Various GL1 / XM1 questions

Isaac Gonzalez · April 22nd, 2006, 12:17 AM

Hi Tim,

Thanks for repling. I looked into what you mentioned. I unscrewed two screws at the at the very begining of the eyepiece towards the bottom hoping to remove the rubber eyepiece and giving me access to the top portion of the eyepiece. No success. The rubber eyepiece of the viewfinder will not come off. Any other ideas?

AJ Handegard · June 2nd, 2006, 02:22 PM

Is the GL1 a good camera to shoot short "films" or am I better off saving for another camera such as the DVX100B? As far as I can tell the GL1 does not have 24p capability - how much weight should I put on that? Thanks for any comments.

Mathieu Ghekiere · June 2nd, 2006, 03:34 PM

Depends on the budget...

If you have the budget, of course a DVX100A or B will be better, but the camera is more expensive and is much newer too...

The GL1 NTSC doesn't have a 24p ability, only a frame mode, which is 30p.

Dale Guthormsen · June 2nd, 2006, 11:04 PM

AJ,

Search this site, there are examples of short style footage, it is quite amazing what can be done with a gl2!!!
with a bigger budget you can get an xl2 and have all kinds of options!!!

Eric Brown · June 6th, 2006, 01:28 PM

The GL1 is more good enough. Its 30f image is pretty nice. Although, honestly, I suppose if the story fit the format you could shoot on an old VHS camcorder.

Alex Wren · June 12th, 2006, 08:06 AM

Hello,

Sorry i don't mean to hog this forum but I have so many questions and you are all rather helpful!

I am not convinced that my Camera is showing colours properly. I have had it serviced recently and they changed the heads/drum assembly (and hopefully calibrated it) however all my footage seems to looks dull and lifeless. I think it should have more colour to it.

As the camera doesn't have a test signal built in and I don't have any fancy test pattern cards does anybody know how I might do a simple test to see if it is roughly ok?

Thanks in advance.

Alex

Tim Johnson · June 12th, 2006, 10:33 AM

i do it by eye to be honest, but make sure saturation is turned up first, or do some boosting in post.

Brian Fischer · July 11th, 2006, 08:03 PM

Umm, yeah. I was just wondering if there is any device control setting on the GL1, as I couldn't find one. I know the GL2 and the XL series cams have this feature, but I have been unable to find it on the GL1, so am I correct in assuming it simply doesn't have it? My situation is this. I use a Firestore FS-4 to record tapeless, but would like to use the Stop/Start button on the GL1 to initiate the Start/Stop on the FS-4. Without Device Control on the GL1, is this possible?

Sorry if this doesn't belong in this forum, but I thought this was the most fitting place to ask.

Thanks

Greg Boston · July 11th, 2006, 08:44 PM

Hi Brian,

Sorry, the GL1 and XL1 do not have device control. That feature came starting with the XL1s. So I'm afraid you are stuck with manually starting and stopping your Firestore unit with that camera.

-gb-

Michael Anderson · July 18th, 2006, 02:36 PM

Hi,
I have owned a used GL1 for over five years (I'm guessing the camera has almost 8 years of usage under its belt) I recently encountered massive amounts of artifacting and pixel shifting that seemed linked to motion (both camera motion and object motion). I also noticed that after recording, the tapes had a slight concave that had not previously existed. While the GL1 is my back up camera (my primary camera is a GY HD 100) I wanted to repair it or replace it promptly. I sent the GL1 to Canon and asked them to take a look at it and give me a repair cost estimate. The e-mailed me back and told me that a repair would cost about $600.00.

I have been very happy with my GL1 but I am wondering if $600 would be better spent upgrading. After 8 years can I expect the camera’s other parts to function reliably for another few years after a repair? Should I repair or should I upgrade to a GL2?

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

-Michael Anderson

Mathieu Ghekiere · July 18th, 2006, 05:01 PM

Maybe save up some money and go for a maybe slight used GL2?

Kevin Wild · August 11th, 2006, 11:36 AM

Does anyone know if you take a tape shot on the DVX100 in 24P and put it in a GL1 for capturing into a computer, if it will work? Any problems with this?

Thanks!

Kevin

Jarrod Whaley · August 11th, 2006, 12:51 PM

Yes. It will work. No problem. 1's and 0's.

The DVX inserts pulldown when it writes to tape, so the 24p will look like regular old 29.97i to the Canon.

Nate Fields · August 12th, 2006, 11:45 AM

is all dv cam capable of playing back 24p
do you have any loss in quality

Jarrod Whaley · August 12th, 2006, 01:57 PM

Dv is DV is DV is DV is DV. The data format is the same no matter whether it was shot on a $4000 XL2 or a $300 ZR-25. NTSC DV is 30 fps interlaced, 720X480, @ 25mbps. It will play back on any DV camera, regardless of the frame rate, aspect ratio, etc. that it was shot at, and with zero loss of quality.

Cameras (like the DVX100 and XL2) that can shoot other frame rates and aspect ratios basically work by taking the 24p data and fitting it into a 60i stream, because that's all the DV specification allows. Since all DV is technically exactly the same as far as any camera or playback device is concerned, you can play it back on any camera, no matter where or how you shot it.

April 22nd, 2006, 12:17 AM	#436
Isaac Gonzalez New Boot Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Fresno CA Posts: 11	Hi Tim, Thanks for repling. I looked into what you mentioned. I unscrewed two screws at the at the very begining of the eyepiece towards the bottom hoping to remove the rubber eyepiece and giving me access to the top portion of the eyepiece. No success. The rubber eyepiece of the viewfinder will not come off. Any other ideas? __________________ Isaac

June 2nd, 2006, 02:22 PM	#437
AJ Handegard New Boot Join Date: May 2006 Location: New York, NY Posts: 5	Shooting short films on GL1 Is the GL1 a good camera to shoot short "films" or am I better off saving for another camera such as the DVX100B? As far as I can tell the GL1 does not have 24p capability - how much weight should I put on that? Thanks for any comments.

June 2nd, 2006, 03:34 PM	#438
Mathieu Ghekiere Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,195	Depends on the budget... If you have the budget, of course a DVX100A or B will be better, but the camera is more expensive and is much newer too... The GL1 NTSC doesn't have a 24p ability, only a frame mode, which is 30p. __________________ http://productionsofthe3rdkind.com http://pr3k.com

June 2nd, 2006, 11:04 PM	#439
Dale Guthormsen Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 3,048	AJ, Search this site, there are examples of short style footage, it is quite amazing what can be done with a gl2!!! with a bigger budget you can get an xl2 and have all kinds of options!!! __________________ DATS ALL FOLKS Dale W. Guthormsen

June 12th, 2006, 08:06 AM	#441
Alex Wren Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: UK Posts: 161	Can I test my XM1 for colour accuracy? Hello, Sorry i don't mean to hog this forum but I have so many questions and you are all rather helpful! I am not convinced that my Camera is showing colours properly. I have had it serviced recently and they changed the heads/drum assembly (and hopefully calibrated it) however all my footage seems to looks dull and lifeless. I think it should have more colour to it. As the camera doesn't have a test signal built in and I don't have any fancy test pattern cards does anybody know how I might do a simple test to see if it is roughly ok? Thanks in advance. Alex

June 6th, 2006, 01:28 PM	#440
Eric Brown Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 427	The GL1 is more good enough. Its 30f image is pretty nice. Although, honestly, I suppose if the story fit the format you could shoot on an old VHS camcorder.

June 12th, 2006, 10:33 AM	#442
Tim Johnson Regular Crew Join Date: May 2006 Location: London, England Posts: 101	i do it by eye to be honest, but make sure saturation is turned up first, or do some boosting in post. __________________ (Wishes to be more informative and helpful than a nuisance)

July 11th, 2006, 08:03 PM	#443
Brian Fischer Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bremerton, Washington (Kitsap County), USA Posts: 28	GL1 Device Control? Umm, yeah. I was just wondering if there is any device control setting on the GL1, as I couldn't find one. I know the GL2 and the XL series cams have this feature, but I have been unable to find it on the GL1, so am I correct in assuming it simply doesn't have it? My situation is this. I use a Firestore FS-4 to record tapeless, but would like to use the Stop/Start button on the GL1 to initiate the Start/Stop on the FS-4. Without Device Control on the GL1, is this possible? Sorry if this doesn't belong in this forum, but I thought this was the most fitting place to ask. Thanks __________________ Brian Fischer "On a long enough timeline the survival rate for everyone drops to zero." - Tyler Durden

July 11th, 2006, 08:44 PM	#444
Greg Boston Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: DFW area, TX Posts: 6,117 Images: 1	Hi Brian, Sorry, the GL1 and XL1 do not have device control. That feature came starting with the XL1s. So I'm afraid you are stuck with manually starting and stopping your Firestore unit with that camera. -gb-

July 18th, 2006, 02:36 PM	#445
Michael Anderson New Boot Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Milwaukee Wisconsin Posts: 10	Cost Benifit of repairing GL1 Hi, I have owned a used GL1 for over five years (I'm guessing the camera has almost 8 years of usage under its belt) I recently encountered massive amounts of artifacting and pixel shifting that seemed linked to motion (both camera motion and object motion). I also noticed that after recording, the tapes had a slight concave that had not previously existed. While the GL1 is my back up camera (my primary camera is a GY HD 100) I wanted to repair it or replace it promptly. I sent the GL1 to Canon and asked them to take a look at it and give me a repair cost estimate. The e-mailed me back and told me that a repair would cost about $600.00. I have been very happy with my GL1 but I am wondering if $600 would be better spent upgrading. After 8 years can I expect the camera’s other parts to function reliably for another few years after a repair? Should I repair or should I upgrade to a GL2? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. -Michael Anderson

July 18th, 2006, 05:01 PM	#446
Mathieu Ghekiere Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,195	Maybe save up some money and go for a maybe slight used GL2? __________________ http://productionsofthe3rdkind.com http://pr3k.com

August 11th, 2006, 11:36 AM	#447
Kevin Wild Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 540	24P fr DVX100-Playback on a GL1? Does anyone know if you take a tape shot on the DVX100 in 24P and put it in a GL1 for capturing into a computer, if it will work? Any problems with this? Thanks! Kevin

August 11th, 2006, 12:51 PM	#448
Jarrod Whaley Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: chattanooga, tn Posts: 721	Yes. It will work. No problem. 1's and 0's. The DVX inserts pulldown when it writes to tape, so the 24p will look like regular old 29.97i to the Canon. __________________ -->jarrod whaley. www.oakstreetfilms.com

August 12th, 2006, 11:45 AM	#449
Nate Fields Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Markleville IN Posts: 58	is all dv cam capable of playing back 24p do you have any loss in quality

August 12th, 2006, 01:57 PM	#450
Jarrod Whaley Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: chattanooga, tn Posts: 721	Dv is DV is DV is DV is DV. The data format is the same no matter whether it was shot on a $4000 XL2 or a $300 ZR-25. NTSC DV is 30 fps interlaced, 720X480, @ 25mbps. It will play back on any DV camera, regardless of the frame rate, aspect ratio, etc. that it was shot at, and with zero loss of quality. Cameras (like the DVX100 and XL2) that can shoot other frame rates and aspect ratios basically work by taking the 24p data and fitting it into a 60i stream, because that's all the DV specification allows. Since all DV is technically exactly the same as far as any camera or playback device is concerned, you can play it back on any camera, no matter where or how you shot it. __________________ -->jarrod whaley. www.oakstreetfilms.com