XL1 parts interchangeability with XL2 at DVinfo.net

Kurt Franz · January 4th, 2017, 04:14 PM

Currently have an XL! and have opportunity to pick up an XL2 sans viewfinder and lens. Am I able to use those parts on the XL2? For that matter are there any parts that will not fit on the XL2? The plan is to make a nice XL2 by using parts from both cameras.
Is it possible?

All help appreciated
thanks Kurt

Don Palomaki · January 4th, 2017, 08:22 PM

I've not tried it, but pretty sure the lenses will fit, although the XL2 came with a 20x lens. However, you might need to adjust the back focus settings in the XL2 body to properly pair up with the XL1 lens. (That was the case with the XL1.)

I don't know about the color EVF. The XL2 EVF was larger than that provided with the XL1 and if I recall it wasn't backward compatible. Perhaps a search of past threads will tell.

Les Wilson · January 4th, 2017, 08:54 PM

Ugh. I remember the XL2 announcement and all the attention it got. I think you'll find that the XL1 VF is NOT compatible with the XL2 VF. Also, the lenses were different because they had to be better quality as the XL2 was HDV vs the XL1 was only DV.

Don Palomaki · January 5th, 2017, 05:59 AM

Actually, the XL2 was SD recording in the consumer DV format, like the XL1/XL1s. No HDV. It replaced the XL1s, follow-on to the XL1, in the line, and included several improvements over the XL1 & XL1s. The XL2 manual lists the same 3x wide angle lens, EF lens adapter, and 1.6x teleconverter as the XL1 manual, so the lenses should be compatible.

The XL-H1 is the high def variant in the XL series, the first Canon high def and recorded on tape in HDV as well as SD.

Les Wilson · January 5th, 2017, 06:18 AM

[insert sounds of clearing cobwebs] Like I said, I remember the announcement... just not very well. LOL.

You are right Don, the XL2 was SD. But now I recall the issue with the lenses (I think). Didn't the XL2 have a native 16:9 aspect ratio instead of the usual anamorphic of the XL1? And that was the root of the lens issue/discussion. Would the glass in the older lenses that were made for smaller width chips be a problem on the larger width chip that required a greater size area of the glass to be "good"?

Kurt Franz · January 5th, 2017, 06:34 AM

Thanks guys for the replies. I guess I will just give the viewfinder a shot and see what happens. Would be nice if it would fit.
thanks

Les Wilson · January 5th, 2017, 06:50 AM

Apparently my memory on the lenses was from announcement theorizing... this post indicates they are interchangeable:
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xl...l2-lenses.html

I have the 3x Wide angle lens from my XL1s kit if you are in the market.

The VF on the XL2 was bigger and had a flip up diopter. Here's another post that may interest you... I forgot about the Ikegami VF for the XL1 ... indicates it was compatible with the XL2 but sometimes blew an internal fuse. Maybe that's what's wrong with the XL2 you are looking at:
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xl...fferences.html

Josh Bass · January 5th, 2017, 03:08 PM

the lenses are definitely interchangable. i had both the XL1S and the XL2. Used the 16x manual lens on both. Couldnt say about the viewfinder.

Steven Digges · January 8th, 2017, 01:57 PM

I had both cameras and all three lenses: 16X, 20X, 3X. All were interchangeable. The 3X Wide was soft at it's max aperture, F2.8 (I think).

I recently gave the whole kit to a friend in another state. The XL2 only had a few hours on it since it's last Canon factory service. Left here perfect, Arrived in Colorado DOA to never power up again. What a shame. Great cameras for what they were. Made tons of money with them. There is some kind of a known issue with an internal fuse. I can't see how shipping would do that so my friend decided not to spend money to fix an old camera with little value. He does use the XL1.

I have been inside both cameras. Be very careful with the fragile firewire port. And make sure you always turn them off when connecting the firewire to anything! Power it up after you make the cable connection or you may cause severe damage.

Kind Regards,

Josh Bass · January 8th, 2017, 08:54 PM

I think it was the nicest SD minidv cam in that price range, with the real widescreen that I dont think anyone else did at the time, plus 24p etc. I wrestled with skin tones on there and the cam had some strange settings, like the black stretch options that seemed to lift underexposed areas with this weird colorless gain?

I used mine at least a few times a year until 2013 when I did a birthday party shoot/edit, and saw that it randomly when soft on focus at one point, on a MANUAL lens when I didnt touch focus or move cam position and subject didnt move either. Never figured out what that was and decided not to use it again after that. Also, did I mention it was 2013?

January 4th, 2017, 04:14 PM	#1
Kurt Franz Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 76	XL1 parts interchangeability with XL2 Currently have an XL! and have opportunity to pick up an XL2 sans viewfinder and lens. Am I able to use those parts on the XL2? For that matter are there any parts that will not fit on the XL2? The plan is to make a nice XL2 by using parts from both cameras. Is it possible? All help appreciated thanks Kurt

January 4th, 2017, 08:22 PM	#2
Don Palomaki Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Northern VA Posts: 4,488	Re: XL1 parts interchangeability with XL2 I've not tried it, but pretty sure the lenses will fit, although the XL2 came with a 20x lens. However, you might need to adjust the back focus settings in the XL2 body to properly pair up with the XL1 lens. (That was the case with the XL1.) I don't know about the color EVF. The XL2 EVF was larger than that provided with the XL1 and if I recall it wasn't backward compatible. Perhaps a search of past threads will tell. __________________ dpalomaki@dspalomaki.com

January 4th, 2017, 08:54 PM	#3
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Re: XL1 parts interchangeability with XL2 Ugh. I remember the XL2 announcement and all the attention it got. I think you'll find that the XL1 VF is NOT compatible with the XL2 VF. Also, the lenses were different because they had to be better quality as the XL2 was HDV vs the XL1 was only DV.

January 5th, 2017, 05:59 AM	#4
Don Palomaki Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Northern VA Posts: 4,488	Re: XL1 parts interchangeability with XL2 Actually, the XL2 was SD recording in the consumer DV format, like the XL1/XL1s. No HDV. It replaced the XL1s, follow-on to the XL1, in the line, and included several improvements over the XL1 & XL1s. The XL2 manual lists the same 3x wide angle lens, EF lens adapter, and 1.6x teleconverter as the XL1 manual, so the lenses should be compatible. The XL-H1 is the high def variant in the XL series, the first Canon high def and recorded on tape in HDV as well as SD. __________________ dpalomaki@dspalomaki.com

January 5th, 2017, 06:18 AM	#5
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Re: XL1 parts interchangeability with XL2 [insert sounds of clearing cobwebs] Like I said, I remember the announcement... just not very well. LOL. You are right Don, the XL2 was SD. But now I recall the issue with the lenses (I think). Didn't the XL2 have a native 16:9 aspect ratio instead of the usual anamorphic of the XL1? And that was the root of the lens issue/discussion. Would the glass in the older lenses that were made for smaller width chips be a problem on the larger width chip that required a greater size area of the glass to be "good"?

January 5th, 2017, 06:34 AM	#6
Kurt Franz Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 76	Re: XL1 parts interchangeability with XL2 Thanks guys for the replies. I guess I will just give the viewfinder a shot and see what happens. Would be nice if it would fit. thanks

January 5th, 2017, 06:50 AM	#7
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Re: XL1 parts interchangeability with XL2 Apparently my memory on the lenses was from announcement theorizing... this post indicates they are interchangeable: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xl...l2-lenses.html I have the 3x Wide angle lens from my XL1s kit if you are in the market. The VF on the XL2 was bigger and had a flip up diopter. Here's another post that may interest you... I forgot about the Ikegami VF for the XL1 ... indicates it was compatible with the XL2 but sometimes blew an internal fuse. Maybe that's what's wrong with the XL2 you are looking at: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xl...fferences.html

January 5th, 2017, 03:08 PM	#8
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Re: XL1 parts interchangeability with XL2 the lenses are definitely interchangable. i had both the XL1S and the XL2. Used the 16x manual lens on both. Couldnt say about the viewfinder. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 8th, 2017, 01:57 PM	#9
Steven Digges Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,828	Re: XL1 parts interchangeability with XL2 I had both cameras and all three lenses: 16X, 20X, 3X. All were interchangeable. The 3X Wide was soft at it's max aperture, F2.8 (I think). I recently gave the whole kit to a friend in another state. The XL2 only had a few hours on it since it's last Canon factory service. Left here perfect, Arrived in Colorado DOA to never power up again. What a shame. Great cameras for what they were. Made tons of money with them. There is some kind of a known issue with an internal fuse. I can't see how shipping would do that so my friend decided not to spend money to fix an old camera with little value. He does use the XL1. I have been inside both cameras. Be very careful with the fragile firewire port. And make sure you always turn them off when connecting the firewire to anything! Power it up after you make the cable connection or you may cause severe damage. Kind Regards, __________________ www.CorporateShow.com Been at this so long I'm rounding my years of experience down...not up!

January 8th, 2017, 08:54 PM	#10
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Re: XL1 parts interchangeability with XL2 I think it was the nicest SD minidv cam in that price range, with the real widescreen that I dont think anyone else did at the time, plus 24p etc. I wrestled with skin tones on there and the cam had some strange settings, like the black stretch options that seemed to lift underexposed areas with this weird colorless gain? I used mine at least a few times a year until 2013 when I did a birthday party shoot/edit, and saw that it randomly when soft on focus at one point, on a MANUAL lens when I didnt touch focus or move cam position and subject didnt move either. Never figured out what that was and decided not to use it again after that. Also, did I mention it was 2013? __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB