Have I made a mistake getting XF300! at DVinfo.net

Andy Solaini · January 7th, 2011, 12:43 PM

I'm wondering if my XF300 is too big!

Following on from the bag recommendation thread I just laid all my gear out on the floor and I don't really think it will fit in any backpack! It measures something like 58L X 42W X 17D

I have been looking at loads of bag manufacturers and none really have a backpack type bag big enough.

I'm beginning to worry that I have made a massive mistake in getting the XF300 given that it's essential for what I do that I can travel with all my gear in one backpack type bag.

My gear list includes:
Canon 1DmkIV (big pro stills body)
3 biggish lenses
XF300

Should I have gone with the XF100 camcorder as it's way more compact that the XF300?

Buba Kastorski · January 7th, 2011, 01:16 PM

Honestly, I don't understand why you need XF or any other camcorder if you have 1D, well, unless you do event videography,
if I wasn't shooting weddings, all I need would be my 1/5D ,
and closer to your question - as always, it depends on what do you need camcorder for, but even without knowing that, XF100/105, and XA10 looks like a great alternative in scenarios when the luggage size takes priority over the image quality.

Simon Wood · January 7th, 2011, 02:01 PM

I've heard that the National Geographic photo rucksacks work well with the XF - the Earth Explorer Backpack - LARGE size is the one.

Have a look at National Geographic / Shop / Photography / Photography Gear and Bags / Earth Explorer Backpack - LARGE size.

Andy Solaini · January 7th, 2011, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buba Kastorski

Honestly, I don't understand why you need XF or any other camcorder if you have 1D, well, unless you do event videography,
if I wasn't shooting weddings, all I need would be my 1/5D ,
and closer to your question - as always, it depends on what do you need camcorder for, but even without knowing that, XF100/105, and XA10 looks like a great alternative in scenarios when the luggage size takes priority over the image quality.

To answer your question I aim to shoot some city/travel type docs and I also shoot aviation. For aviation the power zoom and full-time AF are a must and something the 1D lacks.

Andy Solaini · January 7th, 2011, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon Wood

I've heard that the National Geographic photo rucksacks work well with the XF - the Earth Explorer Backpack - LARGE size is the one.

Have a look at National Geographic / Shop / Photography / Photography Gear and Bags / Earth Explorer Backpack - LARGE size.

The NG one looks to be too small. Its says it is 40x31x15 and I need something at least 58x42x17!

Galen Rath · January 7th, 2011, 07:11 PM

The Genus Shooter Backpack is huge --21.25 x 15 x 16.15" (54 x 38 x 41cm) (HxWxD) extended and $100 off at B&H Photovideo til 1/31/11

Robert Turchick · January 7th, 2011, 07:36 PM

If you're still unhappy, I'd be more than happy to take the 300 off your hands! Ha ha!
I travel with the 300, 7D and a boatload of lenses along with my audio gear. Originally I was using a huge pelican case I dubbed "the coffin" but it really is too big. I then got a Kata large OMB which is still pretty insane but includes a luggage dolly and straps to hold a tripod. It's perfect for most of what I do but it is heavy with both cameras and all my lenses. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/601952-REG/Kata_KT_OMB_77_OMB_77_One_Man_Band.html

And Buba...for the question about needing both cameras, it is a necessity for me as well as I cover any type of shooting that may come up. It's been covered to death on the forum but in a nutshell, dslrs are not a replacement for a camcorder, they are a supplement.

I also shoot aviation and you will not be happy with the lens on the 100 as it doesn't have the throw. The 300 is perfect. I recently shot from the catwalk of the control tower at our local airport and was easily framing the WWII bombers being chased by an AStar with a cineflex. This is a still from the XF 300 video!

Jim Martin · January 8th, 2011, 12:42 PM

Here's Porta Brace's suggestion.....

PortaBrace - Product Detail:BK-2N

Jim Martin
FilmTools.com

Andy Solaini · January 8th, 2011, 05:45 PM

The other issue is it needs to be airline carry-on compatible which over here in the UK means about 55x40x20cm. There is no way I would put such expensive gear in the hold!

Andy Solaini · January 8th, 2011, 05:51 PM

@Robert Turchick - The XF100 has 10x zoom which I believe is about 300mm equivalent on a stills camera. I have a 300mm lens and have no issues getting aviation stills shots. Would I really miss the extra zoom of the XF300?

I'm seriously wondering if I should sell the XF300 which the prices over here in the UK are still high. New they are £5500 so I might be able to get £5000 used as it's not really been used.

A few things are tempting me to get an XF100 instead.
1 - It's about £2000 cheaper!
2 - It is a LOT more compact and portable
3 - It wouldn't need such a heavy/expensive tripod as the XF300
4 - It's much more discreet. Easier to film without hassle from people.

Robert Turchick · January 8th, 2011, 09:44 PM

Hey Andy!
The xf300 goes out to a 527mm equivalent which is near double the xf100. If youre happy with the 300mm, sounds like you've talked yourself into the swap. I have a 100-400mm for my 7d which with the crop turns it into a 640mm. It's great for photography and I have shot aviation video with it but with no autofocus and inadequate image stabilization, the winner is my xf300 for getting long distance shots in video.
The other thing I saw you mention earlier was the ability to fly commercially and the bag I have is way too big. If that's a requirement, the 300 may really be too big.
I am really psyched about my 300 and can't imagine shooting without it but I don't do much traveling out of AZ so baggage size doesn't matter.
I can't speak to the quality of the xf100 but if the specs are right it'll be the best of that size camera by a large margin. Let us know what you choose!

Nigel Barker · January 9th, 2011, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Solaini

The other issue is it needs to be airline carry-on compatible which over here in the UK means about 55x40x20cm. There is no way I would put such expensive gear in the hold!

I just checked & our new XF305 just fits into my airline-approved carry on case. It's a pretty tight fit though.

On the bright side it looks like you should be able to carry an XF105 in your jacket pocket:-)

Robin Davies-Rollinson · January 9th, 2011, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Solaini

Would I really miss the extra zoom of the XF300?

I'm seriously thinking of going with the XF100. If I need to go any tighter, I'll use the Canon teleconverter that will at least make it 16x or 17x...

Andy Wilkinson · January 9th, 2011, 10:03 AM

Andy,

Worry not! I've just seen the backpack that will allow you to carry all your gear....

;-)

Visualized: when backpacks attack! -- Engadget

On a more serious note, when I first got my EX3 I had great difficulty getting the right bag and getting one that fitted into airline overhead bins but eventually I got there and all is well. Don't let the size of camera worry you too much!

Andy Solaini · January 9th, 2011, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Wilkinson

Andy,

Worry not! I've just seen the backpack that will allow you to carry all your gear....

;-)

Visualized: when backpacks attack! -- Engadget

On a more serious note, when I first got my EX3 I had great difficulty getting the right bag and getting one that fitted into airline overhead bins but eventually I got there and all is well. Don't let the size of camera worry you too much!

Haha that's the one. Imagine trying to get that on Ryanair!

I have found a few bags that would be fine for the XF300 alone but it's having to take my stillls camera and lenses that is the problem. The Xf100 + stills gear would fit in a bigish carry-on bag ok but the XF300 won't.

January 7th, 2011, 12:43 PM	#1
Andy Solaini Major Player Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 223	Have I made a mistake getting XF300! I'm wondering if my XF300 is too big! Following on from the bag recommendation thread I just laid all my gear out on the floor and I don't really think it will fit in any backpack! It measures something like 58L X 42W X 17D I have been looking at loads of bag manufacturers and none really have a backpack type bag big enough. I'm beginning to worry that I have made a massive mistake in getting the XF300 given that it's essential for what I do that I can travel with all my gear in one backpack type bag. My gear list includes: Canon 1DmkIV (big pro stills body) 3 biggish lenses XF300 Should I have gone with the XF100 camcorder as it's way more compact that the XF300?

January 7th, 2011, 01:16 PM	#2
Buba Kastorski Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 1,414	Honestly, I don't understand why you need XF or any other camcorder if you have 1D, well, unless you do event videography, if I wasn't shooting weddings, all I need would be my 1/5D , and closer to your question - as always, it depends on what do you need camcorder for, but even without knowing that, XF100/105, and XA10 looks like a great alternative in scenarios when the luggage size takes priority over the image quality. __________________ I love this place!

January 7th, 2011, 02:01 PM	#3
Simon Wood Major Player Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Entebbe Uganda Posts: 768	I've heard that the National Geographic photo rucksacks work well with the XF - the Earth Explorer Backpack - LARGE size is the one. Have a look at National Geographic / Shop / Photography / Photography Gear and Bags / Earth Explorer Backpack - LARGE size. __________________ http://vimeo.com/channels/guerrillafilms

January 7th, 2011, 07:36 PM	#7
Robert Turchick Trustee Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 1,389	If you're still unhappy, I'd be more than happy to take the 300 off your hands! Ha ha! I travel with the 300, 7D and a boatload of lenses along with my audio gear. Originally I was using a huge pelican case I dubbed "the coffin" but it really is too big. I then got a Kata large OMB which is still pretty insane but includes a luggage dolly and straps to hold a tripod. It's perfect for most of what I do but it is heavy with both cameras and all my lenses. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/601952-REG/Kata_KT_OMB_77_OMB_77_One_Man_Band.html And Buba...for the question about needing both cameras, it is a necessity for me as well as I cover any type of shooting that may come up. It's been covered to death on the forum but in a nutshell, dslrs are not a replacement for a camcorder, they are a supplement. I also shoot aviation and you will not be happy with the lens on the 100 as it doesn't have the throw. The 300 is perfect. I recently shot from the catwalk of the control tower at our local airport and was easily framing the WWII bombers being chased by an AStar with a cineflex. This is a still from the XF 300 video! Attached Thumbnails __________________ The older I get, the better I was!

January 8th, 2011, 09:44 PM	#11
Robert Turchick Trustee Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 1,389	Hey Andy! The xf300 goes out to a 527mm equivalent which is near double the xf100. If youre happy with the 300mm, sounds like you've talked yourself into the swap. I have a 100-400mm for my 7d which with the crop turns it into a 640mm. It's great for photography and I have shot aviation video with it but with no autofocus and inadequate image stabilization, the winner is my xf300 for getting long distance shots in video. The other thing I saw you mention earlier was the ability to fly commercially and the bag I have is way too big. If that's a requirement, the 300 may really be too big. I am really psyched about my 300 and can't imagine shooting without it but I don't do much traveling out of AZ so baggage size doesn't matter. I can't speak to the quality of the xf100 but if the specs are right it'll be the best of that size camera by a large margin. Let us know what you choose! __________________ The older I get, the better I was!

January 7th, 2011, 07:11 PM	#6
Galen Rath Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 323	The Genus Shooter Backpack is huge --21.25 x 15 x 16.15" (54 x 38 x 41cm) (HxWxD) extended and $100 off at B&H Photovideo til 1/31/11

January 8th, 2011, 12:42 PM	#8
Jim Martin Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Burbank, CA 91502 Posts: 949	Here's Porta Brace's suggestion..... PortaBrace - Product Detail:BK-2N Jim Martin FilmTools.com

January 8th, 2011, 05:45 PM	#9
Andy Solaini Major Player Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 223	The other issue is it needs to be airline carry-on compatible which over here in the UK means about 55x40x20cm. There is no way I would put such expensive gear in the hold!

January 8th, 2011, 05:51 PM	#10
Andy Solaini Major Player Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 223	@Robert Turchick - The XF100 has 10x zoom which I believe is about 300mm equivalent on a stills camera. I have a 300mm lens and have no issues getting aviation stills shots. Would I really miss the extra zoom of the XF300? I'm seriously wondering if I should sell the XF300 which the prices over here in the UK are still high. New they are £5500 so I might be able to get £5000 used as it's not really been used. A few things are tempting me to get an XF100 instead. 1 - It's about £2000 cheaper! 2 - It is a LOT more compact and portable 3 - It wouldn't need such a heavy/expensive tripod as the XF300 4 - It's much more discreet. Easier to film without hassle from people.

January 9th, 2011, 10:03 AM	#14
Andy Wilkinson Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 2,853	Andy, Worry not! I've just seen the backpack that will allow you to carry all your gear.... ;-) Visualized: when backpacks attack! -- Engadget On a more serious note, when I first got my EX3 I had great difficulty getting the right bag and getting one that fitted into airline overhead bins but eventually I got there and all is well. Don't let the size of camera worry you too much! __________________ Andy K Wilkinson - https://www.shootingimage.co.uk Cambridge (UK) Corporate Video Production