How to match A1 & XL2.

[Mike Quinones]

I have a Quinceañeros (Sweet 15th) this Sunday and I'm in need of matching my XL2 and my A1. I have spent some time changing the preset on both cameras, but have not come to a point where I'm happy with the results. I know that out there are many of you with both of these cameras. And perhaps you have come up with presets for both of these cameras to match the picture. If some one can help with this I will greatly appreciate this.

[Chris Hurd]

On a related note, we could use an A1 preset to match an XL H1. You might dig around the XL H1 forum here as well as the XL2 forum because I thought someone had posted settings for matching an XL H1 to an XL2. We can use that as a basis for trimming an A1 for an XL2.

[Mike Quinones]

Thank You Mr.Hurd;
Within the eighteen presets there was one that came close to it but the shadows area was a little darker. I guess that I can make some adjustment to that one and see what happened. I was hopping that some one else more knowledgeable that me would have gone thru this territory already.

[Chris Hurd]

Which preset was it, Mike? That'll give us all something to go on (this is a group effort)!

[Mike Quinones]

Mr Hurd.
On thursday night I will hook up my mixer this way I can have two pictures on the same monitor, hopefully I'll get my wife to cooperated and be my model for 15 minutes that way I can see the diference and do some twiking. All I can remember it was something like fourteen but I'm not 100% sure. When I do you'll be the first one to know. Thank You.

[David W. Jones]

The most effective way to calibrate 2 different cameras is to start with the right tools.

A properly calibrated monitor
A waveform monitor
A vectorscope
A camera chart

You can A/B shots all week long with your eyes and never get them to really match.
But shoot a chart and view the output on a vectorscope for example,
and you will know instantly where your color levels are.

Good Luck!

[Meryem Ersoz]

are there any new developments on matching an A1 and an XL2? i don't own the A1 yet, so i can't run the experiment suggested by david but would like to hear from someone who might have figured out a setting to successfully match these.

[Mike Quinones]

Meryem;
One of my friends that were going to work with me on this project didn't show up at the last minute. So I end up doing a one man job, I used the A1 record in HD with the wide angle most of the time and down convert it to SD. Hopefully on my next project I get to try a two camera shot. Let me tell you I was very impress with the quality of the A1, may consider selling my XL2 and buy another A1.

[Meryem Ersoz]

hi mike: trading in the XL2 for another A1 seems like a good idea if you already own the A1, especially because you don't stand to lose much money on the trade. but i don't want to give up my XL2's long-lens capability and don't want to shell out for an H1.

so i'm still hoping that someone out there who has both these cameras will offer some advice on matching the A1 and XL2, if possible.

[Mike Quinones]

Meryem;
There is something that the A1 can not match with XL2, The ability to add on photographic lenses and been able to get really close up shots. I do a lot of nature and with my XL2 a can zoom in inside a flower and still be very sharp using the original lens. I'm not rushing into anything yet, will wait before I’ll make any decision.

[Meryem Ersoz]

i have a 100mm macro lens that i use with my XL2 for macro, and, as you say, it's really nice.

i have a set of these that i've used on my FX-1 for close-up work:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

they are not that expensive and might be worth trying with your A1. they don't work as well on the XL2, but you already have a 35mm lens for that. but they work pretty nicely with my FX-1, resolving to +3. a nice, inexpensive way to get a little closer using HDV....

which is getting off-topic here! still hoping to hear from users who have successfully matched the XL2 and A1...

[Harry Connolly]

Originally Posted by Mike Quinones

I'm in need of matching my XL2 and my A1. I have spent some time changing the preset on both cameras, but have not come to a point where I'm happy with the results.

Can anyone suggest a preset for the A1 that matches an XL1s?

[Brad Tyrrell]

Originally Posted by Harry Connolly

Can anyone suggest a preset for the A1 that matches an XL1s?

Or a plain ol' XL-1? Noticed a BIG "out of box" difference with camera down-rezzed 4x3. Oh well... tinker time.

[Mike Quinones]

Harry;
As David said before, "You can A/B shots all week long with your eyes and never get them to really match". I don't have a vectorscope or a waveform monitor. But I'm hoping that someone with the right tools could help us with the right preset to match these cameras.

[Miguel Lombana]

Originally Posted by Mike Quinones

Harry;
As David said before, "You can A/B shots all week long with your eyes and never get them to really match". I don't have a vectorscope or a waveform monitor. But I'm hoping that someone with the right tools could help us with the right preset to match these cameras.

why not try a demo versino of DVRack, that has all the scopes and modules that you need, setup a shot against a chart and note where the vectorscope hits, then plug in the other cam and look for the differences and adjust accordingly - if you have 2 laptops this is a really easy test.