I have been working a while to put together a complete dv video-making system for shorts and maybe a few features and I think I'm just about done. What I'm doing here is to get some input from other fellow DV users to try and see if there are any improvements that I could make in order to have the most "well rounded" setup. So here it goes.

Canon XL1s with all the stock accessories (a few aftermarket hi-cap batteries, home made foam padded case)

Quyen's Letus35 xl flip 35mm adapter, canon 50mm 1.4 lens, and a Nikon 17-80mm 4.0 zoom for outdoors only plus the focus and zoom breath too much:(

An XL-to-Arri standard mount adaptor with an angenieux 12-120mm arri 16mm lens

BOGEN 3066 tripod with dolly (I'm working on a track right now)

Colortran 1000watt 3200k switchable flood/spot light w/ stand

(3) Smith Victor Q60-SG Lights w/ Barn doors & stands 600watt ea.

Tascam DA-p1 DAT recorder

(2) Sennheiser MKH-416t mics with RYCOTE wind shields, deneke t-power power supplies, shock mounts, and 2 painters-pole boom poles

A nice recording studio (my closet covered with foam)

Some cheapo Sony monitoring headphones

Adobe 6.0 suite

Editing computer (hp dual XEON 3.2 GHz, 2 GB memory, 3 monitors)

and a bunch of accessories, uv & polarizing filters, media, cases, cleaning supplies, etc..

Thanks have a great day!!!

I am not a fan of Adobe software, but that is a personal preference.

I think you will need more prime lenses for your adapter. I don't know what the speed of that Arri lens is, but zooms are rarely fast lenses. The XL cameras are not known for their light sensitivity, so you may need fast lenses to compensate. Use your zoom to figure out what focal lengths you like for your composition style and get one or two more fast prime lenses that correspond. I would guess you will want a wide like a 35mm or 28mm and a mild telephoto like 85mm or 105mm. It is expensive to get long lenses, so let the stock XL lens handle distant subjects. Your depth of field will be lower anyway when you zoom.

Your light kit seems simple but effective.

DAT is perfectly functional, but the technology seems to be on it's way out. Flash and hard drive models have a faster transfer speed and direct file access which should speed up the editing process. Regardless, a good backup audio source is a great idea.

thanks for the input! one of the main reasons I went with the dat recorder was price along with mobility. It seems to work well for now but I'd reallly like to have something that records 24-bit. The arri zoom lens is F2.8 (a little slow but useable) I did buy a cinegon 10mm lens a while back but it was too deep and would have rubbed against the CCD's. I had a plan to build a soft box for my lighting setup out of pvc pipe and a white sheet but just haven't gotten around to it.

Regarding your cheap Sony headphones, take a look at these, when you're ready to upgrade:

* Sennheiser HD280-Pro
* Sony MDR-7506
* Beyerdynamic DT-250

All are closed and intended for studio use. I use the Senns (under $100), and find them to be neutral, but nice sounding. Many like the Sonys (also under $100), but I found them to be too scooped. I know some who really like the DT-250s, but they cost significantly more.

The only drawback I find about the Senns is that they are a bit heavy and tight, but they have great isolation. Their flat response is great for verifying mixes. (Mixing on cans vs. speakers is a whole 'nother topic.)

The Sony's are a bit over emphasized, but that can be a good thing for live tracking and ADR.

Anyway, your system above looks great. Who knows? Maybe your cheap headphones *are* the 7506s! In that case, never mind...

-Jon Fairhurst
http://PoorlyProjectedPictures.com