I have also found this interesting device for controlling 3 cameras that might interest people (don't know if it works with HDV though).

http://www.grizzlypro.com/r3.htm

Has anybody discovered where ever the AI has independent Iris and gain controls yet?

Hi Wayne,

I posted about the Grizzly just the other day in our Camera Support forum:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=49285

The company owner, Phil Jensen, dropped in to say hi. You can ask him, but I'm pretty sure he'll tell you that exposure is not controllable by LANC with his equipment. There is no difference between DV and HDV gear when it comes to LANC. If the jack is there, and if it's labeled "L" or "Control L" then it is indeed LANC compatible. If you were referring to HDV and his three-way controller, then it's important to realize that his device is sending out composite analog in standard definition. Hope this helps,

Thanks for that, I'm a bit dizzy at the moment, so it is hard to read through everything, however I did find this:

LANC equipped cameras (Sony and Canon) offer the broadest range of camera control including:
Zoom
Focus
Exposure control..

On the product page, so I am hopeful in that way, that maybe something can be done for HC1/A1 users (but the price is pretty steep).

I still wish I knew where those firewire camera controls were that I saw, though.

The device might be able to control those things but that doesn't have to mean that the device being controlled (the camera) listens to it. I wouldn't have my hope up that the HC1/A1 would be better controlled from an external device.

Yes, but along the lines that "You will never never know, if you never never go" it's worth investigation to see if it supports it.

Hi Wayne,

I posted about the Grizzly just the other day in our Camera Support forum:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=49285

The company owner, Phil Jensen, dropped in to say hi. You can ask him, but I'm pretty sure he'll tell you that exposure is not controllable by LANC with his equipment. There is no difference between DV and HDV gear when it comes to LANC. If the jack is there, and if it's labeled "L" or "Control L" then it is indeed LANC compatible. If you were referring to HDV and his three-way controller, then it's important to realize that his device is sending out composite analog in standard definition. Hope this helps,

I've had a chance to play with the FX1 and A1 at this point and this is what I've found. Controlling the HDV cameras works fine but it doesn't control exposure. On the previous Sony cameras (pd170, vx2100 etc) it was possible to set the camera into an exposure mode (ae shift, iris etc) ... ie anything that is controllable with the menu control knob on the back of the camera and control exposure. The Grizzly Pro is the only remote lanc device that lets you operate the menu remotely. Unfortunately, Sony has disabled the Menu up/down LANC commands so it will not work on the new HDV cameras.

The composite video signal works great in both 4:3 and 16:9. It's just composite but it gives you a good signal from the HDV cameras.

Thanks for that report, Phil -- much appreciated,