Hi everyone ,

Ive had my XH-A1 for a year and i think its time for some upgrades. Ive tried doing my homework on searching for the best upgrades and here is what i found.

1. AT-897 audio-technica - gradient shotgun mic (around $250.00)
2. A zoom teleconverter 2.2x lense. I saw some excellent footage using this lense on youtube. Anyone using this style and like it? what brand is a good choice price/visual performance.
3. And the much talked about WD-H72 Canon wide angle. Ive read that this one is expensive at around 400.00 but the visual gains are great compared to the inexpensive verisons.

What would you guys do for a first mod. I think ill be doing a mod a month since this stuff inst cheap and im doing video editing as a hobby and not as a business.

Thanks All,

Chris Wysocki

Can't speak for the first two, but the WD-H72 is a great upgrade. Be aware at how top heavy it will make your camera though. You will definitely need to practice to get used to it. I believe it adds 3lbs to the front. But it's best in it's class since its zoom through and gives you .8x more wide. Super good for tight shots, landscapes, houses, etc.

Hi Chris,

I've gotten quite a few add-ons for my camera in the 18 months or so that I've had it. (I still love the camera just as much as when i first bought it.)

My first purchase -- besides a couple of extra batteries -- was the WD-H72 lens. I use it a LOT. (In fact, I have an extra one, if you're interested. I traded someone a light for it because I felt it was a good deal.) As I'm sure you've read, the lens is really heavy, but the quality is great.

I I also have a 16x9 EX 1.5 teleconverter that is nothing short of amazing. It was quite expensive, but delivers extremely sharp shots. I rarely use it, though, because the camera's 20x works in most situations. This lens is also heavy.

I use a Rode NTG-2 and a Sennheiser ME66. Thought you'll hear people trashing the ME66 a good bit, I prefer the sound to the Rode for recording ambience.

I love my Sennheiser G2 wireless setup. I have two receiver/transmitter combos working on different ranges using the ME2 mics that come with them. I just bought a Countryman B6 lavalier and hope to test it out later today or the first time. I've heard great things about it. The wireless system is perhaps my best add-on. There is no substitute for good sound and they fit the kind of shooting that I most frequently do. I also use

I also use a Sennheiser MD42 "reporter's microphone" since I interview athletes at competitions. I have used it wireless with a plug-on transmitter, but usually wired since the distance is not too great. (Myself wearing a lavalier and handling the camera with the athlete holding the MD42 and answering questions in front works well when I'm working alone.

I also recently got a Kessler Pocket Dolly Traveler that I think I am going to use a lot. A few tests showed more how improved some shots can be with a little motion. (I've used pans in the past, but never liked them.)

I also have a used 12' Kessler crane also that I got an extremel;y good deal on ($250 including a heavy-duty Samson tripod and head!). It's been used only a couple of times, but only because it's a little more cumbersome piece of equipment than I am used to carrying. If you can find a way to use it in your video, a dolly is a great thing to have.

As to your original question of what would I get first, I think the wireless system would be my first choice. It may not work for what you do, but it has been great for me. I'd probably go with the WD-H72 next and then the ME66.

While I've invested a good bit in video equipment, it's still little more than a hobby for me, too. I publish a website that is extremely popular in it's little niche area, but the limited video I produce is not the reason people visit the site. I spend more time shooting stuff for my friends, family, and students.

I've bought a few "cheap" items and learned that the quality is so much less than I am looking for as to make them a waste of money. DVInfo is my first research tool when looking at a a new "toy" to go with my camera. Learn as much as possible about whatever it is that you want to add and then get the best possible product that you can afford. I've bought some things here and have had nothing but great experiences from really nice, helpful people.

Hope that helps a little.

Hi

Phil, you write that you use a "16x9 EX 1.5 teleconverter". Is it a Century Optics converter and is it for a Sony EX1 camcorder? If so, does it fit on a XH-A1 with a step up ring for the filter thread?

Regards,

/Bo

Does the teleconverter lense make it able to do very very close shots , like shooting insects?

Also thanks for the responses. Much appreciated.

Digital Optics Pro 2x Teleconverter Lens 72mm Threading - eBay (item 110523962898 end time May-24-10 00:38:35 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-Optics-Pro-2x-Teleconverter-Lens-72mm-Threading-/110523962898?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Lens_Accessories&hash=item19bbbdd612)

I this teleconverter on ebay with a 72mm thread so i think no step up ring is required. They even have one from a different brand for $50.00 Has anyone tried these?

Chris

Hi

Phil, you write that you use a "16x9 EX 1.5 teleconverter". Is it a Century Optics converter and is it for a Sony EX1 camcorder? If so, does it fit on a XH-A1 with a step up ring for the filter thread?

Regards,

/Bo


Bo,

It is made by 16x9, Inc. (16x9 Inc. :: Products (http://www.16x9inc.com)). It has a 72mm screw-on mount so no adapters or step-up ring is necessary. It comes with a carry bag and a good. I'll try to get out after work and shoot some test video to show you what it can do.

Phil

Does the teleconverter lense make it able to do very very close shots , like shooting insects?

Also thanks for the responses. Much appreciated.


Good question, Chris, but I really don't know. When I get home from work later today, I'll try it out and see, but I have a feeling macro capabilities are not there. I think a diopter set might be a better bet.

My favourite (and cheapest) upgrade is the Sony eye cup.

Hi Phil

Of course it's a 16x9 device. I was a little too fast writing the post. I believe that Century Optics have bayonet connections on their adapters so there an EX adapter will not fit on a XH-A1 lens.

It really would be very helpful if you would take your time and share some footage from your XH camcorder with your adapter mounted. Full zoom in of course. Then it would be possible to see how much cromatic aberation and other artifacts the adapter generates.

I've been thinking of getting an adaptor myself as I sometimes would be able to zoom in more on distant objects. I once bought a cheap teleconverter which was terrible and generated so much artifacts that ot was only a small part in the centre that was sharp. Completely unusable. Since then I'm afraid to put money in something I have difficulties to test, so some full resolution footage would be extremely helpful.

Thanks in advance!


Regards,

/Bo

Bo,

It is made by 16x9, Inc. (16x9 Inc. :: Products (http://www.16x9inc.com)). It has a 72mm screw-on mount so no adapters or step-up ring is necessary. It comes with a carry bag and a good. I'll try to get out after work and shoot some test video to show you what it can do.

Phil

that would be great. im interested in seeing some footage with it.

what about 7 inch monotors. any of you guys using them? are you able to dial in focus better? which models are people using with their xh-a1? Just found that some are using monitors from LCD4video.com , which model is it though , there is sooo many to choose from

Chris, upgrade the audio first because sound is 70% of what you see.

If at all possible pop for enough scratch for a RODE NTG-3. You won't regret it :)

Cheers.

Digital Optics Pro 2x Teleconverter Lens 72mm Threading - eBay (item 110523962898 end time May-24-10 00:38:35 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-Optics-Pro-2x-Teleconverter-Lens-72mm-Threading-/110523962898?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Lens_Accessories&hash=item19bbbdd612)

They even have one from a different brand for $50.00 Has anyone tried these?

Chris

Tried a somewhat more expensive cheapo teleconverter once, it was like shooting through a Coke bottle. For $50 my guess is fuggedaboutit.....

I love the WA, really helped. My favorite accessory for the A1, however, is noise suppression software to help out in low light situations. I use NeatVideo but there are others. With this and Vegas's new light fill, I can really improve low light performance. Here's a clip showing the "as shot" and with with the A1 last week on a dark stage at +0db in 60i. I've been able to salvage some pretty noisy footage and keep it looking fairly good. Prior to this software the noise was really bad in such situations and if I pumped up the gain or curves, this footage would have been pretty bad.

____________Straight out of Cam:________________With Neat, color adjust, and Vegas light fill:

Looks pretty good Rog. Did you use a custom preset? Cheers.

Allan, I believe I was using Panalook2 for a custom preset. In post I pressed the blacks moderately, stretched the mids, then added fill lighting and Neat. I was cutting the footage with a T2i, so I needed the A1 to be really clean to make it work.

what about 7 inch monotors. any of you guys using them? are you able to dial in focus better? which models are people using with their xh-a1? Just found that some are using monitors from LCD4video.com , which model is it though , there is sooo many to choose from

Chris,

I have a Varizoom 7" monitor with the same resolution as the LCD4video 7" basic version and it is useless for focus. I got it for composition and it works well for that.

I bought a Manhattan HD089C which is in another world compared to the low resolution monitors. It's resolution is 1024x768 compared to the basic LCD4video's 480x240. It is much sharper than I expected.

If focus is your need, get as much resolution as you can. You wouldn't want to spend the money only to be disappointed that your new monitor doesn't really do what you want.

Allan is really right about audio being so important. Unless you do only something like scenic shots with background music, good mics are critical to your work.

I was thinking about hardware, but Roger is right about NeatVideo being a great product. It can make a surprising difference with noisy shots. If you shoot in very low light conditions, it's definitely worth the money.

I'm uploading a sample of some shots in 60i with the 16x9 EX 1.5 tele to Vimeo right now. Sorry it took me a couple of days. I've been fighting illness for nearly a week and heavy wind made it a little tough to get steady, fully zoomed shots. If you'd like to see another kind of shot, let me know. (Please -- no comments about the focus on a couple of shots! I was working fast to get it up for you guys and wasn't as careful as I should have been.)

I use a SmallHD monitor some of the time. Really helps focus, but does require some set-up and draws more attention. If there's a lot of movement in distance from the camera, I like to use a monitor.

Okay, here's the sample footage with the 16x9 EX 1.5 teleconverter. The original file is available for downloading.

Canon XH-A! and 16x9 EX 1.5 teleconverter on Vimeo

Hi Phil

I don't understad how people used to get information before Internet, it's so simple to share experiences these days.
I really appreciate your help and that you took your time to share your experience with your teleconverter!

As I can see it generates some chromatic aberation (CA), or to be honest, it probably magnifys the CA from the stock lens. It could be seen in high contrast parts around the edges of the picture. In the center it seems OK though. In low contrast scenes as the one with the black cat it's hard to see any CA. Also nice to see in the last clip that the tree is sharp all the way to the right edge of the picture.

Again, thank you for your help!


Regards,

/Bo

thanks for sharing that video Phil. Im sold with the 16x9 teleconverter lense. I cant wait to try it out.

So many people here have helped me and I've learned SO much from this forum that I was pretty excited to be able to give something back to you guys.

I didn't realize how much CA there was. (I still don't have as critical an eye as I should for things like that.)

I still really like it and plan to take it with me this weekend when I travel down to Houston for a little R&R to try some different kinds of shots.

Are you guys using the bnc connector with ur LCD upgrade? Did you have to buy a female to femlae adapter?