Hi Pete,
Given the very narrow scope of your subject matter and wide range of focal length with maximum depth of field not to mention the ergonomics of your venture, the only way to be fully sure would be to rent an XL1 and give it a run. Or "hire out" as they say in Britain.

As for the focus stops, there aren't any on the stock lens. You want to talk about infinity, well that's how far you can turn the focus ring. The manual 16x lens would be a definate add-on in this example. Pull wide, grab a focus, zoom in (if possible) do the same and you are set.

As previously stated, the frame mode is great when the camera moves little and the object being shot is in motion. Perfect for frame grabs for the net.

adding audio to XL1s after 16bit recording
 

I know that when you record audio with the XL1s in 16bit, the manual says that you cannot add anything else to the tape (music, voice over, etc..), is that true for NLE's such as FCP 4? For instance, if I record an interview in 16bit, when I go to edit can I still add overlapping audio tracks and then put that back on to MiniDV or do I need to record in 12bit to add more audio later? Thanks

no it's not true in fcp4 when you add your different soundtracks they will be mixed down to 2 channels of 16bit when you print to tape.

VCR Playback Woes
 

Hi fellas. I registered here some time back, and have come back for more! Hey ho!

*Ahem*

My XL1s is having trouble playing back tapes...even if the recorded footage was shot JUST before switching over to VCR mode. I've been using my unit for around eight months now, and never had this problem to my recollection. It just gives me the blue standard screen, and when the tape is playing, all I get is a minutes left count, not the timecode.

Would this be a job for a head cleaner, and if so, where would I get one?

Thanks a ton, this forum rocks my pants off. (I'm a guy, so...the majority of ya'll can just stay there.)

One more thing, and I'm sure this is covered, but I've checked the last three or four pages back and saw nothing mentioning it...on some of my older tapes I get three or four thick grey bands across the image. Sup with that? Can it be fixed, or is the tape a goner?


-Teague

Head cleaning might help - but usually the early sysptoms are not as drastic as you describe.

MiniDV head cleaning tapes are available at most quality consumer electronics stores taht sell MiniDV gear. Any brand name (Sony, Panasonic, etc.) should work OK. Follow the instructions.

Azden vs. Sennheiser
 

There is an Azden model out now, system msrp for $450, transmitter and reciever.
How does that compare to the Sennheiser system running about the same?

best protective filter for indoors?
 

WHen shooting indoors I have to shoot with a naked lens because every protective filter I've used gives me either double images or tiny beads of light when certain lights and lighting fixtures are in the frame(double images of the lighting fixtures themselves or tiny bead floating around the fixtures, usually wall mounted.

Does anyone know of a protective lens that will not do this when mounted on an XL1?

Outdoors no problem with either a protective lens or cicular polarizing filter.

thanks

Hello Bob,
Answer: none.

Even the best filters will produce fireflies and other internal reflections under certain conditions. Under dim indoor lighting with bright point-sources, and at night with headlights or streetlights, you're nearly assured to encounter such problems.

It is a natural inclination to provide continuous "protection" of the camera lens' outer element with do-nothing filters such as a UV or clear glass. But, in fact, it's best to 'shoot naked' whenever possible for the best image.

Particular usage on XL1s 3 Shooting Modes
 

I very new to Xl-1s and confused about the usage of 3 movie modes (Normal Mode; Digital video mode and frame movie mode) since the Canon manual lack of detail and short of info;, how exactly the functions of 3 movie mode relevant to quality of the shooting a video and when do I need to use those 3 movie mode and any particular usage??? …normally I used “normal video Mode” to shoot all the videos. Any idea? Any experiences or just Canon added value to the Xl1s cam.

Digital video (if I know what you mean) is for synching your
camera to a computer / TV monitor so you don't see the rolling
bar.

Normal video shoots interlaced. Frame mode is a special form
that yields a progressive frame. Since the XL1S does not have
true progressive scan CCD's this isn't true progressive. But the
end result is progressive footage with a slight resolution loss
and thus softening of the image.

xl1s selling/purchasing info
 

I want to sell my ntsc xl1s body and buy a xl1s pal body. Whats a decent price for me to sell my xl1s body for? its about 2 years old and is in good shape. what would be the easiest way to sell it? ebay? private ads? i have never sold anything online before. also, whats a good price for a new xl1s pal body and where might you guys suggest i purchase it?

lots of questions....

thanks!

xl1s go to ebay and click on completed items enter in xl1s find a description that's similar to yours youc an probably get around that much. If you're looking for and XL1 pal body (no S) I'm selling mine in the classifieds section, I believe another member is also selling an xl1s pal, if you need to by new I guess go to b and h but it's up to you.

Can you provide model numbers?

White Balance Question
 

I'm using a PAG on camera light with my XL-1s. If I'm setting up my white balance manually should I do that with my camera light on, or before I turn the light on? I'm shooting some scenes in doors where I can't control the enviroment too well. I'm a newbie, so please don't laugh too much at my question.

Thanks, Jerome

Great question. Once you have your scene set, apply the actual lighting that will occur and drop in a white card at the point of capture. Focus on the card and hit the w/b button.