XL2 Settings

[David Heroux]

I am a latecomer to the CanonXL2. I just purchased one last week. I have been shooting for 15 plus years on a wide variety of cameras mostly Beta SP, this is my first Canon. What I’ve shot so far I like. My question is this, is there a site that I can download settings others have already painfully tested? If not, can someone give me some settings that work well. Just looking for a good list of tips. I’m sure you’ve guessed what I’m looking for. Clear, over the top “film” look. Something more than what I can get out of my other camera, the Panasonic 100A. I am used to the 24p and how to use and or not use it. I would like to do a side-by-side test some day but I’m working so much by the time I get a free moment, it’s the last thing I want to do. (Grab the camera again) Thanks for any help you can give me.
By the way, I just found this site a few days ago. Wish I had known about it a few years ago. It’s great.

[Chris Hurd]

Hi David,

<< is there a site that I can download settings others have already painfully tested? >>

You're already on the right site -- this is it. Although it doesn't seem to be too often that our members are actively talking about their camera settings. In fact, I know of one or two that guard their settings fairly closely. Still if anyone is interested in sharing and trading, this is the right place for it. Welcome aboard,

[David Heroux]

Chris, I've spent many hours the past few nights reading your posts. Thanks for the welcome.
If anyone wants to send me an email on settings I promise not let the cat out of the bag. No really... :-)

[Jeff Miller]

erg, this is a pretty generic one, but I always keep one of the CP's set with just a few clicks up of color gain, a few clicks down of sharpness. I read it from somewhere else here and like it for run and gun. Kind of warms things up and can (slightly) calm down grids or moire. Looses some of the razor-sharp video look.

I imagine many people change they're settings between scenes (if not between shots)

[Matthew Cherry]

<<<-- Originally posted by Chris Hurd :In fact, I know of one or two that guard their settings fairly closely. -->>>

You have to be joking....

[David Heroux]

Well, It’s been about 9 hours now and I did not get many hits on this post. Guess you’re right Chris, they are guarding their settings closely. Should have asked for something more generic like how to accessorize my XL2. But if I just wanted to know that I could ask my wife, she does all the accessorizing, she does that every morning… ;-)
I’ll just keep a log and shoot more non-essential stuff untill I find what I like best.

Jeff, thank for the tip, It’s a start.

[Harley Heffernan]

I'm in the exact same boat.

I have only just bought an XL2 and am open to advice for settings.

I haven't had a chance to play with the settings and work out what is best. The other day I rushed off to a daytime shoot in bright sunlight so keeping the basic settings (knee gamma etc) i shot with the outdoor white balance. Once i viewed the footage in an edit suite i noticed just how cool (blue) the footage looked, i wasn't very impressed and from now on will always manually white balance (although i feel it was perfect conditions for using the outdoor setting), also the colours were very drab. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice to improve footage using saturation adjustments etc.

Hoping someone can help us out.

Cheers

[Patrick King]

<<<-- Originally posted by David Heroux : I’ll just keep a log and shoot more non-essential stuff untill I find what I like best.-->>>

David, you may have already seen this, but Matt Cherry provided the forum with a good XL2 Settings Shot Log to capture exactly what you shot and presumably to remind you to check all settings prior to the shoot.

MattXL2

[David Heroux]

No I had not seen that yet, thanks Pat,
Have to go make some money so I'm outa here.

[Jay Gladwell]

Dave, it varies from project to project. I'd suggest you go out and start shooting some experimental footage keeping a log of your settings for each shot. Then, back at home, when you look at the footage on your TV, decide which settings gave you the "look" that is most pleasing to your eye.

[Will Hogan]

I, too, am starting to experiment with settings and would love some samples. I attended a Canon training session run by David Castillo (of Canon) on Thursday night. Great session, btw.

I asked him about settings he used to shoot, for example, the "Crime Scene" short on the XL2 demo dvd. He told me that he posted all of his settings on dvinfo.net, but I haven't been able to find them. Has anyone seen these? Thank you.

[Frank Aalbers]

The XL2 has great in camera color correction tools.

But I must say, I'm a sucker for shooting in default settings and doing everything in post, unless I need something very specific. If you set to default the only thing you have to worry about is your aspect ratio, frame speed, shutterspeed, apperture, ND and color balance. I also mostly shoot in 0db since I look at that feature the same as digital zoom. It's a digital enhangement that adds artifacts. Those are the main ones to get the biggest dynamic range of your shot. Everything else you can easily do in post. Much less to worry about when shooting.

Frank

[Jay Gladwell]

Frank, I'm with you. As I said elsewhere, I'm of the K.I.S.S. school. Once the "original" image is captured on tape, there is little that can be done. What's done is done, for the most part.

Having said that, I have shot in black & white because that was the intended end for the project from its inception. By shooting in black & white on the front end, it saved considerable time on the back end rendering the project in B&W in post. Time is money!

[Jon Miova]

Hi,

If you are planning to transfer into film, according to Swiss Effects, you should do this:



CANON XL2

Sharpness : -2

Detail : Low

Master Ped. : +2


16:9 mode recommended

Progressive mode recommended