LIT Pixel is KILLING ME
 

OK folks here's the deal, I didn't think it would bother me this much, but this lit pixel is absolutely killing me on set, everyone else is accepting it but, for me it's just completely unaccptable. I called canon and they weren't really any help at all (I can send in the camera but then production is down for at least a week and probably even longer because evidentally it takes 6-8 weeks for my enrollment in the xl owners club to go into effect)

So here's my appeal to any and all button pushers. If someone can find me the correct series of buttons to get into a service menu of any sort so that I can mask the pixel, you will have my extreme admiration (and heck I'll paypal you a couple of bucks if you like) It's just so frustrating that canon can't help me at all in this situation, for what, on most cameras (at least HD cameras) is something that is user serviceable.

(oh and I'm not really blaming canon, there's a lot of darn pixels in a small space lit ones are inevitable in some of the cams that are released, and ideally I would have had time before the shoot to send it in, but that just didn't happen in this case)

I've felt the same frustration with my digital SLR. I can't really help you get rid of it in camera, but I'm thinking you can just place a different coloured pixel over it in post production when you're editing. It will be in the same place in every frame, so it shouldn't be too bad - where is it in the frame? Maybe just place a black pixel over it so it isn't as obvious (I'm assuming it's red or blue).
Also, I'm presuming you've checked to make sure it wasn't just in the viewfinder - the XL2 I use has one in the viewfinder that doesn't show up in recordings
hope this helps.

In post (using something like Shake or AE) you could simply copy an adjacent pixel in over the hot pixel.

In camera, there might be one approach to try.
In my GL2 and even little ZR cameras, there is a memory card for storing photos. The camera allows images in these cards to be composited with video in camera using either bluescreen keying or luma value multiplication.

If your XL has this feature too (no idea if the H1 does or not) you could make an all white JPG image with a single dark gray pixel at the location of your hot pixel. This will not "fix" the hot pixel, but it should knock it down from bright white to a less intrusive gray based on the value you place into the image.

I can't believe you have not sent the camera back to the dealer for replacement. A hot pixel at 0db on a brand new camera has to be considered a defect, having to wait 6-8 weeks is a joke.

Thanks guys, yeah the editors aren't too worried about it, it's just me. Alister I am definitely planning on sending the camera back, but right now that's not an option as the show must go on. (also you can see it a -3db gain) Yeah, I'm kinda really upset with canon right now, but I was just hoping for some sort of fix.

Oh and yeah it's blue, and in the bottom left quadrent. Nick, I have no idea if that will work or not, but I'll sure try and get it to work. Yeah it shows up in viewfinder and hd-SDi monitor and if you look at the clip I sent chris when he posts it, you should be able to see it. I hate the time I'm losing sending it back to canon though, seems like there should be a little bit more QC on the camera's they're marketing as "professional" either that or a user option for masking pixels. And the 6-8 week replacement is to get a free temp replacement from canon while they service my camera.

The camera has a dead/fixed pixel issue..eeeeeeeee,,I hate ccd's. This is why Cmos needs to happen today....


Don't worry Canon will map it out for you... Get it to the Irvine facility in CA...


XLH1 and HVX200 frame grabs and news here:
http://www.pbase.com/Arrfilms

Michael Pappas
Arrfilms@hotmail.com
PappasArts & Arrfilms Main site

XLH1 and HVX200 frame grabs and news here:
http://www.pbase.com/Arrfilms

http://www.PappasArts.com
http://www.Myspace.com/

Ofcourse that's a temp fix, but he needs to get it either replaced or serviced. Thats a whole render pass to your footage and that's not good for quality.

Nick who is your dealer? Call them and have them replace that camera pronto. Call them to swap it out. Have them send you a new one and send that one back. Tell them your filming a movie. If they won't help you , thell them their going to loose your business and you will spread the word about them.....

That shiat pisses me off. Dead pixels. Can you imagine a hair in the gate you couldn't blow out or remove from your Panavision 35.... aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh.....




[QUOTE=Nick Jushchyshyn]In post (using something like Shake or AE) you could simply copy an adjacent pixel in over the hot pixel.

What color is this "hot pixel". It could be a number of things some easy to fix?

I thought Canon was spending all this time setting up a pro dealer network, limiting where this camera is sold, etc. so that they could provide a higher level of "professional" service on this camcorder. Getting a new $9,000 camcorder with a stuck pixel is pretty bad, but I suppose that happens. Expecting you to wait 6-8 weeks for a fix?? That doesn't sound right. That sounds exactly like the level of service I'd expect on a $400 Elura, not Canon's flagship. Nick, I've followed some of your posts and I know you haven't had this camera for too long. If you can't just swap that unit out at your dealer then Canon is doing something wrong.

So do like Michael recommends and call your dealer and have them swap that camera out ASAP. Since Canon has apparently hand picked XLH1 dealers for high levels of quality (and probably volume), your dealer really shouldn't have any trouble with that request.

Good luck!

My dealer in the UK told me that their (new XLH1) contract with Canon requires them to keep 3 cameras in stock incase a sold unit developes a fault. I am surprised it is not the same in the US. The company has had to apply to Canon to see if they are "suitable" to stock the camera.

Like my dealer said, it looks like the contract should be being signed by CANON, promising they will act like a broadcast manufacturer.

Well there you go Nick, Call your DEALER! If all else fails I will place a call to people I know at Canon. This is BS 6 weeks to fix. Btw, who is the dealer you purchased the H1?

I spoke to the dealer, and they'll gladly take it in, but they don't have a loaner, (it just went out today for the rest of the week) I should stress no one's told me that it would take 6 weeks to fix, just that's how long until the owners club goes through (where they'll replace your camera with a loaner from canon). The dealer is also in L.A. (BandPro) and I've talked to them, but there's not much they can do either.

BandPro is top notch.

pappas

I know this is not the solution for a camera just out of the box but for future reference does the H1 allow pixel masking through a service menu?

Matthew thats what I'm trying to find out, it seems odd to me that according to canon there is no pixel masking available, but honestly right now I'm not even sure how to acess the service menu.

That would have been nice. However, nope!

Michael is actually right for a change. Service menus are a closely guarded Canon secret. The general public (that is, all of us) will never be let in on how to do this. It's a trip to the CUSA service center.

I thought service manuals and details by law have to be available to anyone that requests them and/or owns the product. As an example, I've gotten service manuals for my gear from http://www.user-service-manuals.com/ in the past, you technically make a small donation and they give you the link. Plus what broadcaster or serious production company with an engineering team would purchase the camera without this info disclosed?

Thats right, I have worked for a major TV Station in Sydney and we always got our Tech Services guys to fix equipment, we never made a service call to any third party until our own techs said they couldn't fix it. Half the time in the TS workshop they had Sony cameras lined up on the floor and on desks with the guts everywhere... If Canon are going to be secretive with this information then they will completely miss out on any chance of a Pro/Broadcast market with this camera, how else is a large broadcaster going to save money if they have to send equipment to third parties for repair...

Nick.. are you sure your lit pixel is a lit CCD pixel and not an LCD of VF pixel? I was checking out my H1 and thought I was seeing a lit CCD pixel, however it appears that I have a bright pixel on the LCD/VF as I cannot see it on an external monitor.

Lit or dead. I guess a dead cluster is black and a lit cluster is white etc. Either way both get mapped out. Btw, it's never a single pixel its actually a cluster.

Nick wassup with your H1?

Michael Pappas
Arrfilms@hotmail.com
PappasArts & Arrfilms Main site

XLH1 and HVX200 frame grabs and news here:
http://www.pbase.com/Arrfilms

http://www.PappasArts.com
http://www.Myspace.com/

Sorry, it's been a busy couple of days on set. My XL is staying with the shoot until completion. I'm posiutive the lit pixel is on the ccd block, because it shows up through the HD-SDI out on an HD monitor. I spoke with my dealer and he said as soon as I bring it in they'll look at it and try and get the whole unit replaced by canon (as I've had some other issues as well) but right production just wants to finish the movie and they have a few different plug-ins they're looking at to try and fix the pixel in post.

So all in all, right now it's just a waiting game. Both canon and my dealer are aware of the situation that I'm in, and while I'm not super happy with either, if the camera get's fixed (or replaced) under warranty then I'll have no problems.

Nick, how did your story end? I also found out that I have like 1 - 10 hot pixels that come and go whenever they feel like it. I cleaned everything, tried different settings but they just appear and then disappear.

Nick,

Just after my 1920 screening format I picked up these LIT or DEAD
pixels today. Just alittle over 1 week I've had the A1.

Took out a 3 year Sagemax protection plan at B+H when bought it
in NYC. They'll cover it and asked me to go to nearest dealer to get
an estimate and if less than 100pct of purchase prize they'll reimburse
cash if more than 100 pct need do something else.

I'll post the estimate for Belgium when known.

Cant upload the screen shots again but please have a look
in this thread

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...=106776&page=2

Nightmare.

Hey floris,

So yeah what ended up happening is we shot the movie (heh obviously) then when I go the camera back I cleaned everything and took it to the service center, and of course the problem was gone and I felt like a moron.

I will say that there seems to be an issue with lit pixels popping up and disappearing but I think that may be as a result of the mini35 but anyhow seems to be a strange issue, but as of right now, no lit pixels...

6 weeks...
 

Here in Sweden it took Canon three days to fix it. I had two. However, when it came back it had a new dead one - back to the nice and happy people at Canon - two days!! If it would be necessary to change the CCD it would maybe take up to a week according to the people at the shop.