If you want to use your left hand on a rocker you could use the one on the top handle but it's not great. I have given up the rocker zoom in favor of the zoom ring. It's really smooth and precise. Plus by using my left hand there, it's easy to grab the iris and focus rings if they need adjusting. I mentioned it in another thread but I can't believe how much nicer it is to use the rings than the rocker and little iris wheel that my Panny had! Ergos are awesome.

Glen,

I have exactly the same complaints about the EX1 and EX3 zoom controls as you do, because that's also how I operate the camera.

You'll be glad to hear that Canon got it right. Not only is the zoom control easily accessible with your left hand (perfectly positioned for me), it is also very smooth and allows nice starts/stops without the intense concentration you have to apply to the EX1 and EX3 to get decent zooms.

CF Card Update
 

I'm just adding to my findings with an update that ADATA brand 32GB 533X card is working for me at all resolutions, data rates, as well as 60p overcrank with an XF305 and XF300. Hooked up to a Mac - Data Rate read/write upwards of 60MB/sec with a Lexar Firewire Reader. About $85 each vs SanDisk Extreme at $180-$300 each. Is it as reliable? Impossible to tell without the risk.

So the cards I've found to work have been Lexar 16GB 300X, Ridata 32GB 233X, SanDisk 32GB 90/MB, and ADATA 32GB 533X. *Correction... Ridata 32GB 233X and Lexar 16GB 300X fail in overcrank.

Cards that have failed in all modes have been Ridata 555X 64GB and Lexar 32GB 300X.