can someone explain to me the zebra settings/ire values? i've noticed that if i use the gl2 with the zebras set at 80 ire the lines will show up wherever there is any light (over sensitive)!

i was under the impression that the lines would show up wherever there was bright lights/highlights/hotspots on skin, metal or walls. on a dv cam i use at work (sony d30) the ire is set to 75 and the lines show up only whenever there are high lights. i feel it's very useful for exposure whenever i don't have a field monitor.

on the gl2 the zebra patterns seem to be over sensitive. should i increase the settings to 85 or 90 ire (general exposure)? how does the higher ire #'s affect the way you will use the zebra patterns for exposure? when should i use the lower setting and when should i use the 100 ire setting?

can someone please clear this up for me? also, i would like to know if there is a way to save more than one custom preset? if the cp icon isn't shown on the viewfinder or lcd does that mean the camera has reverted back to its factory preset settings?

mb

Yup, me too! - I'd like some "How-To's" on this one - please. More than that would be - Why and Where I'd be using them. You can see I'm a Newbie to the functionality of this prosumer 3CDDer - having come from a an Analogue Panasonic. Thanks in advance,

Grazie

Grazie and mbuendia 34,

The setting of Zebra Pattern controls has been covered quite extensively. Use the search button in the upper right and you will find numerous threads dealing with zebra pattern and IRE. If after reading some of the old threads you still have unanswered question, post in one of the old threads or start a new one.

mbuendia34,

<<--- can someone please clear this up for me? also, i would like to know if there is a way to save more than one custom preset? if the cp icon isn't shown on the viewfinder or lcd does that mean the camera has reverted back to its factory preset settings? --->>

You might want to post different topics as separate posts. You will get faster, and more complete responses by separating them out.

Jeff

Zebra settings can be used to determine exposure under a variety of criteria. The settings correspond 1 for 1 with IRE. So that at zebra 100 (IRE100) you've maxed the image out according to NTSC standards. If you choose a zebra of 100, NO zebra stripes are acceptable in the viewfinder. A zebra of 75 is used when the exposures are set for human flesh tones. That is, with a zebra of 75, your talent's face should not show any zebra. For day to day work, a zebra of 90-95 provides a little early warning of which highlights are approaching that dreaded 100IRE cutoff.

XM2 Cheap Batteries here
http://www.save-it-smart.de/pi-1645255861_2.htm
But I should better buy an original Canon?? I read lotz of people
using the no name battery, but is it good for your camera??

Hi chunglee,

I bought some batteries from www.sabahoceanic.com and everything is fine. Two BP-945 equivalent batteries cost $90. You can see details and discussion here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5290.

I fear my GL-2 has an electronics problem, but want to see if others have any thoughts.

When I turn on the camera...set to camera...all I get through either the viewer or LCD screen is grey 'snow'. Nothing I do with any settings affects this. I've gone through the manual for setup, I've looked at troubleshooting...cannot get this to show a view through either piece.

THEN...occasionally...it will 'click' into a view mode...but will be totally out of focus, and neither manual focus, nor any W-T setting in auto will bring it into focus. Next time camera is powered on...all grey again.

I've tried Canon support, with several emails, and all the steps on their online support...but have gotten NO response from them, and none of their 'keywords' prompt an auto response.

Sure seems like electronics problem out of the box to me. That will be a real pain.

Any ideas, or anyone else seen this.

OR....am I just plain missing a step in settings on the camera. Seems as though most are accessed through the menu, and I can't get a view of the menu to set most things.

HELP!

Terry in Iowa

Do you get a recorded image on tape? Do you get the same effect on an external monitor?

Either way, the thing sounds like it is broken. Nothing on the menu gives you that kind of side effect. The only way I can think of to get any kind of snow is to run a TV signal into it. I assume that is not the case.

Hopefully, it is still under warranty or you can send it back to the place of purchase.

Tom

This is a job for Canon Service, the sooner the better. Contact info at http://www.dvinfo.net/canon/skinny.php#service

Maybe not. Upon answering an e-mail from someone who wanted to know how to reduce video noise in the GL2, I started fooling around further with the cam. The shortcut I found to instantly kill video graininess surprised me. Here is my reply to the e-mail:

"I have found that as long as the cam has a little light, be it even tail lights from a car at night, noise will be reduced in the scene. Sitting in a nearly dark room will naturally bring video noise. You can't expect the cam to give a decent picture in that situation (Except in spotlight mode, if you read further). Here are some things I have found that reduce noise:"

(Manual Mode suggestions were deleted here)

"...In Spotlight Mode (The easy way):
May sound crazy but try it sometime. Sitting in a room with minimal lighting plug your GL2 into a TV monitor. In auto mode you should see some video noise. Yuck. Now switch the cam to the SPOTLIGHT setting and observe all video grain COMPLETELY dissappears, and I mean ALL of it. Now, in CP mode bring up Setup Level 2 or 3 clicks to help compensate for the darkened picture produced by the Spotlight mode. Pretty neat huh? I just discovered this trick while typing this e-mail. It would be very interesting to get some real world shots using this setting...very curious to see how it would look. Get back to me if you decide to experiment on this and obtain some results. I may just experiment further myself tomorrow."


Of course, I doubt if this is a cure all to graininess in all dimly lit situations because your scene may end up too dark from the Spotlight mode, though the shot will always be grain free (even in total darkness!) But I suspect this mode can be used in situations other than a scene with a spot light, and I think it is worth checking out in dimly lit indoor situations as well as outdoor sunset or dusk situations. I encourage all GL2 users to check it out. I may post some frames soon if I get some favorable results.

While "Spotlight" exposure mode can have the effect of reducing grain in dark areas of certain scenes it's important to understand what it actually does in order to use it effectively.

Basically, Spotlight mode sets the camera to a center-weighted "spot" exposure meter, similar to that of a still camera. Metering predominantly on the center portion of the frame (which is assumed to be much brighter than areas to the sides) prevents the camera from automatically increasing the gain, which is what it might do if it read the average exposure for the frame. When the camera's gain is increased, so is the amount of noise (grain) in the picture.

So there's really nothing magic about "Spotlight" mode. (Nor is it unique to the GL2; the XL1s and probably the Optura and Elura have this feature.) It's just a convenience for certain situations. (Actually, I'm convinced it was designed mainly for proud poppas to get better results when shooting their kids' school plays.) You can manually control the gain (and everything else) yourself by shooting in Manual mode.

Of course the best way to avoid grain and get a better image is to...turn a light on! <g>

It's even more simple Ken: Spotlight disables the gain. It's always 0 db. You can see this, when you are in Manual mode (1/60, F1.6, 0db) and in a dark room, so that the exposure meter points to the left. When you switch to Spotlight mode now, nothing will happen, the exposure stays the same.

I use the Spotlight mode when I'm using a video light: The camera won't use gain because it's too dark but will close the iris when it gets lighter again. You can use the Spotlight mode too if you want an automatic exposure mode but don't want gain to be used.

I was out fishing on a bay in Lake Michigan a few days ago, and I had my GL2 set up on a tripod on the waters edge. I thought that if I hooked a trout, I could use my remote control to start my camera. I couldn't get it to work.

My questions are, does anyone know what the range of the remote control is?

The second question is that in 5 minutes or so the camera turns itself off. Is there a way to overide this function or is there some other way that I haven't figured out yet to use my remote to turn the camers on and start filming?

Also does the remote only work from in front of the camers, or can it work from the rear or other angle?

Thanks

Hiyah - "does anyone know what the range of the remote control is?" my manual states 5 metres or 16 feet. Yours should say the same.

My manual also comes with some warnings regarding the use of the Wireless Controller:

* When using the wireless contrioller in brightly lit places or outdoors, the effective range will be less

* The camcorder may have difficulty in picking up the remote signals at extremely close range

* Do not leave ther controller exposed to direct sunlight, or in hot or humid places

* When the batteries run out, replace them both together

* Make sure the shoulder strap does not obstruct the remote sensor

"Also does the remote only work from in front of the camers, or can it work from the rear or other angle?" The remote has a very narrow angle of effectiveness. It can be fairly wide, but I've found it to be quite sensitive - yes? And no, it cannot be used from the rear. I've found that even if I try to operate the remote AND its sensor is "obscured" by the Canon's sunshade, the remote will not work. I think it is fairly line-of-sight. However, do some experiments to ascertain how far round the cammy you can get and still see the Tally lamp blinking on and off - yes?

As to the camera turning itself off, this is a "good" thing as it preserves the "rolling stock" of our motors and rollers within the cammy. I don't believe the cammy is actually "off" - yes? I hink it is more in "hibernation". Now if one could override this, it wouldn't be advised - I wouldn't use this function if it did exsist.

Now to options!

I would suggest a hard-wired LANC [ Local Application Control Bus ] device to get the cammy under your control. Of course this would mean trailing wires - not something I would imagine you would relish, with all that fishing gear; water-edge calamities; cammy on a tripod; sharks leaping out of the water, youngsters playing with your kit - get my drift here? Sooooo . . . . I would suggest some LANC device THAT in itself could be "remotely" wirelessed-up for your benefit, allowing you to not be concerened about the LANC wires etc etc - yes? AND it would be omni directional at the same time. I suppose you could have the LANC wireless thing "strapped" to the fishing rod, allowing you fast reaction times in switching the cammy in to active shooting mode. I know there are some amazing LANC devices on the market - fairly cheap too - that can not only cope with the start/stop BUT also zoom in and out. Basically the standard operating options are "transferred" to this LANC. You may even consider some form of LCD monitoring device - up close and personal to your "fishing" position, so you can get a Canon eye view of what it is viewing fromm say 15 feet away - fanciful? Maybe, but it depends on how far you wish to take, what I think, is a very interesting project.

Another thought while I'm writing this, is for maybe a type of "proximity" switching device - similar to that of house security lamps - that would "kick-in" when more than an average amount of activity -from you - appeared in front - or in this case to the side - of the camera - yes?

The long and the short of it is that, if you are not positioned relative to the cammy at an acute enough angle for the Remote Sensor to function, you will not get what you want. However, if you could "pick" a spot to fish where the angle was comfortable for you and the cammy, you might not catch any fish anyway! Fish tend to be very aware when you are getting frustrated! Know what I mean? Sooo . . . like in most things, you would need to explore "other" alternatives to achieve your objectives.

Oh yes - try before you buy! See if you can "hire" such equipment and test it out. If you intend to do alot of filming of yourself catching the "monster" it would be worth seeing if you liked the set-up first - yes? Then you could go onto to decide whether to invest or not in the above LANC system - yes? But, like all things I purchase I'll always try yo attempt to "use" the piece of equipment in the future anyway. LANC systems can be useful where you don't want to agitate the cammy while shooting something close-up, AND/OR you want to have a 360 degree observation of what is going on around you - while your cammy "focuses" on the job in hand.

Hope this has helped - others will confirm or deny the "hibernation" thing I was attempting to describe.

Grazie

Ahh, I see Mark; that's why there is absolutely no video grain ever in spotlight mode. Is is not simply reduced; it seems to be totally eradicated in not just certain scenes but any scene. I have however compared 0db in manual mode to spotlight mode and somehow spotlight mode accepts more light and gives a visibly better, brighter picture on my cam. Wonder why that is?

" The second question is that in 5 minutes or so the camera turns itself off. Is there a way to overide this function or is there some other way that I haven't figured out yet to use my remote to turn the camers on and start filming?"

From the manual, page 36:
"The camcorder automatically turns off if you leave it in record pause mode for more than 5 minutes to protect tape and video heads. You can select whether to turn off the camcorder (SHUT OFF) or only the recorder section (VCR STOP).
At VCR STOP, the camcorder remains turned on, so that the camcorder settings such as aperture and shutter speed are retained. Press the start/stop button to start recording from the VCR STOP state."

The real problem with recording your fishing is that you will no longer be able to exagerate 'the one that got away'.

Good Luck!
Samuel

Oh yes you can! What about morphong software - hee hee! ;-)

Just received my GL-2 a week ago. Got a good deal from a reliable seller with a US warantee. I started reading DVi Communityand found it incredibly informative. Followed threads that had great questions that not only helped me learn more about my camera but also made me wonder if my camera was malfunctioning and I didn't know it yet. So I played with it, tested it and just tried the color warming tests, everthing works fine. I was impressed with the picture quality straight out of the box but after switching to movie mode and reducing the sharpness and bumping up the gain and setup, I'm thrilled!

My question to anyone who knows is, "Can't I just white balance with pure white and deal with warmth and/or coolness of color in post using Premiere or After Effects or some other post software or am I missing something in the capture by not warm balancing my picture from the get-go with 5 or 10% Cyan or Blue for that nice warm look that I like?"

Thanks,
Ed

You could but it would lower the quality of your footage slightly. Everytime you render a project the files are altered as part of the rendering process. This slight alteration lowers the quality of the DV material. The best quality will result from doing the WB in camera.

Jeff

Hi!

I'm thinking of buying a XM2. Are there any full frame capture pictures available somewhere?
I remember a problem with the xl-1(s) with a couple of black lines at the bottom. Are there any of these problems on the GL-/XM2?

/Slas

I've got several movies and still posted on my .mac website...here's one of the links...the rest are available once you get to the page.

http://homepage.mac.com/barrygoyette/PhotoAlbum8.html

buddy1065 has also posted and extensive array of clips and stills...do a search for his posts to find his site.

Regarding the black lines along the edge of the frame...with the gl2, canon has solved this issue..no blanking in the frame.

Barry

Jeff is right. But I have two things to add to that:

1. Output medium
If your output is NOT DV than you will not have the above slight
quality loss if you do it right (ie, transfer the footage from your
editing application into your color correction suite (if you don't
use the same application) in either a lossless compression or
no compression at all) and output to a format that would require
a re-encode anyways (MPEG1, 2, 4 or Web etc.).

2. WB vs. post
I would definitely try to get the best picture on set without putting
extraordinary amount of time in it (how much is acceptable is up
to you and the time available to shoot everything). Then you will
have less or nothing to do in post. BUT, I personally will fiddle with
the shots in post anyway because I want to add black bars to
create the letterboxed widescreen version. And I almost always
tinker with colors and contrast etc. anyway to get in my taste
a better picture. How much you want to do this is up to you. I
suggest you try some testing (especially with the software
because this will break or make it!!!) before you go ahead with
anything serious! By default Premiere doesn't have much to work
with. After Effects (production bundle especially) has some nice
tools. Avid includes them I think as does Final Cut Pro. There
are ofcourse dedicated post applications out there for compositing,
effects and color grading work.

Good luck!

that makes complete sense. I will always white balance but not necessarily to the light blue cards. I am comfortable transfering and altering uncompresses data knowing what I know now. I guess in-camera warming to 10% Cyan would make for better looking daily's, especially when the suits and bean-counters insist on watching them and injecting their 2 cents, but for my own projects I have enough imagination to see the potential for post production tweaking. Thanks again!

Hi,

According an article on the website of dv.com it's best to leave the mic att. constantely on to reduce noise. The audio level should be set manually to optain the best audio.
Are there people here who do this?
What are your thoughts?
The article can be read on:
http://www.dv.com/features/
article:DV Camera Audio: Real Numbers, Real Recommendations

Thanks,
Dirk

The input preamps on many MiniDV camersa hae a relatively high noise floor. Using MIC ATT ON and reduces gain, so the nosie floor of the recorded sound is correspondingly lower, but so is the desired sound level. MIC ATT setting provides a benefit only if the audio input (to the mic or mic jack) is high enough. This is often the case with powered mics such as the ME66 and wireles systems, and may be the case in many venues such as concerts.

If the recorded level is too low, you may be able to add a noise gate, gain and/or compression in post.

Some camcorders have higher nosie floor when in manual volume control method, this was the case with the VX2000 and PD150 when they were released. The PD150 was fixed by Sony, not sure about later production of the the VX200.

The GL1 did not offer any manual gain control.

In summary, whether or not it is good for you epends on what and how you shoot and edit. Try it, expirement and see.

If i were to purchase a GL2, from a board sponser of course!,
and use it for say 3-4 months on a film project what could i expect for a resale value?

Other than keeping it in perfect condition, what factors would lead to a quick & resonable sale. (extended warranty etc)

The only place in madison to rent a camera has 1 xl1 and it is $175 a day. So i guess buying(credit union loan) -> shooting film
-> reselling (paying of loan) is my only option for now.

I finally broke down and bought my GL2. So far so good but this thing is definitely not point and shoot. The manual controls are sweet but it's going to take me longer than anticipated to get the hang of them. The 20x optical zoom, which is why I chose it over the Sony, is much better than expected.

I've decided to try to make or at least be creative about some of the accessories though. For a bag, I came across a really neat "cooler" type bag with a ton of padding at Sears. I think I could customize it to work just fine for my camera and save about $75 to boot.

I was going to get a polar mitten, but at $149, I think I'll try to invent something. My wife thinks she can sew up some fleece stuff and make it work. It's worth a try at least I think. It's *freezing* here so I think it would be prudent.

The mic seems to be just fine for now although I do plan on getting a shotgun. But... I'd like to try to make a smallish windsock thing for the built in mic. Any suggestions on materials for that? The Canon one sells for $119 or something and frankly, that is just insane.

Congrats, I got mine 2 weeks ago and I love it. I picked up a lunch-box type bag from Home Depot for $19.95 (Canadian) and it works great! It is thermally insulated (for keeping food hot or cold) and has two padded compartments, one for my GL-2 and the other for all my assecories and lenses. Comes with a short handle and a clip on shoulder strap. If you were to find this design in the camera accessory section of any store it would probably go for $100 -$200, but since it's only a lunchbox for construction workers it's $19.95!
Enjoy your purchase,
Ed

Exactly Ed. I saw another bag in a sporting goods store for $30 or so that would do nicely as well. There is just something about spending an extra $100 for something because it says "camera bag" on it instead of "lunchbox" or whatever that drives me crazy.

Jed,
I bought my GL-2 new for $1895.00 so for a little more than 10 days of rental you could own one of these babies. I got mine on Ebay and I don't recall seeing many used models for sale but if you do a search try typing in GL2 as one search type and GL-2 as another. I found that I got different results for each. I'm guessing a used model would go for at least half the new price.
Good luck,
Ed

Actually I have seen a couple used GL2s pop up on eBay and they go for a lot. Most are close to $1800. GL1s go for about $1300 so GL2s will still be up there for a little while longer. But it is a wonderful camera and well worth the money. I love mine!

I got an XM2 only for a 3 days, on the 2nd day i use firewire to download the files to my PC, worked on and it and send it back to my DV tapes just for testing purposes.

On the third try when i do a play back on the XM2, mosaic tiles and terrible pixelization occurs. At first I thought it was the recording head that is dirty, I send it to Canon customer service, they clean it and return to me and show it to me on the spot the recording is fine.(He place the camera on the table and record a chair..it seems fine during playback)

When I brought home i tested it again and to my horror the same problem occurs, this time ithappens to only moving images and when i move my camera during recording.. I sent it back, two days later a technician called and told me they arenot sure what's happening and they change the recording unit for me and..

I brought it, i play the same tape with the mosaic pixels in the images... and i found there the mosaic tiles and pixelization is no longer there....!!! and the conclusion is the problem occurs during playback and not recording.. but WHY?

Can someone enlighten me?

Has anyone recorded directly to a firewire drive? If so, how do you go about doing it? Is it as easy as connecting the firewire cable to the drive when recording?
Thinking that this may be a cheap alternative to using my GL2 all the time to copy the information to a computer and avoiding the extra wear and tear on the heads.

<<<-- Originally posted by Ed Anders : Congrats, I got mine 2 weeks ago and I love it. I picked up a lunch-box type bag from Home Depot for $19.95 (Canadian) and it works great! It is thermally insulated (for keeping food hot or cold) and has two padded compartments, one for my GL-2 and the other for all my assecories and lenses. Comes with a short handle and a clip on shoulder strap. If you were to find this design in the camera accessory section of any store it would probably go for $100 -$200, but since it's only a lunchbox for construction workers it's $19.95!
Enjoy your purchase,
Ed -->>>

I wish they would sell these things in Germany, too!

Rich: The DM-50 is pretty good!

I've noticed that the used models don't drop terribly in price on Ebay. If you do resell it, as with any electronics, make sure that it has absolutely no blemishes, you keep all the original packaging ( even the little baggies and zip ties ). Good luck. Hell, I may be interested in a good used gl2.

Patrick Mollins

Anyone know a place in Chicago to rent a GL2?

Someone asked why would I want to use a GL2 to take stills? I have a good answer finally.

The stills are just beautiful. First of all they look even better than frame captures, which themselves look pretty good. Second, I can control exposure, frame rate, and gain in a way that I can't on lower end digital stills, attach any 58 mm filter or lens I want, and finally I get to use the wonderful 3 CCD camera which captures colors just beautifully.

If I were to try to get such features in a still camera I'd have to spend a lot more money, at least a couple of thousand.

So again, I ask, why cripple the still feature by limiting the exposure and frame rate settings like they do? Is it so that the Gl2 won't compete with their high end Power Shot cameras?

Just purchased and recieved my GL2! Works wonderfully!

Also purchased the XLRPRO mic/line adaptor. The XLRPRO has a stereo 1/8" plug to be connected to the audio input(s) of the GL2. And, as you probably know, the GL2 has two inputs for audio. One is the "audio/video" input. The second is the "Mic" input.

The GL2 manual is vague regarding the type of audio inputs that can be used for the camera. Clearly, for the the audio/video input of the camera, the manual states to use their "STV-250N" cable which has an audio/video 1/8" plug. . . there are three areas on the 1/8" plug, two for the Left and Right audio channel and one for the video channel. Also, there is an 1/8" audio input marked "mic".

Here are my questions:

1) Regarding the audio/video 1/8" input on the camera, is it possible to use a PLAIN stereo 1/8" plug (from the XLRPRO line), or does this camera's particular input only accept a audio/video 1/8" plug like found on the "STV-250N" cable???

2) Is the "mic" 1/8" input found on the camera mono or stereo?

I haven't experimented yet to see what works best when connecting the XLRPRO to the GL2. Quite frankly, I'd rather hear (read) your responses to my questions before I risk damaging this new camera of mine.

Thank you for your responses!

Ted Fiebke

That right/left/video connection you're referring to is used to output to rca (cable is provided with your camera). This isn't for bringing audio into your cam.

The XLR adapter is plugged into the 1/8" plug located on the right hand side of the camera, near the front between the palm strap and the lens.

Oh, and it is stereo. I use the Studio1 XLR-BP Pro. You can record to just the left or just the right, or both.

First of all, the AV input at the back of the camera will only accept input in VCR mode, not camera mode (unless there's a switch that I'm missing in the menus). Apart from that, no, a normal 1/8" stereo (TRS) plug will not work right, because the two channels don't line up right with the audio channels. You would have to use your 3-way Y cable and then adapt back with the two audio channels.

Did anyone compare footage shot in frame mode to footage shot in normal mode and deinterlaced using Magic Bullet (plugin by theorphanage)?

Comments? Is Magic Bullet rendering Frame Mode obsolete?

Appreciate the input!

Ted

Hi Gary,

You'll need a go-between the like Firestore.

Check out these threads:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4445
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2169
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1708

. . .or just a laptop with a firewire port. I don't know about other software packages, but with Premiere, I can record to any hard drive recognized by my computer (including removable firewire drives) directly, without recording to the camera's (GL2) tape.

Just turn the camera on, see it in the capture monitor window in Premiere and hit the record button (on Premiere, that is). Aside from the camera going into sleep mode which you can turn off, it should work.

A 1G P4 laptop with firewire would cost about the same as the device in the links above and you get a laptop at no additional charge. I assume you already have the software.

Just some thoughts.

Tom

I bought a GL2 after comparing the picture with the Sony VX2000, but now that the Panasonic DVX100 is out, I went to the store and compared the GL2 with the DVX100, and the Canon doesn't look quite as good as the Pana. The Sony looked way to contrasty and video-like to my eyes, and an XL1s is a lot more expensive than the Pana here (Taiwan).

So, the advantages of the GL2 are: More shutter speeds, less artifacting in high-contrast situations, less audio-video synch issues, and a much longer lens. Does the XLR adaptor provide phantom power? I don't know.

The Pana seems to have a slightly better picture (more glass/larger CCDs), better zoom and focus controls, and gamma control. Also built-in XLRs with phantom power.

The Canon is brand new, and I could probably sell it for a reasonable amount and buy the Pana, though it would cost me; I am not sure how big a deal the Pana's synch issues or artifacting are, however. I couldn't see either when I was at the store.

Can utilizing the lower shutter speeds plus frame-mode bring about an image comparable to the Pana's?

So what do you think I should do? I film shorts and plan to do longer features in the future, and so I want the best picture I can get. The Panasonic is just about at the limit of my spending abilities. The company, however, seems rather blase about the synch issue and I'm not sure if that's a good sign. Should I take the leap?

Magic bullet is more flexible. It gives greater control over the image, not just de-interlace. MB is fairly expensive and it has to render all of it's magic. I timed some renders of sample footage and they averaged around 5 seconds per frame. this was done with a 450 G4 dual processor. One of the newer Macs could probably cut the time at least in half.

If you're after the ultimate look use MB and render. If you need footage right away and can't wait to render, shoot frame mode.

Jeff

does not provide phantom power, but many mics allow you to power with a "double A" battery inside the mic body like the AT 835b.

The other big deal with the Panasonic is 24p, which if you read some of the other posts is pretty hard to beat for "film" like image quality, at least as far as DV cams go. It's a big jump in price even in the USA, and the GL-2 is a pretty cool little camera.

I guess my thought would be, if you can live with the GL-2 why spend the extra money, if you can't live without the better image step up to the Panasonic. If you sell your camera now you'll still take a hit, unless you can return it and trade up.

I suspect that GL-2's prices will be pretty stable in the used market for quite some time. I started looking at used cameras before I got my GL-2 and for the extra few hundred dollars it just made sense to buy new. So the GL-2 is probably going to hold it's value for a little while longer.

Also check out http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=47 for more in depth info on the Panasonic
my 2 cents
Mark

It's too late to return it, but I can still sell it. Thanks for your viewpoint. The folks at 2-pop don't seem interested in talking about the GL2 for some reason, so I thought it best to ask in here. The pictures of the two seem a lot closer than the pictures of the Pana and the PD150 are, if that makes any sense. At least it seems this way to my eye.

This may not be your case but more than once I attempted to show my wedding customers their finished tape by plugging the cam into the TV. To my horror the image was pixelated. Only much later did I discover that this was happening because I was placing the cam on top of the TV or too close to the TV. I hope this is your problem. Placing the cam near certain electrical equipment can cause problems, and it doesn't have to be a TV.
But in your case it sounds like your helical scanning heads may have been misaligned.

thanks, but what is scan head misalign? Also it has nothing to do with me sending the avi files back to my DV tape right? I was afraid that was the reason that has damage the playing unit.

yowsiang