Where woluld you get the step up ring?

Local photo supply store or just look up 46mm to 52mm step ring on various internet vendors. (can't give specifics there, sorry) Mine was like $5.

Our sponsors will have them, but they're so inexpensive you might as well just get 'em from your local photo retailer.

Best Tripod for Optura XI
 

What would be the best tripod for the XI.

my budget is quite limited, so im looking for the best among the cheaper ones. Would like to have it under 80 dollars, including the head.

I'd always say though that if you can manage without a protection UV in front of your wide-angle converter so much the better. Of course if you're going into dusty, wet areas, then protecting the front element is a good idea, but if it's a 'normal' environment then I'd suggest you leave the w'angle converter unfiltered.

Why? Simply because of flare. You're already adding three extra elements to your zoom's lineup by adding the converter and to add another one 'for good measure' is not recommended. This is especially so with wide-angles as the focal lengths are so short and the depth of field so great that any imperfections of any kind on either surface of the filter glass will be seen on your footage.

There's also the possibility of vignetting if the filter's too thick, so much better to buy and use an aspect-ratio hood. It'll protect the lens as well as shadow the front element.

tom.

One of the smaller ones in the Sony VCT line will probably be within your budget. What you don't get for that money is ruggedness, so you would have to be carefull about bumping the tripod or grabbing the handle roughly. What you do get is very good panning and tilting motion without any "stiction" at the beginning of the movement. And... BONUS! You get a built-in controller handle that remotely contols zoom and other functions with the same hand that pans and zooms. This constitutes an unusual value in a consumer tripod. I've graduated from my VCT-870 to a Bogen for my number one cam, but I still use it for my second cam.

For the same money you can get the Vanguard VT-558. This is a large and reasonably rugged consumer tripod. The panning and zooming is smooth, but mine has some mechanical play (i.e., lack of friction resistance) in the the tilting motion. This causes some bounce in the video with vertical movements, no matter how hard I try to avoid it.

Thanks for the input

optura xi nightvision
 

Sorry if this question has been answered before but I haven't found the right information.

I have a optura xi (mvx3i in europe).
and I am looking for a nightvision / night shooting solution.

1) are there any nightvision / infrared lenses or filters available?
to create a sort of sony nightvision effect.
or is there a possibility to achieve this?

2) are there any portable on camera lights available which give enough light to light the surroundings of what you are shooting?

I've been looking for a long time for a good solution to this but haven't found any yet. Any suggestion is welcome.

thanks

Fre,

See this thread on the Camera Bright light (click here) It's a neat little light.

Xi with Tripod controls.
 

Can the XI hook up with a tripod that has zoom, rec. stop. etc. controls on the handle?

You'd have to go to the GL2 or XL2 for that. The current Opturas don't have a LANC port, so it won't work with those controllers. In comparison, almost all Sony camcorders have the LANC port.

It's not quite the same as having the controls designed onto a tripod handle, but the Opturas do come with a fairly powerful wireless remote that gives you access to almost all it's functions.

XI's remote
 

Can the zoom speed be modified on the XI remote?

I feel the zoom on the remote is a little too fast.

The WL-D81 wireless remote control only has one zoom speed, you cannot adjust it.

* The WL-D81 is the remote that comes with all the Optura models including the 50/60.

Optura XI service manual?
 

Anybody know where I can get the XI's service manual? Unlike Sony, Canon won't sell the manuals to "end-users". Seems like the repair shops here in the Cities have to send the camcorders directly for Canon for servicing. I don't have 6 weeks to wait for an "estimate" when I could just do the servicing myself. Anyone who can provide me with a service manual will be greatly appreciated and hold a special place in my heart :)

Hmm, all I can say is good luck to you, Xander... Canon service manuals tend to be *extremely* hard to come by. I would be surprised if the turnaround time at a Canon factory service center is as long as six weeks, unless something is seriously wrong. There are always exceptions, but they do tend to take care of repairs and servicing rather quickly.