GL2 Review- Comparison with XL1s, PD150

[Chris Hurd]

...is this one on Dirck Halstead's site:

http://dirckhalstead.org/issue0208/cameracorner.htm

Ken, I didn't realize you have a GL2 now.

[Ken Tanaka]

Chris,
Just got it (from ZGC) this week. Having used a GL-1 since 1999 (and loved it) I was just curious about how the new guy compared. (Read: Too much time on my hands.)

My take, in a jingle, so far : "Evolution not Revolution". The industrial design of the case and (most) controls is more refined. The finish is more tactile and less slippery. The larger eyecup will be very nice to have for bright outdoor shooting. Resolution and color management are definitely improved. I'll have better impressions after shooting the Chicago Air & Water Show this weekend.

The GL-2 will be the new mobile companion to my XL1s. So far the footage between the two seems to match pretty well.

BTW, I also bought that new, tiny on-camera light for the GL-2 (the VL-3). No, you can't really use it to light very much but I still think it's really cool. It plugs directly into the new smart hot shoe (no cables) and runs off of the cam's battery. It also has an "auto" mode that automatically turns it on when the camera needs it. It will make a good "eye light".

Also BTW, the original LightWave Equalizer designed for the GL-1's onboard mic also fits the GL-2's mic, even though the latter is slightly wider and longer.

[Ken Tanaka]

Hey, on Dirck Halstead's GL-2 review page, it looks like he has an eyecup that's different from both the standard and the large eyecup. It looks similar to a film camera's eyecup. Anyone know the skinny on this item?

Thanks to all of you in this wonderful forum! I waited a long time to decide which camcorder to buy and your tips are great. Promise to send my impression from the GL-2 as soon as I will get it (I’m going to use it for broadband as well).
Zohar

[Jeff Donald]

I believe the cup you refer to is a Ikkup Rubber Eyecup. Google returned two sources Adorama http://www.adorama.com/refby.tpl?sku=VHI and Video Smith http://www.videosmith.com/cgi-local/store/commerce.cgi?search_request_button='Next_Page'&product=accessories&page=&item=&cart_id=&keywords=&hi ts_seen=10 I've been to Video Smith before and didn't recall seeing it. But I checked again, and sure enough it was there $29.95 with an assortment of oddball adapters.

Jeff

[Heidi Willoughby]

Thanks you guys... You are definitely giving me hope... (I plan to try the various blue white balance ideas this weekend).

I'll have to take a closer look, but I'm wondering though, how would I maintain a custom white balance from shoot to shoot (assuming the lighting doesn't change much)?

Once I set the custom white balance, does the camera remember it, even if I turn the camera off?

Would this actually be done in the Custom Preset (I don't recall seeing this) or else where?

Thanks!

-Heidi

[Chris Hurd]

Heidi, unfortunately the GL2 does not sport a white balance memory feature. You'd have to step up to the XL1S, which allows a couple of white balance memory settings.

[Heidi Willoughby]

Chris, Ken,

Oh, sorry.

I thought a memory white balance was what you were referring to in earlier posts.

-Heidi

[Blake Haber]

Hi, Heidi.

Now that I've used my GL2 for a couple weeks, I suspect two possibilities: 1) your GL2 is broken. Because my colors are accurate, not blue-biased. You know there IS a lot of blue in nature, like anywhere you have any kind of shadow or "darkness." Things that look "gray" are actually full of blue and violet. My Gl2 is not making things blue where they aren't already. It could be that you WANT red/yellow that isn't there? or, 2) you're viewing your footage on something which is biasing the image blue. Better check it on an accurate monitor.

I'm very pleased to have a camera that gets the colors right.

I use Auto mode with a CP of +1 on the color saturation and -1 on the level. I use auto white balance or I set it if I want a certain color slant. Point it at something white and press the wb key.

You might ask to try another one to see if yours is out of jigger.

Best,

b

[Ken Tanaka]

Hey, thanks Jeff. The Ikkup (geez, sounds more like a spasm of the diaphram) might be worth a try.

[Peter Butler]

Just been comparing the specs of the XM2 against the GL2, the GL2 says it has a min lux of 6 Lux where as the XM2 has 3 lux, why is this? I know the XM2 has more pixels because it's PAL but how does that explain the lower lux? Not that I'm complaining of course.


Peter

[Chris Hurd]

Heidi,

In our earlier posts, we were referring to the Custom Preset menu... where you can change the overall look of the video through four parameters: Color Gain (how much color), Color Phase (toward red or toward green), Sharpness and Setup Level (how much black). You can tailor the video how you like, and save this custom configuration and recall it at any time with the push of a button.

That's a separate deal from white balance. Unfortunately, there are no white balance memory settings in the GL2. There's a white balance setting for daylight and indoors, and a way to set manually. However, no ability to save a custom white balance to memory (there is the feature on the XL1S, however). Hope this helps,

[Barry Goyette]

Heidi,

The one way to hold a custom white balance is to turn the standby switch to "lock" rather than turn off the camera when you finish shooting...this will hold all your camera settings...I do this all the time, and I do not believe the camera uses any power in this mode, so you shouldn't have any battery drain by doing this (Chris may know more about this.)

One other option...use the standard Daylight white balance setting (or tungsten if indoors) and instead of a skylight filter to protect your lens, use a haze 2 filter, or 81a or b...these will add various amounts of warming, without a telltale "orange shift".

Still, the best situation would be the custom white balance to the blue cards to get the most accurate and consistent color.

Have you tried my (and others) suggestion from last week of doing a custom color preset?...this seems to be what you are looking for, as it would apply to any lighting situation, including using auto white balance.... I don't remember you mentioning whether you tried it or not.

Barry

[Steve McDonald]

The ongoing debate about color needs to have this added: Everyone has different color perception, due to the eyes or processing in the brain. Some people see a different shade of color and also brightness between their own two eyes. If two or more people have such varying perceptions and watch the same TV, there will be constant bickering about how it's adjusted. Until all people are cloned from the same genetic code, this will continue.
I've never had a videocamera that didn't produce too much red and that wasn't a bit weak in the green area to my eyes, but others may see something else in my footage.

Men who have a sex-linked, partial color blindness, tend to see little or no red, which is in the lower frequencies of the visible range. Many of them don't realize they have this (or won't admit it). I believe that these men are the ones they hire at the factories to set the colors on the cameras.

Steve McDonald

[Heidi Willoughby]

Barry,

So I'm currently in the process of trying the 5 and 10% blue manual white balance you suggested (my hubby printed them out on his computer), and I'm running in to a little problem.

When I go to "set" the white balance (after I've zoomed in on the blue, etc.) the little white balance icon won't stop flashing. It defintely stops flashing when I manually white balance white, but with the blues it won't stop flashing.

The manual says this may happen (and that the icon may just flash slowe instead of stopping), but I'm wondering if you know what's up. And I doing something wrong? Have you (or anyone else) ever experienced this?

Thanks,
Heidi