Hey Chris,

I saw the ad in this month's Videography for the Firestore where they quoted you....pretty cool.

Mike Avery

Thanks Mike... I guess that's pretty cool... I haven't seen it yet and had no idea about it.

It's obvious that Chris' site has generated phenomenal interest in the XL1S and in no small way contributes to the general knowledge found on the internet today (re: the XL & 1S)

...why Canon hasn't sent you a 1S is beyond me- you'd think they'd want you to have the newest model so that you could respond to questions and useage of the lastest 1S with direct information....

you have my vote-

c'mon Canon send Chris an "S" - he's helped so many here decide on picking one up due to the information on his site! An "S" in his hands could only be beneficial to everyone.

Thanks Chris for keeping up with XL happeneings and keeping this information exchange going- it is appreciated by all whom visit this forum and your site.

Thanks for the kind words, Steve... however Canon USA just doesn't give those things away... Steven Soderbergh had to return the two he borrowed to shoot Full Frontal! I'm very happy with my "bought & paid for" plain-jane XL1, it still amazes me, all those Hi-8 memories haven't completely faded away yet!

I understand that 100%- but I'm pretty sure tons of people that are considering the purchase of one of the upper end 3CCD cams have researched the XL1S and have found your site and have purchased an XL1S as a direct result of the effort you've put forth with setting up your site...while people are impressed with Steven Soderburgs choice of camera- I doubt he's impacted XL sales as your site has....

....I'm just really appreciative of the fact that I have a place to come to and read posts and post my own questions and observations regarding the XL...

...without a doubt, I purchased an XL1S as a direct result of your site.
Digital camera manufacturers occasionally give away cameras to "support site owners" and all us "1S" owners would benefit from your owning a 1S...

...i'm tooting your horn Chris because you're too humble to do it yourself

Keep up the excellent work-

I just have to agree with Steve: "Come on Canon, give Chris an XL1s!". They must know for sure that his great job concerning information about their products must have given them a huge amount of new customers.

Steve also mention that Chris is too humble tooting his own horns, and I have to agree to that as well. I really find that beeing a fine quality in a person who have made him self such an reputation, still beeing humble and down to earth.

However, as pointed out by Steve, we who thinks that he would deserve to be awarded by Canon should speak up.

I really hope Canon understand what Chris have done for them, and that they do appreciate it by giving him an XL1s.

Please, keep up the excellent work Chris.

I agree,,,Canon send Chris a XL-1s or better yet the XL2. Think big Canon. Reading this site over a few month sold me on the Xl1.

Some two years ago, I thought about maybe buying the XL1.

Chris's site made up my mind. And I'm very pleased by my XL1.

Thanks Chris,



Regards,



Erik

I agree on all three points. I bought my XL1S too after thorougly
reading this site and the forums (before joining myself) ... I can
remember that I saw the XL1 a number of years back, thinking,
wow, that is a great camera..... now I actually own one. Life is
just to good sometimes!

My vote is here for Chris' XL1S!

Several readers of this forum have contacted me via email suggesting a sort of "request" that Canon supply Chris with an XL1S. I feel compelled to collect these emails and forward them as a combined "request" on behalf of the Canon user's of this forum (not to mention the possible hundereds or thousands that have read through the site but have not registered- but nonetheless read and researched XL info- and have purchased as a result)....the internet is the no.1 source of information these days and if thousands have researched the XL via your site- Canon should be more than happy to supply you with a personal XL1S- you just can't buy this sort of advertising- Canon has no online support as good as the Watchdog site or this forum...the worst thing that can happen to us XL owners is that you decide to discontinue the site...your effort should be rewarded- plain and simple.....

...if anyone cares to "request" that Mr. Chris Hurd be given an XL1S via email- send email to me at
stevenyc1@aol.com- they will be collected and compiled into one long letter and sent to various entities at Canon USA...

...consider us selfish Chris- we just want you to have a newer "S" model so that you can directly comment or answer questions based on this model instead of the older XL model.

Canon user's unite and send those requests!

(OK Chris, I know you're dying laughing- but don't under-estimate the power of prosumer enthusiasts in mass..this would bebenfit everyone in the end- including Canon)

I must say that Chris deserved for the XL1s and the quote in Videography after all the hardwork he had put into this site.

I am also one of the many who has purchased the XL1s due to the info I found from this site.

Keep up the good work Chris!

Here Here.

This place has become an obsession with me and will have bought 2 XL1's because of it.

Cheers, Chris.

I've been following Chris's site for years. I bought my XL1s recently and who knows if that would have happened without the existance of the watchdog? Having an independant source of information and a forum to exchange ideas and voice our concerns is reassuring to anyone thinking of making the leap and purchase an XL1s. Give Chris an "s" - no strings attached.

When I made my decision to purchase my 2 XL1s cameras, all of my research came from or originated from this forum. If I did not find this site, I most likely would have purchased Sony because of others sites I visited regarding information on those cameras.

Ron

Ditto for me!

Sooooo much of my decision to purchase the XL1S was based upon information found within this site.

Keep up the great work Chris.

Bill

Hi Steve,

Excuse me, but I am just curious. Did you get many responses to your campaign for Chris? Did he ever get what he deserved, a new Canon XL1s?

Ivan

Copy of an email I just sent to Steve Nunez for forwarding to Canon:

"Canon--Give Chris Hurd an XL1S! He provides you with a great service by providing technical support, at no charge to you, to many of your XL1S owners. Do the right thing, both for you and for him! Give him an XL1S!

Steve Clodfelter
sclodfelter@att.net"

Thanks, Chris! And thanks, Steve!

I thought i'd give my 2 cents. I knew I wanted an xl1s after i borrowed one from my friend for a shoot i had. I don't know if i would have actually bought one unless i had found this site. It'd be coold if Canon sent Chris a camera for free. It'd be nice if they sent me one too but $3,200 is a SMALL price to pay for such a beautiful camera. look at the price JVC charges for the DV-500. I've used it and I like the xl1s a lot better. I think we've all made out like bandits haha

Man, you guys certainly dug up an old thread. Canon USA did something better than giving me a camera... they occasionally invite me to work their trade show booths. These are wonderful opportunities to meet people, go places and stay up to date on the technology, plus it's an excellent crew to work with. I highly value the experience, to me it's worth much more than a camcorder. So fellows, you can call off the dogs... CUSA is taking good care of me with these trade show gigs... I only wish there were more of 'em! Many thanks,

Canon should give Chris a XL1S and a GL2! Why just ask for the XL1s? Look at all the work Chris has done for Canon! If it were not for this site, people would be asking, "What's a XL1? What's a Canon?" +_+

Come on Chris, you are being too humble, You are the Man! without you lots of us wouldn't have bought a Canon.

In a cool coincidence, while reading this thread, I just got a call from the Canon service center and my XL-1 is ready to be picked up, had it cleaned and tweaked(very noisy playback and bad mike sound), and hopefully, you will get a new(Canon, is a good condition USED-DEMO XL-1s too much to part with?) XL-1s
the same way I'm picking up my much loved XL-1, Free of charge.

A little off the subject, Canon Service Center rocks, got the drum assembly changed in 5 days, this time whatever they did took 7 days, that's from when I drop it off to when I pick it up, the service techs know how much our cameras mean to us, if THEY were in charge they'd give Chris an XL-1s.

BTW, what did Canon do with the 2 XL-1s that Soderberg used on his movie? I'm sure they didn't sell them, are they sitting on a shelf in some back room, did some showroom get two more demo models? If Canon can't part with a new XL-1s, then can they at least give Chris one of the XL-1s that Soderberg used, that would be cool. And while they are at it, just give him both, and he can hold a lottery and one other DVinfo member can receive the other XL-1s.

I'm off to pick up my XL-1 from the shop, one other idea, if the email campaign doesn't work, we could also ALL fax a message to the powers that be, I'm sure that several hundred faxes from all over the world will get some attention, I got my fax machine ready to go.

He Chris, if Canon wants a wrangler over here sometime...

Of the Soderbergh cameras, at least one was autographed on the tape transport door and went "on tour" to most of the U.S. tradeshows all last year, displayed under a locked glass case like some trophy (it was after all Canon's trophy cam). CUSA considers it a prized possession, and I think it has a place of honor somewhere on the Marketing V.P.'s shelf.

The other Soderbergh camera may have been given to Steven, although I'm not sure about that.

What a waste, those cameras should be in the hands of someone who wants to create beautiful images. Too bad there isn't a SPCC, Society for the Prevention of Cruelity to Cameras, we could get those Marketing V.P.'s locked up so they couldn't harm anymore cameras.

Chris seemed almost embarrassed because we dug up this thread. Why am I not surprised? It´s of course because he is just as humble as we all think he is.

Don´t be embarrassed, Chris, because you do deserve all these nice words you get on the board and you really deserves a new Canon XL1s from Canon. I am glad to hear that you highly values the experience and good care from Canon when you occasionally are invited to work in their trade show booths. But, even then you are doing a very valuable job for them.

I still am waiting to see what Steve can tell us about the response from last year, but if Canon don´t want to give him a camcorder, I think we should do something about it ourselves.

Think about it......... Today we are more than 2700 members. A new Canon XL1s in the USA costs about $3,200, according to Tim. That is just a little more than $1 from each of us. I guess that all of us would like to show our appreciation for Chris by giving him, say $1.5 from each of us. With a good price from Canon (at least they should be able to give a good price for the camcorder), he could even get some gadgets as well.

Most of us have probably spent thousands of dollars on video equipment, so I guess this isn´t much to ask for? What do you all think about this?

Ivan

I've thought a while about what to write down here.... the best
thing I can come up with is that I think Chris' post said it all. If
I know Chris a bit I don't think he is being too humble... I'm not
trying to step on any toes here because we ALL love this place
and the offers being made are very very generous, don't get
me wrong. But it might also be a possibility that someone doesn't
"wants"/"needs" such things.... Again this is a difficult things to
write without hurting some peoples feelings perhaps, I hope I
don't. I'm just trying to say that I think we must be a bit carefull
as to where to go and where not... This is ofcourse my very
personal opinion and I hope no-one is "offended" by it....

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

Come on Canon! You DO NOT want to see a bunch of prosumers 'en mass'.... That many malcontents in one spot might cause a super critical mass causing a blow out of the space time continum. (Working on my screenplay skills, guys, just bare with me...)

Video at 11 in front of Canon Headquarters showing Chris NOT getting a free 'S'... to be aired nationwide... (or at least on the better streaming sites)

Or Chris is holding out for an XL2! ;)

Don´t worry Rob, I am not "offended" by your reply. I guess you know Chris better than many of us, and maybe you are right.

My suggestion was never ment to be a kind of charity, I don´t think Chris need that. Maybe Chris is a rich guy, what do I know? But, That´s not the point. What I do know, is that if I had spent a lot of my time doing what he has done for us, it would have been nice with this kind of appreciation. But, I would probably been a little embarrased myself. ; )

My suggestion was only forwarded because I was beginning to feel a little frustrated. Frustrated about the fact that nothing seemed to happen in this case. I still feel that we should give Canon a chance to do what they should have done a long time ago, I only wanted to make a suggestion for an alternative if they don´t.

Please forgive me Chris, if this is something that you really don´t "want"/"needs". It was certainly not my intention to offend you in any way. I seem to remeber you said in one of the threads a while ago that you wouldn´t mind having the opportunity to spend even more time for the community (something like that), but you had to work as well to make a living? The community have some sponsors so (at least I hope) you don´t have any expences running it. If the members of the community had given you an XL1s, it would just be like as we sponsored you as well. In our case we are getting much more than we give anyway.

Thanks for your reply Rob, but I still feel the same if Chris doesn´t mind.

Ivan

Wow, this is getting kind of heavy. What can I say, I'm flattered by all this, but here's my take on it. Cameras and camcorders are very cool and very interesting and that's how and why we got here, but ultimately my favorite part about all of this is meeting the people who are using this gear and hearing their stories and learning about what they're doing. That's why the tradeshow thing is so important to me. Sure, Canon gets their mileage out of all of us who work in their booth (most of us are independant "stringers" from a variety of backgrounds). But I get a better deal by travelling all over the U.S. and meeting everybody... the networking is the best part about this entire experience. CUSA is making that happen, and I'm perfectly satisfied with it. Many thanks and much respect to all,

OK Chris,

From what you wrote this time, I understand that you really are happy with the support you get from CUSA. This is good enough for me, and I won´t keep on doing something against your will. You have my deepest respect for what you are doing and for your modesty, and I hope that you at least understand our deep gratitude.

Keep up the good spirit and great work, Chris. GOOD LUCK in the future!

(But I still think that it must be a humans right to mean that you would have deserved a Canon XL1s) ; )

Ivan