Hello all.

I recently purchased an XL 2 - finally took the step up from my GLs (2 GL 2s and a GL 1).

I am now working on adding all the extras I need to make efficient use of the camera.

So far, I have a uv lens and have orderd a Kata soft camera bag and am choosing a Pelican hard case. Next, I have to decide on a lanc zoom/focus controller, a portable LCD screen, and some method of additional support for shoulder use (can't figure out what good that shoulder pad is, since the center of gravity is about 8 inches in front of it! - And if I back the camera up to where it's easier to hold, the EVF is next to my ear!)

I would love to hear some thoughts on which lanc controller various people prefer and why. Be specific - does one have smoother control, sturdier construction, more versitility, more intuitive speed control...

Also, which LCD screens work best? Best resolution, color accuracy, brightness for use in brightly lit areas... Elsewhere on the internet, I read a suggestion to just buy a portable DVD player, since the cost was about the same and you get the player to boot (this was for use on a small jib - obviously not mounted on the camera), but when I looked at their screens, I thought the resolution was far too poor for focusing. Are the LCDs sold specifically as camera accessories better?

While we're at it, how do you guys who have been using XLs deal with the balance issue. It's pretty fatiguing to shoot the way it's built with no additional support or counterweight system.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Vence Vida

you can adjust the viewfinder to slide forward about 2 inches which lets the shoulder move back a bit, that helps quite a bit with the balance and fatigue

Hello Vence,
I am also a new XL2 owner and am in a struggle to find a good case to carry all this stuff securely. I am afraid to use a soft case for fear that something will push into the camera and damage it.
I notice you were talking about a Peilcan case. Where did you find a Pelican case just for the XL2 or are you going to modify the Pelican to fit the XL2?
The Canon case is really expensive....

Sorry I cant help you with your other questions but I am in learning mode, also.

I will say that moving the EVF forward on the rail has helped to see the view finder. My problem is that I am right handed but left eye dominant and so I have to use my left eye to look into the view finder. THerefore, I have to move my head up and down all the time to see the entire scene.

Regerds,
Ed

I would get an Anton Bauer battery brick for the camera. I have and love it. I have the Dionic 90's with a dual charger. Not only can I shoot for about 8 hours on one battery, but it completely balances out the camera.

Matt

I love the Portabrace range of bags. I use their camera backpack and it's a perfect fit for the XL-2 (even though I originally got it for my XL-1). The bag is sturdy, easy to carry and has a special contour to take care of the viewfinder.

Portabrace also make an excellent raincover. Unfortunately, I've just discovered that the one I bought for my XL-1 doesn't quite cover the XL-2.

As for other essential accessories, I never leave home without the following products from Lightwave Systems (available from www.zgc.com): System Isolater (which will also push the viewfinder forward), Universal Mini Mount (for the mic) and the Equalizer wind screen (also for the mic). The first two products are very good at isolating the mic from handling noises and the windscreen, as its name indicates, cuts wind noise significantly.

Thanks for the great advice everyone.

Ed: I am getting both a hard and a soft case. The Kata CCC-10 soft case for grab and go stuff (which according to the B&H tracking number, should arrive today!) and a Pelican 1620 for times that I need protection. The Pelican cases are much much better quality than the silver Canon case and cost less than half as much. The cool thing about the Pelican is that you can get it without the full foam, and then you can just put your soft case inside your hard case. Personally, I'm getting it foamed and going to cut spaces for my gear, but you can go either way.

As for moving the EVF - I already did that, and I still think there's too much weight forward.

Matthew: I have considered trying to use a battery set-up for balance, I just wasn't sure if it would help much attached directly to the plate that comes with the camera, or if I would need to suspend it behind my shoulder a little more to get a good balance.

Shekar: I agree, Portabrace makes great stuff - I had one for my GL-2, but I lost it - Aaargh! (Just the bag, not the camera) They are pretty expensive, though, and I'm trying to spread my dollars around. I think the Kata cases, although less expensive than Portabrace, are still decent bags.

As for a rain cover - B&H had a deal going when I ordered my Kata - they are throwing in a free Kata rain cover made for the XL2 ($50 normally), so I'll see how that works. Hopefully it's quality.

I'm sure I'll get an Equalizer eventually, as well.

-Vence

Hello Vence,
Thanks for the reply on the Pelican Case. I really want the hard case because I do not want to risk banging it against something when I am moving about. Can you give me the Model number or case number of the Pelican case for the XL2 that you think would work?
Also, this soft case you speak about, is it made just for the XL2?

One of our DVinfo colleagues, Charles P, recommended a competitor to the Pelican hard cases -- called Storm -- in an earlier thread:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36757

Pelican: http://www.pelican.com/cases/cases.html

Storm: http://www.stormcase.com/

I haven't bought a hard case yet, but have compared the Pelicans and Storms side-by-side and the one obvious difference is the much nicer, easier to use latches on the Storm. That's what I'll be buying shortly.

Hello Ed,

I think the Pelican 1610, 1620 or 1650 would work. 1620 is what I've heard others say they use with their XL2. This is the web-site I've used:

http://www.casesbypelican.com/pelican-cases-sizes.htm

As for Charles' (and Pete's) suggestion about Storm cases, this is the first I've heard of them. I've been exposed to Pelican for several years as a professional audio engineer, so that's just what I'm familiar with. I haven't actually ordered a Pelican for my XL2 yet, so I'm going to ask around and see what some of my local collegues know about the Storm cases. I'm always open to new and better opportunities. It looks like storm cases 2720 and 2750 are comparable to the Pelicans I named. The only thing I can't tell is whether they are lockable.

-Vence

Hey Guys,

First time posting but i'm sure it wont be the last.
Did I mention how awesome this DV Info community is... anyway...

If you want a more compact size, you can go with the Pelican 1600 case instead of the other 16xx range. The 1600 fits the camera perfectly. All you have to do is take the lens hood, EVF, and microphone off, and there's space to spare for other accessories. It takes less than a minute to rig/de-rig the camera.

http://www.all-pelican-cases-4-less.com/detail_pelican_1610_xl1.html

this case has ready-cut foam for xl1. don't know how similar xl1 is to xl2 but it looks roughly the same, sure the foam can be cut. this is the one i'm thinking of ordering. anyone got any feedback?

I just ordered a Storm 2720 case. It hasn't arrived yet, but when it does I'll let you guys know how well the case accomodates the XL2 and gear. Also, I have the Porta Brace Quick Draw. Ultimate soft/hard carry bag for the XL2. Has a protective area for the view finder, and it's long enough to keep the XL2/with 20X lens/adapter plate/Wireless mics all still configured together. Plenty of side pouches for batteries, tapes, etc. Very rugged and tough bad. Should last a long time.

For anyone who has a XL2, it makes good sense not to try and get by with a cheapo case. These camera's are expensive and sophisicated, so spending a few hundred is some awefully cheap insurance to assure your "XL2 baby" will perform like it should.

By the way...I have a friend who owns a Kata CCC-1...nice bag and works well for the XL2. He also has the Pelican 1610, and yes, those latches are difficult to open. That's why I wnated to try the Storm case..I'll let you know if they are any easier.

Vence,

After shopping around a bit, I think I'm converging on a similar solution to what you have already arrived at (small grab-n-go case plus maybe a big hard case for local use).

Wondering how that KATA CCC-10 is working out? I can't find one locally to try out but would like a carry-on size case that won't force me to completely break down the camera -- which wouldn't work so well for grab-n-go.

The Grizzly (which I have been able to find locally) would be great, but is just a little too big to be carry-on legal. I don't mind that I have to take off the mic, but wondering if the smaller CCC-10 fits the camera+20x, detached mic, detached 3x lens, and the other little bits that one must have with the camera for grab-n-go? Or is the case just too small to fit much more than the camera?

Pete,

Actually, once I got the CCC-10, I felt it was too small and I sent it back. The camera will fit, if you remove the mic or perhaps even the whole evf assembly. (with it on, it's very tight and made me nervous about bumping the side of the bag.)

But there is not much more room for anything else. - no way you could put a second lens in there.

I now have the Kata MCC-2. I found one at B&H in the used department that wasn't really used - just a return (like my CCC-10, I suppose).

I like it much better. I can drop in the camera with no disassembly for those time when I'm moving from place to place quickly and there is still room for accessories, including another lens.

I'm not sure if it's too large for carry-on. Could be.

Thanks much, Vence. It is beginning to look like finding one case for both carry-on and grab-n-go (meaning not having to completely break down the camera to fit everything in the case) is not realistic. So I guess on to Plan C:
- small case for carry-on of disassembled camera
and
- med/large case for grab-n-go, that can also be routine checked baggage (with only clothes, etc in it, NOT my camera!)

Happy Friday!

Hi Pete

i have Portabrace CTC-3 from cascademedia and it allows the camera to be packed away without breaking it down. Check it out as it's not huge, just a nice safe fit with room for some extra stuff but not more that tapes and batteries.

Worth a look...

Donie

Hi Donie. I'd need to be able to get a 3x lens, a couple of microphones, and the other usual small bits in the bag for grab-n-go...but it sounds like you think that the CTC-3 may be slightly too small for all that?

Also, the CTC-3 is very slightly larger than the max carry-on size for most US air carriers. Could probably get away with it almost all of the time, but don't want to deliberately tempt fate.

With the gear I have, it seems that I simply can't do both carry-on and grab-n-go with one case, so I think that I'll probably end up getting two cases, as above.

But many thanks very much for sharing great info on these bags, guys!

I have the PortaBrace HK-P3 Hiker Pro back pack. I can fit my XL2 in there completely built, except for the mattebox. Not sure which mic you use, be sure that will fit, or take it off when you pack.

Here's a link
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=194237&is=REG

What's great about the HK-P3 is that you can carry it by hand, or you can unzip the side panel and the backpack straps are revealed. The panel rolls up and is secured with velco. Now you can wear it as a backpack. I have done this and it's great. The rear of the camera sometimes bumps the backpack, but you can always take off the backpack while shooting.

Check out some of the other Porta Brace cases as well. Like the Carry on (CO-PC), Quick Draw and others. Check for actual dimensions on the B&H site, Porta Brace doesn't always have the dimensions listed.

Porta Brace
http://www.portabrace.com/asp/gallery.asp

I bought the Porta Brace "quick draw" and I love it.It's big and heavy, but very practical and protects the viewfinder.You can also carry it without totally closing the top. I can carry the following:
Inside the bag-
xl2
extra lens (3x wa) in it's plastic pouch
Anton Bauer dionic 90 in a small box
Headphones
Frezzi mini fill ina pouch


Lower long pocket-
wind protector for my mic
lens cleaning stuff

side pocket-
Batteries, tapes etc.


rear pocket-
Canon charger
Cables
filter
freazzi softbox(collapsed)

I have a seperate case for my audio stuff, but i guess I could possibly also fit mt wirelss and handheld....
Btw, no one commented on the lanc controller and on cam monitor question.
Bruce Yarock

First of all let me say that the XL2 is not made out of porcelain and will not disintegrate if it takes a knock. There's being careful with your gear and there's being silly!

I use a LowePro Nature Trekker Backpack. It is meant for 35mm camera gear but can easily be configured to carry the XL2, shotgun mike, holder and lots of wire and other crap (essential items) for the camera. It goes on your back, fits as carry-on for flights and looks cool. Unlike Portabrace stuff that looks like it was designed by a blind man with broken fingers.

take care and watch yourself on those mountains!

;op

Don't be dissin' my Porta Brace!

We all have our own preferences.

come on..... join the cool club, blue fabric is just so last season!!!

;op

respect M.

What do you guys got against the Canon cases?

I have to agreee with Mark..i have the porta brace quick draw and it is very good at protecting the XL2 and at the same time carries quite a few accessories.. I have the XL2 with battery adapter plate attached, and room for all of my wireless lavs, head phone, 3 BP945 batteries, 9 volts for the mic, carries 5 tapes and room for more! The shoulder strap is the sturdiest I've seen so far in carry bags.

Haven't you heard? Porta Brace blue is the new black!

All the girls in New York city are wearing it with their Ugg Boots :~). No worries, mate.

I must admit I didn't really look at the Lowe Pro backpacks because I thought they were too small. Can you fit the camera, fully built, in the backpack? The main reason for the Portas is that they are big enough that you can keep the camera built, carry extra batteries, tapes, etc and then just whip it out and start shooting.

There's also the safety aspect of the pukey blue fabric: it's kind of ugly and doesn't really stick out and scream "steal me" like some bags and cases do. The less attention you get the better.

Nothing against the Canon case. I just like the backpack concept. I was walking around and doing a bunch of run and gun stuff for a tv pilot and the Porta Brace was perfect for my particular needs.

I have a Pelican case that I will use for shipping, when the time comes, but the camera will be broken down into it's separate components with all the extra bits like filters and such.

Sadly you can't keep the camera built whilst in the bag, but at least the XL2 is an easy build (currently 45 seconds, blindfolded, under battle field conditions)

:OP

Like you, I love the fact the camera is discreet in the back pack, also in the pack is a Sony mini-cam camcorder for use as a deck, chargers, cables and other gubbins with paperwork in the front slots. They also have a tripod mount for medium size pods (use a manfrotto me-self) Perfect for solo travel and hiking the thing out into the woods.

As for the Canon camera case, it's a great bit of kit but it just screams "STEAL ME I'M EXPENSIVE"

;o

M.

I’m not (yet) an Xl2 owner, but the following look inside my camera bags may give some help, as all three variations of the XL are of a similar size.

The nice thing about the Canon XL1/XL1s/XL2 series of cameras (I mainly use the earlier XL1s) is that everything can be broken down to fit easily inside different bags. I tend to swap and change, depending whether I'm taking just the basic body plus 16X, or extra lenses etc.

The LowePro Nature Trekker Backpack is a wonderful bag for all types of camera equipment. The XL1s plus 16X manual lens will just fit inside this bag without breaking down, but I tend to use the LowePro Nature Trekker for all my main SLR camera equipment. With a LowePro Lens Case attached to the side, I'm able to fit a complete Nikon F5 system, with bodies, 3-5 lenses - including a Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 and Nikkor 600mm, plus flash, remotes, cables etc inside, and a Manfrotto tripod clamped to the outside of the bag using a LowePro tripod holder.
The LowePro backpack generally is my hand luggage for flights, so on my next flight I will taking an XL1s body, plus 16X lens, plus Optex, plus Nikon F5 and 300mm in the Lowerpro on the plane.

My normal bag for carrying the camcorder gear on location, is a large Kata XL1 bag. It is normally stuffed to the brim with various cables, batteries, filters, Kata rain-cover, chamois leathers (for cleaning optics) , Sony headphones, lens brush, MiniDV tapes, instruction books, Canon VL-1-Li light + rechargeable batteries, WL-D3000 remote control (or Canon VE-100 remote Editor), and Les Bosher Nikkor Lens adapter. A Canon MA-200 Shoulder Pad/XLR adapter + metal extension mount for the Canon Dual Charger slips nicely inside one compartment, as does an Optex .7X Wide Angle Optic plus fittings. The XL1s body fitted with Canon 16X Manual lens, including lens shade clamped to the front, and a Light Waves Systems Isolator SI-XL1 screwed to the viewfinder holder, fits nicely in the main compartment without breaking down. The Shotgun microphone – encased inside a Reinhardt Wind Sock, and clamped to a Light Wave Systems Universal Mini-Mount, is protected inside a Camera Care Systems Lens bag, and fits snugly beside the camera in the main compartment; along with a Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 ED-IF that just squeezes in beside the camcorder.
When I’m using both my still photography and movie equipment at the same time, the big Nikkor 300mm lens goes beside an even larger 600mm f/5.6 ED-IF lens inside the main LowePro bag. This then leaves more room inside my Kata bag for an extra Pro padded Shoulder Rest - which screws into the tripod mount of the XL1s body. The main Manfrotto tripod + heavy duty Ball-head clips nicely to the top lid of the Kata bag. The Kata raincover folds neatly inside one of the big pockets of the Kata bag.

I have a large Pro-version of the Kata raincover, that completely covers the XL1s body - with a 16X Manual lens, plus OPtex optic, plus MA-200 XLR Shoulder mount, plus Canon Dual battery charger – all fitted together, so that I can continue to work through rain and snow without breaking down any of the essential equipment.
__________________________________

http://www.globetrotters-quest.com/

Great info Tony. I miss having a 300 2.8.

Just a general reminder to folks considering cases and bags, that the XL2 is longer than the XL1/XL1S.

Good point Mark, I was going to mention that myself as I read through Tony's mail. I had to sell the bag I used for the Xl1s when I had it as the XL2 is of a similar size to the XL1s with an MA100 on there. So if you can fit that in the case chances are the XL2 will fit. Otherwise forget it. Plus the steel bracket that comes with the XL2 is screwed to the main body so you will not want to have to remove that either.

Tony, you have a lot of gear. I pity you if you have to use it all the one day ;) Or do you have a personal slave to carry it all for you ;-)

Donie

The XL1s will fit inside the Kata bag with both the longer manual 16X lens and MA-200 attached (which is bigger than the MA-100), so the XL2 will fit easily inside the same Kata bag with 20X lens attached.

The camera gear listed, is only part of my camera gear, which also includes extra lenses from super telephoto to ultra wide angle primes, and a few zoom lenses, X 1.4 & X1.6 converters, flashes, infrared remote devices, various clamps, Nikon blimp (to lower sound of shutter and protect from cold), extra Ni-MA battery packs and charger, two off-camera TTL leads, special Macro lenses and F5 prism for close-up work; a complete professional Nikonos V underwater system, plus underwater lenses, and also a special Dome Port that allows me to fit normal above-water Nikkor lenses to the Nikonos V and use underwater. I also have two special large waterproof bags to protect all the non-underwater photo gear.

Strange as it may seem to some, my movie & still equipment is actually the lightest of my equipment! I also have a mass of fishing tackle that includes 6 special rods, 4 heavy reels, 8 electronic indicator devices, two rod pods, a large fishing dome-tent, special bed-chair, foam mats to protect the fish, special sacks to contain fish in the water while getting photo/video equipment ready, inflatable dinghy, paddles, depth sonar, electronic motor, masses of smaller items, plus special-made fishing bait (the bait alone weighs more than 200kg!).

On top of all this, I also have a big list of wilderness trekking/camping equipment, which includes: lightweight mountain tent, mountain Gore-Tex bivvy, Gore-Tex waterproof clothing and boots, full Duck-down extreme expedition parka, wrist compass, water-purifying system, binoculars, self-inflating mattress, LED torches, diving watch, expedition rucksack… The list goes on and on!

What may seem more crazy to some, (and also to myself now I think about it!) is that ALL the above list of items - including the 200kg of special-made fishing bait - will need to be taken from UK to Canada/USA, when I fly out there several times this year (as well as to other locations worldwide this year).

Do I have an assistant to carry all my expedition gear? I wish! No, I carry everything myself! Not all at once of course, but everything needs to reach my intended destination in the fist place.

Normally, on global flights westbound across the Atlantic, luggage limits are good, with at least two 32kg main bags, plus a large carry-on bag (which tends to hold all my expensive still camera bodies & lenses and XL1s and lenses). However, when you fly eastbound, to Europe, Russia, India, China, Australia/NZ or Africa etc, the baggage limits can be a puny 20kg maximum - Which obviously gives me major headaches on my global trips, trying to know what to leave behind!

This year, with a major filming project combined with the normal still photojournalism gear, means all the extra XL1s equipment added to my normal expedition equipment. Plus, two major world championship events to cover, I cannot possibly take everything on the plane with me to Canada. So I have organised to send a selection of the equipment and bait, plus some other bulky items, in a container ship across the Atlantic to the East coast, and then overland by transport to the USA/Canadian border. That will help a great deal, but I still need to take all the fragile photo equipment, lenses, and camcorder gear with me on the plane.

I tend to tailor my expeditions to the area where I will fly to, or what type of subjects I intend to photograph or film. For example, when I intend to only do trekking/fishing/photographing in wild areas, I will only pack the special lightweight tent, special globetrotter fishing rods (that break down to smaller size) and minimum camera/video gear to enable me to get the job done. Even so, sometimes it can be a nightmare trying to figure the items that must go, and what to leave behind... And yes, my back sometimes screams in agony when I've packed too much!