Charles Papert: P+S Technik with XL2
 

Chas,

This info is not on my XL2 Watchdog site yet, and won't be until I get a break from DV Expo, but I wanted to let you know that the indications are good that the P+S Mini35 will work with the XL2. There may be a slight modification required to the base plate (I think about 4mm needs to be shaved off or so). I'm sure P+S will rev a version for the XL2 directly. Hope this helps, sorry this isn't on the site,


*EDIT* Read through this thread -- one must add 4mm, not subtract, from the base plate. My error.

It will work. I was using one at Pinewood Studios this morning.
Very impressive...

Robin.

<<It will work. I was using one at Pinewood Studios this morning.
Very impressive...>>

Great news Robin...of course that was the biggest concern for mini35 owners, and the first question I was going to post. So there are already fully functional XL2s beyond the floor of DVExpo? Were you able to test any footage? How did the res look at 16:9 using the P&S. And are yous aying there wouldn't be any modification necessary to clear the new shoulder mount as Chris suggested?

This makes investing in one of the first mini35s that much more rewarding for the long haul. A higher res chip set with native 16:9 and 24p should make the P&S that much of a "film" making tool.

Thanks

Jim,
I didn't get to shoot any footage unfortunately, - the camera was set up with the P+S unit by Optex London, so they have obviously tooled up for it. The test material that I saw on a monitor looked pretty impressive in 16:9 mode. I was trying to see any lack of definition in the wide shots, especially on trees etc, and I could have been looking at Digibeta - (well, almost, but certainly much, much better than anything I've seen on DV recently...)

Robin.

Hi Robin,

I was operating on all the non-steadicam shots at Pinewood today and yesterday.

The Mini35 shots were great but not on your Gold in 60 Seconds DVD as they didn't match.

We had to build a 4mm spacer to get it to work, but work it does. We shot with a set of ultraprimes from Arri GB, I'll get some more shots this week and we'll put a DVD together in house.

Cheers!

Simon.

Great news! We've been setting back a bit of our budget to get a few of these units because of the releasing XL2 with higher resolution native 16:9, 24p. The Mini35 adapter just became a lot more appealing.

What exactly is the change that needed to be made?

Holly: Simon said in the post above yours:

" We had to build a 4mm spacer to get it to work "

<<We had to build a 4mm spacer to get it to work, but work it does. >>

Hi Simon, can I assume that the 4mm spacer is a shim, or did you have to remove 4mm from the XL2 for clearance on the mini35.

Hi Jim,

Its a 4mm aly shim. Gaffer tape looked a bit raw.

What is worth mentioning is the new TA100, a short VCT14 type plate that holds the camera rock solid. We had 2x XL2 rigged on Sachtler 18's with and without this plate, the difference was surprising.

Cheers!

Simon.

Hi Simon!
Small world!!
Really good launch today (and lunch...)

Robin.

The Lamb curry is worth a mention.

Cheers!

Simon.

<<Really good launch today (and lunch...).....The Lamb curry is worth a mention.....Cheers!>>

You guys are so darn British...I wish I could sound even remotely continental <g>. Simon, is the new TA100 a Canon piece?

Thanks Chris, much obliged.

My Mini35 arrived today from ZGC. I start shooting with it this weekend, on a DVX100. Can't wait to be able to work the XL2.

Simon and Robin, congrats on getting your hands on the thing, and thanks for posting the positive comments on the picture.

Hi Jim,

The TA100 is an optional extra. I happen to have one on my desk at work, I'll post some photos of it later.

Cheers!

Simon.

Thanks for setting me straight, I had that 4mm backwards!

Mmmm yes...adding 4mm good, shaving off 4mm bad.

Photo's of the TA100 and the mounting plate under the XL2.

http://www.xl1s.com/xl2pics/IMG_2511.jpg
http://www.xl1s.com/xl2pics/IMG_2513.jpg

Cheers!

Simon.

TA-100
 

Simon is the TA-100 a Canon product? If not where can it be bought? I've been needing that thing for a looooong time!

Hi James,

The TA100 is a Canon product. It will only fit the XL2 as it secures by four screws.

Cheers!

Simon.

And it holds well, you say. I'm a bit surprised. I always assumed you needed the other end of that design (the protruding nubbie at the back) to make a really secure tiedown. But this is fully compatible with existing VCT plates, yeah?

Where to buy the TA-100
 

I looked on B&H's site and couldn't find the TA-100. Do you know who sells it and how much it goes for? Thanks.

Do you have a picture of the complete setup: Mini35, rods, camera, plate, and tripod?

At ZGC.com, you will find pictures of the Mini35 and XL1 in functional mode, but not necessarily with all of the bits attached you mentioned. The pictures that accompany my article on the Seinfeld web films might be more like what you are looking for.

Yes, although that is one heck of a rig in those pictures!!!

Given that rig, does the TA100 figure in? It looks like you have an XLR adapter between the rods and the camera. With the XL2 you would you need some sort of spacer for the pieces to line up correctly?

Last question: compared to pictures I have seen with the XL1/DVX, Mini35, and some primes, that seemed to be a very big rig. Given the size, complexity, and expense, would a Pro35 with 2/3" camera have been justified?

David:

The Mini35 has its own rods built in. You do not need, nor can you use the TA100 or anything other than the camera body on its underside, because the Mini35 is built to screw directly into the camera. The word in this thread is that a small spacer is required for the XL2, but this will not be a hardship to accomodate.

The size of that rig varied from picture to picture. The images of the zoom and the 300mm make the whole thing look big, but if you look further through those pictures to the Cooke S4's, the rig shouldn't look a whole lot bigger than others you might have seen. The beauty of the Mini35 is that you can use any cine lens on it, some are just bigger to get the job done!

As far as the PRO35 and a 2/3" camera, we would have seen a likely 4x increase in the rental costs between those two items. Believe it or not, this job was tightly budgeted and the use of DV was mandated by the production (for some reason!) We certainly stretched it with the lens package, but having the right optics is very important. However, size was never a concern, and complexity wasn't an issue (if you mean all the bits and pieces onboard, that's what we are used to using on film cameras, so it was business as usual).