Howdy from Texas,

There are no dumb questions here. The only dumb question is the one that doesn't get asked.

The short answer is that Frame Movie mode does not apply to the VCR position. Once you've shot in Frame Movie mode, it's always like that, even back and forth from computer to camera.

When Frame Movie mode is initially recorded to tape during your shoot, it's broken actually down into interlace. It *looks* like 25p but it's actually 50i (otherwise you couldn't play it back on a standard PAL TV).

So no worries, and ask anything you want around here.

I've got a good friend in Canberra -- a pro videographer name of Paul Hackett -- I need to see if he's coming up stateside for NAB.

Oils in the U.S. as we speak!!

G'day,

Thanks Chris,

I've learnt so much from this community and the Watchdog. I read it most days, its great!

cheers

Does anyone have this Case? I purchased it instore from B&H Photo for about $400 after taxes. I have to say that this case is very attractive on the outside and it seems rugged enough to withstand travel however inside of the case it is setup more to carry action figures and dollies rather than an expensive DV camera.

Canon made this case and I thought it would be a perfect fit, but this case needs some foam. I wouldnt suggest carrying the camera anywhere heavy duty or on the plane.


Has anyone come up with some solutions to secure the camera rathe than the foam cardboard cutout with velcro straps that are supplied?

This may not be what you want to hear, but you could always put that case on Ebay, and then get a really good custom XL1 hardshell case from CasesPlus (articles on the Watchdog).

Hello,

We are going to Webcast a conference and we're using our XL1S with our Webcasting software. The video is just going to be passed through the camera to the computer. Can we use the firewire cable to do this? I know that video can be passed through to a monitor via RCA and S-Video, can the same thing happen via Firewire??

If not will we have to get a analog video capture card and pass the video through that way?

Thanks!

-Tracy

Hi, I'm answering my own question. YES YOU CAN!! We got it to work and it looks great! If anyone is interested, we are going to be Webcasting Lance Armstrong in Austin next week using our Canon XL1S: http://www.oncolink.com/templates/conferences/article.cfm?c=2&s=9&ss=35&id=527

Bye,
Tracy

hi there xl1 users,
i am a designer, and i design several things, i have been busy designing a steadicam wich i am pretty far with building.
but now in the meanwhile im thinking of producing several plates wich you could place in your viewfinder, it would contain composition markings. and i would like to know how many of you people would be interested, it would cost about 35 dollar for a plate and the markings will be very precise and clear to see, i will design several types of plates with different markings, and ofcourse it would contain a kit for mounting it, and they are also interchangable.
there are a couple of things i would like to know :
1. how many of you would be interested in buying such a plate?
2. what kind of markings would you like to see on these plates? and do you want numbers with the markings (for examlpe small text that says its 1.78:1 aka 16:9), i can add any marking you would like, 1.85:1, 2.35:1 its also possible for me to procue plates with several markings on it.
3. its also possible to black out the part outside the marking, so if you have a 4:3 cam it would look like real 16:9 in your finder because everyting outside the 16:9 part is black. so theres a choice between transparent and black.

please let me know.

thank you in advance.

I am unable to get the stills off my footage easilywith Final Cut Pro 3. Should I be able to use this, or do I need another program?
Rick Banfield

Hmmm...the "stills" should come off as 6 sec of footage, which is how they're actually recorded to the tape. That is, you should be able to log and capture these segments just as you would the motion segments of the tape.

Well, I took the plunge. Should be here Wednesday. Already wondering if there is a place to drill holes in it to mount gadgets. Been trying to find a good place for my Studio 1 XLR audio adapter for the past year.

Fitz

Gah!

The black-translucent tally lamp cover on the back (handle) of my XL1S is gone! It must have been poorly glued-on, and popped right off during transport. It wasn't in my Porta-Brace bag, and I can't find it on the floor anywhere. I'm concerned that my XL1S is made more vulnerable to the elements now that this new aperture has exposed the innards. Has this happened to anybody else? Do I have to send the whole thing back in now?

Hello,

I'll bet you'll never find it brcause more than likely it's inside the handle. If you call the canon club and then have them put you thru to repairs, they may confirm my suspicion.

If thats the case you may wish to cover it ( the opening that is, with opaque scotch tape)

If nothing else it will keep out the dirt and rain.
Hope it works.

I am using the XL-1 for the first time very soon and I am somewhat confused by my choice of audio inputs. I plan to use two radio mics and the onboard mic for back up. The camera I am using has a beechbox ( I think) which is an adapter that allows me to plug in two XLRs and therefore the radio mics. Coming out of this box are two mini jacks. Now, I have turned the camera to '12 bit ST-1,2' and I'm thinking of plugging the two mini jacks into Audio 2 so I record two mono channels of sound on this input and the onboard mic on Audio 1. Is this the correct thing to do or is there a better way of recording good quality sound onto this camera.
Thanks
Carlo

Carlo - If you are using a BeachTek adaptor designed for the XL1, it should connect directly to the Audio 2 inputs (RCA connectors). If the adaptor is designed for a different camera, it might have a miniplug that would require modification or miniplug -> RCA splitter to work. Otherwise, your approach sounds fine.

When monitoring your output with headphones or analog outputs, be aware that you can select Audio 1, Audio 2 or Mixed via the Audio Monitor button.

Chris has a very good four-part article on XL1 audio on the Watchdog site. (http://www.dvinfo.net/xl1.htm) Select the Articles Menu.

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a good video on the xl1?

Thanks,
Tom

i just want to know if its possible to get the photos on hd by the firewire. (without buying the card adapter)
I have the xl1
thanks

Is it possible to take the standard Canon 16x lens for the XL1 and use it on a normal photographic camera? The only problem is my camera is a Nikon, so the lens does not fit directly. But if using the lens IS possible, are there standard adapters available that would work to hook it up?! The lens is great compared to what I have for my camera now, in terms of F-stop and focal length.

I'm pretty sure that a photo camera would not be able to operate the 16x lens; although wait until someone who knows comes along and confirms/corrects this until you take my word for it.

Hi,

No it is not possible to use a canon video lens on a 35mm still camera. The XL1 for example use 1/3 inch chips. This is much smaller than 35mm film. The circle of coverage would only fill a small portion of the 35mm film. 35mm lens work on video cameras because even on a 2/3 inch chip they have excess coverage.

The center of a lens is always the sharpest and best corrected for optical deficancies. This can provide stunning video images using 35mm lenses. But they provide a 7.2X magnification (on 1/3 inch chip) which make them usefull for few endevors other than nature work and such.

Jeff Donald

Hello all-
I am new to this group, as well as videography. I have been editing for years, but now find myself on the other end quite frequently.

My question; Will doing a timelapse sunrise damage my new XL1S? What is the best way to maximize the images, while reducing any hazards to the camera?
Thank in advance,
Keith

Shooting sunrise/sunset is perfectly safe. To be sure though turn your gain down to -3db, and use a polarizing filter on the lens. The polarizer will cut down the light 2 stops and it will also saturate the colours.

I'd also put in the ND filter first, just to be safe... You can put
it off if to few light hits the CCD. And close down your lens
as much as possible.

Hi Chris,

Nice to finally put a face with a name. Wish we could have spent more time, but in any case it was nice to meet you. Also, a quick howdy to Ashly Guy. Was nice to share a limo with you. Hope all the parties went well.

Coolest things I saw:
- Canopus Procoder
- AVID Express 3.0 was nice
- After Effects upgrade had some nice added tools
- Good DVD information in the Sands Hall

Most valuable tip:
- Talked to Premiere about that dang Adobe Online coming up and ruining captures, renders, and what not. FINALLY, got an answer without having to pay tech fees. Simple as deleting the Folder. Also ended up with a good technical managers name to send in suggestions.

Anyway, had fun and did meet a bunch more people.

What do you mean by this question? You have to have a firewire connection to connect to the XL-1. If you have the firewire connection, you can capture video from the XL-1 consisting if however many frames you need - including 1. So, what do you mean by: (without buying the card adapter)?

Hi there,

Guys if someone got a MARzPAK? could you gimme an hoest opinion abt it and how it fares to similar in function support products?

I'm considering bying it, but would like to hear opinions before shelling out 400$ for it.

TIA
Kairat

Hiya folks,

New XL1S user here, working through the XL1S manual and happened upon pages 90-92 describing the VCR mode's AV Insert Editing.

My initial response is - Really? That can't be! How can they? Does it really work?!?

See, I've been taught that in miniDV, each frame's time code data is encoded with the image information. Other formats, like DVCAM, Beta, or SVHS store their timecode on a separate track/band/micron of the tape. To do an insert edit requires that the timecode be undistrubed at the end of the new write when all is said and done - which is why recording a small clip in the middle a pre-recorded VHS tape results in that nasty snow wipe at the tail of the inserted clip. The VHS wrote blank time code and reading over the chage mucks up the framing.

Up till now, it's been my experience that miniDV hardware leaves a "dirty out" upon halting recording, writing the next time code address to be used on the next frame to be used. Should the device be turned off and then back on or the tape be removed and then re-inserted without being repositioned, recording can resume exactly where it left off without broken timecode. At the next record, the head reads the timecode of the dirty out and picks up from there.

I imagine that there are two great things going on with Canon's AV INSERT feature. The first being that it enables a "clean out", preventing contamination of the frame after the last inserted frame. The second is that the XL1S's mechanism is rock solid and can stop recording precisely where asked.

Heck, my Sony WV-DR7 miniDV deck can't do this. I'm not even sure the Sony DSR-11 can do it on miniDV either. It certainly can with DVCAM, of course.

It is great to know that I can call upon my XL1S to perform an insert edit to patch the occasional small flaw without having to do an assemble edit and write from the flaw to the end of the program.

Anyone have experience with this feature care to comment?

BTW, I did try to use the board's search to see if anyone's talked about the AV INSERT feature but the search engine refuses, stating that "av" doesn't meet the three character requirement. :-(

See the articles section at www.dvinfo.net for a review -- plus a link back to their site where there are some more testimonials (if memory serves). Its creator, Jacques Mersereau, is a member of our Community and I'm sure he'll respond here.

Maybe this can become a thread where we can pass on good tips! I hope this one works.

Before I bought my XL1S, a Canon rep gave me a demonstration and mentioned this tip. Bear in mind I have had my camera for less than a week, so I'm still feeling my way (pardon the pun.)

I've noticed the focus ring in manual mode is very sensitive, requiring only minor adjusting, and maybe because I'm still new to it, I find it a little too sensitive. With more practice I'm sure this tip wont be needed. So here's the potential (still trying it) tip.

When shooting hand held and in Manual Mode, including focus, keep your thumb on the camera body, the protrusion below the iris control wheel, and your forefinger on the Pusf AF button and when you pan or zoom and need to refocus just hold down the Push AF button. In some situations you can even do it while recording. When on a tripod, and still using the zoom control, use your thumb to hold down the Push AF button.

Try it out and let us know.

The Kata Rain Coat, RC-10, although bigger than the recommended 11 is great. With the MA-200 on and in it's rear most position, there is still about 6" of cover left. This is cool for two reasons: a)when shooting hand-held in manual mode, that little extra slack in the material makes it easier to move from the lens to the functions, and b)if at a later date I manage to get some EF lenses, that extra room will allow a longer lens.

Thanks, Guy...

This is very similar to Scott Barber's tip in his article, "Understanding Canon's New Way to Focus" on the Watchdog, but it's always nice to hear it again and it can't be repeated too often. Thanks again,

Also keep your little finger away from the focus ring when holding the camera as described. It is easy to screw up focus, even when in AF because moving the focus ring will temporarily override the auto mode. As stated above, it is a very sensitive adjustment.

Anybody know where to rent lenses and adaptors for XL1s? It seems a shame to spend a grand for a lens to use on rare occasion.

If there is a film supply rental shop in your area they may indeed carry rental gear for DV shooters. It all depends on where you are.

See also http://www.zgc.com/html/p_s_technik_mini_35_digital_ad.html

I have the opportunity to swap out my original XL1 lens for an XL1S lens and I was just wondering what the differences are between the two lens? Will the differences be apparent visually? Thanks

Hello Trent and Welcome!

If you mean that you plan to swap an original XL1 auto 16x lens for the newer version supplied with the XL1s, you probably won't notice too much difference. Many reporters have remarked that the autofocus on the new lens is improved and some have also remarked that the variable servo zoom on the new lens is smoother. Check out the "XL1s Skinny" on Chris' XL1 Watchdog site (http://www.dvinfo.net/xl1.htm).

Does anyone know where you can get the plastic connector for the battery? What I mean is the plate with the terminals. So for example its on the battery charger, its on the camera itself, and on the canon light. Is there a way to get just that part, so you can attach it to other devices that use 7.2 volts. I want to attach that to some of my other devices so they all use the same battery. Any suggestions?

For those of you who are interested, I found some a lenmar.com. I have the sony dv video walkman, and dont want to buy a sony battery so I'm going to fit this attachment and use the Canon battery since its the same voltage, it should work.

Tracy,

Could you share your discovery?

I'm looking to pass signal from a VHS player connected the composite RCA video of the XL1S which in turn is connected via firewire to Mac running FCP 3.

I know it's necessary to turn off FCP's deck control to do this.

What I'm not sure about is how to get the XL1s to pass through the signal without insisting that it be recording to miniDV tape along the way, or be paused at the ready to record. I'd like to avoid having it spin its VCR gears during the process if possible.

Thanks!
David.

Will it harm the XL1s to play a DVCAM cassette?

Won't harm it, but won't play it either. To clarify: a DVCAM cassette which has been recorded in the DV format will play back just fine. However, a DVCAM casette recorded in DVCAM cannot be played back on any Canon DV camcorder. Hope this helps,

Chris,

Thanks for the prompt response. I will check with my client to see if they just shot normal DV on DVCAM...

I use a beyerdynamic mce 87s battery poweres comes with the xlr to mini jack. It was just over $300 at bh, zotz has them also it works great, used it for mos's mounted on cam and it came out broadcast quality.......

that about says it my apoligies

m

I can tell it's shot with a single XL1S or xl1. Okay, I guess it could have been a gl-1, but I'm familiar with the look which I just saw (which is factory preset, other than frame mode). In frame-mode with little to no sharpness added.

I'm on TW's digital cable and can see it here on ch 120.

I don't know if it was a series or an infomercial for "national action council." Either way, the video was done by some prosumer (or a prodigy of Soderberg). A lot, if not all, was hand held. A/F and often auto everything.

Other than the softness, it really looked pretty good and really clean. Exp. (or lighting) could have been tweaked, but for what I assume was a green-mode shoot, it was obviously broadcastable. Adding sharpness will add some artifacts and other tell-tale video additives, but IMO it's needed.

At first I thought it might have been shot using 1/30th as they were indoors, but I figure it's frame mode because I saw it look similar in an outdoor setting. Once outside you could see what fast action does to frame mode. A banner was moved and it was weird, like, zig-zag interlace distortion.

I think the pic was better on the digital-tier channel than mine which occasionally makes it to the analog side of cable access. Here (according to my source), it's an analog signal for 97% of channels 1-99, and digital from 100 on up.

Doesn anyone know whether Sennheiser ME 66K6 mic will get into the shot, on the widest normal setting as well when using a WL adapter on Sony DSR PD 100a camcorder?

Much thanks for any info.

Reliable sources suggested that Tiffen& undisclosed lens mfg are developing an anamorphic adapter for the new Panasonic 24p cam- which is purported to use 73mm filters- same as new XL1 man lens. Do you suppose it'll work on the Canon? Any mfg who passed up the opportunity sell to the huge XL1 userbase would be foolish indeed.
Tip first seen on Scott Billup's Pixelmonger site.

Hi there guys,

I'm impressed with FireStore, but price wise it's out of my budget.
So I was thinking in line of an alternative device to it.

I'm in a process of making small studio in a small country overseas, and our budget is small. I have to find ways to lower our budget.

What exactly do we need for long interviews or long duration shots inside the studio, when reg.miniDV tapes can't do the job? A capture device of a small size.
Well I saw a recent computer from Shuttle, that little alumnum barebone comp.case for abt $250. It has Firewire, and ability to mount a removable hard drive in one of its 5.25" bays.

Cost: $250 unit + cheap Celeron ~$55 and PC133 ram ~$31 for 256MB + 60GB ATA100 HD ~100 + removable casing for HD ~$20, which all comes to total of ~$456. Plus some additional $$ for mouse,keyboard.

This is far less compared to firestore and better functionality to some of it's users.

I don't want to capture directly to NLE system as our NLE is to big to carry around and has to do other job :).

Depending on configuration and and hense needs of the user price might go up, but functionality wise it might be better compared to firestore.

One of the possibilities is to add DVRaptor from Canopus which is only $145 on ebay. OS and soft can be configured to start automaticly at startup and you would need just push a key on small keyboard for the capture to start and another key to stop it.
In this case is quite attractive to us as our NLE is based on DVStorm SE Plus from canopus and hense captured files compatibility.

I'll do more research on this subject, as the need for LCD monitor or alternative to it, OS, etc.

Please give me your comments, ideas, well anything that might come to your mind.

If something is not clear - Pardon my english :), I'm not native speaker.

Kairat S.

Hi, i have 2 questions,
the first is that shooting with the xl1s has a horibble viewfinder and the color is far from being correct,
There is en exposure meter on the viewfinder but it not really very exact, i think or at least i havnt learned how to use it properly. I know that there was a section on the watchdog FAQ explaining the ISO. But what do you people use in the realy world, with different gain shifts -3db, 0db and +3db.
Also how do you guys set the viewfinder to be more or less close to what you see on the monitor. without having an external monitor. i know it wont be very exact but what color have you guys noticed are off and such things.

thank you
--kaplooee

There are 25 frames per second - PAL - with all the shutter speeds? Yes! What happens exactly with shutters speed inferior to 1/50 sec? From 1/8 to 1/50 for Canon XL1 s (PAL), for example. Are there less frames? Or there is duplication of fields/frames (the total number of fields per second does not change... I am not 100% sure of it, however). Example: with 1/25 sec shutter speed every field is exposed for so much time that the following one is the same field copied by the camera from his memory? This is a question: I do not know the answer.
Regarding the memory I read that many DV cameras use the digital frame buffer of the camera in conjunction with a variable clock on the CCDs to accumulate more than a field's worth of light on the face of the chip before transferring the image to the buffer and thence to tape. This can do two things for you: more light integration, and slower frame update rates. What does slower frame update mean? (in terms of fields, copied fields (if any), frame rate) ??

Thanks in advance to whoever will help me,
Massimo