the subject. Search on "antler" for the answer.

FWIW, SIMA offers a low cost handle that attaches to the tripod screw on the bottom, provides tow cold shoe that will be to the left of the body. Sells for around $10.

Sounds like a good bit of weight being addd to the camcorder. Can the the Quickstream be mountd on your belt, or the MA-100/200 as an alternative? Beleive Bogen offers some assorted mounts that can be used to hang thing soff a tripod.

I built my own wideangle adapter for about $180. (canabalized a $150 lens.. + $30 filter)..

works great.

(the focus is a bit soft here, and images are pixelated, but you get the point). slight fisheye effect, but i like that.. we shoot action videos, so it's useful. zoom's through to about 5x before it loses focus. EDIT- the distortion on the top image (top right and left corners) is actually the lens seeing the LENS HOOD.. removal of the lens hood fixes this, however since it overscans on TV anyway, i don't bother with hood removal.

http://www.adamgeek.com/wide2.jpg

just bought the 3x though, and using that now, so the adapter i made is on backup duty sitting on a shelf heh.

So I'm about to replace the standard mic on my xl1s for a shotgun.

I'm going to buy:

ME66 capsule
K6 power module
Lightwave Equalizer for ME66
Lightwave Isolator
Lightwave Minimount

The mic will be mounted on the camera, and my question is, will the ME66 (and Equalizer around it) protrude into frame when shooting the wide end of the standard 16x Canon lens?

Also, does anyone have any advice about how the Equalizer compares to the Miniscreen? Is the Miniscreen worth the extra money? What are the pros and cons?

Thanks,
James

My son, now 16.5, is finally taking film making seriously. He and a friend are actually shooting their second video. Last summer was their first but his time around not only do they have a script, they are listening to me when I “suggest” they shoot everything in manual mode or use headsets to monitor sound.

This morning I got a real jolt when my wife - my wife! - called me at the office to tell me our son needs a boom mic. My wife!

Okay, so we need to shop for a collapsible boom pole and look for a decent mic holder and boom mic (one I could use myself in a pinch :-)) - they also need one RF lav. I have a pair of real cheapies I used once when I produced a compilation where I had to mail people a TRV900 and a mic to shoot their stories. But now I'm looking for something better.

We have lots of equipment at work but it's all a bit too high-end to lend out to two teens shooting without a crew or police guards in Central Park, NYC.

I'm open to any suggestions. Cost is not a huge problem although we are not looking for a $200 wired fish pole.

Thanks.

Forget my son's film needs. What is a good audio package for an XL-1s or a TRV 900? We use top notch equipment all the time - but this is a personal purchase for personal use. Any recomendations will be most welcomed. It seems all my audio techs are on vacation; those that aren't, can't come up with anything under $5k.

Last month I was shooting a wedding with the XL-1s and had the Senn EW100 lav system clipped to the minister. Then, in the middle of the ceremony, it went out. Used the same mic later at the reception for interviews--- no problem. Used the same mic again during a short film--- no problem. Used the same mic on another day of shooting, it goes out. Any thoughts? Has anyone experienced this? If so, any remedies would be appreciated, since I have another wedding this weekend.

I'm not positive that it won't protrude into frame but I think if you're going to go camera mounted maybe you'd want the ME64?

I am in a situation where my standard XL1s camera mounted microphone has become insufficient to my needs.

I have found the onboard microphone to be very useful and of good quality, but I require a boom pole mounted microphone for my future work (mainly documentaries).

I am seeking advice about what would be the best microphone, boom poles, shock mounts etc to purchase.

I need a microphone which I can mount on a boom pole and connect to my Canon XL1s through the MA-200, without the use of Phantom Power etc.

I have done a little research and have come across the Sennheiser ME66 with the K6 Power module. Would this be sufficient to mount on a boom pole and capture good quality sound on my XL1s?

I am looking for someone to advise me as to whether or not this is sufficient, and where I can find reasonably priced Boom Poles, Shock mounts, and Microphones etc.

Thank You

Check out the AT897 too. Check previous threads ME66 vs AT897.

I had the opportunity to shoot with both rigs, side by side, on a shoot this week. I noticed that the XL1s was about one stop faster than the older XL1. All the settings, such as gain, were the same.

The XL1 had the 3x lens while the XL1s had the 16x lens. I would shoot at a f2 with the XL1 while the XL1s was at 2.8 in the same lighting and approxiamate shot.

Has anyone else noticed this difference??

I have a few CA 900 battery chargers that work well except for one on which the red light shines on continuously. I have avoided using that one and have not had a moment to diagnose as to why it does not blink or go off. It is even on when no battery is engaged. Any ideas why it does that?

On another topic...anyone know where to buy the battery covers for the BP-945's and such?

One last question...does anyone make a charging system that charges several of these batteries at once? I do have a CH 910 which is great. But I'm looking for a single unit that may charge several batteries at once without all the multiple plugs and wires that constantly get in the way at my battery charging area.

Thanks for any help.

Jim,
I certainly would not trust that red-eye charger. It's impossible to assess what it's problem is. They're fundamentally just a circuit board mounted in a plastic mounting enclosure. Perhaps it met with a bad bang that caused some sort of short. Don't jeopardize your batteries with it.

Canon is the only battery supplier I know of that provides these terminal covers. Neither of the other two popular manufacturers, Lenmar and Power 2000, provide them. I don't really worry about this with my batteries. Just make sure that the batteries are stashed in a spot free from potential short hazards.

I don't know of a charger for these batteries that handles more than two at a time. I use the CH-910 for handling doubles.

I bought a Speedlite 420ex and a FA-200 adapter but the flash does not show up in the viewfinder and does not activate in photo mode.
Is the XL1 limited to only the 380 Speedlite?
Thanks

I believe the XL1 may be limited to the 380EX Speedlite only. Call Canon tech support at 1-800-OK-CANON to confirm. In my opinion you should consider upgrading your cam to at least the XL1S.

Thanks, I'll check that out!

Thanks Chris,
I've tried the Canon Website several times with no luck getting any useful info. So the info # I'll try.
Yes the XL-1S would be nice. And I will have to upgrade as a great deal of tape has gone thru my XL-1.
But the funds have not appeared yet.
What is it they say, "You have to have money to make money."
Weddings are supplementing my income and so I want to constantly be looking to improve the product, thus the speedlite. I could not find any 380 Speedlite's so went with the next level up including having to buy the FA-200 because the FA-100 adapter would not work with 420EX speedlite. But being neither adapter work I am wondering if the XL-1 or new 420EX are the problem. Or perhaps FA adapters? So many questions so little time.
Great forum
Thanks Tim

During the video shot, Message "EJECT" on the screen flashing...then i turn "OFF" XL1s and eject the tape, after few minutes insert tape again, guess what... Its Working fine..
Does anyone experience this before...

We already have many threads and posts related to this matter. (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=337909&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending)

I know I haven't been posting here for some time. Part of that was since I retired in Oct last year I've been busy going places and doing things that I had planned on doing in retirement. I've been to the bottom of the Grand Canyon (Diamond Creek) up to Valley of the Gods in Ut and Death Valley. All these places and more I've carried and used my XL1s as well as a digital still camera. I've taken hours of video and had plenty of fun doing the shooting as well as producing it onto dvd on my iMac. I found myself taking more and more still shots and less and less video. It came to the point that the xl1s was left behind more and more. With this said I have made a deal with a store in New York to but my meger equipment in order to upgrade my still camera to a Connon EOS 1Ds. I have learned so much from everyone here both during my lurking days and moreso after I became an official member. This is by far the best forum to learn and share digital video thoughts and processes. In working up my deal I kept hearing that the XL1s was being phased out very soon so it's replacement. I mention that for what it's worth. Agin so long and best of luck to all. Yes I am having a ball being retired!

Don, good luck and I'm glad you found a good past time (still photography) in your retirement. But you don't need to be a stranger here and bid farewell. We have our own, small still community (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=57) here at Dv Info. Many of the same familiar names are there and plenty of experienced photo people too (most of them Canon shooters, by the way). I teach digital photography at a local art school and college. I welcome any of your questions and comments on our forum.

Jim,

The increased sensitivity was one of the selling points on the XL1-s. I believe the figure was around 4db increase. The XL1-s also has true SMPTE bars and an improved IS II lense just to name a few.

So, you should definitely see a difference between the two cameras. Also, keep in mind that the original doesn't allow picture setup controls and you will have to color match the XL1-s to the XL1. Fortunately, they tend to run pretty close together in that respect.

regards,

-gb-

Many thanks Don, as Jeff says, we hope to see you in our Still Crazy forum. Best of luck!

Your right about matching. The XL1s had no problem matching the XL1 which was the "A" camera. But I was surprised at how the XL1s was always closed down about a stop more than the XL1.

I also jealously noticed it didn't shut off automatically.

Is there any way to monitor the audio on the XL1 through the viewfinder? I've been shooting non-stop on a doc and several times we had sound malfunctions. Human error and technical problems caused several interviews to be lost. It was very frustrating.

On many occasions I cannot wear a headset because I'm operating in a car or such and it is impossible. Hand held shooting makes it difficult to wear a headset. Plus, very often, I cannot hear much through the headphone output anyway.

I have a sound mixer but he only monitors the mix and not whether the sound is actually getting to the tape from the wireless when he is booming. The responsibility seems to lie with the camera op but very often I am busy operating handheld and all too often don't consider the sound.

I realize I can look look out to the meter on the body but many times I don't until we are well into it. Is there another technical way for the SOUND person to monitor the audio when transmitting a wireless to the MA 100?

Any ideas??

Try a second wireles on a different frequency and transmit from the camcorder headphone jack output to a receiver at the wireless operator. You will have to match the headphone jack output level to t he wireless transmitter input, which often is MIC level.

Does anyone know about anything negative coming from using generic battery packs? you can get 6000mAh by going with a non canon battery. They claim to be 100% safe and compatible with the xl1s. claim... psht. i need facts.

I don't know anything about generic brands if that is the same like
unknown brand.

I do, as have others, experience with Lenmar which has worked great.

A search yielded this thread:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27342

Hello from sunny Devon in SW England, this is the first time I have posted here, although reading many of the posts has been most enlightening.
I read here about Sennheiser ME66/K6 being a good combination to use with Canon XM2. I think I will go in this direction. question I have is this: If I use Beachtek DXA4 to connect it to camera, it uses internal power, with limited XLR lead length/performance. If I use Beachtek DXA6, I will get phantom power with all its advantages, but have to keep buying 9volt batteries.
Opinions, anyone?
tia,
NigelCH

Now what...
I'm just rewinding my standard Sony PRL-60 single use tape and the XL1s stops and the power light is flashing.

I go to open the tape door and the tape lifts out with a tape tail going into the drive.

The edge of the tape is wrinkled for about four inches, can I still use this tape to get the images off it? If not, does anyone have any idea how to retrieve the video by another method?

More importantly, what would cause this to happen?

I have only run about 60 hours of tape through it so far and have never used a tape a second time or used any other tape than the Sony.

I played another tape and rewound it in the XL1s without incident but now the timeline counter flickers during the rewind.

Thanks in advance for any information.

Brian

just wondering out loud if there is anyway to modify the old VL lenses to use on th xl1's?
(theyre so cheap on ebay!)

probably not but i thought i'd try!

thanks
marc

No. See this page (http://www.dvinfo.net/canon/articles/article13.php) for an explanation.

Hi there

I am about to embark on a 3 month backpacking journey from Australia to Mozambique, South America and Nth America then home to New Zealand. I have recently bought a CANON Xl1s to document my trip and am looking for a suitable travel backpack for my camera. I want to look as poor as possible during my trip so my gear doesn't get stolen. Does anyone know of an excellent backpack for this particular camera? I have been to the LOWEPRO website but there packs look a bit small. Any other travel advice would be much appreciated as well.

Thanks Krissy

Do you want something for your camera and your regular gear or just the camera?

For just the camera I have the Lowe Photo Trekker Classic and it has carried my XL1 since 99 with no problems. You have to break the cam down but everything fits inside as well as tapes, extra batteries, cables, and, headphones. There are also two pockets on the outside for other gear and plenty of straps and loops.

Well, it looks like I'll need to send in my XL1S for some type of service. I need to find the serial number for the camera, but I've looked an can't find it.


Does anyone know where the serial number is located on the XL1S?



Thanks,

Erik

If I remember correctly, it is located inside the battery compartment. Pull your battery and look...

i started getting small blocks on the screen, so i put in a cleaning tape, now it showed a black screen, so i cleaned it again, now it has a blue screen and no tapes play in it now... I think I'm screwed here....HELP !!!

Sounds like it needs professional cleaning. Send it to the Canon service center in Jamesburg, NJ.

And the lens serial is printed on the black plastic part of the lens mount.

how much would that cost me ? ? limited on funds right now

I can't seem to eject a tape out of the XL1s
Anyone have any insight into this?
Thanks in advance for your time.

Did you ever run cleaning tapes, if not do so. Otherwise it might
be a trip to Canon to get it looked at.

There is no other way to capture the tape unless you can use
another camera or a DV deck.

Have you checked to see if the batt has enough juice to do that or maybe something has jammed in the tape compartment. another thing might be the release button may have a defect.

Hi folks

I was getting artifacts during playback on my XL1. Playing the tape on another unit was fine. Running a tape cleaner through the XL1 did not do the trick.

So I decided to clean off the XL1 internals using a blast from the Dust-Off, some liquid was sprayed onto the XL1 head (Oh no).

I quickly wiped off the spray from the head using one of the cassette swab sticks.

Playing back the same tape, there were no more artifacts. I also recorded some new stuff and they played back fine. So this seems to have cleaned up the head.

Did I do any permanent damages to the head with this liquied from Dust-Off?

Thanks

Since your blast seems to have dislodged some offending debris and the playback now works, all would seem fine.

In general, however, using compressed air, particularly in an enclosed housing, may not be an effective remedy for two reasons. First is the hazard of spraying that extremely cold liquid on delicate components. You always want to hold the can upright and spray the first burst into the air to avoid that. That stuff can leave indelible deposits in bad places.

Second, where do you think that debris went? Maybe it fell out of the camera. But chances are it's not far away. Perhaps the blast also dislodged other debris that's now free-roaming in there. Creepy, eh? <g> My point is that compressed air operates in such an uncontrolled manner that it can be hard to target it toward the specific problem.

So those are prevailing arguments against using canned air. But, honestly, I cannot say that I would not have used it if conventional cleaning methods failed, as they did in your case.

The eject button is O.K. , if thats what you mean.
After I hit the eject button,
the tape housing rises as usual but just doesnt pop open.
I've tried it with fresh batteries also.
I dont see any way of getting to the
tape to see if i'ts jammed
I think I'll have to send it to Canon.
Thanks for your reply

My camera has also been eating tapes and it is still under warranty. I have had the camera for a little over a year and I was wondering where to find canon service. I live in Austin TX and I was wondering if there are actual stores or do I have to send it off to get repaired or looked at.

Joe

First, stop feeding it tapes. Second, send it back to Canon, use the warranty card.

Hello to all from the Philippines:

Okara Video, my firm, has been asked to put together a tape using some pre-existing V8 footage.

My question is:

1) Is the V8 tape cassette equivalent to the MiniDV casette?

2) If the anser to question #1 is YES, will the XL!S read the V8 tape correctly?

3) Does the generic V8 camera have a "Firewire" connector?

Many thanks for your wisdom on these simple questions

Collis

Short of heeding Alvarez's appropriate advice, purchase a Sima 6mm DV 2-way rewinder. They are excellent. You can successfully rewind your tapes while in "play" mode, but obviously this places unnecessary wear on your heads!

But I, too, have to send my XL1S in for repair of the faulty drive mechanismthat usually chews tapes upon rewinding.

Collis