Anybody know the physical dimensions of the lens? B&H don't list it, and if it's on Canon's site, I don't find it. Chris Hurd's roundup of XL lenses doesn't say, either.

Here (http://www.infinitycameras.com/viewitem.php?IndexID=5353), I found these specs:

3 5/8" W x 4 5/8" L

Can anybody confirm this? (I'm cutting foam for a flight case and don't have a 3x zoom on hand to measure.)

Checking the instruction manual for this lens (download the PDF from Canon USA), those are the correct dimensions (without the lens hood). I think all XL2 owners should do themselves a favor and download the various PDF lens and accessory manuals that are available at the Canon USA site. Meanwhile I'll try to work in an update to my XL2 Lens Guide to include that info. Thanks for the idea,

Thanks, Chris. For those who can't find it at Canon's website, here's the page (http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=DownloadDetailAct&fcategoryid=326&modelid=10350).

When I click on the "Download Manuals" link there, a new window opens in my browser, but it's blank. Dunno what's up with that; I've retried several times.

I can't find manuals for any of the lenses and I am currently borrowing the 16x manual from a friend and would love to read the manual.

Can you point me to them please???

Please?????

For some reason there doesn't seem to be a link to the lenses
on the XL2 page. And the XL1S archive page is broken. However,
I saved all the manuals earlier, so I've put up the 16x manual
PDF (as in a manual lens, right?) on my site (temp!):

www.visuar.com/DVi/16m.pdf

Thanks!
I has actually found it already by searching on the Canon site for XL1 and then in the doenloads I found the manuals for the accessories. The mthod to find these was very convoluted so I couldn't post the link as it wouldn't work without going through the 5-6 step process on their site.

Marty

I was inquiring about the 3x Wide Angle Zoom for an XL2 that I plan on purchasing in 2 weeks from ZGC and Christine replied:

"Regarding the 3x Wide angle lens, I must let you know that Canon doesn't recommend it with the New XL2 cameras.
It was originally designed a few years back for the original XL1. Since then the cameras have improved but the lens
hasn't. You are better off with a Century Precision adapter either the .6x or the .7x. We have been told by Canon they will
not be introducing a new one. "

Has anybody else heard about this? Everything I've been reading on the board states that the lens on the XL2 is superb, aside from the focus problem.

If I go with the Century adaptor, what are my options as far as filters (polarizers, ND, etc.)? Thanks.

On their website where it describes the XL2 under the list of features is a paragraph which says "Within the Canon XL system alone there are four lenses: the new 20x OIS, 16x OIS, 16x Manual, and 3x Wide." If that can't be considered a recommendation I guess I wouldn't know what to call it.

I bought the 3x wide lens a month after I bought the xl2. I hardly take it off now, because I'm doing mostly interviews. It's a great lens, and I'm happy I bought it. ( Don't know anything about the century lens, except that it would make the 20x lens even more front heavy.
Good luck.
Bruce yarock

Past discussions on this forum (check "Search" for X 3 lens) give some indications that there may be a few problems matching the XL2 to the Canon X3 lens - such as not showing the full field of view, and some back-focus problems (I have not tried the combination, so forgive me if I'm wrong on this).

What I can't understand is why Canon have not released a new wide angle lens, or at least an updated version of the X3 lens. Wide angle lenses are a very important part of filming, and it just seems strange that the wide-angle section of the system is weak, compared to the telephoto.

One lens that I'd buy in a heartbeat, would be a true wide angle or X3 manual version lens.

I'm with both Bruce and Tony. I bought the 3x and have been happy using it. On the other hand, expert users have longed for improvements in certain areas, like the much-discussed back-focus issue...no quibbles with creating a market demand for better and better stuff!

The 20x is a wonderful lens, but is simply too long for a lot of purposes. I can't imagine trying to get by without the 3x. Sure, the Century wide angle adaptor is an option. Personally, though, I'd rather use the interchangeable lens architecture of the XL system than put even more heavy layers of glass way out in front of the CCD.

I'm still waiting for an opportunity to put my 20x back on the camera...
Bruce Yarock

Did a REAL Canon representative say that ? Or is it just someone trying to promot Century Optics lenses ?

The original poster , posted a remark, made by a retailer, referencing a coment made to them by Canon.

So the original poster is a third hand account.

<<<-- Originally posted by Richard Alvarez : The original poster , posted a remark, made by a retailer, referencing a coment made to them by Canon.

So the original poster is a third hand account. -->>>

Translation:
"The Canon 3X is currently out of stock....we do have plenty of the Century Wide Angle adapters in stock though"


I have the 3X and we use it as often as the 20X....no problems here...wouldnt live without it in the kit.

I just wanted to add that we used the 3X wide angle lens with the XL2 on a recent shoot and that it performed very well. Although the 16x manual servo is our primary lens, I wouldn't shoot without the 3x.

"Translation:
"The Canon 3X is currently out of stock....we do have plenty of the Century Wide Angle adapters in stock though"


I have the 3X and we use it as often as the 20X....no problems here...wouldnt live without it in the kit."


Greg,

This is not the case. I have had nothing but excellent experiences with ZGC (thank you DVI for the recommendation). I bought my Xl1s last February from Christine and was so satisified that I shot her an email this past week to get a quote for the XL2. Her honesty is refreshing as instead of just giving me the quote for the 3X and pulling in an additional $1200, she relayed information they got from Canon. They do have the 3X in stock and when I mentioned I was a member of this community, I got a discount on the XL2. No complaints here.

Everything I've read here on the board states that the 3X is an excellent lens with the XL2 with the added resolution (with exception to the back focus issue) so I was suprised by Christine's statement. Anybody have any experience with the 3X with the XL2 shooting landscapes? Any frame grabs or footage would be greatly appreciated. Many Thanks.

Kevin

<<<-- Originally posted by Kevin Janisch : "Anybody have any experience with the 3X with the XL2 shooting landscapes? Any frame grabs or footage would be greatly appreciated. -->>>

Kevin, like many others, I was surprised about your comment. I've been shooting landscapes with the 3X lens and XL2 and been very satisfied with the result. Some time ago I posted one frame taken with 3X & XL2 to www.koillismaa.fi/~lkettune. If needed, can add footages as well, but really don't recognize a real problem with the XL2 and 3X lens.

I would also be bit surprised, if Canon came out with a new 3X lens, for the reason that the next XLx is not going to be a SD format camera, and, in my understanding, they will have to design new lenses for the HDV format cameras. Thus, it's difficult to conceive they produced a new 3X lens only for the XL2 markets. (Of course, what Canon will do, does not depend on my speculation.)

Lauri,

I was suprised as well. Thank you so much for the frame.

Hi;

Can anyone tell me the strength of the 3X wide angle's internal ND?

Olly

Hi Rachel,

There's a table at the bottom of this article that says it is 5 stops (3.1% transmittance):

http://www.dvinfo.net/canon/articles/article82.php

I guess I must not have used it yet as I didn't realize how dark it is! It only has an On/Off switch, no intermediate settings.

Hi;

Thanks Pete, yeah it seems it's a 1.5, it really shocked me when I used it, coupled with a soft con and ultra pol I was out of range even at midday! Guess it's time to get me a .6 ND.....

Olly

Hi all

I've been trying to order an 3x lens for the XL2 for weeks now but all the major suppliers in the UK are out of stock so i have it on backorder.

Does anybody know where I can buy one in Europe? I don't want to order from outside the US due to import taxes.

If anybody has one for sale second hand I'd be intrested as long as it's in PWO.

many thanks
Donie

I'm just getting a XL-2, so I'll put it thru the paces.

I have to say that if you are using the XL1S for certain kind of projects, the 3x wide can be a huge disappointment. Critical focus is hard to achieve and it shows off the weak side of mini-DV.

It unforunately has an eletronic focus ring. I will see if it performs well with the XL-2 shortly. I suggest testing it. I haven't tested the Century optics adapter. I hear good things about it and I am considering renting that next time I do a project with the XL series mini-dv camera from Canon.

Did you try OpTex: http://www.xl1s.com/ ?

Hi Rob

They are a good bit more expensive than other online sites (which are out of stock). Got an eta of 15-21st of March for the lens on www.dabs.com

Thanks for the heads up...
Donie

Hi all!

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with the XL2 with the 20x and a Century Optics .7x Wide Angle adapter, and if so, what your thoughts were.

I'm wanting the best quality, and I am looking at both this adapter or a Canon 3x wide. I like the convienience of having an adapter so I don't have to change lenses, but will I be sacrificing quality by not getting the Canon glass?

Thanks for any input! You guys could either save me $600 or cost me $600, but I value your opinions!

Thanks so much!
Bob Stovall

Bob

You shouldn't think about this in terms of image quality. They're pretty much identical. Century is using Schneider optics, which I'd put on par with Canon's. The real question you have to answer for yourself is a matter of usability and form factor. Do you prefer the relatively light weight of the Canon 3x. The trade-off is its limited zoom range. Or do you prefer to have wide-angle of the adapter plus the full zoom range of the lens it's mounted on. The trade-off is the added weight to an already front-heavy camera. That's it in a nutshell.

Have any of you seen any chromatic abborations around the edges of the Century Optics converters? I always noticed on my Sony VX-2000 that the edges were a little blurry when using these converters. That's what I'm kinda worried about. Some people have suggested only buying the Canon 3x so it would be more pure of an image...

Any thoughts?

Boy I hate to open this can of worms again but here goes.

Yes sir I have seen chromatic abberations on the Century optics .7x and 20x lens. IN fact....I have seen it with the 16x manual and the 16x IS lens too when the CO .7x is attached. In my quest to get the perfect wide angle image I have learned that one of the hardest things to do in the optics industry is make an affordable wide angle adapter. The Century is priced right and performs well. It does have a little optical blurring and chromatic blending at the edges but that is the nature of optics. The lens is not flat but spherical and therefore it bends the light at the edges much more than it does in the center. The light passing through the edges does not always focus perfectly on the same spot of the CCD therefore causing some of the colors to not be in perfect focus or as sharp at the very edges. I have talked to Canon Lens Guys and Century Guys in great length about this and this is just the way it is. To make some add-on glass that doesn't have any of these issues would be 3-4 times more expensive.

Having said all of that I still swear by the.7x lens and 16x manual. Because the Xl2 samples it's 16x9 mode from the center of the 1/3" CCD it is really looking through the center of the glass vertically. So the "less sharp" upper and lower parts are kind of cropped. I see no chromatic or blurry areas at the top and bottom as a result.

Now the sides still show a little. If you grab a wide open frame and analyze it you will find some color shift and a little blur out there at the far right and left. It can either be a big turn off for you or a minor annoyance. It depends on what you are shooting and what your priorities are.

For me I do more run and gun and need wide angle and a long zoom range too. I don't have time to change lenses so I live with the little blur on the edges in exchange for easy use and quick setup times. If you zoom even a little the problem seems to go away as you are looking through the best part of the glass.

However if you are only doing scripted and have all the time in the world and are not worried about convenience the the 3x by Canon is awesome. It delivers great wide angle and is sharp all the way to both edges with no chromatic issues. The one drawback to this lens is that is seems to have a backfocus issue for a lot of us XL2 users. So setting a focus and then zooming has a very good potential to cause a focus shift. If you go with this lens on the Xl2 try to approach it as a fixed focal length adapter that lets you zoom a little to frame your shot. But I wouldn't bet the bank on having it hold focus as you zoom out. It might....your mileage may vary.

The bottom line is at this moment in time the 3x by Canon gives you the clearest picture from edge to edge. But it has little zoom and requires you to change lenses when you want any sort of telephoto shot at all.

The .7x Century is a great optical adapter that allows you to zoom all the way through it. It's minor flaw is that at the widest setting the very far edges often look slightly soft. This adapter also significantly increases the weight on the front of the Xl2 as Chris pointed out. I should also mention the edge softness should be alleviated quite a bit if you are shooting 4x3 as this mode derives it image from the center most point of the CCD which in theory would mask out some or all of the blurriness found on the edges.

FWIW.

You know...

With all that being said, I seem to have a backfocus issue on my 20x lens as well. It never holds focus. I always focus, pull out, and then re-focus because the image clearly isn't as sharp at wide. Should I get this checked out by Canon?

By the way, I think I've decided to go with the 3x so I don't have to worry about any chromatic issues. I don't run-and-gun to much anymore, and I have the time...

Bummer about the back focus though - Anyone know how to fix it?

Thanks! You guys rock!

Bob Stovall

The backfocus is usually something that Canon can adjust at the service center. Now just to be clear the backfocus problems some are reporting with the 3x have not been diagnosed by Canon. What I am saying is there is no official recognition of a problem from Canon on these units. Some users claim to have sent them in to Canon and got them back marked as "working within factory spec" but still have backfocus issues. I think a few others have claimed there unit works fine but I have definitely seen enough comments to warrant some concern and when I tried a 3x it definitely behaved this way. It looked amazingly clear but did behave a little odd when zooming in/our. Those kooky servos!

I hope for your sake Bob that your 3x units does not exhibit any problems at all and retains focus throughout the zoom without having to readjust. You will be very happy with the image as the 3x is the best wide angle I have seen for the XL series cams. Keep us posted as we all would like hear your results.

Does anyone have the 3x Wide angle zoom lens. (xl series)

I was wondering if its worth the money. We have a few cramped interiors to shoot, and need a good wide lens that will open up our space a bit. Will the 3x cut it?

Also, just generally speaking, what are your thoughts on buying lenses: Do you reccomend that I stick with the XL series, or should i get the ef adapter and go with the ef series?

Thanks a lot.

-Lon

I love the 3x Canon lens. It is perfect for those small room situations you describe.

I have used it extensively on the XL1 but not yet on the XL2. There has been some discussion about back focus issues with this lens on the XL2. Some have remarked that the lense does not hold focus when zoomed in, focused and zoomed out.

I have the 3X lens and use it extensively on the XL2. I have yet to find any problem with it. Well worth the cost.

Christian

Since I bought the 3x, my 20x lens is getting jealous....I rarely use it.
Bruce Yarock

I just purchased a 3x lens on Ebay. COmpared to the 20X lens, the servo motor is very loud. This is just my first impression, I have not shot anything and looked for noise yet on the film.

Is the 3X lens servo notably louder than the 20X ?

Thanks,

I have the xl2 and the only accesory i have purchased so far is an 8 hour battery and a warranty. My wallet has recovered from the purchase and i have been looking at the 3x wide angle lens and possibly a mic muff.
The 20x lens that i purchased with the body works great but for some of my documentary filming it would be great to not be crammed agaist a wall in a small room. I have heard the 3x wide angle lens works great and looks great. What, if any are the major downsides to this lens? Also, i could probably get it for around $1000 and i know this is a pretty good price but do you think that maybe the whole lens is overated? If you do recommend getting it, where would you recommend getting it?
Now about the mic muff, i have been looking around and i found a $40 muff for the XL1s, im pretty sure it will fit and all their mics work the same so all i have to worry about is the size, right? Im not trying to go crazy and get anything fancy, it just says it cuts wind up to 40mph and it has no effect on the volume even when there is no wind. I just think it would be a nice improvement. I know everyone that i have worked with that has the XL2 has a wind guard or muff of some kind but i always forget to ask about it. Any suggested models?

I've heard that the 3x is soft on the XL2. I haven't used it on mine so I can't say for sure. I have a Century .7 wide angle converter for my 20X, it has been very nice and looks good. A little noticeable at times, but not bad. At some point I'll get one for the 16x manual, or maybe trade.

You may want to get a better mic than the factory camera mic. Check out the audio forum "Now Hear This" and look around at what people are using. Choosing the right mic depends on the conditions under which you will be working.

the 3X looks great on the XL2. no Complaints about it at all. Infact, I think it adds to the "film look"

I have had the Canon 3x on both the Xl-1 and the XL-1s. I love it! You may have to have it calibrated for your Camcorder, but man it is worth it. Bob

FYI, type this---canon XL1 3X--- and search ebay right now and you will find 3 for sale. One is with a $900.00 buy-it-now, and the other two are regular auctions that are at about $700.00 so far. If you are not affraid of ebay, just keep checking there. Want new and warantee, B&H has it for $ 1,179.95.

I do like my 3X.

Mike

Thanks for the advice, im still wonderfing about how it looks though, is there any distortion or visible "wide angle" that is distracting, especially when you are in a situation where you dont need the wide angle lens? I just want to know that if im filming a documentary and i get in a position where i dont have a chance to switch out the 3x wide for the 20x will the shot still look okay? I know i wont be able to zoom much but im figuring its just going to look like all these reality TV shows look today...

Has this happened to anyone? My lens was minding it's own business, and one day I hooked up to my cam and suddenly, it wouldn't zoom. Neither the rocker nor the ring would make it zoom. I tested it on an XL1 and it wouldn't zoom. It had been wkring fine for a month.

Anyhoo, I got it exchanged and the new one is fine.

Has this happened to anyone?>

Matt, did you power down the camcorder before you mounted the lens? If not you may have blown a circut. Just a thought. Bob

Matt, did you power down the camcorder before you mounted the lens? If not you may have blown a circut. Just a thought. Bob

That sounds like what happened. The exact same thing happened to me with the 3x. I sent it to Canon and it cost about $90 to repair.

ALWAYS power down the camera when changing lenses!!

Agreed -- sounds like crossed contacts while powered. Never a good thing.

That may have happened, I know i did it once but it worked fine after that. My question is why Canon couldn't build in the tiniest feature which is, when you pull the lens release, it's puts the cam in standby

My question is why Canon couldn't build in the tiniest feature which is, when you pull the lens release, it's puts the cam in standby.Going into standby mode requires about one second or so for the camera head to cycle through some things and completely power down. You have the potential with one simultaneous twist of your wrist and a push of your finger to disengage the lens even more quickly, which would negate the effectiveness of such a feature. That's why the best (and safest) procedure is to take the extra step of either powering the camera down or putting it in standby mode first before attempting to remove the lens.

Very good thinking Chris. I don't know what it is about this camera in particular, but there is somehting about it that makes me forget it's on. It might be weird "ON" dial, or the lack of LCD screen (usually out when a cam is on). Has anyone else experiecned this. I put away my camera last week and left it in VCR mode all night, thus draining the batteries.

I feel they little red on light is in the wrong spot or too small.