XL1s and transfer to 35mm film
 

Does anyone have experience with tests shot on XL1s in 16:9 mode and transfered to 35mm film.

XL1s and transfer to 35mm film
 

Does anyone have experience with tests shot on XL1s in 16:9 mode and transfered to 35mm film.

www.swisseffects.ch recommends against this. Instead they suggest a 16:9 lens or lens adaptor to shoot in this frame for film transfers. But I'm not sure if a 16:9 lens or adaptor are yet available for the XL-1/s. Also, different film transfer labs use different methods so have diferent requirements. Check with the transfer lab first.

http://www.cyberfilmschool.com/articles/dv_blowups_p1.htm

Read the article in the link I posted. It's by Vancouver's Digital Film Group who do digital transfers including the one for Atanarjuat (winner Camera D'or Cannes). He talks a fair bit about XL1 transfers.

"Any of these cameras can look good if approached with reverence. Personally, for the money, I would be looking at getting into a camera with true 16:9 CCD's and interchangeable lenses. Although we consistently get great results from the Canon XL-1 and the PD-150 cameras, there is always a price to pay for image stabilization and auto-focus optics on these little "pro-sumer" cameras."

"If my camcorder has 16:9 mode, should 16:9 be used instead or 4:3?

"We say, "if it has squeezed 16:9, you should use it". There is much talk about whether you should use the native 16:9 switch on a camera that doesn't actually have "true" 16:9 CCD's or whether you should simply frame for 16:9 in the viewfinder and leave it in 4:3. We have found that there is better image quality from shooting squeezed 16:9 or, if you can, try to use an anamorphic front lens adaptor with cameras that have 4:3 CCDs. "

Hmm. I recall the experience of filmmaker Eric Moyer a couple of years ago who shot his movie "The Good Life" in 16:9 on an XL1 and transferred it to 35mm. He was fairly disappointed in the results but many factors can contribute to this, including the process used by the film transfer house.

I had a link on the Watchdog to Eric's site where talks about his results in some detail. I just checked it, and sure enough after a couple years it has become a dead link.

On the Watchdog there's a four-part DV to 35mm transfer guide from Tape House Digital Fim in New York City. It will answer a lot of questions. Hope this helps,

Thank you Gent's for your advice.