XL2 - Darker right border?
 

Hello! I'm new to the forum, so first of all hi to everyone :)

I own a Canon XL2 (PAL, I live in Slovenia), and I just noticed today that there's something wrong with it - It records a darker vertical band on the right side of the picture. I uploaded a sample here:

http://www.3dgestudio.com/error.jpg

If you can't see it, here's another version, where I exagerated contrast:

http://www.3dgestudio.com/error2.jpg

I tried to connect the camera to my TV, and there is no dark band. It could be that the TV crops the band, or maybe it's a codec problem? Any idea? The band is not visible in the EVF.

Any idea of what could be the cause, and even better, the solution?

Thanks,

Seb

Seb,

Did you see this in your video editing suite while the video is playing? I ask because this may just be happening when you perform a screen capture. What NLE do you use?

Yeah, it's actually a screen grab taken directly from Premiere.

I tried Vegas too, and even Windows Movie Maker (sometimes it comes out as a little useful thing).

I'm guessing it's a codec problem. I remember I saw a similiar artifact on some DivX movies quite a while ago... It could also be my firewire port, who knows. I'll see what happens when I'll plug it in my new Matrox RT.X 100 Xtreme Pro, maybe there will be better drivers and codecs...

...At least I hope so! :)

The reason you cannot see it on a TV, it that is cuts off a border around the
image (top, bottom, left & right) called overscan. You are not seeing the full
picture. So if you are shooting for TV productions then it is not really a problem
since no-one will see it.

I don't know if this is "normal" for the XL2 or not. I don't think I've heard
anyone else talk about it yet...

Hi Rob. Haven't noticed this so far.

By the way, some effects (like PIP) will show the picture edges, so it can be a problem even for TV productions.

Richard

Seb, I just pulled some screen caps off some of my footage (60i, 30p and 24p) and I saw none of the banding you have in the screen cap you posted here.

Richard: with PiP it may be wise to crop some of the edges off as well.

Seb: if the camera is new I would return it for another without the defect
(it seems to be a defect since others don't have it). Otherwise it may be
wise to send it to Canon for a repair? (be sure to include a tape / print out
of the problem!)

Good luck!

Thanks guys.

The camera already has been repaired last week for a dead pixel after I had it for less than one month, so since I noticed the border problem only a few days ago, I thought they messed it up. I checked out older footage and the border was visible then already, I just didn't notice it.

I'll wait to try it with another firewire device, on another machine with other codecs. If the border will still be there, I'll send it back to the service center.

Thanks again,

Seb

Well yes Rob, but if the edges are OK to begin with (and they usually are unless captured from analogue) then there is no need to crop except for framing considerations.

Richard