John,

The GL2 is better in low light plus its very well balanced, making it easy to hold. It also has 20X zoom and frame mode.

The PDX10 is a dog to hold, tilting forward and pulling to the left, but has XLRs, better 16:9 and also DVCAM---which potentially means less drop-outs.

Depending on the features which are more important for you, either cam is a good choice. Personally, I like the GL2 more.

wd-58 combatibility
 

is the wd-58 compatible with century optics products...namely a sunshade?

Matte Box
 

Is there a tutorial or something for building a matte box, or even a sunshade for that matter for the gl1?

Your Experiences with Mack Extended Warranty
 

When I finally end up buying a new camera in the near future, I'm really thinking about purchasing a Mack 4-year extended warranty. I'm certainly not the type to buy an extended warranty for every single electronic device I own, but I think having an extended warranty for the new camera might be a good move. Regardless of whether I choose the PDX10 or the GL2, I could pick up a Mack 4 year extended warranty from B&H for $169. So with the warranty issue in the back of my mind, I thought I'd ask for some of your opinions on the subject, and maybe some of you could even share your experiences with Mack extended warranties.

Also, if I end up buying my camera from someplace other than B&H, would I still be able to buy the extended warranty through B&H and apply it to the new camera? I believe I recall reading on the Mack website that this can be easily done, but I'm wondering if anyone has actually been able to do this easily and successfully. And if I were to order the warranty alone, what exactly would I receive...is there some type of warranty certificate with a registration card that must be mailed to Mack?

Thanks to anyone who might be able to comment on this topic!

Generally the previous responses posted here have been favorable of Mack service. If you search Mack you find many references.

bump this up.. i'm curious..

theres some pictures of a few at http://www.homebuiltstabilizers.com

sorry thats not much help.. i'd like to know about this as well..

-ryan

worked out ok for me
 

I dropped to off MAC a 2 year old JVC DV500 that I had an extended MAC warranty on. The camera was showing head problems in audio playback. They sent it to JVC and new heads were installed, no charge. I paid the shipping back to me from MAC. The entire process took about 5 weeks...that was the downside. However, I plan to purchase a GL2 and will pick up a 4 year MAC plan from B/H as well. One repair will pay for it easily...again, the downside will be the time delay. Craig

"Steady Diet"
 

Ok so i've been hearing people say that the main problem with switching tape brands is switching after a "steady diet" of one brand. I've gone through about 10 sony premiums, and since I use my gl2 as a deck as well, it probably has around 12-15 hours of use total.

The sony tapes use wet lube, while most other tapes use dry. How conflicting are sony tapes with other brands these days? Has anyone switched between Sony and another brand?

Anyways...

Would it be sufficient if I ran my head cleaning cassette, and then went ahead and switched to fuji DVC tapes?

Would i expect to experience head clogs or dropouts, or is it quite likely i'll be fine as long as i clean the heads first?

Thanks,

-Allen Danze

No one can predict the future, but with only 10 tapes total used, I would feel safe cleaning the heads and switching brands. If you want to be extra cautious, have the heads cleaned professionally.

You can also search this question, it has been asked many times.

Sony and most other "consumer" brands use a "wet lub", including the common Panasonic tape.

Some of the profesional tapes use "dry lube" and they often will list that information on their packaging or advertising material. I believe that Panasonic introduced the high-end "dry lube" to ensure interoperability in their DVCPro equipment and to grab some of the DVCAM tape market.

The issue to day is not so much one of incompatible tape lubes as it is of the characteistic wear deposits that will build on tape guides, etc. up over time. A change in tape brand can result on the deposits moving if the new brand tape has somewhat different physical characteristics, e.g., stifness or roughness.

Wide Angle on GL1?
 

I am considering the WD58 for my GL1. Thing is, I have no idea exactly what it would do for the footage, or do to the image. Could someone maybe post a couple frames with the W.A. and a couple without?

screen shots
 

Keith,
I just sent you three screen grabs of footage taken with this adapter. I don't have comparable shots without it on, but they should still give you an idea of the kind of distortion you would get with this adapter. The footage was also shot on a GL1. I highly recommend the WD58 for the GL1.

Does Canon Offer Extended Warranties?
 

I'm probably going to purchase a Mack 4 year extended warrany when I order my GL2 sometime in the next week, but I'm wondering if some type of extended warranty would be available directly from (and serviced through) Canon. I haven't been able to find any information on extended warranties on Canon's website, so at the moment it looks like the only time I would have service directly through Canon would be if I needed a repair during the 1 year manufacturer's warranty. Not that I think I wouldn't get good service through Mack, but I'm just curious if an extended warranty directly from Canon would be available.

Thanks!

NEW WIDER DIY wide angle lens, $40
 

Edmund Scientific recently added a new base lens which I use in my DIY wide angle adapter design. It gives an even wider view than previous- probably about .5X

this design takes about an hour to make, and will cost you under $40. It offers several advantages over the OEM $200 wide angle adpaters.

Complete free instructions here
http://www.neilslade.com/lens.html


Also, if you like to make your own SUPERIOR equipment, see the recent MIKE BOOM POLE DIY $20 instructions at
http://www.neilslade.com/Papers/pole.html

Thanks and have fun!
Neil

Living with Tigers- Discovery Ch.
 

Did anyone notice the use of film cameras during the shooting of 'Living with Tigers'- then notice the "video" look of certain scenes?....

...in case you missed it- there was a quick scene that showed the filmamkers using GL2's as the "video" camera...kinda shows just how good these GL2's are!

The "video" scenes looked great....thumbs up to GL2's everwhere!