"Suspect interview" lighting...
 

I was just wondering if anyone has ever shot a person in pitch dark with just one light on them. What light did you use and how did it come out? Any pictures/video? I am trying to find a light that will give me that look without a huge loss in quality.

Thanks you,
Ryan Krga

I'm not really sure what you mean by "suspect look". To me, that means is a flat, face-on image such as a police booking photo.

But what you're describing is basically the use of only a key light with no fill or background lighting. You can accomplish that with almost any light. If you're looking for a high-contrast image use a tungsten light.

The Power 2000 batt is rated at 6000 mah- very similar to your batt rating- so it's probably good for 4 hours with LCD on and about 5.5 with it off......let us know what you get.

manual settings for best sharp picture quality using gl2
 

What do you recommend?

GL2 for lefties?
 

Getting ready to make the GL2 plunge...
And one of my concerns is that I'm very left-handed.
Michelangelo, Julius Caesar, Al Capone, Napoleon, me, you?
How easy/difficult is it for southpaws?
Thanks!
brian

Brian,
"Lefties" often have a tough time with respect to industrial design, don't they?

I am right-handed but can tell you that the amount of fine deterity required of the right hand is modest and should be easy to master. Basically, holding the camera via the hand strap, you only need to run the zoom rocker and the record button. The most dextrous maneuvers are actually required of the left hand, pressing small buttons and rotating/pressing small wheels. So, at least in the case of the GL2, you may actually have the advantage.

If you want a sharp picture it is best to go with interlaced (normal)
mode and shoot with shutters like 1/100. Also you might chance
the sharpness level in the menus (although too much can cause
sharpening noise)....

If soft is what you want shoot in frame mode with 1/60 or 1/30
shutter and turn down sharpness... etc.

Rob's suggestion is spot on.

Don't turn up the sharpness much- it will have a harsh-edged look to the video.

Is the Sony ECM-Z157 a good shotgun MIC?
 

Hi all,

I'm thinking of buying the Sony ECM-Z157 shotgun MIC for use with my XM2.
I'm just wondering if this is worth buying , does it perform well? or am I wasting my money and should go for the more expensive senheizer brand?

Matching an Xm2 and Canon 430i.
 

Hey all. I'm shooting a seminar on the 18th and someone offered me the use of a Canon 430i as a secondary camera to my XM2. I've had no experience with this cam but from what I've read it seems to offer a few manual controls like white balance, exposure and shutter speed. I was wondering if anyone's had experience with this camera, and what you all thought of the idea of using it. Will I be able to match the footage so they look similar and not be too distracting? Should I just flag it and try and hire another XM2 or XM1 maybe (I'm not being paid for this so it's out of mny own pocket if I do)?

Cheers
Aaron

Probably works OK, but being realistic the price is too low for it to be to be a high "quality" mic. (Sony is not noted for underpricing their products.) Certainly it is not in the class of the Snnheiser ME66, and based on price it may be a bit below the MKE300 in overall quality

should be possible
 

if you white balance them together and shoot some footage and replay it you could further tune one of them by adjusting the color or doing a second white balance with an appropriate color card...or you could do some color balancing in post. I've taken people's gym shots done without white balancing, almost completely orange...and brought them to a reasonable color balance before so I'd think that if you had two camera's in a reasonably close white balance that it would not be too touch to color match them close enough for non-critical work.

Thanks Bud. I'm hoping to get hold of this second camera several days before the shoot so that will give me some time to do some tests.

Cheers
Aaron

WinXP reset on GL2 capture - help!
 

I'm having some difficulty with capturing footage into Premiere 6.5 in winXP. Whenever I go to the movie capture window, I get a single frame of what's on my GL2 screen, and then my system resets.

I read a thread from January of someone who had a similar problem, but I never head if there was a solution.

Here are my system's vital stats, as reported by System Information:
http://fbeukema.tripod.com/hardware.txt
http://fbeukema.tripod.com/components.txt
http://fbeukema.tripod.com/software.txt

I'm using a Biostar-made VIA M7VIP mainboard, a Kouwell KW-F7002 USB/IEEE 1394 hub, a Chaintech-made GeForce 4 video card, and a Soundblaster Audigy sound card. Before posting this problem, I made sure I had the drivers for all of these things updated.

Any ideas?

Thanks very much.
-Fred

an addendum:

I'm capturing to a Western Digital 200GB hooked up through an Ultra ATA controller card.

Thanks again.

-Fred

Anyone had experience using the K3U Power Module with a sennheiser ME40 Mic?
 

Your thoughts and opinions on this mic would be greatly appreciated.

-What situation (if any) would this mic be useful for?
-Have you had any issues with it? ie mounting, impedance matching, etc..


Thanks in advance

Jay

audio dropout with new GL2!
 

got my GL2 this weekend (you might have heard me holler if you live in the northern hemisphere) but after recording 10 minutes and playing it back using a new Sony Excellent tape, I had audio dropouts and one or two video glitches. I tried another new tape with similar results. I ran it through 10 sec. of a Sony cleaning tape and I think that might be all it took but only time will tell. I find that rather odd for a new machine. Canon support reiterated the need to use only one brand of tape, but the fellow admitted that he had no numbers on that issue; it may be a geek legend at this point. :)
no real question here...just thinking outloud. :)

I always recommend running a head cleaning tape for about 5 or 6 seconds through any brand new camcorder, regardless of make or model.

that's encouraging
 

I wish I had such a wealth of experience ( or a budget to allow...) to be able to discuss all the various dv cams I've bought (grin) but since this is just #2, I was surprised to find audio dropouts. glad to hear it isn't highly unusual to need such preventative cleaning. I've not had time to verify that the problem is solved but I sure hope so. Otherwise I'll not be doing any video taping on my upcoming vacation. cross some extra fingers for me. :)

Glidecam? Which? Buying in UK
 

I will be buying a Canon XM2 this summer, and for the moment am just planning on what accessories I need to buy. I have been looking into the glidecams, because I want to make short films and love the smooth long shots that steadicams produce. Which glidecams are good for the XM2? I don't want to spend more than I need to really. Also, I live in the UK and want to know if it's advisable to order from bhphotovideo.com, as this is the only website I know that you can order from. Are there any places in the UK that sell them? Getting a Glidecam 2000 from b&h would cost me $100 extra just for shipping, and who knows what charges I'd get for import.

Thanks

Please contact me via e-mail, regarding the note in my sig file below -- thanks,

is switching tape formats gonna be a problem?
 

Hi everyone, I just got my Canon GL2 from zotz on friday, so ive been pretty excited the last few days. I know people say not to switch tape brands because of different lubrications that can gum up the heads. So my quiestion is this..is there a difference between recording and playback? I only plan to record on panasonic DVM63MQ tapes but until i can afford a deck my gl2 is gonna have to serve double duty. Will using different brands of tapes in vtr mode cause the same problems that it does in record mode?

Thanks in advance,
Brian

For purposes of tape deposit problems, record and playback are the same, and sitting in pause is worse for tape wear.

However, because signals are weaker, dirty head problems will likey appear during playback before they appear as a poorly recorded signal in record mode.

GL2 Matte Box
 

What matte boxes will work with the GL2? I really like the Chrosziel DV 4x4 Matte Box but i dont think it will fit due the the mic on the GL2.

Thanks
Brian

thanks for the reply

If you want the sharpest pictures from your lens, avoid the smallest apertures like the plague. Be much more afraid of f11 than f1.6, wide open.

The best quality will be at f4, where the vignetting will have dissapeared (and all lenses vignette the image at wide apertures) and you'll still be a long way from the debilitating effects of diffraction. Cameras with small chips suffer greater diffraction losses, so beware.

tom.

GL2 New User Questions
 

Hi
I am about to buy a GL2 and have a couple of quick questions. I do a lot of wildlife photography and was thinking of getting the Sony 1.7 multipler lens that I have seen recomended here, is that a good choice? Also I understand that I will need a shotgun mike and have read the reviews but as a newbie will the Canon MC50(I think) do the job to start with? Last and maybe most important what editing software would you recommend. I have been trying Pinacle Systems Studio 7, 8 etc for the last year with my Sony Micromv with very little success. I am not sure if it is just because mv being a new format or if Pinacle just stinks. Also any other recommendations for addons or accessories would be greatly appreciated, tapes to use filters etc.

Thanks again

Tim

take a look
 

if you haven't seen it yet, check out http://www.lafcpug.org/review_shotgun_mic.html for a look at three other mics. I assume you are referring to the DM-50. For wildlife, I'd think you'd want something more directional than the DM-50.

You can also search this site for shotguns as they have been discussed at great length. It will also give you tips on how to best use them.

There are a number of NLE packages to choose from. If I were guessing at your price range, you might want to look at Cinestream. It might not be available in very many places since Discreet is planning to incorporate it into their more expensive packages. I have seen it listed for as little as $99.

After that, I think Vegas 4 is considered among the best. Another popular NLE is Premiere.

There are also offerings from Canopus which are highly regarded. Good product with good hardware.

GL2 - Warranty
 

Hi,

So I'm thinking about buying a GL-2 from an individual on E-bay (not a powerseller). So the camera is only a couple months old. How does the Cannon, Manufacturer warranty work. Will I be covered if something breaks? Do I need a receipt from this person?

Thanks.

Mmm, probably best to call 1-800-OK-Canon and drill through the menu until you get a live human being. The warranty is one year parts and labor if purchased through an authorized Canon dealer. For private purchase, you'll need to make sure the original warranty card is included, for you to fill out and send in. If the camera is used, or new from an unauthorized dealer, then probably no warranty. If a Canon warranty card comes with the GL2, then it's probably no big deal. Best to call Canon and make sure, though. Hope this helps,

dioptric lens for GL2?
 

Does anyone make a dioptric lens for the GL2? You know, to be able to focus at two separate distances, one on either side of the screen, like in "All the President's Men," or the scene in "Pulp Fiction" where Ving Rhames chases Bruce Willis.

I don't know the answer your question but I've been contemplating trying to do one of those shots by composting two images in post. I'll have to have the cameras stationary though, but it shouldn't be too hard to do.

BTW Brian DePalma's films have quite a few of these shots

Thanks for the info.
 

Thanks again. I have a trial copy of V V 4 and the Pinacle studio 8 which I am trying and will decide between the two. The mics are a whole different game but the article on shotguns was a big help although I still haven't decided which I will get. I had to order a new computer this week for my software development so I got a Dell workstation with the new 3 gig processor 1.5 gig of ram, an 80 and a 120 gig drives and an ATI Fire GL X1 video card so I am all set for editing. Once I am used to the camera I will look at the accessories.

Maybe there's something wrong with the tape, or the cam's tape mechanism.

All tapes or just one? Just one... faulty cassette. All of 'em... could be a camcorder service issue.

Second wireless mic with Beachtek question?
 

Hi,
I did search the forum about this and got some information.
I've been recording audio during interviews with the subject wearing a Sennheiser ew100 series lav mic going straight into the GL2.
I have been wearing a cheap Radio Shack clip on and running it to another camera, which is kind of a pain when editing (I have to import the video just to get that audio track in) and the Radio Shack mic sounds pretty bad, to boot.
My question is whether its a good idea to add adapters that go from 1/8" to XLR to get both mics into the side of the BeachTek and then mix it into the GL2 from there. If it's OK to go that route, then I'll just plug the wired mic into the Beachtek.
Is this a passible setup?
Or should I continue to record the second mic into a separate source?
Thanks as always!
- John

John,
I think you'll be fine using a 1/8" plug-to-XLR adapter and then plugging it into the 2nd channel of your BeachTek. It will be much simpler to edit! The adapter is inexpensive and should be easy to find. Failing local sources, look at Markertek; they specialize in such stuff. Do a test shoot to assess it.

OK..Thanks for such a quick response! (I actually have to film something tomorrow.)
I am going to get an adapter and start testing. It will make the editing a lot easier.
Thanks again.

GL2 pricing on amazon.com
 

I'm a Sony PD150 owner and know absolutely nothing about the Canon GL2.

I noticed that amazon.com has the GL2 for $2343.59. I have no idea if that's a good price or not, but I thought it might be of interest to some here.

To get this pricing, you must be logged into your amazon.com account. On the first page, there's a Gold Box in the upper-right hand corner. Amazon.com normally rotates ten Gold Box offers every 24-hours or so. The GL2 just so happens to be in today's rotation.

To take advantage of the Gold Box pricing, you must have previously ordered something from amazon.com. To see the full product details on amazon.com, visit http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...waiichesspr-20. I think there are only 2 left at this price.

I hope this is of use to someone.