View Full Version : GL / XM assorted posts, 2003


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Chris Fangio
February 28th, 2003, 02:37 AM
Good morning from Germany,

I have the chance to get a Canon VL-20 video light but I cannot find any specifications or information if this device will work with my XM-2. Any suggestions from you people out there? Is this simply the 20 Watt-Version of the VL-10?

Thanks in advance,
Chris

Chris Hurd
February 28th, 2003, 03:16 AM
Guten Morgen auf Nevada! Wie geht's es Ihnen? Ich bin müde, weil Mein Tag ist gerades Ende jetzt.

I haven't heard of the VL-20 yet, but I'll bet it's a 20 watt version of the VL-10.

CarterTG
February 28th, 2003, 05:12 AM
VL-20 is the light made for the Canon L1/L2. It almost looks identical, but the battery plate will NOT accept the BP9xx series batteries used by the GL and XL miniDV cameras. I know this for a fact as I have both.

I got to appreciate the VL-20's ergonomics almost immediately. It's elevated lamp ensured that the beam cleared the L2's mic windscreen and the width was set so that the CRT viewfinder could swing it's full 180 degree arc without getting hit. I suppose you COULD use a VL-20 with the new DV cameras, but you'll have to carry around a seperate set of NiCd batteries.

For that kind of hassle, $60 mail order for for the VL-10i seems more sensible. Both cast approximately the same amount of light. I suspect the VL-10i achieves this by using a rapid-pulse circuit to safely "overdrive" the 10watt bulb. It would explain the brief half-second half-intensity pause before kicking up to full brightness. The VL-20 is more simplistic and doesn't do that.

Carter

Chris Fangio
February 28th, 2003, 12:14 PM
Chris -- Danke, aber mein Deutsch ist ganz einfach! Und mein Grammatik ist sehr schlect. Das tut mir leid! Wiederholen,

Thomas Fraser
March 1st, 2003, 06:28 PM
How many times can I use a mini DV tape before it starts to have drop-out and other problems??
Thanks

Wayne Orr
March 1st, 2003, 08:12 PM
The short answer is probably twenty, but for more information go to www.taperesources.com They sell all major brands of tape and have an excellent faq library with answers to this and other questions concerning various formats of dv.

Will Fastie
March 1st, 2003, 10:15 PM
I've been involved in this discussion on a number of other forums. After a lot of back and forth, my answer to the question is one.

But that's not because the tape wears out. It's because there isn't really a better place to archive the original footage than MiniDV tape. One tape's worth of video (in its 13GB AVI form), does not fit on any other economical media. I'm using Panasonic tapes that I buy for less than $4 each, which really is very cheap. It would take 3 DVDs to hold the same length of video, but it would be in 2 to 3 pieces.

So my strategy is to record on a tape once, archive it, and read it when necessary to retrieve footage. It's no different than what you'd have to do if you were using film.

Maybe 30GB BlueRay devices will change my mind. I'd much prefer to archive the footage on random access media, making it much faster to get at a clip. But until some other archive medium is cheap, I'll just hang onto the tapes.

Jim Yang
March 3rd, 2003, 11:17 AM
I just got a new Lenmar 941. It's rated at 7.2v 5550mAH. How long will it last realistically with and without the LCD screen on?

I have a GL2.

Nils Thomas
March 4th, 2003, 05:31 AM
Hi guys

I just got the VL-10Li light for my XM-2, and I'm abit confused about something it says in the manual. It says: "Use only the Canon BP-911/914/924/927 battery pack as power source"

Well, I only have the BP-945 and the battery that came with the camera. Can't I use them?

CarterTG
March 4th, 2003, 06:28 AM
The manual was mass-printed before the BP945 was released. The intentions of the manual was to convey that you can't use BP6xx series batteries as it won't fit in the VL-10i's battery plate.

I've used my BP945 with that light quite often... admittedly not just for the GL1, it makes a darn nice area flashlight too!

Ryan Krga
March 6th, 2003, 09:25 PM
I was just wondering if anyone has ever shot a person in pitch dark with just one light on them. What light did you use and how did it come out? Any pictures/video? I am trying to find a light that will give me that look without a huge loss in quality.

Thanks you,
Ryan Krga

Ken Tanaka
March 6th, 2003, 10:01 PM
I'm not really sure what you mean by "suspect look". To me, that means is a flat, face-on image such as a police booking photo.

But what you're describing is basically the use of only a key light with no fill or background lighting. You can accomplish that with almost any light. If you're looking for a high-contrast image use a tungsten light.

Steve Nunez
March 7th, 2003, 08:17 AM
The Power 2000 batt is rated at 6000 mah- very similar to your batt rating- so it's probably good for 4 hours with LCD on and about 5.5 with it off......let us know what you get.

Ian Hutchinson
March 7th, 2003, 07:37 PM
What do you recommend?

Brian Bauer
March 7th, 2003, 10:00 PM
Getting ready to make the GL2 plunge...
And one of my concerns is that I'm very left-handed.
Michelangelo, Julius Caesar, Al Capone, Napoleon, me, you?
How easy/difficult is it for southpaws?
Thanks!
brian

Ken Tanaka
March 7th, 2003, 10:07 PM
Brian,
"Lefties" often have a tough time with respect to industrial design, don't they?

I am right-handed but can tell you that the amount of fine deterity required of the right hand is modest and should be easy to master. Basically, holding the camera via the hand strap, you only need to run the zoom rocker and the record button. The most dextrous maneuvers are actually required of the left hand, pressing small buttons and rotating/pressing small wheels. So, at least in the case of the GL2, you may actually have the advantage.

Rob Lohman
March 8th, 2003, 10:07 AM
If you want a sharp picture it is best to go with interlaced (normal)
mode and shoot with shutters like 1/100. Also you might chance
the sharpness level in the menus (although too much can cause
sharpening noise)....

If soft is what you want shoot in frame mode with 1/60 or 1/30
shutter and turn down sharpness... etc.

Steve Nunez
March 8th, 2003, 05:50 PM
Rob's suggestion is spot on.

Don't turn up the sharpness much- it will have a harsh-edged look to the video.

Jay Staya
March 8th, 2003, 07:57 PM
Hi all,

I'm thinking of buying the Sony ECM-Z157 shotgun MIC for use with my XM2.
I'm just wondering if this is worth buying , does it perform well? or am I wasting my money and should go for the more expensive senheizer brand?

Aaron Koolen
March 9th, 2003, 04:26 AM
Hey all. I'm shooting a seminar on the 18th and someone offered me the use of a Canon 430i as a secondary camera to my XM2. I've had no experience with this cam but from what I've read it seems to offer a few manual controls like white balance, exposure and shutter speed. I was wondering if anyone's had experience with this camera, and what you all thought of the idea of using it. Will I be able to match the footage so they look similar and not be too distracting? Should I just flag it and try and hire another XM2 or XM1 maybe (I'm not being paid for this so it's out of mny own pocket if I do)?

Cheers
Aaron

Don Palomaki
March 9th, 2003, 06:32 AM
Probably works OK, but being realistic the price is too low for it to be to be a high "quality" mic. (Sony is not noted for underpricing their products.) Certainly it is not in the class of the Snnheiser ME66, and based on price it may be a bit below the MKE300 in overall quality

Bud Kuenzli
March 9th, 2003, 10:57 AM
if you white balance them together and shoot some footage and replay it you could further tune one of them by adjusting the color or doing a second white balance with an appropriate color card...or you could do some color balancing in post. I've taken people's gym shots done without white balancing, almost completely orange...and brought them to a reasonable color balance before so I'd think that if you had two camera's in a reasonably close white balance that it would not be too touch to color match them close enough for non-critical work.

Aaron Koolen
March 9th, 2003, 11:43 AM
Thanks Bud. I'm hoping to get hold of this second camera several days before the shoot so that will give me some time to do some tests.

Cheers
Aaron

Fred Beukema
March 9th, 2003, 05:24 PM
I'm having some difficulty with capturing footage into Premiere 6.5 in winXP. Whenever I go to the movie capture window, I get a single frame of what's on my GL2 screen, and then my system resets.

I read a thread from January of someone who had a similar problem, but I never head if there was a solution.

Here are my system's vital stats, as reported by System Information:
http://fbeukema.tripod.com/hardware.txt
http://fbeukema.tripod.com/components.txt
http://fbeukema.tripod.com/software.txt

I'm using a Biostar-made VIA M7VIP mainboard, a Kouwell KW-F7002 USB/IEEE 1394 hub, a Chaintech-made GeForce 4 video card, and a Soundblaster Audigy sound card. Before posting this problem, I made sure I had the drivers for all of these things updated.

Any ideas?

Thanks very much.
-Fred

Fred Beukema
March 9th, 2003, 05:35 PM
an addendum:

I'm capturing to a Western Digital 200GB hooked up through an Ultra ATA controller card.

Thanks again.

-Fred

Jay Staya
March 10th, 2003, 08:59 AM
Your thoughts and opinions on this mic would be greatly appreciated.

-What situation (if any) would this mic be useful for?
-Have you had any issues with it? ie mounting, impedance matching, etc..


Thanks in advance

Jay

Bud Kuenzli
March 10th, 2003, 10:41 AM
got my GL2 this weekend (you might have heard me holler if you live in the northern hemisphere) but after recording 10 minutes and playing it back using a new Sony Excellent tape, I had audio dropouts and one or two video glitches. I tried another new tape with similar results. I ran it through 10 sec. of a Sony cleaning tape and I think that might be all it took but only time will tell. I find that rather odd for a new machine. Canon support reiterated the need to use only one brand of tape, but the fellow admitted that he had no numbers on that issue; it may be a geek legend at this point. :)
no real question here...just thinking outloud. :)

Chris Hurd
March 10th, 2003, 11:30 AM
I always recommend running a head cleaning tape for about 5 or 6 seconds through any brand new camcorder, regardless of make or model.

Bud Kuenzli
March 10th, 2003, 11:37 AM
I wish I had such a wealth of experience ( or a budget to allow...) to be able to discuss all the various dv cams I've bought (grin) but since this is just #2, I was surprised to find audio dropouts. glad to hear it isn't highly unusual to need such preventative cleaning. I've not had time to verify that the problem is solved but I sure hope so. Otherwise I'll not be doing any video taping on my upcoming vacation. cross some extra fingers for me. :)

Stewart McDonald
March 10th, 2003, 12:52 PM
I will be buying a Canon XM2 this summer, and for the moment am just planning on what accessories I need to buy. I have been looking into the glidecams, because I want to make short films and love the smooth long shots that steadicams produce. Which glidecams are good for the XM2? I don't want to spend more than I need to really. Also, I live in the UK and want to know if it's advisable to order from bhphotovideo.com, as this is the only website I know that you can order from. Are there any places in the UK that sell them? Getting a Glidecam 2000 from b&h would cost me $100 extra just for shipping, and who knows what charges I'd get for import.

Thanks

Chris Hurd
March 10th, 2003, 01:26 PM
Please contact me via e-mail, regarding the note in my sig file below -- thanks,

Brian Maier
March 10th, 2003, 01:54 PM
Hi everyone, I just got my Canon GL2 from zotz on friday, so ive been pretty excited the last few days. I know people say not to switch tape brands because of different lubrications that can gum up the heads. So my quiestion is this..is there a difference between recording and playback? I only plan to record on panasonic DVM63MQ tapes but until i can afford a deck my gl2 is gonna have to serve double duty. Will using different brands of tapes in vtr mode cause the same problems that it does in record mode?

Thanks in advance,
Brian

Don Palomaki
March 10th, 2003, 04:41 PM
For purposes of tape deposit problems, record and playback are the same, and sitting in pause is worse for tape wear.

However, because signals are weaker, dirty head problems will likey appear during playback before they appear as a poorly recorded signal in record mode.

Brian Maier
March 11th, 2003, 04:16 AM
What matte boxes will work with the GL2? I really like the Chrosziel DV 4x4 Matte Box but i dont think it will fit due the the mic on the GL2.

Thanks
Brian

Brian Maier
March 11th, 2003, 04:20 AM
thanks for the reply

Tom Hardwick
March 11th, 2003, 02:46 PM
If you want the sharpest pictures from your lens, avoid the smallest apertures like the plague. Be much more afraid of f11 than f1.6, wide open.

The best quality will be at f4, where the vignetting will have dissapeared (and all lenses vignette the image at wide apertures) and you'll still be a long way from the debilitating effects of diffraction. Cameras with small chips suffer greater diffraction losses, so beware.

tom.

Tim D Wright
March 11th, 2003, 10:02 PM
Hi
I am about to buy a GL2 and have a couple of quick questions. I do a lot of wildlife photography and was thinking of getting the Sony 1.7 multipler lens that I have seen recomended here, is that a good choice? Also I understand that I will need a shotgun mike and have read the reviews but as a newbie will the Canon MC50(I think) do the job to start with? Last and maybe most important what editing software would you recommend. I have been trying Pinacle Systems Studio 7, 8 etc for the last year with my Sony Micromv with very little success. I am not sure if it is just because mv being a new format or if Pinacle just stinks. Also any other recommendations for addons or accessories would be greatly appreciated, tapes to use filters etc.

Thanks again

Tim

Bud Kuenzli
March 12th, 2003, 12:31 AM
if you haven't seen it yet, check out http://www.lafcpug.org/review_shotgun_mic.html for a look at three other mics. I assume you are referring to the DM-50. For wildlife, I'd think you'd want something more directional than the DM-50.

Nathan Gifford
March 12th, 2003, 08:48 AM
You can also search this site for shotguns as they have been discussed at great length. It will also give you tips on how to best use them.

There are a number of NLE packages to choose from. If I were guessing at your price range, you might want to look at Cinestream. It might not be available in very many places since Discreet is planning to incorporate it into their more expensive packages. I have seen it listed for as little as $99.

After that, I think Vegas 4 is considered among the best. Another popular NLE is Premiere.

There are also offerings from Canopus which are highly regarded. Good product with good hardware.

Chris Wax
March 12th, 2003, 04:22 PM
Hi,

So I'm thinking about buying a GL-2 from an individual on E-bay (not a powerseller). So the camera is only a couple months old. How does the Cannon, Manufacturer warranty work. Will I be covered if something breaks? Do I need a receipt from this person?

Thanks.

Chris Hurd
March 12th, 2003, 05:17 PM
Mmm, probably best to call 1-800-OK-Canon and drill through the menu until you get a live human being. The warranty is one year parts and labor if purchased through an authorized Canon dealer. For private purchase, you'll need to make sure the original warranty card is included, for you to fill out and send in. If the camera is used, or new from an unauthorized dealer, then probably no warranty. If a Canon warranty card comes with the GL2, then it's probably no big deal. Best to call Canon and make sure, though. Hope this helps,

Fred Beukema
March 13th, 2003, 12:20 AM
Does anyone make a dioptric lens for the GL2? You know, to be able to focus at two separate distances, one on either side of the screen, like in "All the President's Men," or the scene in "Pulp Fiction" where Ving Rhames chases Bruce Willis.

Brian Huey
March 13th, 2003, 03:38 AM
I don't know the answer your question but I've been contemplating trying to do one of those shots by composting two images in post. I'll have to have the cameras stationary though, but it shouldn't be too hard to do.

BTW Brian DePalma's films have quite a few of these shots

Tim D Wright
March 14th, 2003, 08:41 PM
Thanks again. I have a trial copy of V V 4 and the Pinacle studio 8 which I am trying and will decide between the two. The mics are a whole different game but the article on shotguns was a big help although I still haven't decided which I will get. I had to order a new computer this week for my software development so I got a Dell workstation with the new 3 gig processor 1.5 gig of ram, an 80 and a 120 gig drives and an ATI Fire GL X1 video card so I am all set for editing. Once I am used to the camera I will look at the accessories.

Frank Granovski
March 17th, 2003, 08:36 PM
Maybe there's something wrong with the tape, or the cam's tape mechanism.

Chris Hurd
March 18th, 2003, 12:01 AM
All tapes or just one? Just one... faulty cassette. All of 'em... could be a camcorder service issue.

John Stanley
March 18th, 2003, 03:36 PM
Hi,
I did search the forum about this and got some information.
I've been recording audio during interviews with the subject wearing a Sennheiser ew100 series lav mic going straight into the GL2.
I have been wearing a cheap Radio Shack clip on and running it to another camera, which is kind of a pain when editing (I have to import the video just to get that audio track in) and the Radio Shack mic sounds pretty bad, to boot.
My question is whether its a good idea to add adapters that go from 1/8" to XLR to get both mics into the side of the BeachTek and then mix it into the GL2 from there. If it's OK to go that route, then I'll just plug the wired mic into the Beachtek.
Is this a passible setup?
Or should I continue to record the second mic into a separate source?
Thanks as always!
- John

Ken Tanaka
March 18th, 2003, 06:04 PM
John,
I think you'll be fine using a 1/8" plug-to-XLR adapter and then plugging it into the 2nd channel of your BeachTek. It will be much simpler to edit! The adapter is inexpensive and should be easy to find. Failing local sources, look at Markertek (http://www.markertek.com/); they specialize in such stuff. Do a test shoot to assess it.

John Stanley
March 18th, 2003, 06:09 PM
OK..Thanks for such a quick response! (I actually have to film something tomorrow.)
I am going to get an adapter and start testing. It will make the editing a lot easier.
Thanks again.

Edward Seid
March 19th, 2003, 12:29 PM
I'm a Sony PD150 owner and know absolutely nothing about the Canon GL2.

I noticed that amazon.com has the GL2 for $2343.59. I have no idea if that's a good price or not, but I thought it might be of interest to some here.

To get this pricing, you must be logged into your amazon.com account. On the first page, there's a Gold Box in the upper-right hand corner. Amazon.com normally rotates ten Gold Box offers every 24-hours or so. The GL2 just so happens to be in today's rotation.

To take advantage of the Gold Box pricing, you must have previously ordered something from amazon.com. To see the full product details on amazon.com, visit www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006FXHQ/hawaiichesspr-20. I think there are only 2 left at this price.

I hope this is of use to someone.