XL1 / XL1S various posts

Barry Gribble · August 14th, 2003, 08:28 AM

All,

I am going to be shooting an relatively dark bar scene with my XL1. Since time is short, I am considering renting a second camera to speed the process.

My question is can I rent an XL1S? Will they match enough in a lower-light situation? Or should I try to find an XL1?

Thanks in advance.

Giff Gfroerer · August 14th, 2003, 10:14 AM

You can call Sennheiser and get the adapter you are looking for. It is a 1/8 inch female to two RCA plugs. It will cost you $2.80 plus $3.50 in priority shipping. Don't talk to their sales department, they are absolutely clueless! Go straight to technical support and ask for Jason. Phone - 860-434-9190.

The cord is about 5 inches long.

Jeff Donald · August 14th, 2003, 01:56 PM

In my experience (I own both cameras) the XL1s performs better in low light. You can match the color and exposure, but the XL1 will always show more noise (grain). If they need to match exactly, get another XL1.

Alex Milne · August 14th, 2003, 07:19 PM

hello-

I'm fairly new to the game, but i'm gaining interest fast. I thought I might upgrade to a better camera than my sony handycam, the choices were pretty clear; Xl1 or maybe dvx100. Originally the Xl1 was my first choice, but then I heard somewhere that there are no 16:9 anamorphic lenses campatible with the xl1, just the 16:9 mode. (which simply crops?) Is this statement true?

Thanks

-Alex

Nathan Gifford · August 14th, 2003, 07:20 PM

I got my adapters at Radio Shack. However, the Sennheiser unit is well priced.

Elmar Tewes · August 15th, 2003, 05:21 PM

it isn't true. the xl-1 is able to be used with anamorphic adapters. optex has something like that or you can theoretically add any lense to it that has anamorphic attachment or is native anamorphic, that has nothing to do with the xl-1 (you could theoreticallly use a anamorphic adapter and the internal 16/9 to get ~2.35:1 image

Boyd Ostroff · August 15th, 2003, 07:47 PM

I believe you will find some caveats WRT anamorphic adaptors on the XL-1. There's a fair amount of vignetting as you are adapating a smaller lens. Century said they were working on another model for the XL-1(s) but not sure if it was ever released, and it was VERY expensive. Of course anamorphic adaptors have lots of limitations even under the best circumstances.

However, read the article in American Cinematographer about "28 Days Later". They shot with the XL-1s and printed to 35mm film. They cropped the footage in post and didn't use anamorphic adaptors. I saw this film in a theatre and was very impressed with the quality. They used PAL cameras however which offer somewhat higher resolution.

Michael Dalton · August 17th, 2003, 11:41 PM

what is an ideal sutter speed to be shooting at for typical shots. And do people/networks preffer a specific f stop.

shooting with:

16X
3X
EOS 35-350

thanks

Jeff Donald · August 18th, 2003, 05:40 AM

The usual shutter speed for NTSC video is 1/60 of a second, it coincides with the number of fields per second. The aperture used will be determined by the amount of light in the scene. Use the zebra bars and adjust the aperture until the bars are almost gone. View the video and look for highlights with no detail. If the video is unsatisfactory, repeat the exercise, adjusting the aperture to suit you taste.

Krista McCutcheon · August 18th, 2003, 11:32 AM

We will be purchasing a Canon XL1S within the next 2 weeks. Does anyone know if there will be a significant discount at the WEVA Convention (Wedding Event & Videographers Association) in Las Vegas at the end of the month vs. buying online (probably B & H.....currently $3539 +s/h)?

What about accessories? lighting? audio? at WEVA.

Jeff Donald · August 18th, 2003, 02:10 PM

You might save $100 or so, but not much more.

Don Palomaki · August 19th, 2003, 01:22 PM

Using ~1/60 will probably give the most video-like look.

Ideal shutter is what gives you the image effect/look/feel you want. The shutter spped is a compromise with aperture, gain, and the control you have over scene lighting.

Richard Thornberry · August 21st, 2003, 01:27 AM

When I play back footage recorded from my XL1 there appears to be a one pixel white dot in the upper right of the shot (as reference: just below and to the left of the ten second digit if viewed with the display on). The artifact is always in the same place and is unaffected by zoom or focus, so I know it isn't the lens. I've ruled out media as well since the same tape was used on a Sony camera with no such artifact.

I've dusted the areas where the lens meets the body, but this does nothing. Does anyone know what could cause this?

Thanks from the new guy.

Frank Granovski · August 21st, 2003, 01:36 AM

It could be a hot or dead CCD pixel. Just a guess.

Al Williams · August 21st, 2003, 09:10 AM

Couple of questions.....

Using head cleaning tapes on the XL-1 and GL-1....

....how often?

I realize they can damage heads, but when horizontal lines interrupt an important shoot, you don't know until it's over.

Experiences from users?

OK....we've got 2 XL-1's and 3 GL-1's and somebody ran a wet cleaning cassette (Sony) through these cameras a number of times after they were acclimated to a dry cleaning cassette (Panasonic/Canon).

So.....stripes over video everywhere.

Do I need to send these in to Canon to be cleanedcorrectly or is there a way I can handle it myself?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

August 14th, 2003, 08:28 AM	#886
Barry Gribble Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 817	XL1 / XL1S Matching All, I am going to be shooting an relatively dark bar scene with my XL1. Since time is short, I am considering renting a second camera to speed the process. My question is can I rent an XL1S? Will they match enough in a lower-light situation? Or should I try to find an XL1? Thanks in advance.

August 14th, 2003, 10:14 AM	#887
Giff Gfroerer New Boot Join Date: May 2003 Location: atlanta, ga Posts: 12	Input into XL1 from Sennheiser 100 You can call Sennheiser and get the adapter you are looking for. It is a 1/8 inch female to two RCA plugs. It will cost you $2.80 plus $3.50 in priority shipping. Don't talk to their sales department, they are absolutely clueless! Go straight to technical support and ask for Jason. Phone - 860-434-9190. The cord is about 5 inches long. __________________ mfp

August 14th, 2003, 01:56 PM	#888
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	In my experience (I own both cameras) the XL1s performs better in low light. You can match the color and exposure, but the XL1 will always show more noise (grain). If they need to match exactly, get another XL1. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

August 14th, 2003, 07:19 PM	#889
Alex Milne Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Springfield, Massachusetts Posts: 63	Anamorphic lens not compatible with Xl1? hello- I'm fairly new to the game, but i'm gaining interest fast. I thought I might upgrade to a better camera than my sony handycam, the choices were pretty clear; Xl1 or maybe dvx100. Originally the Xl1 was my first choice, but then I heard somewhere that there are no 16:9 anamorphic lenses campatible with the xl1, just the 16:9 mode. (which simply crops?) Is this statement true? Thanks -Alex

August 14th, 2003, 07:20 PM	#890
Nathan Gifford Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Tickfaw, LA Posts: 1,217	Or You Can To Radio Shack. I got my adapters at Radio Shack. However, the Sennheiser unit is well priced. __________________ Nathan Gifford Southern Cyclist Magazine & Productions For quick answers try our Search! To see me and Rob Lohman click here

August 15th, 2003, 05:21 PM	#891
Elmar Tewes Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Frankfurt Germany Posts: 104	it isn't true. the xl-1 is able to be used with anamorphic adapters. optex has something like that or you can theoretically add any lense to it that has anamorphic attachment or is native anamorphic, that has nothing to do with the xl-1 (you could theoreticallly use a anamorphic adapter and the internal 16/9 to get ~2.35:1 image

August 15th, 2003, 07:47 PM	#892
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	I believe you will find some caveats WRT anamorphic adaptors on the XL-1. There's a fair amount of vignetting as you are adapating a smaller lens. Century said they were working on another model for the XL-1(s) but not sure if it was ever released, and it was VERY expensive. Of course anamorphic adaptors have lots of limitations even under the best circumstances. However, read the article in American Cinematographer about "28 Days Later". They shot with the XL-1s and printed to 35mm film. They cropped the footage in post and didn't use anamorphic adaptors. I saw this film in a theatre and was very impressed with the quality. They used PAL cameras however which offer somewhat higher resolution.

August 17th, 2003, 11:41 PM	#893
Michael Dalton Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Torotnto, Canada Posts: 139	shutter speed what is an ideal sutter speed to be shooting at for typical shots. And do people/networks preffer a specific f stop. shooting with: 16X 3X EOS 35-350 thanks __________________ www.digitalcrossing.ca www.4kafrica.com documentary filmmaker/screen writer

August 18th, 2003, 05:40 AM	#894
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	The usual shutter speed for NTSC video is 1/60 of a second, it coincides with the number of fields per second. The aperture used will be determined by the amount of light in the scene. Use the zebra bars and adjust the aperture until the bars are almost gone. View the video and look for highlights with no detail. If the video is unsatisfactory, repeat the exercise, adjusting the aperture to suit you taste. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

August 18th, 2003, 11:32 AM	#895
Krista McCutcheon New Boot Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Bartlesville, OK Posts: 12	Buying XL1S at WEVA?? We will be purchasing a Canon XL1S within the next 2 weeks. Does anyone know if there will be a significant discount at the WEVA Convention (Wedding Event & Videographers Association) in Las Vegas at the end of the month vs. buying online (probably B & H.....currently $3539 +s/h)? What about accessories? lighting? audio? at WEVA.

August 18th, 2003, 02:10 PM	#896
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	You might save $100 or so, but not much more. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

August 19th, 2003, 01:22 PM	#897
Don Palomaki Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Northern VA Posts: 4,489	Using ~1/60 will probably give the most video-like look. Ideal shutter is what gives you the image effect/look/feel you want. The shutter spped is a compromise with aperture, gain, and the control you have over scene lighting. __________________ dpalomaki@dspalomaki.com

August 21st, 2003, 01:27 AM	#898
Richard Thornberry Tourist Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Napa, CA Posts: 1	Single Pixel Artifact When I play back footage recorded from my XL1 there appears to be a one pixel white dot in the upper right of the shot (as reference: just below and to the left of the ten second digit if viewed with the display on). The artifact is always in the same place and is unaffected by zoom or focus, so I know it isn't the lens. I've ruled out media as well since the same tape was used on a Sony camera with no such artifact. I've dusted the areas where the lens meets the body, but this does nothing. Does anyone know what could cause this? Thanks from the new guy.

August 21st, 2003, 01:36 AM	#899
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	It could be a hot or dead CCD pixel. Just a guess.

August 21st, 2003, 09:10 AM	#900
Al Williams Tourist Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Longmeadow,MA Posts: 2	Cleaning XL-1/GL-1 Couple of questions..... Using head cleaning tapes on the XL-1 and GL-1.... ....how often? I realize they can damage heads, but when horizontal lines interrupt an important shoot, you don't know until it's over. Experiences from users? OK....we've got 2 XL-1's and 3 GL-1's and somebody ran a wet cleaning cassette (Sony) through these cameras a number of times after they were acclimated to a dry cleaning cassette (Panasonic/Canon). So.....stripes over video everywhere. Do I need to send these in to Canon to be cleanedcorrectly or is there a way I can handle it myself? Any thoughts would be appreciated.