Zoom Out and Focus problem... at DVinfo.net
DV Info Net

Go Back   DV Info Net > Canon EOS / MXF / AVCHD / HDV / DV Camera Systems > Canon HDV and DV Camera Systems > Canon XH Series HDV Camcorders
Register FAQ Today's Posts Buyer's Guides

Canon XH Series HDV Camcorders
Canon XH G1S / G1 (with SDI), Canon XH A1S / A1 (without SDI).

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old September 3rd, 2007, 02:01 PM   #1
New Boot
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Dickson, TN
Posts: 6
Zoom Out and Focus problem...

Hey,

Stupid question from a newbie... I've had my A1 since May and love it however, I am a bit frustrated at the moment. I am trying to do a slow zoom out while simultaneously racking the focus from the background to the foreground yet the A1 refuses to respond to the focus ring until I've stopped zooming out. Is there a setting I can change to allow for this? Thanks in advance for your help!

Adam Ward
Adam Ward is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 3rd, 2007, 04:20 PM   #2
Contributor
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 4,449
I'm not sure about this but I think I read somewhere you can't shift focus while zooming. However, what you can do is use the auto shift function. Set the in and out focus points, and it'll do it for you at the push of a button.
Bill Pryor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 3rd, 2007, 05:04 PM   #3
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Port St. Lucie, Florida
Posts: 2,614
Zoom control and focus control are controlled by the same servo motor. You can only do one at a time!

Mike
__________________
Chapter one, line one. The BH.
Mike Teutsch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 3rd, 2007, 08:33 PM   #4
New Boot
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Dickson, TN
Posts: 6
Thank you guys for your quick responses... As far as the same servo powering both functions, I was afraid of that...

Bill, I'm not sure I know what you're talking about with the auto shift function. The only thing I know of is the "Position Preset" function on the side of the camera that allows you to save a preset zoom placement or focus point. If there's another way, please do educate me! :)

Thanks again, guys!

-A
Adam Ward is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 3rd, 2007, 08:55 PM   #5
Contributor
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 4,449
That's what I'm talking about. If you set the in point focus and out point focus, then press the button and zoom, it will shift. Not exactly while zooming, but right at the end of the zoom it should snap in.
Bill Pryor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 4th, 2007, 03:30 PM   #6
New Boot
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 14
Just curious... I don't have my XH-A1 handy to test this, but would zooming out while holding the Auto Focus button down fix this problem? Since you'd only be using one servo motor (the zoom ring), maybe it'd work? Admittedly, the inability of this camera to rack zoom and focus simultaneously is crippling in certain rare but annoying occasions... Cheers,

-joe
Joe Bourguignon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 4th, 2007, 05:29 PM   #7
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Port St. Lucie, Florida
Posts: 2,614
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Bourguignon View Post
Just curious... I don't have my XH-A1 handy to test this, but would zooming out while holding the Auto Focus button down fix this problem? Since you'd only be using one servo motor (the zoom ring), maybe it'd work? Admittedly, the inability of this camera to rack zoom and focus simultaneously is crippling in certain rare but annoying occasions... Cheers,

-joe
Nope! Crippling compared to what?

Mike
__________________
Chapter one, line one. The BH.
Mike Teutsch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 5th, 2007, 06:30 AM   #8
Wrangler
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 4,487
Quote:
Zoom control and focus control are controlled by the same servo motor.
Assuming Canon used a similar lens automation design to that used in the XL1 and GL1, the lens has separate motors for focus and zoom.
__________________
dpalomaki@dspalomaki.com
Don Palomaki is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 5th, 2007, 06:35 AM   #9
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Port St. Lucie, Florida
Posts: 2,614
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Palomaki View Post
Assuming Canon used a similar lens automation design to that used in the XL1 and GL1, the lens has separate motors for focus and zoom.
The XL1, XL1s, XL2 and even the XLH1 use a single motor for zoom and focus in their auto lenses. Never had a GL1 or GL2, but I think it is the same.

Mike
__________________
Chapter one, line one. The BH.
Mike Teutsch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 5th, 2007, 06:53 AM   #10
Wrangler
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 4,487
Two motors are shown in the service manual for the XL1 standard lens. The limitation on changing focus while zooming may be due to programming of the lens control system to maintain focus while zooming, arguably the more common requirement for this class of camcorder.
__________________
dpalomaki@dspalomaki.com
Don Palomaki is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 5th, 2007, 07:41 AM   #11
Wrangler
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: DFW area, TX
Posts: 6,117
Images: 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Palomaki View Post
Two motors are shown in the service manual for the XL1 standard lens. The limitation on changing focus while zooming may be due to programming of the lens control system to maintain focus while zooming, arguably the more common requirement for this class of camcorder.
Interesting Don, because that contradicts what has been the common perception for years with these cameras. Having had the XL1, then a pair of XL2 cameras, I can confirm that you can't do both at the same time. But you're also the first person to ever admit to having their hands on a service manual.

-gb-
Greg Boston is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 5th, 2007, 07:53 AM   #12
Obstreperous Rex
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Marcos, TX
Posts: 27,368
Images: 513
Don has had that XL1 service manual for several years and has referred to it often while assisting fellow DV Info Net members. I'll take his word on just about anything. I guess the "single motor theory" has been a common misconception among our ranks for a long time, and I'm happy that Don has cleared this up for us.
__________________
CH

Search DV Info Net | 20 years of DVi | ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!
Chris Hurd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 5th, 2007, 08:07 AM   #13
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Port St. Lucie, Florida
Posts: 2,614
That indeed is very interesting! Does this mean that some enterprising individual or second party company could make a modification to the circuitry and or software that would allow us to do both at the same time?

I was unable to find that manual and would love to see it.

Thanks Don

M
__________________
Chapter one, line one. The BH.
Mike Teutsch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old September 5th, 2007, 09:35 AM   #14
Wrangler
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 4,487
I suspect it would be hard to get anyone to do it (except as a private labor of love), unless Canon agrees to it.

While it would be possible to reverse engineer the firmware, that would be very costly, (and possibly illegal in the USA - Millennium Copyright Act?). And with the firmware reverse engineered, one would then have to have to reprogram it, compile it, and flash the firmware. That would all require intimate knowledge of the camcorder internals, details of any ASICs in the camcorder - all this is generally far more detailed information than is provided in the service manuals. Also, there may be some other choke point on the control system

Give that there is probably a rather limited market for this capability, the cost of the mod from a third party on a commercial (for profit) basis would be likely be prohibitive for all but folks who can afford the XL-H1 with manual lens, in which case, why bother with the little brother camcorder.
__________________
dpalomaki@dspalomaki.com
Don Palomaki is offline   Reply
Reply

DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy and where-to-rent questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers and rental houses...

B&H Photo Video
(866) 521-7381
New York, NY USA

Scan Computers Int. Ltd.
+44 0871-472-4747
Bolton, Lancashire UK


DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
  You are here: DV Info Net > Canon EOS / MXF / AVCHD / HDV / DV Camera Systems > Canon HDV and DV Camera Systems > Canon XH Series HDV Camcorders


 



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:22 PM.


DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network