Here is an article on "Lovespring" being shot for Lifetime on HDV on the XL H1.

http://www.studiodaily.com/main/technique/casestudies/6788.html

I'm surprised that there has been no response to this article since I first read it over a week ago...

Many have wondered if the H1 could/would be an accepted HDV camera in the world of broadcasting, and here's a "produced" show that has made the choice to originate in HDV with multiple H1s when, I assume, they could have budgeted for almost any camera... Good for DP Laura Merians and good for LifeTime...

Interesting, isn't it, that here's a woman DP pushing the video envelope, not unlike the ground broken by Nancy Schreiber with the DVX on NOVEMBER, and yet there are so few women commenting in this forum...

Maybe they have adopted my favorite motto "let's stop talking about it and do it".

Being a H1 owner I may be a bit biased, but when most of the HD delivery methods use 9mbps 7mbps or less and already compress to mpeg2 or mpeg4, I really dont see that having a $60k camera could really look much better at the end of the pipe.

Granted, I'm not figuring in lenses & CCD size, but I think the HDV standard has some footing until the broadcast levels are raised above 25mbps.

Which item are they using as a shoulder mount (attached to the bottom)?

The PBS Series Healthy Body Healthy Mind is shot with the XL-H1. Go to healthybodyhealthymind.com to see clips.

"Site under construction"

The site works fine, you can play and see clips there, click on "life after heart attack"

The series is being shot in 1080/24-frame mode and recorded to 60-minute HDV cassettes.
and
LM: Because the camera offers the uncompressed HD-SDI and SD-SDI output, we can do a high-quality image transfer to HD cam; an archival format that is acceptable by the network.
So this means that they are not using the SDI, uncomressed video output while shoot? They are just shooting on to the HDV and then outputing ths signal through SDI to a HDCam deck just for archiving? Is HDCam that much more stable for archiving? Or do they just not know yet.

I figured that for broadcast they would be recording directly from the SDI outs. Hmmmm.

Does anyone know which shoulder mount device they are using for the show?

Yeah, Image 2000, Birns & Sawyer, $400 US... I've got one, but don't find it that useful.. I've completely redesigned the shoulder area of my camera instead - much better - I'd post a pic, but I don't have, or want, a site...

I'd post a pic, but I don't have, or want, a site...

You can attach a picture here. Just scroll down to the Attach Files section of the reply editor.

-gb-

Okay, I'll take a pic of my camera and post it.. I've had several long-time XL users gawk over my camera, saying that it's how Canon should have built it in the first place.. It is heavy, though (Anton Bauer batteries are heavy in themselves) but I'm used to an Aaton 16mm camera that's 5 lbs heavier, so it's still light to me...

Here's the way I've set up my camera for documentary filmmaking. I should note that I have always modified my cameras to suit my shooting style.. back in the early 70's I modified a 16mm Bolex to take 400' magazines mounted on the back, which involved reconfiguring the optics of the viewfinder..

This camera (the H1) is much easier to customize because it started out close (but no cigar)... The way it is set up here, the camera can be mounted and removed from a tripod without removing or adding pieces.. The grip setup is one I've had for 10 years that I use on my Aaton super16 camera. The nose mike is an AT, the wireless receiver is Lectronic, battery is Anton Bauer Hytron50.. the empty place on the back, above the battery, will hold a Firestore FS-C when it's perfected for HDV. Oh, and the pink band around the grip is a rubberband that they use to tie broccoli in the field - I was shooting fieldworkers for a United Way doc last month and stuck it on for good luck...

As I said, it is heavy, but the weight is well balanced... I often use the 3x3 Chrosziel instead of the 4x4 compendium matte box in the picture to save some weight though...

Looks pretty cool Steve. Is the Chroziel FF standard or did you modify it. I'm assuming if you're using it you must like it.

FF is standard "DV" unit - I got it to use with the 16x, but it works so well with the 20x that I tend to use it (the lens) more than I used to... I like this model because the focus scale is on the side of the focus sleeve, so you can see it from the viewfinder.. with the 16x I have another sleeve painted with the distance markings, so I can estimate focus from the viewfinder.. The matte box base is slightly modified, strengthened, and the front shoulder support is attached to it.

By-the-way, all of the modifications were done with the proverbial "simple hand tools" and the materials are: aluminum pieces that I bought at a hardware store, dense foam left over from cutting a case insert, and black leather cut from a purse I got for a buck at Good Will...

I shot my forthcoming documentary film on schizophrenia in Japan on location with the XL-H1. I found it very nose-heavy and very hard on my forearms. I'm looking to try to balance it out better. I'm hoping the 6x wide lens will be a little shorter and adjust the balance back.

I've been looking for a good shoulder mount and if the one Laura uses looks good for women (sloping shoulders, weaker forearms), then it might be the one for me.

Karen Nakamura
photoethnography.com/blog

Steve, your HH/rod setup looks like it's from Oppenheimer Camera (the blue anodized).

Is it?

Nate: I got that grip set about 10 years ago from Birns & Sawyer (when they were primarily a motion picture equipt store). I think they were just called Blue Grips - but they were VERY expensive - $1000 for the minirod section, 2 grips (or in my case, one grip and an adapter for the starboard side Aaton walnut grip), and two grip extensions!

I got them for my 16mm Aaton and really liked them, so I've used them on every camera I've owned.. I just use the left grip with one extension for the H1... Oppenheimer may have them, but last time I checked they were only available in Sweden (I think it was)...

Karen: The Image 2000 that the woman in the photo is using, also coincidentally from Birns and Sawyer, is very comfortable and has the option of using 2 grips and works very well with the H1.. check it out on their website..

Problem I have with it is that it raises the camera above eye level so you're looking up slightly all the time - and once it's secured to the camera you have to remove it to follow a subject into a car or to put the camera on a tripod... I prefer to not have to take things apart, carry them around, and put them back together again.. just lazy I guess...

sweet set-up Steve - very useful adaptation to the shoulder pad.

I spoke with B&S yesterday about the image 2000 to find out if I could mount a quick release plate to it - you can't. The guy I spoke to (very knowledgeable German guy) said he had never heard of anyone asking for that.

btw - what sort of case do you use to carry it around?

Doug I used a Manfrotto quick release with that unit (B&H has them, about $50) - it does raise the camera about an inch, though - unfortunately it means you've got to use a Manfrotto head if you want to move seamlessly from the shoulder support to the tripod... Since I prefer the O'Conner 50, it was inconvenient (although I do have a smaller Manfrotto/Bogen tripod that I take on airplanes)...

I use a CineBag production bag, they're about $190 and very well made.. If you strip the end boards out, you can get the H1 inside with everything (as pictured in my photo) attached, including the mike.. (you do have to remove the Anton Bauer battery, but I do that all the time anyway)...

that bag looks nice thanks

yes I also use a bogen quickrelease, which prevents me from using my Vinten head. The Vinten QR would work but it is way expensive. FWIW I can mount the bogen QR on top of the vinten QR - the only snag is the vinten is wider which prevents me tightening the bogen, I've been thinking of trying to adapt the bogen QR to move the tightening knob an inch or so away from the plate.

sweet set-up Steve - very useful adaptation to the shoulder pad.

I spoke with B&S yesterday about the image 2000 to find out if I could mount a quick release plate to it - you can't. The guy I spoke to (very knowledgeable German guy) said he had never heard of anyone asking for that.

btw - what sort of case do you use to carry it around?
Doug-
The Deutchlander you spoke to was Steve Grimm who handles our manufacturing and service. We HAVE been using the Bogen/Manfrotto plates with our shoulder mounts for quite a while and the seem to do the job.
Also, in regards to the handle system that was mentioned in this thread, we still sell a handle system that you build off of 15mm rods but yes, it is expensive. The handles and extentions are $285 a pop(x4 for 2 handles) and the bridge is $345

so Jim - do you mean that a standard bogen QR plate will attach to the bottom of your image 200 shoulder mount? Is any modification required?

so Jim - do you mean that a standard bogen QR plate will attach to the bottom of your image 200 shoulder mount? Is any modification required?
The Bogen plate attaches to the top of our shoulder mount via the 1/4-20 screw and nipple, then gives you a QR plate to attach to the camera. A second unit could be mounted on the tripod so you can go back and forth.

Jim Martin

I was wanting the quickrelease plate to attach to the bottom of the image 2000 so that I could attach another support (a dv caddie) and use the two supports at the same time.

Sorry to resurect this old thread, but this is about the picture Steve Rosen posted of his XLH1 Setup.

Steve, if you read this thread, could you please give me more details about how you customized the rear part of your camera? I am interested in doing something similar on my camera.

Thank you,