Optura 100mc at DVinfo.net

Craig Peer · June 7th, 2004, 01:25 PM

Any one here using a 100mc? I've been shooting some great looking video with this older Optura, including climbing videos, and they're ( I have 3 ) working like champs for me! The footage even blends quite nicely with my GL2's footage too!!

PS - thanks for this Optura board Chris!

Tommy Haupfear · June 13th, 2004, 06:57 PM

Craig, are you using Neoprene pouches to protect the 100MCs while climbing?

Fellow poster and board member Allan Rejoso in Tokyo Japan uses an Optuar 100MC and a Black Mamba (aka GS100).

Craig Peer · June 15th, 2004, 01:09 PM

Pretty close Tommy - I took small travel pouches that have a sewn in ring on either end ( Eagle Creek brand I believe - got 'em at REI ) and velcro'd old wetsuit neoprene ( with Barge cement ) in strategic locations. I use the neoprene quick release shoulder straps but take the shoulder part off so it can clip into a mini carabiner ( from Home Depot ) and be tethered fairly tight. Bottom line - with a small good quality cam and this set up, I can attach it to either a climbing pack shoulder strap or a big wall chest harness and have a camcorder available anywhere, anytime. Email me for a sample DVD !!

Allan Rejoso · June 26th, 2004, 06:40 PM

Hi Craig,

Although I own a Black Mamba, I just can't let go of my beloved Optura100. It has been real great to me. I think that was the very last magnesium-alloy bodied consumer cam from Canon. They tried to put everything in there but sadly, they still forgot about the manual focus ring.

Craig Peer · June 28th, 2004, 04:33 PM

A manual focus ring would have been nice, but auto focus works pretty good. I spend my energy while climbing using manual exposure - whichs works well!! I can only do so much while taping under " combat conditions " anyway!!

Jeff Applegate · July 26th, 2004, 04:32 PM

I too have a 100MC and think its just a dynamite little camcorder! I bought it back when my first son was born with the intention of taking good family video, but also with hopes of more creative projects should I end up going in that direction. I'm pleased to say that so far it has proved to be a very good choice for me! Actually, I'm something of an optics geek, so having features like a larger lens and the optic image stabilization in particular, were important parts of my decision making process. The accessory shoe was little used at first, but since I decided I had to have an accessory mic (I got the DM-50) I'm very glad to have it!

I think it would be great if we could start some threads here regarding how poeple are using their 100MC, how they've accessorized it, any problems they've encountered and fixes, etc. You might be interested to see the custom Lens hood I made for it too. But for now, I just wanted to chime in as another user of this camcorder. Are there other 100MC lurkers out there? This forum isn't just for the guys with the new Opturas you know! *S*

Craig Peer · July 27th, 2004, 01:13 PM

Hi Jeff. The only thing I've done to customize my Optura 100 ( I did the same to my previous Eluras ) was to aquire some " acoustical fur " ( the fuzzy stuff on those " mic muffs " ) and velcro it over the built in mic. Works wonders on wind noise, and makes your cam look like a " One Eyed Don King Cam "!

J Patrick Nowak · July 28th, 2004, 05:12 AM

My Optura 100 MC has served me well over the past two and half years. This weekend at a family event, I discovered the zoom has stopped working for no discernable reason. It was the first time I had used the camera in a few months.

It will not work in photo or video mode. Nor will it work with the remote. I have plowed through the cameras menus to set the digital zoom to None, 40x and 200x and these do not cause any change. Luckily, it is stuck on no zoom or "W" rather than a tight zoom!

Anything short of hardware servicing by Canon to fix the zoom?

If I cannot get it working, any idea what such a repair would cost from Canon? Thanks. -- JPN

Patrick King · July 28th, 2004, 07:08 AM

A recurring theme I'm seeing across this forum and others is "if your camera is doing weird stuff for no apparent reason", remove the main battery, remove and replace the back-up battery (if it has one) and press the RESET button (if it has one).

It seems quite a few folks have saved themselves needless repair visits by just resetting the camera to the factory defaults. I guess this equates to doing a restart on your PC which makes sense when you think that these are just optical computers.

A few minutes in your user manual may save you a wad of cash.

J Patrick Nowak · July 28th, 2004, 08:35 AM

Thanks for the tip, Patrick. I will give it a try and see if it does the trick. -- J Patrick

J Patrick Nowak · July 28th, 2004, 05:25 PM

Well it was worth a try, Patrick. I removed the main battery and backup battery for a half hour. Then put them back in. I re-entered preferences but the zoom was still dead. There does not seem to be a "reset" switch but I assume letting it sit with no power puts it back in default mode.

I did put the same old backup battery in so I may try a fresh one to see if that makes a difference.

The camera was not bumped or manhandled in any way so I am at a loss as to why the zoom stopped working.

Jeff Applegate · July 29th, 2004, 02:58 PM

I tried that too. Actually, I was cheap and just used black microphone foam instead of the fur, but it seemed to do a reasonable job. Shortly after that, however I decided I was still picking up too much unwanted "local" noise - motor noise, and sounds of the operator (breathing, coughs, etc). So I finally took the plunge and bought the DM-50 mic to try to improve the situation. I can say that the audio is definitely a lot better with it. Overall the sound is cleaner and more accurate, but in particular, you can hear subjects better from farther away, and you can reduce the pickup of dreaded operator sounds!

Unfortunately, I seem to still be picking up some noise. I fear it may be motor noise, but I have a little more study to do before I am sure.

Another thing I found was that popping the mic on and off every time I used the camcorder got to be a real pain. So I figured out a way to stuff the whole thing into my bag, mic and all. It's a tight fit, but its working for me. Now I just leave the mic on all the time.

Jeff Applegate · July 29th, 2004, 03:06 PM

I've only heard of this problem once before on another forum - camcorderinfo.com to be exact. The guy there never indicated wether or not he was able to find a solution, aside from sending it in for repair. But here's the link for what its worth.

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/t47619.html

Maybe he can provide some guidance based on his experience.

Good luck!

Jeff Applegate · July 29th, 2004, 03:22 PM

Has anyone else had this problem? The LCD display on my Optura 100MC is just too faint to see when shooting in daylight. Indoors I have no problem. But outside, even when it doesn't seem particularly bright (i.e., it doesn't have to be in direct sunlight) its pretty much un-usable! When I adjust the brightness through the menu (with the jog-dial), it "brightens", but I should really describe it as just getting "whiter" - it loses all contrast by the time it gets to the end of the scale, so this doesn't help.

I'm trying to decide if it is getting progressively worse. Or, if it has been like this all along, and I'm just getting more sensitive to it. I do recall that early on I noticed it was hard to see in bright sunny conditions. Does anyone know if the LCDs on these camcorders are just low intensity, or do I have a bad/dying unit? Can anything be done about it?

Thanks

Michael Wisniewski · July 29th, 2004, 03:57 PM

A pair of polarized sunglasses is the easiest solution. Otherwise, here's an LCD hood that fits the Optura 100MC.

I've experienced washouts with the Optura Xi, my previous GL2s, and the Optura Pi. Some are better than others, but they've all washed out at some point.

June 7th, 2004, 01:25 PM	#1
Craig Peer Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 72	Optura 100mc Any one here using a 100mc? I've been shooting some great looking video with this older Optura, including climbing videos, and they're ( I have 3 ) working like champs for me! The footage even blends quite nicely with my GL2's footage too!! PS - thanks for this Optura board Chris!

June 15th, 2004, 01:09 PM	#3
Craig Peer Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 72	you got it! Pretty close Tommy - I took small travel pouches that have a sewn in ring on either end ( Eagle Creek brand I believe - got 'em at REI ) and velcro'd old wetsuit neoprene ( with Barge cement ) in strategic locations. I use the neoprene quick release shoulder straps but take the shoulder part off so it can clip into a mini carabiner ( from Home Depot ) and be tethered fairly tight. Bottom line - with a small good quality cam and this set up, I can attach it to either a climbing pack shoulder strap or a big wall chest harness and have a camcorder available anywhere, anytime. Email me for a sample DVD !!

July 28th, 2004, 05:12 AM	#8
J Patrick Nowak Tourist Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Columbus, USA Posts: 3	Optura 100 MC Zoom has stopped working My Optura 100 MC has served me well over the past two and half years. This weekend at a family event, I discovered the zoom has stopped working for no discernable reason. It was the first time I had used the camera in a few months. It will not work in photo or video mode. Nor will it work with the remote. I have plowed through the cameras menus to set the digital zoom to None, 40x and 200x and these do not cause any change. Luckily, it is stuck on no zoom or "W" rather than a tight zoom! Anything short of hardware servicing by Canon to fix the zoom? If I cannot get it working, any idea what such a repair would cost from Canon? Thanks. -- JPN

July 28th, 2004, 07:08 AM	#9
Patrick King Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Enterprise, AL Posts: 857	A recurring theme I'm seeing across this forum and others is "if your camera is doing weird stuff for no apparent reason", remove the main battery, remove and replace the back-up battery (if it has one) and press the RESET button (if it has one). It seems quite a few folks have saved themselves needless repair visits by just resetting the camera to the factory defaults. I guess this equates to doing a restart on your PC which makes sense when you think that these are just optical computers. A few minutes in your user manual may save you a wad of cash. __________________ Fear No Weevil!

July 28th, 2004, 08:35 AM	#10
J Patrick Nowak Tourist Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Columbus, USA Posts: 3	Optura 100 MC Zoom Thanks for the tip, Patrick. I will give it a try and see if it does the trick. -- J Patrick

June 13th, 2004, 06:57 PM	#2
Tommy Haupfear Wrangler Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 1,415	Craig, are you using Neoprene pouches to protect the 100MCs while climbing? Fellow poster and board member Allan Rejoso in Tokyo Japan uses an Optuar 100MC and a Black Mamba (aka GS100).

June 26th, 2004, 06:40 PM	#4
Allan Rejoso Major Player Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 569	Hi Craig, Although I own a Black Mamba, I just can't let go of my beloved Optura100. It has been real great to me. I think that was the very last magnesium-alloy bodied consumer cam from Canon. They tried to put everything in there but sadly, they still forgot about the manual focus ring.

June 28th, 2004, 04:33 PM	#5
Craig Peer Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 72	A manual focus ring would have been nice, but auto focus works pretty good. I spend my energy while climbing using manual exposure - whichs works well!! I can only do so much while taping under " combat conditions " anyway!!

July 26th, 2004, 04:32 PM	#6
Jeff Applegate New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Morrison, CO Posts: 14	I too have a 100MC and think its just a dynamite little camcorder! I bought it back when my first son was born with the intention of taking good family video, but also with hopes of more creative projects should I end up going in that direction. I'm pleased to say that so far it has proved to be a very good choice for me! Actually, I'm something of an optics geek, so having features like a larger lens and the optic image stabilization in particular, were important parts of my decision making process. The accessory shoe was little used at first, but since I decided I had to have an accessory mic (I got the DM-50) I'm very glad to have it! I think it would be great if we could start some threads here regarding how poeple are using their 100MC, how they've accessorized it, any problems they've encountered and fixes, etc. You might be interested to see the custom Lens hood I made for it too. But for now, I just wanted to chime in as another user of this camcorder. Are there other 100MC lurkers out there? This forum isn't just for the guys with the new Opturas you know! S

July 27th, 2004, 01:13 PM	#7
Craig Peer Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 72	Hi Jeff. The only thing I've done to customize my Optura 100 ( I did the same to my previous Eluras ) was to aquire some " acoustical fur " ( the fuzzy stuff on those " mic muffs " ) and velcro it over the built in mic. Works wonders on wind noise, and makes your cam look like a " One Eyed Don King Cam "!

July 28th, 2004, 05:25 PM	#11
J Patrick Nowak Tourist Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Columbus, USA Posts: 3	Battery removed and still no zoom Well it was worth a try, Patrick. I removed the main battery and backup battery for a half hour. Then put them back in. I re-entered preferences but the zoom was still dead. There does not seem to be a "reset" switch but I assume letting it sit with no power puts it back in default mode. I did put the same old backup battery in so I may try a fresh one to see if that makes a difference. The camera was not bumped or manhandled in any way so I am at a loss as to why the zoom stopped working.

July 29th, 2004, 02:58 PM	#12
Jeff Applegate New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Morrison, CO Posts: 14	I tried that too. Actually, I was cheap and just used black microphone foam instead of the fur, but it seemed to do a reasonable job. Shortly after that, however I decided I was still picking up too much unwanted "local" noise - motor noise, and sounds of the operator (breathing, coughs, etc). So I finally took the plunge and bought the DM-50 mic to try to improve the situation. I can say that the audio is definitely a lot better with it. Overall the sound is cleaner and more accurate, but in particular, you can hear subjects better from farther away, and you can reduce the pickup of dreaded operator sounds! Unfortunately, I seem to still be picking up some noise. I fear it may be motor noise, but I have a little more study to do before I am sure. Another thing I found was that popping the mic on and off every time I used the camcorder got to be a real pain. So I figured out a way to stuff the whole thing into my bag, mic and all. It's a tight fit, but its working for me. Now I just leave the mic on all the time.

July 29th, 2004, 03:06 PM	#13
Jeff Applegate New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Morrison, CO Posts: 14	I've only heard of this problem once before on another forum - camcorderinfo.com to be exact. The guy there never indicated wether or not he was able to find a solution, aside from sending it in for repair. But here's the link for what its worth. http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/t47619.html Maybe he can provide some guidance based on his experience. Good luck!

July 29th, 2004, 03:22 PM	#14
Jeff Applegate New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Morrison, CO Posts: 14	Optura 100MC LCD not bright enough in daylight Has anyone else had this problem? The LCD display on my Optura 100MC is just too faint to see when shooting in daylight. Indoors I have no problem. But outside, even when it doesn't seem particularly bright (i.e., it doesn't have to be in direct sunlight) its pretty much un-usable! When I adjust the brightness through the menu (with the jog-dial), it "brightens", but I should really describe it as just getting "whiter" - it loses all contrast by the time it gets to the end of the scale, so this doesn't help. I'm trying to decide if it is getting progressively worse. Or, if it has been like this all along, and I'm just getting more sensitive to it. I do recall that early on I noticed it was hard to see in bright sunny conditions. Does anyone know if the LCDs on these camcorders are just low intensity, or do I have a bad/dying unit? Can anything be done about it? Thanks

July 29th, 2004, 03:57 PM	#15
Michael Wisniewski Wrangler Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Makati, Metro Manila Posts: 2,706 Images: 32	A pair of polarized sunglasses is the easiest solution. Otherwise, here's an LCD hood that fits the Optura 100MC. I've experienced washouts with the Optura Xi, my previous GL2s, and the Optura Pi. Some are better than others, but they've all washed out at some point.