Patrick,

You have to do the rebate when you purchase the whole standard kit, so you have to buy the body of the cam with the 20X lens and the rebate lens are on top of that. Yes, you would have to purchase it from the same vendor, otherwise you wouldn't get the rebate.

Lucinda

Lucinda, Why do you say you would have to purchase it from the same vendor, otherwise you wouldn't get the rebate? Did someone tell you this? It certainly isn't in the text of the rebate form. Are you guessing or speculating?

The rebate form text indicates that multiple vendors are acceptable because it adds an "s" in parenthesis after the words "receipt", "Dealer", "store name", and "purchase date". This would indicate that multiple "receipts", "Dealers", "store names", and "purchase dates" would be acceptable. Read for yourself:

This request form must be accompanied by the ORIGINAL UPC codes and ORIGINAL serial numbers cut from
product boxes, and a COPY of the sales receipt(s) from Authorized Canon U.S.A. Digital Video Dealer(s) with store name(s) and purchase date(s), digital video model and Canon Lens model, and prices paid, clearly legible to be valid.

Well I guess you could use the rebate from another vendor. Why not ask the vendors? I think that would be the safest thing, since I just assumed the rebate would only apply at the point of purchase. Better to be safe than sorry.

Lucinda

Actually the rebate form is available directly from Canon at XL2 Rebate Form.

The only vendor requirement is that they be an Authorized Canon Dealer, and that they provide a legible receipt with the required info on it to satisfy the rebate stipulations.

So...rather than speculation and assumptions, I was hoping to hear from someone who tried to purchase from two different vendors or did buy from different vendors and applied for the rebate.

The focus should stay (even while zooming). But if you mark the focus ring position, change focus and then return to the marked position, the focus point will most likely have shifted. This is because the focus is not just related to the position of the focus ring, but also to the speed at which the ring is turned.

Richard

Dang! They're givin' out rebates? I want me one!

Richard pretty much hit it. Focus drift, meaning that if you set the mark, the electro focus on the 20x, in my experience, will drift away from the focus mark that you have set.

Thanks Richard and Mark....that makes sense. It seems like a nice all around lens tho'. Yes, the rebate is tempting. It's for both the 3x wide angle and the 16x servo lens.

20X Stock zoom lens quality
 

Hi
Even with Panasonic next hit HVX 200 coming, I`m considering the purchase of the XL2.
Main use will be for indie feature films, tv commercials, musical video clips and documentaries.
I`m aware of some operacional problems regarding the 20X Stock zoom lens, but would like to know about its optical qualities:
Does It keep the contrast, color saturation and resolution along all the focal distances of the zoom?
Is there any issue with the focus along the zoom (collimation problem)?
Thank you

Ronger

It is an EXCELLENT lens. It looks amazing for close-ups and great in general. The only issue, as with almost all pro-sumer cams, is that it may not go wide enough for some shots. I highly recommend a Century OPtics adapter or the 3X Canon Wide.


ash =o)

Thank you Ash
Anyone else?
rON

The Canon 3x is a must have.

The 20x is tack sharp, but you may want to consider getting the 16x manual lens for what you are shooting.

Both lenses are excellent and I own both, but I find that I use the 16x almost all of the time.

Thank you
But no opinion on each characteristic of the 20X zoom lens?
Best
Ron

The clairty and reach of the 20x is superb. The manual focus is a little tricky to get the hang of, but the zoom is as fast as you need it or as slow a syou need it, and the oppertunity to selet a focus mark, rack focus, and then, with the push of a button, snap back to your original focus point is a huge advantage.

the 16x has amazing rack focus (although there is noticible lens breathing), and the glass quality seems slightly higher producing a slightly softer, more cinematic image. Granted, the camer ais so good anyway that the 20X lens looks amazing.

I have the 20X over the 16x simply because it's cheaper, longer reach, slightly shallower DOF and pre-programmed snap focus. If money werent an object, I would own both, but it's a better ivnestment to get the cam with it's prime lens and add a 16 later. The 20x will have a lot of resale value.

I own both but I mainly do handhels and use th 20X most the time. 16X is great for setting up shots, not so much capturing a moment IMHO. It does take some skill to master the 20X because the manual controls are DIGITAL...



ash =o)

Clicking noise on the 20x lens
 

Hi all,

I don't know whether anyone else has experienced this or not but...
Every time I power up the XL2, the 20x lens makes 3 very loud, distinct, low freq clicking noise (click, click... click). Should I be concerned? The camera works without a problem but it's very disturbing to hear it everytime the camera is powered up. It doesn't happen on the 3x wide lens, just the 20x.
I was wondering if anyone out there in DVinfo land could enlighten me.

Thx

Hello Riz,

I too hear some noises in my 20X on power up. Many others have reported the same thing. It is the lens going through its initialization. The variable angle prism is being driven to its initial state, the autofocus/zoom motor is also getting intialized.

I don't know that Canon has offered an official answer to this question but it does affect a lot of users.

regards,

=gb=

It's the sound of the little men inside your lens waking up.

Actually, as Greg said, it's the lens going through it's initialization process. Good shooting!

More like the little men hearing the alarm and falling out of bed!

So then why doesn't it do it on the 3x lens?

Um, there's no little men inside? (grins hopefully :~[] )

I haven't really used the 3x, it's older, so perhaps it's some of the newer things like the IS and other things make more noise. As stated before not to worry though, all the 20x lenses do that.

Thanks Greg and Mark for your info.

20x Lense jiggles slightly on the camera.
 

It is not a big issue, however, since Day 1 my lense has been slightly loose in relation to its attachment the camera body.

Is this normal?

Should I be sending my camera back into canon?

If I do need to send it, and I have work that I need the camera for, are there any options to get a loner sent out to me first?

thanks.

Hi Stefan,

This has been reported before:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=43297

I'm still not clear if people are really having a lens mount problem, or if some folks are over-interpreting things.

Just as a single data point, my 20x lens will rotate on the mount perhaps less than a millimeter. But, it has NO side-to-side (lateral) or forward-backward looseness at all. The subtle rotational "play" has no effect on picture, I don't notice it with normal use, and I feel this is within normal tolerances of the locking mechanism of a lens mount.

If your lens moves so much it affects your picture, I'd have to assume something is actually wrong. Loaners or replacements will depend on the policies of the vender you bought it from and how long you've had it.

I noticed that jiggling months after I got my camera and only noticed it after i got the 3x wide angle. I'm not sure if it always did that or not, and feel silly. so of course I sent it to canon and they sent it back saying it was fine and normal. and pretty much everybody here says the same thing.

I was shooting with the 20X lens yesterday and zooming with the button--back and forth-- rather than on the lens itself. I noticed a couple of times that the zoom wasn't completely smooth, there was a slight hesitation. I wasn't filming, just setting up to film clips. I'll have to do it again to see if it happens again. Must be something in the lens motor? has anyone else had this happen? is it normal? Lucinda

Back focus to 20X stock zoom?
 

Hi
Yesterday I was presented for the first time to the XL2 and could make a quick test.
A very weird thing happened when operating the 20X stock zoom lens:
the camera`s owner fitted the lens in the camera and we heard the click sound.
So everything was supposedly ok. Then I started trying to shoot something.
I focus the usual way: zoomed in to the maximum focal length, focused and zoomed out to compose the frame.
Then I noticed that the focus was lost in many focal lengths along the zoom!
And these was the way the camera behaved everytime.
So I couldn`t keep an image focused using the zoom!
As the camera`s owner was not familiar with it, I wonder if after the click sound he should have done a back focus adjustment or , I doubt it, the lens act like this normaly?
Thank you for your attention
Ron

I've seen that happen before on mine. Then I look at the lens and realize it was set on auto focus and then i feel stupid.

Back focus to 20X stock zoom?
 

Thank you Robert
No, we checked the focus was in manual.
This way is impossible to use the camera professionaly with the 20X stock zoom lens.
Ron

I have owned and used the XL2 "professionally" ever since it was released. I've never had the problem you're describing here. It's not impossible to use the camera professionally with the stock 20X lens! Evidently there is a problem with the specific lens you were using.

Jay

I have seen this problem before, it is NOT normal. You need to have the lens/camera serviced by Canon. I have never personally had the problem and I change lenses a lot but it is more common with people who change lenses quite a bit. NEVER change the lens with the camera on fyi....


ash =o)

Thank you Jay and Ash
As I said, the camera`s owner was not familiar with it.
But Is there a need to do a back focus adjustment or hearing the click sound when fitting the zoom is enough?
Ron

On the auto lens there is no back-focus available to the user, it must be done at the factory. Have you tried it a couple times? I have noticed it happen on my XL1s from time to time but it always seems to correct itself with a re-mount.



ash =o)

No Ash
I had the camera on my hands for few minutes and when I found this big lens problem (after zooming in and out many times) I gave up testing the camera.
Ron

20x lens ND in between OK?
 

i noticed that i can gradually turn the ND filter so that i can get in between settings from no ND to N32. i did not, however shoot with these in-between settings because they might have had bad effects. Are there any bad effects? Image wise? would it damage the lens when kept in an in between position?

thanks

I tried it once and got some weird effects. I would not recommend it. Part of the image was blurry and part wasn't. Something just looked weird. I can't imagine it would hurt anything but it could ruin a shot since it is possible that part of the frame is covered by one ND filter and the other part covered by another. I doubt it is a subtle gradient transition between these 2 degrees.

i would suspect something like this. could you link to a vidcap? i'll try to do some testing if i can because if it works, then it's a great thing to use

20x lens! B+W or HOYA Cir-Pol?
 

Hi everyone,

Which of these cir-polarizing work better on the 20x

B+W or Hoya.

I need it for sunny days and shooting the clouds.

Thank you

Hi,

I started out looking at the Hoya but I found a used B+W so I bought it.
The lens guy that I purchased it from said that Hoya and B+W are on par with each other = excellent.

Steph

Either will work just fine...



ash =o)

canon dust cap for 20x lens and body?
 

Anyone know where I can purchase extra dust caps for the 20x lens and camera body when you take off the lens for transport?

I can't find this part anywhere. Can only find the 72mm cap that goes up front.

Thanks.