FU1000 XL H1 compatibility?
 

Can anyone help as I am getting totally conflicting information on whether the FU1000 is compatible or not with the XL H1. Canon USA on its web site shows it as a compatible accessory. However dealers in the UK say that Canon UK say it is NOT compatible. Has anyone who actually owns a UK purchased and supplied XL H1 (ie with PAL SD as well as HDV) got any experience of pairing it with an FU1000 and if so, what is the result? This is important for me as I intend to use the XL H1 as a replacement for my XL2 for broadcast television work and the standard viewfinder on both cameras is notoriously c***. You can get away with this on the XL2 I think but not on HD

It should be compatible. I believe you'll find a secondary plug just like the XL2 which is specifically for the FU-1000. The viewfinder portion holds a small CRT and the necessary drive circuitry that merely responds to the signals driving it from the camera body. If you see that plug on the XLH1, you can bet it's compatible or they wouldn't put the plug there in the first place.

-gb-

I had the FU-1000 from my XL 1. It fit on my XL H1, but the image was very small in the viewfinder. I found the FU-1000 to be no easier to judge focus and the stock VF. I sold my FU-1000. I generally use the AF or an external monitor.

Does anyone know if any other manufacturers VF will work on the XL H1? Has anyone heard any rumors that Canon might be offering a VF that doesn't suck?

Hi Jon,
I don't try the FU 1000 because he is too small. Check out the owner of www.etkon.com , he rebuild a digibeta viewfinder for mine XL-H1. It works great. I can manage al the functions and it is a very sharp Sony viewfinder (the same as the XDcam hd 350).
good luck

Interesting, Marc - does anyone know if there are any similar modifications being done in the states?.. It would be very nice to have a crisp finder..

BTW - in a long telephone conversation with a Canon rep several weeks ago, she hinted (that's hinted) that there may be a new color finder in the works, but it is meant primarily for larger production houses and broadcast fascilities (ie, manufactured in smaller numbers).. so it will be very expensive - like 6 grand... She asked if I would consider buying one if it was available, and I hedged.. I want the finder, but I've bought really nice used cars for less than six thousand dollars...

Marc,

Any chance of posting a photo of the conversion !


Mick

Marc:
This sounds really really interesting and is the first I have ever heard of this conversion.. I will certainly take a look at this as an option. By the way what price was it all in all? I wonder if this guy knows how much of a market there is out there for a decent view finder.

Hi All,

I will try to put some pics into my next repley next week (busy at the moment). My new viewfinders works great, but the conections are not in the final stage. He is devoloping some new connectors at the moment. The price of the VF was around 2400 euro and the rebuilding is around 750 euro (not sue about the last price because I didn't get the recieve til now).
May be you can contact his website (www.etkon.com his name is Edwin Schouten)

good luck.

Thanks Marc, looking forward to seeing the pictures. All sounds very interesting

Regards

Mick

I have an Fu-1000 which I used on my previous XL2 for two years.It made focusing a lot easier,but obviously there's no color reference. A couple of times I screwed up and hit the wrong wb setting, and didn't realize it till I got home...
I've been using the stock viewfinder since I've had the H1, because I wanted to give it a serious trial, and it's also nice to have color reference.I like the focus assist and the peaking, although using focus assist hasn't become second nature yet when I'm at a pressure job.The ideal thing for me would be to use the fu-1000 and also have an on camera color monitor. The problem is space-I do quite a few low light events and use a frezzi mini fill w/ softbox. It would be impossible to use anything but the smallest monitor on cam along with the frezzi. I sometimes use a Tiffen steady stick, and have thought about trying the multirig pro. That way I could conceivebly use the fu 1000, Frezzi, and something like the marshall hd/sdi.
Anyone else in the same boat, or any other ideas?
Bruce S. yarock
www.yarock.com

I forgot to mention-Some of the info on the stock viewfinder isn't available when using the fu-1000. Feet distance to subject, the exposure line on top left. I don't remember anything else, but I'll check.
Bruce S. yarock
www.yarock.com

Correction-The focal distance in feet,focus assist, peaking DO show up on the FU-1000.
Bruce S. Yarock
www.yarock.com

So is there anything other than color that do not show up in the FU-1000?

Marty,
The way it looks so far is that the only thing other than the color that doesn't show is the exposure line in the upper left corner. I may be missing something, because I'm still groggy from a proceedure I had yesterday. Btw, did you reach any conclusions about the lens mount question? If you want, give me a call.
Bruce S. Yarock
www.yarock.com

here are some pics
 

Hello all,

here some pictures of mine Sony Viewfinder on mine Canon XLh1.
The Viewfinder is a Sony BVF20W(ce). He is modified by Edwin schouten from the company Etkon (www.etkon.com) in Amsterdam (the Netherlands).

I am working with a 50-500 mm sigma lens for filming nature and I can tell, I can't focus with the standard Canon Viewfinder and now I can foces very good. It is worth the price dubble.

Succes