I was wondering if there is some way to have a slower zoom on the GL2. I've used the ZR1000 before and the zoom doesn't seem to be much slower. Is there any way to get a slower zoom speed without having to buy a new camera?

I was wondering if there is some way to have a slower zoom on the GL2.

Sorry to be a wee bit flippant, BUT if you wait long enough it will stop altogether.

Experience today > > > Videoing in London today; on the South Bank; Sun's blistering down; everybody is out; Big Ben and the old County Hall - great shots - this cammie just doesn't know when to throw the towel in!

BUT but but the old . . . :

"Yeah? Yah wanna zoom? Now? . .. Well .. .maybe I'll think about it .. . hmmm .. nah not yet . . hmmm .. oh alright . .BUT only a bit . . nah think I'll stop now and have a snooze . .. z z z z zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"


I had it for the last 1/4 of the friggin tape! ! !

OK . .how much slower do want to get? Give us the time you want over the whole range?

You can toggle the zoom (grip or the handle by the vcr controls) speed in the menu to low - med - fast. Is that what you're talking about?

You can toggle the zoom (grip or the handle by the vcr controls) speed in the menu to low - med - fast. Is that what you're talking about?


. .and again, Salvador, it would be neat if Micah told us just how much slower ZOOM is needed? That is START to FINISH of a full sweep? Then we can all test to see if it is attainable or not. I've found that the settings are slow enough for me. On the contrary, when I want to re-frame - this is what I mostly use zoom for - it isn't fast enough!! Oh for a "twist" ring zoom . . .

Getting a very slow smooth zoom is sometimes a challenge with the zoom rocker. Since it is pressure sensitive, my ability to control it presisely depends on what kind of day I am having. I.e. try too hard for a slow zoom and it will quit zooming.

A lanc controller might be the solution. Most remote lanc controllers have speed settings for zoom. Set the speed setting for the slowest setting. When you push the zoom button in or out firmly the camera will zoom at the selected speed without having to worry about the amount of pressure applied to the button.

Sorry for being somewhat vague, but I'm looking for a very very slow zoom. Like a very slow crawl that you could barely notice. The set speeds on the camera (slow, medium, and fast) are not quite what I'm looking for. I've also used a lanc controller with set zooming speeds and I've put it on the slowest one and still was not quite slow enough. To let you in on what I'm doing, I'm filming a stage from both sides of a tech booth with GL2's on tripods. Some songs we do are fairly slow in nature and we do slow pushes and pulls to accomodate the pace of the song. However, the GL2's can't seem to push or pull slow enough, so it looks rather odd. This is a live production that we have side screen projectors for, so theres no options for post. This is all live.

By the way, I do this for my church, Quest Community Church and we do lots of really cool songs that most churches wouldn't dream of doing (U2, All American Rejects, Linkin Park, Kirk Franklin, Switchfoot, and many other bands). The website is definately worth checking out. www.questcommunity.com

correct me if i'm wrong but as much i know contain those LANC zoom controllers just a set of resistors. And switch "--fast-medium-slow--" just reconnects different sets. So You can build instead of "slow" even slower. It means bigger resistor. You can google out scheme of LANC.

Micah, please say exactly what time you are looking at? 5minutes from wide to tele? 3 minutes .. 1 min or what?

I have the 1000 and the Frotti 521Pro. This Fortti I can actually "set" a zoom" speed - I repeat - I can SET a zoom speed. So taking the "slowest" speed OR in other words the slightest downward pressure on the Frotti rcker. Once I'm happy with this "crawl" I can the "set-it" and re-call it.

So, what are your time parameters?

I was wrong. Lanc is digital serial interface. This is panasonic who uses resistor matrix system. and there is no focus driving: http://www.dvxuser.com/articles/remote/

Yes, LANC is a serial digital protocol, somewhat complex that uses an 8-byte packet communicating over one wire (bi-directional) at 9600 bps if my memory is correct. The controller contains what is effectively a small microprocessor.

The Canon ZR-1000 can control the zoom at 5 pre-set speeds in addition to the rocker variable speeds. On the XL1 the slowest preset was about 60 seconts to go the full range (full wide to full zoom). I do not know what it would be on the GL2.

I do not know what it would be on the GL2.

Woah! Just checked in at 30 seconds! Even tried the Frotti - same result.

I'd really love to have at least a 45 sec zoom from tele to wide. Anything above that would be great too.

FWIW: with the ZR-1000, 30 seconds is the slowest speed on the GL1 as well.

So back to my original question...Theres really no slower than 30 seconds I can go on the GL2 right? If I wanted like a 45 second or 1 minute zoom from wide to tele, I'd have to purchase a different camera?

Some third party controller might be able to emulate a slower zoom by pulsing the camera quickly.

Alternatively, do a zoom in post with your NLE. One way might be to slo-mo the segment, if you can accept any artifacts the process creates..

...This is a live production that we have side screen projectors for, so theres no options for post.

post = not going to happen

This thread got me curious. I just tested a Varizoom on my GL2. 30 seconds, just like Don saw with the ZR-1000.

That's always been slow enough for me... BTW, the Varizoom with the zoom speed control knob is at least very easy to control even if it's not slow enough.

Michael you got me thinking.

It would be real neat if one could use a LANC to control another LANC! Soooo... if one could slow down a LANC with another LANC - see?

But I guess all of this must be a function of:

#1 - Slowest Canon motor speed and resistivity

#2 - LANCS only being an END-of line device and cannot TAKE instructions.


Anyway, it is obvious I aint no electrical engineer, just a dreamer!