Please Help: End Search Function Suddenly Does Not Work ! at DVinfo.net

Mark Job · January 9th, 2008, 11:18 PM

Hi Shooters. I have somewhat of a head scratcher here with my new XL H1. For some reason, I can no longer get the end search function to work. When I press the end search button, all I get is a red arrow flashing for a few seconds, then nothing happens. Why ? I also don't remember the arrow being red before. (??) I think it used to be Green when it worked. (??) I immediately searched the instruction book and followed all the information listed on page 49 of the Manual. Still no success. Can any of the more experienced users in this forum tell me what I may be doing wrong. Since I am a newbie with this camera, I am assuming I am the malfunction here and not my camera ;-)

Greg Boston · January 10th, 2008, 12:24 AM

I only know that on the XL2, once you removed the tape from the camera and re-inserted it, the end search function was no longer available.

-gb-

Mark Job · January 10th, 2008, 12:31 AM

I re-read page 49 of the Canon XL H1 manual and it also says, "Once the tape is removed from the camera, then the end function is no longer available." Wow ! This strikes me as wierd.

Johan Forssblad · January 10th, 2008, 05:53 AM

Hi Mark,
Exactly right, when you need the end search function the most then it doesn't work!

Canon RCC here in Sweden (regional competence center) has a special form to fill in if a customer reports things like this. Maybe Canon in Canada has something similar. Go ahead and tell them this kind of behavior is unacceptable. There are a couple more of similar unexpected things to find out ... Good luck with your camcorder. It gives great pictures and that is most important! /Johan

Mark Job · January 10th, 2008, 09:37 AM

Hey Johan. Canon could easily add even more functionality to what is an amazing camera, by a firmware upgrade allowing you to 'name' a cassette and save the unique name & timecode data to the SD card drive. In this way, the camera could easily be programmed to recognize and even automatically end search multiple cassette tapes recorded in the XL H1 camera. I don't know about the Canon feedback channels. I suppose there must be such a channel for Canada. Perhaps Chris Hurd knows or someone else on this forum from Canada could advise ?

Chris Hurd · January 10th, 2008, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Andrew Job

... a firmware upgrade allowing you to 'name' a cassette...

This functionality (the naming a cassette part) is already built into the camera via the User Bit setting under Menu > Recording Setup > UB Select.

The rest of your concept is a really good idea in my opinion.

Johan Forssblad · January 10th, 2008, 10:23 AM

Hi again!
Yes, Canon could probably improve the firmware a lot. Unfortunately, they seem to only correct certain issues their user are complaining about like too large aperture steps and such "small" things.

According to what I have learnt they do not increase the functionality even if they could. That they save for the next model release ...

It is not easy to change the functionality because of all documentation and paperwork involved. If the camcorder starts acting in a different way than described in the instruction book they will get irritated customers on their lines ...

I also have an issue previously described. I work with an external audio recorder which is wirelessly linked from the timecode output of the camcorder. When the camcorder starts rolling the audio recorder moves in sync.

Unfortunately the XL H1 sends out timecode when the camcorder is tensioning the tape at wake up after standby or switching on which causes a 3 sec audio recording each time. Quite irritating and unnecessary.

Try to talk or write to Canon and hope for a reply. You better then put a paper in the Western Wall of Jerusalem!

Mark Job · January 10th, 2008, 01:55 PM

Hey guys. The more I think about this cool SD drive, the more I think about the cool one built into my tiny Canon TX1 PowerShot Hybrid-Digital HD camcorder camera and what it can do. There is literally soooooo much which could be programmed into the built in SD drive of the XL H1 ! It's all just a question of the right firmware upgrade :-) The addition of a few more options would appear in the menu lists.

I say, write a single frame-time lapse counter into the menu system and record the high rez still frames straight to SD card. You just need the 'clock' counter program to count down the intervals between single frame exposures which go to SD card already and viola !

You could even get the XL H1 to write back the image sequence to HDV tape !

January 9th, 2008, 11:18 PM	#1
Mark Job Trustee Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Posts: 1,138	Please Help: End Search Function Suddenly Does Not Work ! Hi Shooters. I have somewhat of a head scratcher here with my new XL H1. For some reason, I can no longer get the end search function to work. When I press the end search button, all I get is a red arrow flashing for a few seconds, then nothing happens. Why ? I also don't remember the arrow being red before. (??) I think it used to be Green when it worked. (??) I immediately searched the instruction book and followed all the information listed on page 49 of the Manual. Still no success. Can any of the more experienced users in this forum tell me what I may be doing wrong. Since I am a newbie with this camera, I am assuming I am the malfunction here and not my camera ;-)

January 10th, 2008, 12:31 AM	#3
Mark Job Trustee Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Posts: 1,138	Disappearing End search Function I re-read page 49 of the Canon XL H1 manual and it also says, "Once the tape is removed from the camera, then the end function is no longer available." Wow ! This strikes me as wierd.

January 10th, 2008, 09:37 AM	#5
Mark Job Trustee Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Posts: 1,138	Reply to Johan Hey Johan. Canon could easily add even more functionality to what is an amazing camera, by a firmware upgrade allowing you to 'name' a cassette and save the unique name & timecode data to the SD card drive. In this way, the camera could easily be programmed to recognize and even automatically end search multiple cassette tapes recorded in the XL H1 camera. I don't know about the Canon feedback channels. I suppose there must be such a channel for Canada. Perhaps Chris Hurd knows or someone else on this forum from Canada could advise ?

January 10th, 2008, 10:23 AM	#7
Johan Forssblad Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Vittsjö, SKÅNE, SWEDEN Posts: 266	Hi again! Yes, Canon could probably improve the firmware a lot. Unfortunately, they seem to only correct certain issues their user are complaining about like too large aperture steps and such "small" things. According to what I have learnt they do not increase the functionality even if they could. That they save for the next model release ... It is not easy to change the functionality because of all documentation and paperwork involved. If the camcorder starts acting in a different way than described in the instruction book they will get irritated customers on their lines ... I also have an issue previously described. I work with an external audio recorder which is wirelessly linked from the timecode output of the camcorder. When the camcorder starts rolling the audio recorder moves in sync. Unfortunately the XL H1 sends out timecode when the camcorder is tensioning the tape at wake up after standby or switching on which causes a 3 sec audio recording each time. Quite irritating and unnecessary. Try to talk or write to Canon and hope for a reply. You better then put a paper in the Western Wall of Jerusalem! Last edited by Johan Forssblad; January 11th, 2008 at 03:31 AM.

January 10th, 2008, 01:55 PM	#8
Mark Job Trustee Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Posts: 1,138	Reply to Chris and Johan Hey guys. The more I think about this cool SD drive, the more I think about the cool one built into my tiny Canon TX1 PowerShot Hybrid-Digital HD camcorder camera and what it can do. There is literally soooooo much which could be programmed into the built in SD drive of the XL H1 ! It's all just a question of the right firmware upgrade :-) The addition of a few more options would appear in the menu lists. I say, write a single frame-time lapse counter into the menu system and record the high rez still frames straight to SD card. You just need the 'clock' counter program to count down the intervals between single frame exposures which go to SD card already and viola ! You could even get the XL H1 to write back the image sequence to HDV tape !

January 10th, 2008, 12:24 AM	#2
Greg Boston Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: DFW area, TX Posts: 6,117 Images: 1	I only know that on the XL2, once you removed the tape from the camera and re-inserted it, the end search function was no longer available. -gb-

January 10th, 2008, 05:53 AM	#4
Johan Forssblad Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Vittsjö, SKÅNE, SWEDEN Posts: 266	Hi Mark, Exactly right, when you need the end search function the most then it doesn't work! Canon RCC here in Sweden (regional competence center) has a special form to fill in if a customer reports things like this. Maybe Canon in Canada has something similar. Go ahead and tell them this kind of behavior is unacceptable. There are a couple more of similar unexpected things to find out ... Good luck with your camcorder. It gives great pictures and that is most important! /Johan