VariZoom Stealth Lens Controller at DVinfo.net

Jerry Bixman · January 8th, 2002, 11:54 AM

When the controller is plugged into the lanc input of the XL1s the camera will not go into standby when the standby button is pushed. The button I refer to is located on the viewfinder side bottom row next to the white balance button. The camera registers and seems to go into standby but after a second or two comes back on and shows image. Any other users tried this?

Jerry

Ken Tanaka · January 8th, 2002, 12:22 PM

The "Stealth" model is the small controller that Varizoom recently introduced, isn't it? (I have the older, larger controller.)

Does the standby/power button on the VZ controller work?

Jerry Bixman · January 8th, 2002, 12:36 PM

Ken,

Yes this is the small stealth controller. The 'on' button seems to have no function with the XL1s, pressing the button has no effect.

Jerry

Ken Tanaka · January 8th, 2002, 02:11 PM

Jerry,
I don't know how helpful this will be but here's what I get using the older VZ controller on my XL1 (the only comparable cam I have on hand today).

The "standby" button on the XL1 will engage and remain engaged while the VZ controller is connected.

The "power" button on the VZ controller WILL NOT engage the standby function on the XL1 but WILL disengage it (i.e. wake it up). This is odd because, although I don't use this feature often, I thought I did remember that the VZ button would engage the standby function. Since I can't find the VZ's original documentation I can't say whether or not this is by design. Logic tells me that it might be right but...

Of course the standby power logic has been reengineered on the XL1s (ex: the ability to disable auto power-off, etc.) so all of this anecdotal testing may be for naught. It's probably worth a call to the VZ folks.

Consider yourself lucky that you discovered this before it bit you in the tail, eh?

Ed Frazier · January 8th, 2002, 02:55 PM

Hi Jerry,

I had the same problem with my VZPro-LX/XL1S combination. When you try to go to stand-by mode using the button on the camera body with the controller connected, the camera will power back up right away. I contacted Varizoom concerning this and they acknowledged that there is a problem. They are working on a fix.

The VZPro-LX only has a "Wake Up" button, no "Power" button. According to the instructions, it is designed only to wake the camera up from stand-by and will not put the camera into stand-by mode.

Ed Frazier

Ken Tanaka · January 8th, 2002, 03:10 PM

Ed,

Well this won't make ol' Jerry feel any better but at least I know that my VZ controller is functioning correctly <g>.

Thanks, Ed. Sorry, Jer.

Mark Chiocchi · January 8th, 2002, 04:13 PM

The Varizoom controllers don't work with the XL1S send it back or call them to fix it to work with the XL1s.

I sold mine cuz it doesn’t work. I use the Canon controller. I like that you can control the speed with the rocker button.

I don't like their dial you have to tune to get the speed you need.

Plus the Canon one dose the same thing.

Chris Hurd · January 9th, 2002, 03:18 AM

Final answers:

The standby buttons on VariZoom controllers are for WAKE UP only. They were never desgned to put a camera to sleep.

Ed Frazier · January 9th, 2002, 05:54 AM

Good Morning Chris,

Your final answer did not address the fact that there IS a known problem with the Varizoom controllers and the XL1S. Standby mode is NOT functional when the controller is connected thus rendering the Wake Up button useless. (VCR Stop mode is not affected)

Do you have any information on when this might be resolved? My last communication with Varizoom indicated that they were working on a fix, but I don't want to bug them about it just yet. If you happen to know the status, maybe you could keep us updated here and reduce the individual calls to the company.

Thanks,
Ed Frazier

Chris Hurd · January 9th, 2002, 10:22 AM

I will do so, Ed. Right now I'm in a hotel room at MacWorld in S.F. with only this stupid WebTV for net access. Gotta keep it short until I get back.

Ed Frazier · January 25th, 2002, 02:18 PM

Chris, have you had a chance to check with Varizoom on the standby problem discussed in this thread?

Ed Frazier

John Steele · July 3rd, 2002, 03:47 AM

Guys, looking for a bit of advice. I just got the Varizoom Stealth controller and it works well apart from one thing. I feel that the zoom out speed is very slow, much slower than the camera rocker. Has any other stealth users noticed this or could it be a fault with my unit?

John.

Ron Johnson · July 29th, 2002, 10:32 AM

John - I just started using a Stealth Zoom with my GL1 and because of your post, I timed IN / OUT operation. I found both times to be the same - around 4 seconds. This seemed a little slower than the on-camera rocker switch zoom (I estimate between 3 and 4 seconds). There may be menu settings on your camera that control zoom speed - perhaps an adjustment there will help.

On the other hand, if one's Stealth Zoom is in good condition, it is a great device to have!

Ron Johnson

John Steele · July 30th, 2002, 09:51 AM

Thanks Ron, Since the original post I got in touch with Varizoom and they said that some of the faster zoom speeds are sacrificed because of the small size of the unit. So it's all working fine and I'm happy with that. :-)

John.

Aaron Rosen · April 27th, 2003, 12:14 PM

Has anyone used the new Varizoom Stealth LANC controller? I was wondering if it's a good buy and if it works?

January 8th, 2002, 11:54 AM	#1
Jerry Bixman Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Southern Utah Posts: 25	VariZoom Stealth Lens Controller When the controller is plugged into the lanc input of the XL1s the camera will not go into standby when the standby button is pushed. The button I refer to is located on the viewfinder side bottom row next to the white balance button. The camera registers and seems to go into standby but after a second or two comes back on and shows image. Any other users tried this? Jerry

January 8th, 2002, 12:22 PM	#2
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	The "Stealth" model is the small controller that Varizoom recently introduced, isn't it? (I have the older, larger controller.) Does the standby/power button on the VZ controller work? __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

January 8th, 2002, 02:11 PM	#4
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Jerry, I don't know how helpful this will be but here's what I get using the older VZ controller on my XL1 (the only comparable cam I have on hand today). The "standby" button on the XL1 will engage and remain engaged while the VZ controller is connected. The "power" button on the VZ controller WILL NOT engage the standby function on the XL1 but WILL disengage it (i.e. wake it up). This is odd because, although I don't use this feature often, I thought I did remember that the VZ button would engage the standby function. Since I can't find the VZ's original documentation I can't say whether or not this is by design. Logic tells me that it might be right but... Of course the standby power logic has been reengineered on the XL1s (ex: the ability to disable auto power-off, etc.) so all of this anecdotal testing may be for naught. It's probably worth a call to the VZ folks. Consider yourself lucky that you discovered this before it bit you in the tail, eh? __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

January 8th, 2002, 03:10 PM	#6
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Ed, Well this won't make ol' Jerry feel any better but at least I know that my VZ controller is functioning correctly <g>. Thanks, Ed. Sorry, Jer. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

January 8th, 2002, 04:13 PM	#7
Mark Chiocchi Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Somerset, NJ Posts: 54	The Varizoom controllers don't work with the XL1S send it back or call them to fix it to work with the XL1s. I sold mine cuz it doesn’t work. I use the Canon controller. I like that you can control the speed with the rocker button. I don't like their dial you have to tune to get the speed you need. Plus the Canon one dose the same thing. __________________ Mark Chiocchi Franklin Township, N.J. DpsVelocity Editor XL1S & GL1

January 8th, 2002, 12:36 PM	#3
Jerry Bixman Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Southern Utah Posts: 25	Ken, Yes this is the small stealth controller. The 'on' button seems to have no function with the XL1s, pressing the button has no effect. Jerry

January 8th, 2002, 02:55 PM	#5
Ed Frazier Major Player Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Las Cruces, NM Posts: 343	Hi Jerry, I had the same problem with my VZPro-LX/XL1S combination. When you try to go to stand-by mode using the button on the camera body with the controller connected, the camera will power back up right away. I contacted Varizoom concerning this and they acknowledged that there is a problem. They are working on a fix. The VZPro-LX only has a "Wake Up" button, no "Power" button. According to the instructions, it is designed only to wake the camera up from stand-by and will not put the camera into stand-by mode. Ed Frazier

January 9th, 2002, 03:18 AM	#8
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Final answers: The standby buttons on VariZoom controllers are for WAKE UP only. They were never desgned to put a camera to sleep. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

January 9th, 2002, 05:54 AM	#9
Ed Frazier Major Player Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Las Cruces, NM Posts: 343	Good Morning Chris, Your final answer did not address the fact that there IS a known problem with the Varizoom controllers and the XL1S. Standby mode is NOT functional when the controller is connected thus rendering the Wake Up button useless. (VCR Stop mode is not affected) Do you have any information on when this might be resolved? My last communication with Varizoom indicated that they were working on a fix, but I don't want to bug them about it just yet. If you happen to know the status, maybe you could keep us updated here and reduce the individual calls to the company. Thanks, Ed Frazier

January 9th, 2002, 10:22 AM	#10
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	I will do so, Ed. Right now I'm in a hotel room at MacWorld in S.F. with only this stupid WebTV for net access. Gotta keep it short until I get back. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

January 25th, 2002, 02:18 PM	#11
Ed Frazier Major Player Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Las Cruces, NM Posts: 343	Chris, have you had a chance to check with Varizoom on the standby problem discussed in this thread? Ed Frazier

July 3rd, 2002, 03:47 AM	#12
John Steele Major Player Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Scotland, UK Posts: 216	Varizoom Stealth Zoom Speed Guys, looking for a bit of advice. I just got the Varizoom Stealth controller and it works well apart from one thing. I feel that the zoom out speed is very slow, much slower than the camera rocker. Has any other stealth users noticed this or could it be a fault with my unit? John.

July 29th, 2002, 10:32 AM	#13
Ron Johnson Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 103	John - I just started using a Stealth Zoom with my GL1 and because of your post, I timed IN / OUT operation. I found both times to be the same - around 4 seconds. This seemed a little slower than the on-camera rocker switch zoom (I estimate between 3 and 4 seconds). There may be menu settings on your camera that control zoom speed - perhaps an adjustment there will help. On the other hand, if one's Stealth Zoom is in good condition, it is a great device to have! Ron Johnson

July 30th, 2002, 09:51 AM	#14
John Steele Major Player Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Scotland, UK Posts: 216	Thanks Ron, Since the original post I got in touch with Varizoom and they said that some of the faster zoom speeds are sacrificed because of the small size of the unit. So it's all working fine and I'm happy with that. :-) John.

April 27th, 2003, 12:14 PM	#15
Aaron Rosen Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: HB, CA - USA Posts: 298	Varizoom Stealth LANC Controller Has anyone used the new Varizoom Stealth LANC controller? I was wondering if it's a good buy and if it works?