Reasonably easy question...
 

What degrees does filming in 16:9 capture? How about 4:3? Degrees like in degrees as a fraction of a circle which is 360 degrees. I need it for some storyboarding and set location issues. I'm an amature who knows very little about DV, but is planning on buying a XL-2 in the near future. Also, since the XL-2 stock viewfinder can only see in 4:3 what are the requirements of the computer needed to show the actual frame in 16:9? What software is required to do so? Special thanks to all the guys who know a lot about any given subject and teach novices online. It's often a thankless job. I'd do it if I knew more answers.
All the best,
Rich

Rich,
Both the stock color viewfinder and the Black and WHite FU-1000 viewfinder change to 16:9 format when you switch the camera. So what you see is what you get in the viewfinders.

The 'angle of view' scene will depend on focal length. It will be different at the wide angle portion of the zoom from the telephoto portion. Can't give you exact 'degree's off the top of my head.

Hi Rich and welcome to DVinfo,

There's a wealth of information on the main XL2 Watchdog portion of the web site:
http://www.dvinfo.net/canonxl2/index.php

and within that is a Field of View article for the XL2 and most of the XL lenses used with it. That should help out quite a bit your specific question:
http://www.dvinfo.net/canonxl2/articles/article10.php

One tidbit I don't recall being in the article is that the stock color viewfinder DOES have a significant overscan such as seen in a TV set, whereas according to some who have used the FU-1000 B&W CRT viewfinder, it has little or no overscan. That's less of an issue with 16:9 than 4:3, but still good to be aware of it for the lateral borders of the image.

Cheers,