Dear Bill,

The Canon Standby mode works very well.

May I suggest that you also look in the manual for the "Standby" button.

If I remember correctly, if your camera has shutdown, you can press the Standby button to resume operation.

Sorry, but I am doing this from memory, and I welcome any corrections from other members.

The XL2 isn't my camera, but I'll check that out with the guy next time I use it. I've always thought there ought to be a way to turn that thing off.

Yes you can disable the auto standby mode in the XL2, XL H1, XH G1 and A1, and HV10.

And the GL2 as well... In fact I think that Canon has this auto-shutdown consumer thingy covered for a while now.

Hey, are you perchance the David Ferdinand who worked for Eagle Dolly and sold me a dolly and Trovato jib about a dozen years ago?

Chris, do you know if there will be a large rubber eyecup for the EVF, like with the Sony's? And you already checked if the EVF can be set to black and white?

No word on a larger eyecup from Canon. Perhaps there will be a third-party solution? The flip-out LCD can be set to B&W. The color in the EVF can be reduced, but it cannot go all the way to B&W... sorry. I checked this myself.