I never had that sort of sound. I find the VCR gives off a low clicking noise every 10 seconds for the first 15 minutes of operation but after that is dead silent. My lens is relatively quiet during startup.

Nope, so far I haven't noticed such a sound Scott.

Richard

Yep, I hear 2 loud clicks right when the camera is turned on. Don't know if it's the image stabilizer or not because it still happens when the image stabilizer is off and the camera is powered up. I just assumed it was normal, hope is not a problem.

Ben

No clicks thus far.

Christian

Mine did click, then the zoom would stutter violently. Send it back to B&H for a new one. The newer on does click at start up but all is fine.

Hello Folks...I believe this is a normal response for the 20X lens. Upon turning on the lens, there will be an imgae shift adjust which is quite normal. Do not worry about this. I spoke with Canon rep as well and he confirmed this to be the case. My 20X does the same. Nothing to worry about.

"image shift adjust"
 

What's that? What's shifting and why?

My guess would be that that is the stabalization mechanism inside the camera, and when it starts up it just has to calibrate or something.

From everyone I have talked to, the shaking is normal, but I cannot defend the clicking noise.

Make sure when you turn that bad boy on, the lens cap should be removed first. Also, make sure that the lens is locked into place. Otherwise, contact your retailer.

-Lon

it's a pretty unnerving click, VERY noticeable almost, i shutter to say, like a plastic gear slipping.

i once rented a panasonic 24p where the focus element was completely loose, you could tilt the camera up and down and try to balance it into focus, obviously it was returned, i'd hate to think it would be something like that

20x Startup Clicks Cause Found???
 

Maybe my experience this past weekend can shed some light on this "clicking" phenomenon. My XL2 did not have the clicking noises on start up when I first got it. Went shooting this past Sunday and noticed a random out of focus black fuzz moving in the viewfinder. Clean out the view finder and lens filter. 20 minutes later and it was back. So I think there is a bug between my filter and the lens. Upon closer inspection, there was a bug inside of the actual 20x lens!!! How he got in there I don't know, but man he I was pissed to say the least. When I put the lens cap on for a few minutes and then take it off, he would not be visible. My guess is without light coming through the lens, he can see the light coming in from wherever he entered and was trying to exit. Anyhow, I shoot through the evening and the next day, no sign of him. So either he got out or died. But around mid day, when coming out of standby, I hear the 2 clicks and immediately remembered this posting. Coincidence, I don't think so. So maybe he gummed up something which is causing the noise. Operationally everything seems fine, but I will be sending it in to Canon the first chance I get.

Kevin

a BUG in the LENS....
 

That must be a Dvinfo first. :}

Wow Kevin, that's a new one on me. By the way, is this a beetle of some type. I've heard there is some type of beetles that make a clicking sound. I would 'love' to know how that bug got in there. Ohhhh, I just thought of how...this has to be a Japanese beetle, they are yellow and black IIRC. Obviously it got in there when the lens was assembled. Maybe this is some sort of 'tracking bug' so they can find out where their cameras are being sold.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Please keep us posted as to what you find out on this issue.

-gb-

Yes, I contacted Canon and they basically said to not be alarmed. I was told they have employed Banon Beetles to control the auto focus mechanism in the lens (20x only, sorry) and there was a dispute with the union, hence the walkout...

The issue has been resolved, all beetles have returned to work, but click to remind the user to put pressure on Canon for fair pay ;-)

Actually, I'm picturing a gremlin like the one or ones that took apart Bugs Bunny's airplane/bomber.

Has anyone else noticed that it is only the cameras in the US which click? Or at least whose owners are willing to own up to it in this forum.

Hmmmm. My XL2 remains firmly in Europe thank you! ;-)

My 20x clicks. So far, so good. That's prosumer for ya.

I once had a spider make it's home inside my Nikon F3. Imagine my surprise when it appeared in the finder! The F3 is probably Nikon's worst camera, so that's par for the course. Luckily the camera belonged to the newspaper I worked for. I would never pay money for an F3. Yecchh.

That camera was such a piece of ****, I wanted to to just pound it it against the pavement until it was tiny bits of metal, plastic and glass. It never performed well and it synched at 1/90th of a second. What a piece of crap.

You may have had a Korean beetle, so that's a different union. Actually, I'm not sure that the Korean beetles are unionized.

20x Lens Problem: AF really noisy.
 

Hey all,

I've recently bought an XL2 and have only just used it for the second time. On my first shoot i didn't notice this problem but today while playing around in my yard i noticed that the lens is really noisy. By this i mean that when i have auto focus switched on all i can hear is your typical still camera auto focus sound clicking on and off. With the onboard mic switched on and using manual levels set to about halfway the sound is audible on the levels monitor.

Also when zooming in and out with the same audio levels I can hear a motorised sound through the mic. Yes these sounds are audible when played back on a television or even through headphones when recording. I'm wondering if this is normal as I feel it may be a problem when filming quiet scenes when i want ambient sound recorded using the onboard mic. Has anyone else had these problems or is the 20x lens just really noisy? As i may be sending the camera back to Canon.

Any help or advice would be really appreciated.
Kind Regards
Harley Heffernan

Would someone owning an XL2 be able to tell me if this is normal and if it happens with their camera? If it's common and normal i won't worry too much. But if a lot of you guys with Xl2's dont have this problem i'll talk to Canon.

Hoping a few people can let me know what their cameras do.
Cheers.

Dear Harley,

Have you worked with an XL1s or XL1?

Zoom noise is normal on these cameras when using the on-board microphone.

This effect can be minimized with the Lightwave System's "System Isolator".

Whenever possible, I use an off-camera microphone, usually with a boom pole.

I have not heard, nor have I searched for, "Auto Focus" noise.

Thanks for your reply Dan.

Yes i have been working with both the XL1 and Xl1s in the past. They were nowhere near as noisy as the XL2. Although i could hear their zooms i never had any problems with the onboard mic picking it up.

I too will be doing the majority of my shooting with wireless lapels and booms but at times may be covering events where i need to use the onboard mic.

The zoom noise i could probably live with but the auto focus noise will drive me crazy and even more so if the mic picks it up while recording.

I hope a few more people can tell me how their Xl2's act but by the sounds of it my lens may be faulty?

Cheers for your reply.

I have actually found the zoom noise to be considerably lower with the XL2 than the XL1s. There is autofocus noise that I can hear when going handheld as the body is next to my ear, but it doesn't get picked up by the microphone. When I put it in manual focus, the noise stops.

Kevin

Thanks for your input Kevin.

My XL2 also makes the noise when in auto focus and stops in manual, although i did a few tests today with audio levels and in a relatively noisy outdoor environment where i may need to record ambient sound (birds tweeting, lawn mowers etc) with the onboard mic and it was clearly picking up the auto focus and zoom noises. I'm guessing mine may be faulty as i never had any problems with the XL1s and everyone seems to think the XL2 is quieter. I'll talk to the store i bought the camera from and then to Canon.

Its not such a big drama as a lot of the time I'll be using external microphones but i have been doing a fair bit of sport/car racing filming lately and believe that the zoom and auto focus noises will make the onboard mic useless.

If any one else has had this issue let me know.

Thanks again.

Better to get? the 16x or 20x?
 

Hi There,

I assume that the 16x servo lens is better to purchase with the XL2? Is that true or not. I'm wondering if I should just go with the 20x lens that comes with the cam or get the 16x? Any advice?

Lucinda

If you do more handheld shooting, then stick with the 20x, as you will need its autofocus capability and image stabilisation. If you shoot primarily on a tripod, then the black 16x manual lens might be a better choice. Hope this helps,

What will you be shooting? Documentary, film production style, hand held?

I shoot a lot of feature/short films, industrials and music videos on the 16x. I'm on a tripod/dolly most of the time. I like knowing what my focal length and distance are, so that I can repeat settings.

More on 16X versus 20X
 

Hi,

I'm really not sure at this point: Hand held versus tripod...it seems that I use both equally. I do fictional work, dramas and some artist documentaries. I guess my concern is that I read a post somewhere saying that the 20X isn't great in manual focus and that the 16X is. I wanted to get some feedback about that. Since I'm just starting out with this cam I thought I should go with the standard kit and add as I go along? any advice? thanks!

Haven't I read in this forum that if you change your focus from foreground to background with the 16X, that the frame of the image changes? And that the 20X doesn't suffer from this?

I can't remember the name of the phenomenon, but those posts made me lean toward the 20X. A lot of my style involves changing focus from one subject to another in the same frame and I don't want the size of my frame to change...just the focus.

I'm sure someone will chirp in with the name of the issue (something like focus creeping or follow or something like that) and then you can do a search on it.

Thanks,

Kelly

That's interesting Kelly. Have you any thoughts about the 3X wide angle lens? I've heard it's the most popular second lens to own. Certainly in small spaces it would be very useful.

Yes, the 16x breathes, meaning that as you rack focus from one distance to another, the angle of view changes slightly causing the lens to "zoom" a bit. A lot of zooms and some primes suffer from this phenomenon. Ironically, the 20x doesn't, but it's lack of mechanical focusing doesn't lend itself to rack focus. The focus marks have a tendency to change.

Breathing is not apparent if you are continuously following the subject. Higher priced optics have the problem corrected, but alas not for MiniDv and not the Canon 16X. Canon has some really nice optics for broadcast that are highly corrected and do not suffer this problem.

The 16x is still my main lens and I think it's great. Personal preference and shooting styles differ, so if you can, try renting, or going somewhere so you can play with the camera before buying. It's worth the trouble.

Lucinda, you are probably not going to want to ask me. I won't actually own a XL2 for about a month or so. Everything I've learned has been on this board and others as I tried to figure out what camera to buy. I've basically lived on this site and others for the past few weeks.

As far as the 3X, I'd search this forum for that also. My style will always revolve around concentrating on DOF (depth of field). In that respect, I believe (but I'm not sure) that using the 3X will increase your DOF...something that I don't want. I believe may be an indirect effect as you can't do the same things you'd normally do to try to increase DOF when you have the 3X lens on. For instance, I don't think you would be zooming in as much with the 3X for obvious reasons.

Of course, you are right...in small spaces a 3X would be useful. And you probably aren't going to get a decently shallow DOF in a small space anyhow if you are trying to get a wide shot.

I love this site. It is a great resource. If you search for "3X" on this board, you'll probably pull in a lot of opinions that are much more informed than my own.

Thanks,

Kelly

I have had several people including a sales person tell me that the 3x is not very sharp on the XL2. Do a search and see.

Mark,

If you were to get a second lens for the cam, right now there's a good rebate for the 16x servo lens and the 3X wide angle, which would you g et? Also, doesn't the 20X have manual focusing as well as automatic? it says so in the info I've read....

Thanks for your advice.

Yes, I'm going to Pasadena this week to check out the cam, but I've used the XL1 so I feel pretty sure about this.

I'm just mulling about whether to get the second lens because of the rebate or just wait and see how I feel about the 20X when it comes in the mail.

This forum is the best!!!! thanks so much for all your help.

Lucinda,

I have both the 16x and the 20x. Yes, the 20x will manually focus, but this is accomplished through electric brushes that sense the focus, or zoom ring being moved and then electronically move the focus, or zoom. This is all well and good, but you cannot accurately hit focus marks over and over, they tend to drift. I posted a bunch about this a while back, around December and January. Do a search.

I do a lot of different stuff so I opted for both lenses. Depending on your needs, you may want to consider getting the body only kit, the 16x lens and rather than getting the 3x zoom, spend $650 on the .7 Century Wide Angle converter. It's a zoom through, so you can keep it on the 16x and use it throughout the entire zoom range of the lens. That's one possible route.

I have been using the XL series of cameras from nearly day one. Here and elsewhere, I have read statements like the one above over and over again. All I can say is that I have learned how to "accuately hit focus marks over and over." It's not like it can't be done. Like any new instrument, it takes practice. Is it easier with the manual lens? Certainly! But the 20x will work, too!

Jay

The 20x has a push button that operates as a preset for either zoom or focus (chosen by a slider switch), so you can at least get one zoom or focus point set for a shot. Fingering the button while shooting takes practice -- definitely a different technique than with a mechanical lens. And I gotta say that for handheld shooting, the OIS does a fantastic job. The 16x and 20x are really targeted at very different uses; not really a matter of which one is "better" as each one has particular strengths.

I've also read many posts about the softness of the 3x. I have not actually checked it against a resolution chart as I've done with the 20x, but I do not at all find the 3x to appear soft in my shooting. It also has a pushbutton that allows for the "electronic rack focus" feature. The 3x does not have OIS (not really needed for such a wide lens) and the zoom cannot be "push buttoned" (no problem for a wide lens with only a 3x zoom range).

BTW, this push button focus feature is invaluable during manual shooting for both the 20x and 3x lenses -- just press the focus button for a moment and release. It'll put your subject spot on and you can go manual from there. I think this is essential for those of us using a stock color viewfinder, which can at times make a sharp manual focus challenging.

Geez, you make me sound like I'm retarded or something.

Believe me I've tried it. When you've got one day to shoot two days worth of stuff, twiddling the 20x just didn't work. For the way I work, the 16x works best for me. I don't want to have to think about focusing. The 16x and follow focus are more intuitive for how I work.

Thank-you all so much! I think probably for someone at my level of experience with this camcorder, which is base 0! I will, based on my own intuition and what I'm hearing from you all, is just get the standard kit and use the cam for awhile afterwhich I'll know better which lens to purchase. My mind is swimming with, "should I get the 3wide angle, the 16x, I hear pros and cons about everything, so I guess I'll just wait and see. I guess I was toying with the idea of getting the 16x as well because of the rebate that's on thru much of June. Seems like a good deal and I may still do it. Ah, indecision! Isn't it interesting when we really know what we're doing and what are needs are we have no problem with these sorts of things. But, all the info you're giving is very helpful indeed! thanks again. This is the best forum I've ever been to!

Lucinda

Does the purchase of either the 3x or 16x have to occur at the same time as the purchase of the XL2 with 20x? If not does it have to be from the same vendor? No speculation please, I've read every word of the rebate form and I'm still uncertain.

No, I didn't make you sound retarted.

Believe me, I've not only tried it, I've done it, over and over and over again, and continue to do it. Like I said, it's like an instrument--a trombone versus a trumpet would be a perfect example. The trumpet would be the manual lens, the trombone would be the 20x lens.

Too many people determined from the very beginning, because it was so different, that they didn't want to learn how to "play" this new instrument. Actually, you said so yourself, in so many words, "For the way I work, the 16x works best for me." That was your choice and that's fine! But don't say it can't be done, because it can.

Jay

Hi Mark and Pete,

I just reread your recent posts and wonder what you mean by "drift?" If I focus on the subject and shoot, will the focus change? or stay? I'm not sure I understand fully what you're saying.

I think your suggestion about the adaptor and 16X is a good one.

Lucinda