Hi,

About 2 weeks ago, I posted a topic here about making the decision to get a 2nd hand XL1 video camera. Well, I've made the plunge, and now I have it in front of me.

[Just to reiterate, I'm a 17 year old aspiring film/video-maker, with a concentration and interest on short films and possibly music videos, this is my first video camera in digital format (last one I had was Hi8)]

Anyway, I'd like to ask a couple of questions, some not relating to the XL1, but I'll put them here anyway:

1. I'm getting headphones. I've decided on the Sony MDR7505/7506 model, because of the price (the main competition was the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, however here in NZ they are a lot more expensive so it ended up not being worth it for me). Anyway, I'd like to get teh 7506, however, I am wondering, would that be a problem if I shoulder-mounted my XL1? I will not be able to try out the headphones, so do not know how much they protrude... Also, is there that much of a size difference between the 7505/7506 models? For some reason I heard somewhere that 7505 sound was inferior to that of the 7506, but... they are a bit cheaper.

2. I've just checked the used XL1, seems like there's no problems. There are 2 dead pixels on in the viewfinder, but other than that it's fine. About the 'separate tape deck' question - > What's the cheapest and probably reliable deck around? Also, what would you recommend to be a solid-low-end camcorder to buy if I'm going to use it purely as a deck? Since the XL1 is a Canon, do you recommend getting a Canon also?

Thanks for your advice,
Dennis

The cheaperst pure deck is not cheap, but it might be the Sony GV-D300, a walkman type MiniDV player.

Many folks do use a low cost camcorder for playback, e.g., a Canon ZR series. The advantage to using a Canon product is arguably that the color balance of tape shot in it would tend to be closer to the XL1 than, say, using a Sony. But best to test the units you are considering to be sure if this is a factor in your decision process.

hello all, i just got a new xl1s in sinagpore at a great price, but now that i have i need to learn the ins and outs of this camera. glad this place is here.

Q. using another consumer camera for playback like one caller suggested, would there be a diffence between two 3ccd cameras? Like a panasonic GS-400? And is all this an effort to prolong a death in the XL1s transport area?

Q2. is there a thread here or there that goes something like "I just got the XL1s, and now what do I need to do (perhaps to film a hit VT series?). But you know what I mean, something for new XL1 owner. The 10 things u need to know, etc..

Thanks, really excited about trying this one out...

The headphone should work fine for you. Just be aware that if you are using 4-track audio monitoring through the headphones is really only a sanity check.

Other decks
It really does not matter what deck you use (unless your are using 4-track I THINK). Your system probably won't care at all.

However, if you are going to expend serious dollars you may want to investigate tapeless (firewire) solutions since they will make editing a breeze. Check the tapeless forum on this site to learn more.

10 Things I Need to Know
Read everything on this site and visit some other to learn more. This site has a pile of useful stuff on what kind of accessories to purchase, technique, and audio. If you read this site alone you will be well on your way, but visit some of the other links and you will be closer to your goal.

Thanks for the advice. I'll be getting the headphones as they're a lot cheaper here in NZ than the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros.

About the deck, I'm currently choosing between the Sony Video Walkman or a cheap Canon ZR camcorder as a deck. I'll update you guys on what I eventually do.

Once again thanks for the advice,
Dennis