oh ok..

thsi is probably stupid but why is it that it cannot use them?

Hi all, I bought myself XM2 (Pal version of GL2) camera, and I`m more than pleased with it, it`s perfect (if there is such a thing :))...

Well, I`am not very close to Mr. Exposure, Mr. Gain and Mr. Shutter ;) I hope you get me. So I would grately appreciate if anyone could give me some tips on setting them manualy.

Don`t get me wrong, I know WHAT are they by definition, and I know that decreasing exposure will brighten my picture, as well as decreasing the F numbers... I just don`t know what are "normal" values etc. For example, when do you use shutter speed 1/25, 1/50 or 1/1400... Or according to what do you change the F numbers. And what`s with the gain ? Is it something electronical, it obviousely "gains" but does it boosts the grain on the picture also as a side effect, should I turn it all the way to zero and play with exposure and shutter settings as much of the time I can ?

Thankfully, white balance and ND filter I get :)

Oh, please don`t think I`m an idiot, I am not, I just bought this great camera and for a week or so I will have to use it, and I want to learn to do it all manually - believe me, I learn fast ;) So I have a few more questions.

What are your "Color Gain", "Color Phase", "Sharpness" and "Setup Level Values" - what do YOU prefer ? ...and is sharpness also electronically enhanced ? If it is should I turn it all the way down ?

Frame movie mode I won`t touch because I know how subjective that comes, and it`s the one thing I liked the first I tested it... I know, you loose some res, but I found out (that`s the only thing I`ve really done so far :)) that the picture (at least to my eye) is far more superior over deinterlacing - it seems much sharper... Ok, this I like, frames all the way.

Also, the 16:9 is done anamorphically, I like that mucho, but I supose there is a catch somewhere ? Shoot ! What`s the catch ? I know I`ll be better of using the widescreen adapter when I`ll need it, but what`s the catch with in-camera widescreen mode ? To me it looks good, but I somehow have a feeling it`s not...

Ok, this is it... For now :) THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO very much for help !!! You are all a life savers !

Why haven`t I found this great forum earlier !

the lens is not removable. as it mentioned, you can buy a wide angle lens to thread onto the existing lens, but the existing lens is not removable.

Is there any way to "smooth" out the IRIS adjustment on the GL2 in full manual mode?

I have a new DVX100 (not mine) and really LOVE the smooth, dedicated IRIS thumbwheel it has. Perhaps my biggest gripe with the GL2 is the noticeable exposure "jumping" when bumping the aperture up or down. You can't do it while shooting, or if you do the footage is useless and doesn't make a smooth transition in difficult lighting -- whereas the DVX100 makes a nice, smooth transition without breaking a sweat.

The GL2 makes a smooth transistion when in "P" mode automatically -- no signs of "stepping." However, manually adjusting with that hokey thingamabob is a PITA.

Any way around it?

Here too . .In the UK! Just been doing this in a London Park . . . Jumpy bumpy iris . . .

Grazie

Hiyah Mike! See that you made it over here from the COW CanonDV site!

You've made it thus far - you've asked a whole bunch of questions - no problem. But to get you going and invite you to take advantage of what has been discussed here over the months the new XM2 has been out - my initial advice is for you to delve in amongst some of the stuff already here - yeah?

The search facilities here are splendid.

Good to see you here at THE House of Fun for the XM2,

Grazie

I was playing with the GL2 the other day, and found the color gain, sharpness, etc. on that menu. Well, I changed the settings to see how far it would go, and it didn't appear to change the image as much as I'd have liked.

Is there any trick to this?

nt

Yeah, I found some answers... Well, majority... And got some by firther experimenting with camera.

All i all, this is one GRRREAT forum !!!

Like I said before, very informative ;)

Thanks for directing me here.

Not sure what button I pushed, but "DV IF" flashes on my LCD. I'm still learning the ins and outs...

Don't know this one. Crawled over my manual just now for you - nope, aint got it here on the XM2.

Grazie

If you want to radically change the way the video looks, doing it in post is probably the best option. I did some pretty neat color correction in FCP last night on a random clip I found, to make it look a bit like those darkish de-saturnated music videos.

Hi, everyone. I made the mistake of doing a two-camera shoot of a graduation ceremony with a Sony TRV-900 and a Canon GL-2 and using the auto white balance on both cameras.

I'm editing in Final Cut Pro 3 and have tried playing around with some of the color correction filters (particularly the RGB balance one), none of which I have much experience with, so naturally, I haven't had much success getting the footage to match up.

Just wondering if anyone out there has some tips or can help point me in the right direction...?

Thanks so much.
Krishna

Canon's or Sennheiser or other?

Don't mention any XLR mics...... Just ones that can attach right away.

I'll let those with experience with canon and senn chime in, but most mics can be connected to xlr or mini. Some mics have an attached cable, but most, like my azdens, have a male xlr connector and to that you can attach a cable that ends in another xlr connector or a mini, or I suppose, others. If I'm using my azden shotgun on my camera I probably have it connected to the mini; if I put it on a 20 foot cord, I can connect it with an xlr cable to a beachtek or studio 1 xlr adapter.

Do you mean ZOOM or SHOTGUN mic?
Which model numbers?

I can't really help you myself but perhaps you would get more replies if this was moved to the Mac forum instead since the question refers to post work in FCP.

I checked the manuals for the GL1, GL2, XL1 and XL1s and only the
XL1 manuals state the color temperature (sorta). They say:

Indoor mode (3200K light)
Outdoor mode (5600K sunlight)

Which are the standard colo(u)r temperatures.

You will want to use the Color Corrector 3Way to tweak the colors. You may use other filters in combination with that filter but the 3way corrector will do the majority of the work. I did a similar thing when I asked a friend to do Broll for me in a gym. He didn't even color balance and his footage was almost solid orange. I had to color correct both rolls to get something that was close enough that they looked the same but it is doable. I'm gone for the next 5 days on a float so I won't be much more help...

Thanks, that makes sense. The GL2 is probably similar.

Set it to none. If that is not an option set it to lower (even).

Thanks ... I do have the option of none or lower. On another thread, I was advised to set it at even because the GL-2 frame mode is actually interlaced. Does this make sense to you? If could explain the rationale, that would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.

It is correct that the DV format "only understands" interlaced. In
this format the lower field comes first. Usually settings for your
NLE are used on how it TREATS your footage which must be
non-interlaced (therefor the none). It can also be it uses this for
reading the format, in this case you might need lower first. Run
some tests, if you see weird results on one then you know that
it isn't the way to go.

On Premiere I tried both and it didn't made a difference at all on
*my* frame mode footage.

This question may seem a bit funny, but I need to know if I will damage my Canon GL-2 if I film looking at the sun? I would like to be able to capture sunrises and sunsets, but want to find out first if it is bad for the camera. I would imagine that I will need to use some type of filter and also adjust the shutter and/or aperture. Any suggestions?

Thanks in Advance,

Jim

DON'T DO ANYTHING YET! Wait for replies and then do some more research. Lots of options for doing untold damage - all round!

Stop and wait!!!!

Grazie

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9880

Thanks for finding that old thread. Since I posted back then I've shot some more sunsets. Most recently I used 3 ND filters stacked and also cranked the shutter up to the max speed on my PDX-10, which I think is something like 1/10,000! This allowed me to shoot at a reasonable f-stop. Looks good on the tape but I haven't edited yet.

I haven't damaged my camera, but you should use some common sense. If it looks bright enough to hurt your eyes then you probably shouldn't film it. Wait until just before dawn or sunset, when the sun is very low on the horizon. It's filtered quite a bit by the atmosphere at that point. Best to go someplace that has a clear view of the horizon, like the beach or a mountain. You get the most interesting effects just as the sun sets, and then immediately afterwards the clouds get very interesting since the sun is below the horizon but still lighting the distant clouds.

I use both the high shutter speed and lots of filters to be in the "sweet spot" of the lens, which is typically in the f4 to f5.6 range. You may get diffraction effects if you use a very small lens opening, but experiment a bit with your own setup and see what you like.

Try speeding the clips up in your NLE afterwards, and they get really interesting....
I have gotten adventurous enough to shoot the sun higher in the sky for brief periods, and have one shot that's very interesting as a dark raincloud was passing. There's a still frame of it here (http://www.greenmist.com/nature/06). One interesting effect I've noticed is that the "aura" around the sun is so bright that it overexposes and the result is that the sun appears to be much larger than it really is. I actually like this effect however. There are some other framegrabs of sunsets here (http://www.greenmist.com/nature)

Is there a way for me to focus on say a flower in the foreground...set a focus marker. Then focus on the background...set another focus marker. And then record and switch between them?

Hope that makes sense

Thanks

That sounds like a nice feature to have. However I dont think there is a way to put a focus marker, other than physically marking your focus ring and lens barell.

In the old days this was called throwning the focus - as per Vladimir's description.

I have been able to get this effect, as long as it is coming from the background forward. I set the focus on the background and stay in manual focus. Then I position the camera, such that it will change the focus to the foreground when I turn on auto focus. It is quicker than might be desired, but this is the only way other than manual that I have figured out with the GL2.

Doing some nature photography of waterfalls with GL2 and polarizer. Anyone have any suggestions on combination of settings/equipment that has good results in yeilding detail in the white water, i.e. ND filter on/off, f/stop, shutter speed. Thanks!

Are you doing stills or video? It sounded like stills.

For white water, you can either be fast or slow. Slow shots of water falls can give a cool dreamy effect. I usually use a polarizer on water if it is bright. You desired shutter speed will factor into using ND filters, etc.

Low shutter speeds will get you that dreamy look, high shutter
speeds give a more crystal clear look where you can see individual
water drops (if you get close enough). Play with the shutter to
see what you get/like/want.

Hi,
I'm bringing my GL2 to College Station, Texas at the end of the month. The temp there is about 90 with humidity (feels like) 98 degrees. I'll be filming outside for several hours than immediately go into an air condition car and/or hotel room. How does want protect the GL2 from this type of weather conditions?

Thanks for any help.
SDiego

Generally I try to have something that uses enough themal insulation to slow down the cool down. For example, a hard case with foam, if left closed, will slow down the temerature changes. The moving from a hot/humid to a cold/dry enviroment isn't as bad as going from a cold to a hot/humid environment. This is where the condensation forms.

Hi,

I was wondering what brand of head cleaning cassettes people recommend for the gl2, and how often they should be used. I've gone through only about 6 or 7 tapes since i got my gl2, and it only flashed the message that the heads were dirty and needed cleaning once, but then went away. I bought a Panasonic head cleaning tape (dry type), but am hesitant to use it because i don't want to damage the heads if it's not necessary. It says to use only when soiled heads are causing a degraded picture. I haven't been getting dropped frames except for once or twice per tape. Oh and if it makes a difference i use sony premiums.

Thanks,

Allen Danze

I'm not sure why you are getting dropped frames on every tape. that seems odd to me. Combine that with the notice you got and I'd personally go ahead and run the tape cleaner. While it's not a great thing to do more than you need to, they are used commonly and when used in accordance with the directions it won't do anything horrible. I doubt (but am not sure) that one brand of tape cleaner is much better or worse than another. I've never heard anyone say differently. tape cleaners do have to be used carefully. It's important to not run them longer than recommended, and to give 10 sec or so of time before running a second time if you choose to do that, and never rewind a tape cleaner. There. That about exhausts my knowledge of tape cleaners.

I have heard recommendations, which make sense to me, about using a head cleaner from the same company as the tapes you normally use.

I've used a ZR40 for a year, and my Gl2 for a few months but I've only experienced a dropped frame (on the Gl2) once. Maybe I've been lucky but the description sounds unusual. Once or twice per tape would drive me nuts! I use a Sony head cleaner.

Hello Brian,

I have been away for a while, but I am very glad you have pointed this feature out. It works like a treat. Thanx for your feedback!

Regards,
Jack

Is it best to switch off frame mode when footage will later be changed to slow motion in post? Or does it not matter?

I'd say its probably best to turn frame mode off because it runs at a lower frame rate, so you won't have as many frames than in normal mode to give you a smoother slow-mo.

I think.

In fact, if your destination footage is 320 x 240, you can get perfect 50% slow motion if you record in interlaced mode because you are acquiring 60 240 line frames per second.

Even in 480 lines though it should be better to be interlaced. You can get perfect 60% slow mo. Your frames would be like this (A, B = fields):

Dest. Frame 1: Source Field 1A, Source Field 1B
Dest. Frame 2: Source Field 1B, Source Field 2A
Dest. Frame 3: Source Field 2A, Source Field 2B
Dest. Frame 4: Source Field 2B, Source Field 3A
Dest. Frame 5: Source Field 3A, Source Field 3B
Dest. Frame 6: Source Field 3B, Source Field 4A
Dest. Frame 7: Source Field 4A, Source Field 4B

etc.

Basically, for slow motion you want as much temporal information as possible, and 60i gives you that.

For slow mo, it's best to use 33% and 66% for NTSC slow motion, since them numbers work the best. :D

With Vegas 4.0 I can slow down to 33% with good results, but you'll notice some quality difference because Vegas has to "make" some extra frames and they aren't as sharp as the originals.

Are there any advantages to shooting in black and white on the GL1, GL2? I've read repeatedly on these boards that it's best to shoot in color and convert in post, because it gives you more control. That makes sense, but I wonder if there might still be an advantage to doing it in camera. After all, you're requiring the camera to record less information. Wouldn't it lose less when it got compressed to DV? I also wonder how the camera converts from three colors to one -- does each chip continue to read each hue, and the image gets converted to black and white when all three images get combined, or does each chip in effect get converted to monochromatic? If so, it seems like you would pick up some low light capability. Also, if I was able to light the scene well enough, I wouldn't have to do any rendering, which saves a generation of loss. Any thoughts?

"After all, you're requiring the camera to record less information. Wouldn't it lose less when it got compressed to DV?"

Nope--the DV format spec stores pixel data as DCT-encoded 8 by 8 macroblocks of Y Cr Cb channels. When you record in black and white, you're just nulling the Cr and Cb channels, but those null values are still recorded to tape. There's no getting rid of them.

"...does each chip continue to read each hue, and the image gets converted to black and white when all three images get combined, or does each chip in effect get converted to monochromatic?"

In a 3-CCD camera, each chip is monochromatic to begin with, by way of a red, green, or blue filter. The color reduction happens in the signal processing phase--the camera just drops the chrominance data, something you can do equally effectively in Premiere, Vegas, Storm Edit, FCP, Avid, or whatever post platform you prefer.

"I wouldn't have to do any rendering, which saves a generation of loss."

While this is true, I think you'll be very hard pressed to notice a quality difference between a black and white image with the chrominance stripped in camera and one that was rendered out in post. You can do some taste tests with your friends--let's hope you have a lot of friends, to get a wide sampling for statistical purposes--but I bet you'll conclude nobody will notice the difference.

Perfect. Thanks.

Hi folks,

Just unboxed my GL2, and running in auto mode with no manual mods, it looked terrible! I was shooting with indoor lighting at night, with only the 3 watt VL-3 light on the unit, and I understand that noise is inevitable, but I think my old Canon A1 Hi-8 on full auto looks much, much better. I must be doing something wrong.

Is there a primer somewhere out here on the site that provides assistance with how to handle shooting situations when you are not in ideal lighting conditions with the GL2? How to reduce noise and get accurate color?

Thanks very much.

You can't expect the camera to do amazingly well indoors at night, unless you have plenty of light. How many lights/bulbs/watts do you have where your shooting? DV cameras generally don't do good in "low light" as older cameras do, since the CCD's in new DV cameras are much smaller, among other things.

Anyway, put the camera into manual mode, and take the shutter speed down to 1/30 or maybe even 1/15, and adjust the exposure yourself. Most likely the camera will be adding gain to brighten up the image, and to reduce noise, don't go over +6dB/+9dB gain....

When you shoot some video with your GL2 in daylight, you'll be amazed. :D

Good luck.