Post questions for the Canon Product Manager

Marty Hudzik · September 15th, 2005, 10:57 PM

Chris,
Any word on backwards compatibilty of the new Viewfinder with the XL2?

Thanks!

Ram Ganesh · September 15th, 2005, 11:07 PM

ask him/her to visit these forums everyweek (like Jan)

Chris Hurd · September 15th, 2005, 11:07 PM

Hi Marty, official word is no on that, I had an H1 and XL2 side by side for a short while and I should have plugged one EVF into the other camera but just didn't think about it. They're saying no those two viewfinders are not cross-compatible. Same connection jacks, though.

Chris Hurd · September 15th, 2005, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ram Ganesh

ask him/her to visit these forums everyweek (like Jan)

Believe me, I have been hammering on Canon about this for years now.

Jan sets a tough standard for others to follow. The only one who comes close is Ken Freed from JVC. He is a hell of a good guy to know. My only complaint about Ken is that we can't get enough of him.

Barry Green · September 16th, 2005, 07:11 AM

I'd like to know:

a) does it have any compatibility with HDV 720p? Can it play back 720p tapes at all... and if so, can it play them back to firewire? and, can it record 720p via firewire, so it could be used to clone tapes?

b) does it have any provision for cloning timecode from the firewire stream, so that it could make an actual clone of an HDV tape (720p or 1080i) including timecode?

Chris Hurd · September 16th, 2005, 09:41 AM

Hi Barry, no 720p at all, sorry.

Alexander Ibrahim · September 16th, 2005, 11:43 AM

I'd like quite a few more technical details on the SDI interface. Yes I know others have asked, but this is the standout feature.

I won't repeat the myriad questions.

Alexander Ibrahim · September 16th, 2005, 12:00 PM

What I've read so far indicates the viewfinder will be 2.4" 16:9 with ~215,000 pixels.

That is not enough at all. Not even for SD 16:9 in my opinion.

Is this accurate, and will Canon or others of whom Canon is aware be providing higher end viewfinders ?

Ozzie Alfonso · September 16th, 2005, 01:28 PM

Sorry if this has already been brought up, but the thread is long and I might have missed it.

Why a servo zoom with no way to over-ride that function? The servo prevents so many things from being possible - a fast rack focus is one. We can not call a camera "professional" unless it allows such a staple function. Other than that, it looks like a great camera although the $9k is a tad much to pay for interchangeable lenses - of course if they could be made manual...

Chris Hurd · September 16th, 2005, 01:48 PM

Hi Ozzie, good to hear from you. There is a focus preset function on the 20x HD lens for performing rack moves, with a choice of focus speeds (fast, faster, and fastest).

Richard Alvarez · September 16th, 2005, 02:42 PM

Chris,
Does the FU-1000 monchrome viefinder work with it? Any advantages if it does? I seemed to notice the 'lower port' for the FU-1000 viewfinder plug on the body.

Ozzie Alfonso · September 16th, 2005, 03:17 PM

Chris,

Maybe I'm just "old school" but a simple manual focus and manual zoom always works and at whatever speed I want it to work, and I can even change speed in the middle. The presets are great, as is the ability to over-ride the "all auto all the time" functions, but still, I have never understood why not just go all the way with the over-ride functions. Presets are great in the studio where we have the time and need to be right all the time, but in the field where conditions change and we need all the versatility we need, presets can often be a hindrance.

The reason this camera has attracted my attention is because the time has come for HD - all the clients are asking for it, an in 9x16. The camera is the cheapest part of the HD system - the decks, the monitors - that's where the money goes.

September 17th, 2005, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ram Ganesh

ask him/her to visit these forums everyweek (like Jan)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

Believe me, I have been hammering on Canon about this for years now.

Jan sets a tough standard for others to follow. The only one who comes close is Ken Freed from JVC. He is a hell of a good guy to know. My only complaint about Ken is that we can't get enough of him.

How sad that you'd have to beg a rep from a manufacturer to be here in a forum that does not even cost Canon any money or resources.

Kudos to Panasonic and JCV. May not have the XL2 next to my signature after my next equipment purchase.

If I was head of marketing for a video manufacturer, it would be a full-time job for someone to be in this forum and others for 8 hours a day.

ALL these people, BUYING all these products, in one very well organized place. About the only place you'd find such a finely tuned target audience is at any of the yearly conventions for this kind of stuff.

Robert Niemann · September 17th, 2005, 04:15 PM

Hello Richard,

yes, the Monochrome Viewfinder FU-1000 will be compatible - just have a look here: http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/con...&modelid=12152.

Eric Brown · September 17th, 2005, 05:31 PM

Maybe I'm wrong on this but I thought I read somewhere in another thread on this forum that the XL-H1 viewfinder is capable of doing color/monochrome switching, not just reduced color like the XL2.

September 15th, 2005, 11:07 PM	#48
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Hi Marty, official word is no on that, I had an H1 and XL2 side by side for a short while and I should have plugged one EVF into the other camera but just didn't think about it. They're saying no those two viewfinders are not cross-compatible. Same connection jacks, though. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

September 16th, 2005, 09:41 AM	#51
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Hi Barry, no 720p at all, sorry. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

September 16th, 2005, 11:43 AM	#52
Alexander Ibrahim Major Player Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Washington D.C. Metro Area Posts: 384	Clarification on HD-SDI and SD-SDI I'd like quite a few more technical details on the SDI interface. Yes I know others have asked, but this is the standout feature. I won't repeat the myriad questions. __________________ Alexander Ibrahim http://www.alexanderibrahim.net Last edited by Alexander Ibrahim; September 16th, 2005 at 11:57 AM. Reason: Wrong thread- sorry

September 16th, 2005, 12:00 PM	#53
Alexander Ibrahim Major Player Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Washington D.C. Metro Area Posts: 384	Will there be higher resolution viewfinders ? What I've read so far indicates the viewfinder will be 2.4" 16:9 with ~215,000 pixels. That is not enough at all. Not even for SD 16:9 in my opinion. Is this accurate, and will Canon or others of whom Canon is aware be providing higher end viewfinders ? __________________ Alexander Ibrahim http://www.alexanderibrahim.net

September 16th, 2005, 01:28 PM	#54
Ozzie Alfonso Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: New York, NY Posts: 355	Sorry if this has already been brought up, but the thread is long and I might have missed it. Why a servo zoom with no way to over-ride that function? The servo prevents so many things from being possible - a fast rack focus is one. We can not call a camera "professional" unless it allows such a staple function. Other than that, it looks like a great camera although the $9k is a tad much to pay for interchangeable lenses - of course if they could be made manual... __________________ *Ozzie Alfonso* www.ozziealfonso.com

September 15th, 2005, 10:57 PM	#46
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	Chris, Any word on backwards compatibilty of the new Viewfinder with the XL2? Thanks!

September 15th, 2005, 11:07 PM	#47
Ram Ganesh Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 175	ask him/her to visit these forums everyweek (like Jan)

September 16th, 2005, 07:11 AM	#50
Barry Green Barry Wan Kenobi Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 3,863	I'd like to know: a) does it have any compatibility with HDV 720p? Can it play back 720p tapes at all... and if so, can it play them back to firewire? and, can it record 720p via firewire, so it could be used to clone tapes? b) does it have any provision for cloning timecode from the firewire stream, so that it could make an actual clone of an HDV tape (720p or 1080i) including timecode?

September 16th, 2005, 01:48 PM	#55
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Hi Ozzie, good to hear from you. There is a focus preset function on the 20x HD lens for performing rack moves, with a choice of focus speeds (fast, faster, and fastest). __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

September 16th, 2005, 02:42 PM	#56
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	Chris, Does the FU-1000 monchrome viefinder work with it? Any advantages if it does? I seemed to notice the 'lower port' for the FU-1000 viewfinder plug on the body.

September 16th, 2005, 03:17 PM	#57
Ozzie Alfonso Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: New York, NY Posts: 355	Chris, Maybe I'm just "old school" but a simple manual focus and manual zoom always works and at whatever speed I want it to work, and I can even change speed in the middle. The presets are great, as is the ability to over-ride the "all auto all the time" functions, but still, I have never understood why not just go all the way with the over-ride functions. Presets are great in the studio where we have the time and need to be right all the time, but in the field where conditions change and we need all the versatility we need, presets can often be a hindrance. The reason this camera has attracted my attention is because the time has come for HD - all the clients are asking for it, an in 9x16. The camera is the cheapest part of the HD system - the decks, the monitors - that's where the money goes. __________________ *Ozzie Alfonso* www.ozziealfonso.com

September 17th, 2005, 04:15 PM	#59
Robert Niemann Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany Posts: 109	Hello Richard, yes, the Monochrome Viewfinder FU-1000 will be compatible - just have a look here: http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/con...&modelid=12152.

September 17th, 2005, 05:31 PM	#60
Eric Brown Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 427	Maybe I'm wrong on this but I thought I read somewhere in another thread on this forum that the XL-H1 viewfinder is capable of doing color/monochrome switching, not just reduced color like the XL2.