Various GL1 / XM1 questions

Henry Czuprinski · January 4th, 2002, 11:13 AM

I need to capture max quality stills of a scene I'm gonna shoot- to look like a scene freeze frame that turns into a photo which a character will handle in a following scene. If I use GL1 photo mode at end of scene ,how do I extract and save file from premier and get into Photoshop Lt for printing at service bureau? Anybody done this?

January 12th, 2002, 06:12 AM

I am new to DV. I recently purchased a GL1 and have only used it a couple of times.

I will use it primarily for outdoor landscapes and sporting events. My a priority for sound is recording personal interviews - inside or outside.

I picked up a condenser mic from Radio Shack. Here's what happened on my first outdoor attempt ... I set up an interview with a very important individual. The mic checked out fine inside, but when reviewing my interview tape (great video) I had NO AUDIO!!!!! It did this twice!

I checked power ... the plug connection ... all was proper.

The mic works fine inside but gets nothing when outside. Is it possible that ambient noise overcomes or confuses the mic and therefore blanks out?

Confused ....

Don Palomaki · January 12th, 2002, 07:59 AM

Are you saying that the mic wortks with the GL1 indoors but not outdoors? Strange. No reason it should not work outdoors if it works indoors, unless you have a cable problem of some kind.

What is your mic budget?

A lav is good for a talking head when only one person will do allthe talking.

A hand-held is good for interviews with more than one person, or to get that 'reporter' look.

Shotgun is good if you want the mic out of the photo, need a bit of stand off distance, or in a noisy environment.

Decent mics cost money; shotguns list for over $300, handhelds and lavs list for over $120.

January 12th, 2002, 09:50 AM

Kindest thanks for your response.

I would like to have the capability of speaking comfortably with a subject or have them speak with me off camera without mics in the picture. Mobility / walking about would also be nice without worrying about a handheld - possibly a two mic set up.

My budget probably needs to inflate passed Rado Shack .. however, I have seen some mic systems costing several thousand dollars ... I don't have that by a long shot.

What specs do I need to be aware of for compatability with the GL1 connection?

Sincere thanks!

Don Palomaki · January 12th, 2002, 03:37 PM

The GL1 mic input jack is 600 ohms, unbalanced stereo in a 3.5 mm mini-phone jack.

You will need something that converts your external mc system to that form cable.

Your description seems to indicate that a wireless mic might give the flexibility you seek, as long as you are not planning on doing serious instrumental music.

Your consideration of Radio Shack implies a modes pocket depth.

You can find system that will work well for voice at near reasonable prices. UHF systems tend to be better, check models from Samson and Azden. Look for diversity receivers. A bit lower cost are VHF systems, check the Azden WDR-PRO related models. You can get a lav mic/transmitter and a small transmitter module that connects to a standard mic XLR jack for handheld use.

Nathan Gifford · January 12th, 2002, 08:06 PM

Your first attempts may have been more operator problems than anything else. Even experienced shooters sometime forget to check batts, switches, and hookups. After you have messed up a few you remember to be more cautious.

RS lav mic is not real bad and within its price range is not bad at all.

Wireless is a great way to go, but not cheap. I use a Sennheisner Evolution 100 which I bought for about $458. Great system, but diversity, and I have not missed it one bit.

Nady and Sampson make some nice wireless rigs too. If you are real budget conscious, you could get a VHF unit probably around $200 or less. Whatever money you have left over you could purchase a BeachTek mic box that mounts easily on the bottom of your GL.

Happy Mardi Gras,
Nathan Gifford

January 13th, 2002, 05:13 AM

Is this the system you were referencing?

EW112P(C) Camera Mountable UHF Lavalier Wireless System with EK100 Receiver SK100 BodyPack Transmitter and ME2 Microphone

This does have the mic on a cable with lapel clip, right? Is it possible to add another mic to this system?

Here's the link to B&H where I found this system ...

http://www01.bhphotovideo.com/default.sph/FrameWork.class?FNC=ProductActivator__Aproductlist_html___200569___SEEW112PC___REG___CatID=3785___SI D=EB951B565B0

Thank you all for your help.

January 14th, 2002, 04:42 PM

I use the one from Canon all the time and I think it's pretty good. I think they are about $150 or so, maybe a little less.

Ed Smith · January 14th, 2002, 04:51 PM

Even though I have not got an XM1/ GL1, I work for a photographic shop which sell converters.

What about a Raynox Converter (pro series)

Website URL
http://www.raynox.com

They are pretty cheap some below £100

Hope it helps,
Ed

Ed Smith · January 15th, 2002, 03:57 PM

Make sure your camera is connected to IEE1394 port and camera.

In Premiere click on FILE, CAPTURE, STOP MOTION.
Turn your camera on to VCR mode and cue up tape. Hit PLAY on camera and when you get to the still image either hit SPACE BAR or click CAPTURE. this will then load up a full size image of the picture, click on the 'X'/ CLOSE button, it will ask you to save it click YES and then name the file, click OK. There we go one image captured from camcorder. (It saves the images is *.BMP files).

OR

Capture the footage like you would normally do, through MOVIE CAPTURE. once you have finished editing the footage in the timeline move the EDIT LINE over the bit you want stilled, select FILE, EXPORT TIMELINE, FRAME, select settings if you want it to be saved as something different, give it a file name and click OK. It is know saved ready for manipulation in Photoshop, or Premiere.

Hope it works

Ed Smith

Henry Czuprinski · January 16th, 2002, 06:17 PM

Is there some way to avoid losing GL1 w/b setting when cam shuts down from pause or when going to vcr mode to check footage? Does the XL1s have the same issue or can settings be saved?

Ken Tanaka · January 17th, 2002, 12:15 PM

While preparing my GL1 for an upcoming outing I was testing its infrared controller. I noticed that while holding the controller directly in front of the lens and pressing a command button (ex: zoom) the emitter's signal was clearly visible through the viewfinder as a pulsing red dot. It was, however, invisible to the naked eye.

This makes me wonder two things:
1. Can the camera (or, for that matter, any video camera) "see" infrared wavelengths?

2. If so, why does the emitter appear as red? Why not as a greenish/white?

Just idle curiosity. But if the camera can pick up IR, wouldn't that have implications for normal shooting situations?

Don Palomaki · January 17th, 2002, 07:22 PM

Just about all video camcorder CCD can see IR, especilly if it is a bright point source as with the remote control. It appears red with the GL1 because the red CCD sees it clearly while the green and blue do not see it anywhere near as well due to the filters in the prism blocking something like 98% if the IR light.

It probably looks green in other (mostly 1-CCD consumer) camcorders because that is how Sony chose to display it when in hight shot mode. Could be any color they wanted. Maybe green because that is the color used in many night vision displays (which are monochrome, not color).

Is it a problem for normal shooting, no. Visible light dominates

Ken Tanaka · January 17th, 2002, 10:05 PM

That's really interesting. Thanks very much for the info.

Don Palomaki · January 18th, 2002, 05:48 PM

You may recall a few years ago when Sony first brought out the 'zero-lux' consumer camcorder thing there was a tendency to "see through" garments. Apparently some synthetic fabrics and dyes were relatively transparent to long IR, and in short under certain circumstance you could see underwear outlines and so forth on people. After this brief (no pun intended) flurry interest, Sony apparently modified the systems (perhaop by changing an internal filter) to mitigate this unexpected capability.

January 4th, 2002, 11:13 AM	#31
Henry Czuprinski Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: minneapolis Posts: 37	How to Capture GL1 photo for cropping,printing??? I need to capture max quality stills of a scene I'm gonna shoot- to look like a scene freeze frame that turns into a photo which a character will handle in a following scene. If I use GL1 photo mode at end of scene ,how do I extract and save file from premier and get into Photoshop Lt for printing at service bureau? Anybody done this?

January 12th, 2002, 06:12 AM	#32
spardacus Posts: n/a	External Mic Choices I am new to DV. I recently purchased a GL1 and have only used it a couple of times. I will use it primarily for outdoor landscapes and sporting events. My a priority for sound is recording personal interviews - inside or outside. I picked up a condenser mic from Radio Shack. Here's what happened on my first outdoor attempt ... I set up an interview with a very important individual. The mic checked out fine inside, but when reviewing my interview tape (great video) I had NO AUDIO!!!!! It did this twice! I checked power ... the plug connection ... all was proper. The mic works fine inside but gets nothing when outside. Is it possible that ambient noise overcomes or confuses the mic and therefore blanks out? Confused ....

January 12th, 2002, 09:50 AM	#34
spardacus Posts: n/a	Mic Choices Kindest thanks for your response. I would like to have the capability of speaking comfortably with a subject or have them speak with me off camera without mics in the picture. Mobility / walking about would also be nice without worrying about a handheld - possibly a two mic set up. My budget probably needs to inflate passed Rado Shack .. however, I have seen some mic systems costing several thousand dollars ... I don't have that by a long shot. What specs do I need to be aware of for compatability with the GL1 connection? Sincere thanks!

January 12th, 2002, 08:06 PM	#36
Nathan Gifford Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Tickfaw, LA Posts: 1,217	Possibly some operator error too. Your first attempts may have been more operator problems than anything else. Even experienced shooters sometime forget to check batts, switches, and hookups. After you have messed up a few you remember to be more cautious. RS lav mic is not real bad and within its price range is not bad at all. Wireless is a great way to go, but not cheap. I use a Sennheisner Evolution 100 which I bought for about $458. Great system, but diversity, and I have not missed it one bit. Nady and Sampson make some nice wireless rigs too. If you are real budget conscious, you could get a VHF unit probably around $200 or less. Whatever money you have left over you could purchase a BeachTek mic box that mounts easily on the bottom of your GL. Happy Mardi Gras, Nathan Gifford

January 13th, 2002, 05:13 AM	#37
spardacus Posts: n/a	Mic Options Is this the system you were referencing? EW112P(C) Camera Mountable UHF Lavalier Wireless System with EK100 Receiver SK100 BodyPack Transmitter and ME2 Microphone This does have the mic on a cable with lapel clip, right? Is it possible to add another mic to this system? Here's the link to B&H where I found this system ... http://www01.bhphotovideo.com/default.sph/FrameWork.class?FNC=ProductActivator__Aproductlist_html___200569___SEEW112PC___REG___CatID=3785___SI D=EB951B565B0 Thank you all for your help.

January 12th, 2002, 07:59 AM	#33
Don Palomaki Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Northern VA Posts: 4,489	Are you saying that the mic wortks with the GL1 indoors but not outdoors? Strange. No reason it should not work outdoors if it works indoors, unless you have a cable problem of some kind. What is your mic budget? A lav is good for a talking head when only one person will do allthe talking. A hand-held is good for interviews with more than one person, or to get that 'reporter' look. Shotgun is good if you want the mic out of the photo, need a bit of stand off distance, or in a noisy environment. Decent mics cost money; shotguns list for over $300, handhelds and lavs list for over $120.

January 12th, 2002, 03:37 PM	#35
Don Palomaki Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Northern VA Posts: 4,489	The GL1 mic input jack is 600 ohms, unbalanced stereo in a 3.5 mm mini-phone jack. You will need something that converts your external mc system to that form cable. Your description seems to indicate that a wireless mic might give the flexibility you seek, as long as you are not planning on doing serious instrumental music. Your consideration of Radio Shack implies a modes pocket depth. You can find system that will work well for voice at near reasonable prices. UHF systems tend to be better, check models from Samson and Azden. Look for diversity receivers. A bit lower cost are VHF systems, check the Azden WDR-PRO related models. You can get a lav mic/transmitter and a small transmitter module that connects to a standard mic XLR jack for handheld use.

January 14th, 2002, 04:42 PM	#38
Orca8888 Posts: n/a	I like the one from Canon. I use the one from Canon all the time and I think it's pretty good. I think they are about $150 or so, maybe a little less.

January 14th, 2002, 04:51 PM	#39
Ed Smith Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hampshire, England Posts: 1,545	Even though I have not got an XM1/ GL1, I work for a photographic shop which sell converters. What about a Raynox Converter (pro series) Website URL http://www.raynox.com They are pretty cheap some below £100 Hope it helps, Ed

January 15th, 2002, 03:57 PM	#40
Ed Smith Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hampshire, England Posts: 1,545	Make sure your camera is connected to IEE1394 port and camera. In Premiere click on FILE, CAPTURE, STOP MOTION. Turn your camera on to VCR mode and cue up tape. Hit PLAY on camera and when you get to the still image either hit SPACE BAR or click CAPTURE. this will then load up a full size image of the picture, click on the 'X'/ CLOSE button, it will ask you to save it click YES and then name the file, click OK. There we go one image captured from camcorder. (It saves the images is *.BMP files). OR Capture the footage like you would normally do, through MOVIE CAPTURE. once you have finished editing the footage in the timeline move the EDIT LINE over the bit you want stilled, select FILE, EXPORT TIMELINE, FRAME, select settings if you want it to be saved as something different, give it a file name and click OK. It is know saved ready for manipulation in Photoshop, or Premiere. Hope it works Ed Smith

January 16th, 2002, 06:17 PM	#41
Henry Czuprinski Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: minneapolis Posts: 37	losing white balance setting Is there some way to avoid losing GL1 w/b setting when cam shuts down from pause or when going to vcr mode to check footage? Does the XL1s have the same issue or can settings be saved?

January 17th, 2002, 12:15 PM	#42
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Interesting Puzzle: The GL1 Sees (Infra)Red While preparing my GL1 for an upcoming outing I was testing its infrared controller. I noticed that while holding the controller directly in front of the lens and pressing a command button (ex: zoom) the emitter's signal was clearly visible through the viewfinder as a pulsing red dot. It was, however, invisible to the naked eye. This makes me wonder two things: 1. Can the camera (or, for that matter, any video camera) "see" infrared wavelengths? 2. If so, why does the emitter appear as red? Why not as a greenish/white? Just idle curiosity. But if the camera can pick up IR, wouldn't that have implications for normal shooting situations? __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

January 17th, 2002, 07:22 PM	#43
Don Palomaki Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Northern VA Posts: 4,489	Just about all video camcorder CCD can see IR, especilly if it is a bright point source as with the remote control. It appears red with the GL1 because the red CCD sees it clearly while the green and blue do not see it anywhere near as well due to the filters in the prism blocking something like 98% if the IR light. It probably looks green in other (mostly 1-CCD consumer) camcorders because that is how Sony chose to display it when in hight shot mode. Could be any color they wanted. Maybe green because that is the color used in many night vision displays (which are monochrome, not color). Is it a problem for normal shooting, no. Visible light dominates

January 17th, 2002, 10:05 PM	#44
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	That's really interesting. Thanks very much for the info. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

January 18th, 2002, 05:48 PM	#45
Don Palomaki Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Northern VA Posts: 4,489	You may recall a few years ago when Sony first brought out the 'zero-lux' consumer camcorder thing there was a tendency to "see through" garments. Apparently some synthetic fabrics and dyes were relatively transparent to long IR, and in short under certain circumstance you could see underwear outlines and so forth on people. After this brief (no pun intended) flurry interest, Sony apparently modified the systems (perhaop by changing an internal filter) to mitigate this unexpected capability.