I've been doing some outside test shooting with my mini35, the DOF is great but my images don't have that grainy look. The footage looks too clean. This is my setup: Series 3, Xl-1, EF 85mm 1.8, gain -3, shutter 1/60 and in frame mode. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Hmmmm...well, the Mini35 isn't really supposed to make the image look grainy. You might want to try shooting with a higher gain setting, or adding grain in post.

I guess grainy was the worng desciption, Ill have to fiddle aroound with some post filters and color correct the footage. MB just gives render time a meaning...ssssllllooowww.

If you really want "grainy" recordings, you can also try stopping down a few stops to restrict the light coming in your lens (don't stop down the camera), that may help.

With the EF lenses I won't be able to step down any more then the wide open setting.

Could you chuck a filter on the front somehow. Pantyhose? ;)

Aaron

add a ND8 to your objective lens and run the mini at slow speeds that should give you a grainy look

With the 3rd generation Mini35, making the groundglass visible by stopping down will result in the "spinning vortex of hell" effect, which is a whole other animal.

Gerald, by "stopping down" Eric was suggesting to close the aperture, not open it further. You can then compensate by opening the aperture on the relay (lower numbers) to regain proper exposure.

Charles, the canon EF lenses don't have manual controls. So my 85mm 1.8 is always open @ 1.8.. When I need to, I use the relay to step down.

In that case, your best bet would just be to do it in post. There's plenty of software/filters with a variety of editing packages that can help add grain...

My fault fellas, my desciption of the look I'm talking about is more like a blurry motion in the footage. The images have a bit of a slur to them....Question? When dv film like "Open Water" or "28 Days Later" is put to dvd, is the 35mm print used for the authoring?

Usually if they go to 35mm from MiniDV, then they make a DVD, they do digitize the 35mm print. Now, for the blur, you're going to just want to get a 24p camera and/or use Frame Mode on the XL1 and use a shutter speed like 1/24 (if 24p) or 1/30 (if 30p/frame mode)