Advice...sound for my first XL1s feature

Hi everybody, if you would lend some advice, I'd appreciate it.

Getting ready for our first feature....an outdoor-sy thing with 4 primary actors....right now, I'm planning on renting 4 quality wireless lavs and good shotgun and running them through a Mackie 1604 to the camera to record in 16 bit. Now, questions:

1) should I worry about audio backup? Like a minidisc? Is the camera sound reliable enough?

2) Is this setup a good one and how would it affect stereo/panning concerns? Would I have to manually use the "pan" knob on the mixer DURING THE SHOT to achieve proper stereo, or could I just worry about general L/R mic location and change it during post?

Thanks....

[K. Forman]

Instead of running the audio into the camera, use an audio recorder. It is a little more work, but with the right recorder, the audio come out much better. I recommend something with multiple inputs and multiple tracks. This way, you can get a better balance.
Keith

[Steve Savanyu]

Since you are shooting outside, don't forget good windscreens, especially on the shotgun mic.

Even with some of the factory supplied foam, a gentle breeze can sound like a hurricane to a mic, especially a sensitve condenser mic.

[K. Forman]

I'm glad someone remembered that! It seems I had forgotten my days at Surfguru.com, trying to edit video, while attempting to also clean up that awful howl of wind across the mic. I was unsuccessful in most cases. If those cheapos would only have invested in real mics and windsocks, things might have been better.
I remember watching one interview, where they used a wired lav attached to a screwdriver, so that they had a way to display their mic flag! I don't miss the old days...
Keith