accessories for my xl1s...
 

okay, i just purchased a xl1s. now what else do i need to go in debit for? lol

lcd screen? suggestions... i really want to get one but have no idea what would be better and i also don't want to pay $600 for a screen. would it be better to get a widescreen one? i want to film in widescreen most of the time and my camera does the "squeeze" widescreen, so would it show up right if i had a widescreen or would it still be "squeezed".

power supply?

microphone adapter?

whatever else you think might be a neccesary item for my camera.

what would a matte box help me for?

filters?

etc...

thanks,
mike

Hi Mike,

This is all going to seem pretty basic to you, but these are good to have. Some of it depends on what you'll be shooting:

extra batteries
windscreen for mic if you're going to use it
XLR adapter (I use my MA100 all the time, except my right channel just went out last week.)
UV filter to protect the lens

If you want to spend more money, consider trying to get your hands on a manual lens (14X is cool) and/or a 3X lens.

I'll let someone else comment on the monitor and matte box.

By the way, "Welcome!" :)

hi michael.

if i may ask, what will you be using the camera for?

regardless of application, you got an xl cam so you probably want to take advantage of the interchangeable glass. the 3x wide makes the kit so much more versatile. also, as lorinda mentioned, the 14x manual is an awesome lens, and definitely a bargain second-hand right now.

even before the lenses, i would probably invest in some quality lighting and audio gear, but, again, that all depends on where you want to take your new cam.

regarding your questions:

16:9 monitors usually have a switch to display in 16:9 or 4:3 modes. 16:9 mode will un-"squeeze" the image and take up the whole screen, and 4:3 mode will display black bars on the left and right. the xl1s does shoot 16:9 in squeeze mode and a widescreen LCD will un-squeeze it, but you're actually better off shooting 4:3 using the 16:9 guides in the EVF. lots of info here on 16:9 in the xl1/xl1s if you take a look around.

matte boxes are used to mount filters in front of the lens and for light control. regarding the light control aspect, the matte box protects your lens from picking up incidental light and acts like your hand when it's raised above your eyes to shield them from, say, bright sunlight. i'd think the lens hood you have should be fine for now.

hope that helps.

<-- ADDED INFO -->

forgot about the most important accessory... get a good tripod first.

I have to agree with the others. The Canon 3x should be next, I can't say enough about this lens. That and a very good tripod with a fluid head. Bob