anyone own an elura? help
 

hi, i recently picked up a used elura 60 to use as a deck (i own an XH-A1); among the things i need it for is to use as a recording deck on site to date/time stamp event footage, which the XH-A1 cannot do. i downloaded the elura manual and read the various entries about setting the time date display, etc, and it would appear that i've done everything necessary to turn on this feature, but the info is not recording. does anyone know this camera who can tell me something i may have overlooked? as this is a used camera, there simply may be a malfunction in this feature, but i'd like to be certain before starting a return process which is bound to be troublesome, and will still leave me needing a deck to do this. thanks!

Hi Cynthia, the Elura camcorder series is not capable of recording High Definition video. So,
the only way to get a usable signal into the Elura while live on the set is to switch the XH A1
to record standard definition in the first place:

Menu > Signal Setup > Signal Std > SD16:9 [ or ] SD4:3

Also, you can record HD on the XH A1 and then while playing back the tape it can downconvert
HD to SD over FireWire, providing a standard definition signal that your Elura can record while
maintaining the original HD recording already on the tape from the XH A1, but this is a playback
function so it can't be used while live on the set.

On the XH A1, while in VCR / Playback mode, this setting is: Menu > Signal Setup > HD Down-Conv > On

The Elura camcorder will be able to fast-forward and rewind tapes that are recorded in HD, but
it cannot play them nor can it record an HD signal coming in from FireWire. It can record only in
standard definition. However the Canon VIXIA series of HDV camcorders (the HV10, HV20, HV30,
and HV40) will function as an HD-capable recording and playback deck for your XH A1.

Finally, the XH A1 is indeed able to record a date / time stamp onscreen,
as described here: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/1233394-post6.html

Hope this helps,

thanks, Chris. i knew the elura wasn't an HD camera but i'm not sure i would have caught the fact that i had to make sure i was outputting from the XH-A1 in SD before i had tried to record and had a problem! i found from threads here that i could output a time date stamp from the XH-A1 by turning on the character feature. however, this is problematic because everything onscreen then records, so i can't use any of the displays, most crucially record time and time left on the tape...that's the reason i decided to use the elura to record and get the time date stamp with it so that i can view the displays without recording them. however, i haven't been able yet to figure out how to get this elura to record the time date info, though i seem to have followed everything in the manual. that's why i'm hoping there's an elura owner out there who can tip me off to something i may have overlooked...as you did with the catch about outputting in SD!

Hi Cynthia, you're probably already aware that you can set up a Custom Display showing only the time / date, which is all that will show on screen for the Character Recording function.

Meanwhile you have readily available alternatives to the other on-screen indicators that you don't want to burn into the screen for Character Recording. I've already mentioned using the audio levels meter on the left side of the camera body -- that area also has a tape counter, so it's easy to tell how much tape is left from that indicator just by looking at that display.

Plus, you can use the tally light on the camera or use a remote zoom controller (never shoot from a tripod without one) that has a recording indicator light on it. In my opinion there's not much need for an external recording unit; it's making your situation much more complicated when simple work-arounds will serve just as well.

Since this discussion is related to your earlier thread in the XH forum, I'll probably just merge them together.

thanks again, Chris. i've certainly been concerned about adding extra steps/pieces of equipment which will complicate things unnecessarily, and with the workarounds you've mentioned i should be able to do everything i need to do. as you know, the wireless controller that comes with the XH-A1 does not have a record indicator light on it (in experimenting so far, it also seems to need a pretty precise and awkward angle for the camera to respond to it)...is there a controller you can recommend which will do the job without breaking the bank?