no canon products for me

[DJ Kinney]

The nature of the optical image stabilizer prevents an air-tight lens. That's true, and there can be some dust, in some cases.

As for the ants, I read that post. That guy was in the tropics. Tropical ants will eat tires, and babies. I'm sure they ate the rubber seal around the microphone and ventured in. Kind of an extreme circumstance.

[Don Palomaki]

Which forum?

Originally Posted by DJ Kinney

Disgruntled users, or buyers, or players, or hobbits, or whatever, are always the most vocal. There are statistical methods of compensating for this trend.

If you look at the thread titles of the places where you found these negative comments, you would see that they are threads devoted to negative experiences (ie Remove Cassette fix, lost at service center, my GL2 ate my child in the night). If there were a thread called, "How much I love my GL2, you would have a buttload of positive experiences. What can I say. If Canon were getting half of the cams back because of the tape transport, there would be a recall and a lawsuit. I have never been able to figure out how many they do get back (though some on this board have endeavored to calculate) but I think it's probably on the order of less than 1%.

As for how many GL2s have eaten children, that is probably in the hundreds of thousands by now. It's a real problem that they need to addressed.

DJ

I have a fleet of 5 GL2's. Three experienced the dreaded and mysterious shut-down issue over the course of the last three years. That's batting .600 in my book. Well above 1%. Two cameras have never had a problem with anything, and I use them with the same equipment so I guess I was just unlucky with the other three.

However, I've never had an experience with the 'Remove Cassette' issue. And, with given persistence, Canon did replace all of the cameras for me in time. But, two of the 5 cameras have a problem with the audio dropping out when the VL3 video light is turned on. Can't seem to fix that, so I bought battery powered Sony lights.

Other than some of those problems, I absolutely love the GL2's... looking forward to the GL3's as I'm sure Canon will address the shortcomings of the GL2 (when it comes to not operating properly) with the new line.

[Julian Kehaya]

Well, i have to say i found a lot of bad info/ horror stories about the GL2 in much of my research after i bought mine. It did kinda give me a nagging feeling in the back of my mind about my camera which i first loved. I began to feel different when i looked at it as though at any moment something would just stop working and it would take months to fix. This would essentially ruin my 3 month trip starting this November because i would not have a camera to shoot with.

I think whenever you spend a great deal of money on something you get really concerned that something terrible will happen. For instance, one of my stops includes camping in Hawaii near the North Shore. Right now i am already so paranoid about everything i am bringing, including my camera, being stolen from my campsite. Hawaii has a bad rep for thieves, escpecially around the North Shore during Pipe Masters.

However after reading only negative posts and info on the GL2 i realized i had not even stopped to read posative notes. It was the same when it came to Hawaii. I actually was seeking out negatives on both issues and hyping them up. I started reading the good posative posts and experiences about both my GL2 and Hawaii. I also decided to remember the fact that i stayed at the same campsite once before and never had a problem (though i had no electronics that time i did have a surfboard).

So really i think it comes down to paranoia. being somewhat paranoid myself, I would say examine your own standards of camera care. If you take excelent care of your equipment, are organized, not clumsy or forgetful, not accedent prone, or anything else like that you will probably not have problems. Doing this made me realize that all the nagging feeling i was having were pointless.

Also for every bad review or incident read a good one. It really makes a difference.

[Jean-Francois Robichaud]

I have owned a GL2 for 6 months, and I am happy with the results it has given me so far (I shoot fiction short movies). People have often commented on the quality of my images. At the time I made the decision, I also considered the DVX-100a, but the $1500 difference was too much, considering that this is mostly a hobby (obsession).

I thought the GL2 was kind of expensive too, but I had used a GL1 a few months before and had loved it. I didn't know about the "Remove the Cassette" issue at the time, and I don't know if it would have affected my decision.

6 months later, the "Remove the Cassette" problem has reared up its ugly head. Rarely at first, but more prevalent during a recent 10-day video-making event: I had to borrow another camcorder for capture, I had to buy a tape rewinder, and I lost hours on shoots whenever the GL2 decided to stop working.

I non longer love my GL2 as much as I did. It is currently taking a break at a Canon-licensed repair center, still under warranty. I already fear that even if they replace the tape transport or change the camera, the problem will reappear, as it has for many users. To put chance on my side, I might acquire a cheap (used?) camcorder for capture, and maybe, eventually, a tape-less recording device such as a Firestore.

It saddens me to admit it, but I wish I hadn't bought a GL2: I should have gone for the DVX-100a! I you consider the Beachtek I had to buy in order to support XLR connections (which the DVX has), and the camcorder I might have to get for capture, the price of the DVX isn't so bad after all. Last week, I had the opportunity to see the DVX-100a in action, and even use it myself shortly: the results blew me away! It made me realise some of the short-comings of the GL2 and justified the higher price of the DVX-100a in my mind. Next time I buy a camera, I will spend a little more time researching the issue...

Originally Posted by Julian Kehaya

If you take excelent care of your equipment, are organized, not clumsy or forgetful, not accedent prone, or anything else like that you will probably not have problems.

This post rubs me the wrong way. I take exceLLent care of my equipment, am orgainzed, not clumsy or forgetful, not accIdent prone or anything else of that nature. Strange, isn't it.

I would recommend not taking any type of expensive video equipment to the beach however... where there's tons of sand and salty, humid air. Not a good combo with electronics.

[Julian Kehaya]

For Matt,

I'm sorry if my post offended you in any way. I only meant it in a positive light; to share with others how i was able to realize my own anxieties about my GL2 and squash them.

You are definatly right about the beach but since my passion, for now, is shooting surfing, I have to adapt myself and my gear to it. This is why my paranoia about keeping my equipment working and safe never ceases.

Mr Shannon,
I would love to hear about the DVX-100a when it arrives. I never did any research on it when i purchased my camera because it was out of my price range though i have seen a few on the beach.

[Jonathan Shannon]

Julian:

I understand your need to take your cam to a place that is potentially hazardous for it, as I take mine backpacking...and I need to have it constantly accesible, so I carry it in my hands rather than in my backpack. I treat it as if it were a baby, but still.... But being able to shoot while backpacking is my sole reason for having a cam, so some risks must be taken.

I didn't get the 100A, but the DVC30. I received it a couple of weeks ago, and I'm embarrased to say that I haven't shot with it yet (been incredibly busy - just started a business last year). I've done everything short of shooting with it though. It seems solid and feels good in my hands. Viewfinder is nice and sharp. I will get a chance to shoot with it this Friday, and I will let you know more then.

[Dale Guthormsen]

I film in windy dusty environment several; days a week, we have sand blowing from the nw and dirt from the se. No problems to date. I never leave my camera just setting out waitng for footage. I always keep it in a case unless filming. even leaving it out in the truck on on the computer table will allow to much dust in my booK.
I really value my camera and take care of it. My sonys I treat like they're my enemy and they are still going. one took a dunk in africa and is no just a player for the computer, other is just fine. Both of these were together less than half my gl2.

[Jonathan Shannon]

Dale: I understand and agree about not exposing your cam to the elements any more than is absoluty necessary. However, I do video guides of trails and take footage very regularly en-route. One time recently I was returning on a trail that I had previously shot, and had considered putting my cam in my pack - but decided against it...just in case. And it was a good thing. Not 5 minutes later I ran across a bear and got about 15 seconds of excellent footage of him about 25' from me. Had my cam been in my pack he would've been gone before I got it out. Another similar instance I got a woodpecker with beak full of insects that almost filled my entire frame - beautiful.

I got a chance to shoot with my new DVC30 today and was going to post here as per Julian's request. However, I decided to post in the Panasonic forum under "DVC30 First Impressions". Thank you for your interest Julian.

[Dale Guthormsen]

Jonathan,

Don't get me wrong, If I am in a situation I expect to find or stumble across footage I keep it at ready. A few weeks back I was out in the field and had a Bull moose come charging right toward us, pretty cool. I had the video out as i was in all intents hunting for footage at the time.
I was just refering to general transportation and leaving it setting around.


Dale