Hi Rachel,

There's a table at the bottom of this article that says it is 5 stops (3.1% transmittance):

http://www.dvinfo.net/canon/articles/article82.php

I guess I must not have used it yet as I didn't realize how dark it is! It only has an On/Off switch, no intermediate settings.

Hi;

Thanks Pete, yeah it seems it's a 1.5, it really shocked me when I used it, coupled with a soft con and ultra pol I was out of range even at midday! Guess it's time to get me a .6 ND.....

Olly

Where to purchase 3x lens for XL2?
 

Hi all

I've been trying to order an 3x lens for the XL2 for weeks now but all the major suppliers in the UK are out of stock so i have it on backorder.

Does anybody know where I can buy one in Europe? I don't want to order from outside the US due to import taxes.

If anybody has one for sale second hand I'd be intrested as long as it's in PWO.

many thanks
Donie

I'm just getting a XL-2, so I'll put it thru the paces.

I have to say that if you are using the XL1S for certain kind of projects, the 3x wide can be a huge disappointment. Critical focus is hard to achieve and it shows off the weak side of mini-DV.

It unforunately has an eletronic focus ring. I will see if it performs well with the XL-2 shortly. I suggest testing it. I haven't tested the Century optics adapter. I hear good things about it and I am considering renting that next time I do a project with the XL series mini-dv camera from Canon.

Did you try OpTex: http://www.xl1s.com/ ?

Hi Rob

They are a good bit more expensive than other online sites (which are out of stock). Got an eta of 15-21st of March for the lens on www.dabs.com

Thanks for the heads up...
Donie

Century Optics .7x Wide Angle Converter or Canon 3x wide with XL2?
 

Hi all!

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with the XL2 with the 20x and a Century Optics .7x Wide Angle adapter, and if so, what your thoughts were.

I'm wanting the best quality, and I am looking at both this adapter or a Canon 3x wide. I like the convienience of having an adapter so I don't have to change lenses, but will I be sacrificing quality by not getting the Canon glass?

Thanks for any input! You guys could either save me $600 or cost me $600, but I value your opinions!

Thanks so much!
Bob Stovall

Bob

You shouldn't think about this in terms of image quality. They're pretty much identical. Century is using Schneider optics, which I'd put on par with Canon's. The real question you have to answer for yourself is a matter of usability and form factor. Do you prefer the relatively light weight of the Canon 3x. The trade-off is its limited zoom range. Or do you prefer to have wide-angle of the adapter plus the full zoom range of the lens it's mounted on. The trade-off is the added weight to an already front-heavy camera. That's it in a nutshell.

Have any of you seen any chromatic abborations around the edges of the Century Optics converters? I always noticed on my Sony VX-2000 that the edges were a little blurry when using these converters. That's what I'm kinda worried about. Some people have suggested only buying the Canon 3x so it would be more pure of an image...

Any thoughts?

Boy I hate to open this can of worms again but here goes.

Yes sir I have seen chromatic abberations on the Century optics .7x and 20x lens. IN fact....I have seen it with the 16x manual and the 16x IS lens too when the CO .7x is attached. In my quest to get the perfect wide angle image I have learned that one of the hardest things to do in the optics industry is make an affordable wide angle adapter. The Century is priced right and performs well. It does have a little optical blurring and chromatic blending at the edges but that is the nature of optics. The lens is not flat but spherical and therefore it bends the light at the edges much more than it does in the center. The light passing through the edges does not always focus perfectly on the same spot of the CCD therefore causing some of the colors to not be in perfect focus or as sharp at the very edges. I have talked to Canon Lens Guys and Century Guys in great length about this and this is just the way it is. To make some add-on glass that doesn't have any of these issues would be 3-4 times more expensive.

Having said all of that I still swear by the.7x lens and 16x manual. Because the Xl2 samples it's 16x9 mode from the center of the 1/3" CCD it is really looking through the center of the glass vertically. So the "less sharp" upper and lower parts are kind of cropped. I see no chromatic or blurry areas at the top and bottom as a result.

Now the sides still show a little. If you grab a wide open frame and analyze it you will find some color shift and a little blur out there at the far right and left. It can either be a big turn off for you or a minor annoyance. It depends on what you are shooting and what your priorities are.

For me I do more run and gun and need wide angle and a long zoom range too. I don't have time to change lenses so I live with the little blur on the edges in exchange for easy use and quick setup times. If you zoom even a little the problem seems to go away as you are looking through the best part of the glass.

However if you are only doing scripted and have all the time in the world and are not worried about convenience the the 3x by Canon is awesome. It delivers great wide angle and is sharp all the way to both edges with no chromatic issues. The one drawback to this lens is that is seems to have a backfocus issue for a lot of us XL2 users. So setting a focus and then zooming has a very good potential to cause a focus shift. If you go with this lens on the Xl2 try to approach it as a fixed focal length adapter that lets you zoom a little to frame your shot. But I wouldn't bet the bank on having it hold focus as you zoom out. It might....your mileage may vary.

The bottom line is at this moment in time the 3x by Canon gives you the clearest picture from edge to edge. But it has little zoom and requires you to change lenses when you want any sort of telephoto shot at all.

The .7x Century is a great optical adapter that allows you to zoom all the way through it. It's minor flaw is that at the widest setting the very far edges often look slightly soft. This adapter also significantly increases the weight on the front of the Xl2 as Chris pointed out. I should also mention the edge softness should be alleviated quite a bit if you are shooting 4x3 as this mode derives it image from the center most point of the CCD which in theory would mask out some or all of the blurriness found on the edges.

FWIW.

You know...

With all that being said, I seem to have a backfocus issue on my 20x lens as well. It never holds focus. I always focus, pull out, and then re-focus because the image clearly isn't as sharp at wide. Should I get this checked out by Canon?

By the way, I think I've decided to go with the 3x so I don't have to worry about any chromatic issues. I don't run-and-gun to much anymore, and I have the time...

Bummer about the back focus though - Anyone know how to fix it?

Thanks! You guys rock!

Bob Stovall

The backfocus is usually something that Canon can adjust at the service center. Now just to be clear the backfocus problems some are reporting with the 3x have not been diagnosed by Canon. What I am saying is there is no official recognition of a problem from Canon on these units. Some users claim to have sent them in to Canon and got them back marked as "working within factory spec" but still have backfocus issues. I think a few others have claimed there unit works fine but I have definitely seen enough comments to warrant some concern and when I tried a 3x it definitely behaved this way. It looked amazingly clear but did behave a little odd when zooming in/our. Those kooky servos!

I hope for your sake Bob that your 3x units does not exhibit any problems at all and retains focus throughout the zoom without having to readjust. You will be very happy with the image as the 3x is the best wide angle I have seen for the XL series cams. Keep us posted as we all would like hear your results.

3x Wide angle Lens
 

Does anyone have the 3x Wide angle zoom lens. (xl series)

I was wondering if its worth the money. We have a few cramped interiors to shoot, and need a good wide lens that will open up our space a bit. Will the 3x cut it?

Also, just generally speaking, what are your thoughts on buying lenses: Do you reccomend that I stick with the XL series, or should i get the ef adapter and go with the ef series?

Thanks a lot.

-Lon

I love the 3x Canon lens. It is perfect for those small room situations you describe.

I have used it extensively on the XL1 but not yet on the XL2. There has been some discussion about back focus issues with this lens on the XL2. Some have remarked that the lense does not hold focus when zoomed in, focused and zoomed out.

I have the 3X lens and use it extensively on the XL2. I have yet to find any problem with it. Well worth the cost.

Christian

Since I bought the 3x, my 20x lens is getting jealous....I rarely use it.
Bruce Yarock

3X Servo noise
 

I just purchased a 3x lens on Ebay. COmpared to the 20X lens, the servo motor is very loud. This is just my first impression, I have not shot anything and looked for noise yet on the film.

Is the 3X lens servo notably louder than the 20X ?

Thanks,

Shopping Spree?
 

I have the xl2 and the only accesory i have purchased so far is an 8 hour battery and a warranty. My wallet has recovered from the purchase and i have been looking at the 3x wide angle lens and possibly a mic muff.
The 20x lens that i purchased with the body works great but for some of my documentary filming it would be great to not be crammed agaist a wall in a small room. I have heard the 3x wide angle lens works great and looks great. What, if any are the major downsides to this lens? Also, i could probably get it for around $1000 and i know this is a pretty good price but do you think that maybe the whole lens is overated? If you do recommend getting it, where would you recommend getting it?
Now about the mic muff, i have been looking around and i found a $40 muff for the XL1s, im pretty sure it will fit and all their mics work the same so all i have to worry about is the size, right? Im not trying to go crazy and get anything fancy, it just says it cuts wind up to 40mph and it has no effect on the volume even when there is no wind. I just think it would be a nice improvement. I know everyone that i have worked with that has the XL2 has a wind guard or muff of some kind but i always forget to ask about it. Any suggested models?

I've heard that the 3x is soft on the XL2. I haven't used it on mine so I can't say for sure. I have a Century .7 wide angle converter for my 20X, it has been very nice and looks good. A little noticeable at times, but not bad. At some point I'll get one for the 16x manual, or maybe trade.

You may want to get a better mic than the factory camera mic. Check out the audio forum "Now Hear This" and look around at what people are using. Choosing the right mic depends on the conditions under which you will be working.

the 3X looks great on the XL2. no Complaints about it at all. Infact, I think it adds to the "film look"

I have had the Canon 3x on both the Xl-1 and the XL-1s. I love it! You may have to have it calibrated for your Camcorder, but man it is worth it. Bob

FYI, type this---canon XL1 3X--- and search ebay right now and you will find 3 for sale. One is with a $900.00 buy-it-now, and the other two are regular auctions that are at about $700.00 so far. If you are not affraid of ebay, just keep checking there. Want new and warantee, B&H has it for $ 1,179.95.

I do like my 3X.

Mike

3x
 

Thanks for the advice, im still wonderfing about how it looks though, is there any distortion or visible "wide angle" that is distracting, especially when you are in a situation where you dont need the wide angle lens? I just want to know that if im filming a documentary and i get in a position where i dont have a chance to switch out the 3x wide for the 20x will the shot still look okay? I know i wont be able to zoom much but im figuring its just going to look like all these reality TV shows look today...

3X lens Died
 

Has this happened to anyone? My lens was minding it's own business, and one day I hooked up to my cam and suddenly, it wouldn't zoom. Neither the rocker nor the ring would make it zoom. I tested it on an XL1 and it wouldn't zoom. It had been wkring fine for a month.

Anyhoo, I got it exchanged and the new one is fine.

Has this happened to anyone?>

Matt, did you power down the camcorder before you mounted the lens? If not you may have blown a circut. Just a thought. Bob

That sounds like what happened. The exact same thing happened to me with the 3x. I sent it to Canon and it cost about $90 to repair.

ALWAYS power down the camera when changing lenses!!

Agreed -- sounds like crossed contacts while powered. Never a good thing.

That may have happened, I know i did it once but it worked fine after that. My question is why Canon couldn't build in the tiniest feature which is, when you pull the lens release, it's puts the cam in standby

Going into standby mode requires about one second or so for the camera head to cycle through some things and completely power down. You have the potential with one simultaneous twist of your wrist and a push of your finger to disengage the lens even more quickly, which would negate the effectiveness of such a feature. That's why the best (and safest) procedure is to take the extra step of either powering the camera down or putting it in standby mode first before attempting to remove the lens.

Very good thinking Chris. I don't know what it is about this camera in particular, but there is somehting about it that makes me forget it's on. It might be weird "ON" dial, or the lack of LCD screen (usually out when a cam is on). Has anyone else experiecned this. I put away my camera last week and left it in VCR mode all night, thus draining the batteries.

I feel they little red on light is in the wrong spot or too small.

That little red light by the power dial is tiny. You have to kind of train yourself to look for it each time you put the camera away (or when you change the lens).

Hi Scott,
I'm from Italy, and finally I received my 3x wide lens and formatt fm-500 matte box.
It's a wonderful setup and I can confirm there's no vignette using 3x wide lens, matte box filming in 16:9!!!

Bye

Michele

I can confirm, that the Chrosziel support rods and camera plate for the XL2 are available. I got mine about 2 weeks ago.

EDIT: I just had a look at the date of your post, Christopher, so I guess you are aware, that the Chrosziel stuff for the XL2 is availbale by now. I better read carefully before I post a reply!

I have used the Cavision mattebox with the 3X lens and was very happy. It did not vignette. I recently sold it on ebay and the buyer wrote back that he was very pleased (he was also using it on a 3X).

I also have a used 3X lens in mint condition I may sell if anyone is interested. We just dont use it that much, it was probably used a dozen times.

Wanted: 3x lens
 

Greg,
I am interested in your 3x lens. How much are you asking?
Thanks,
Tony

3x wide on XL2
 

I have noticed some threads on the 3X not maintaining focus after pulling back from telephoto (backfocus issue?) Some said they sent it back to Canon for calibration to the XL2. Didn't seem to be a problem on the XL1/s. Anyone know if they recently bought a 3X and have had issues? Possibly some new batches have been modified. This is an issue I can't deal with given my fast pace of shooting, so if anyone can chime in, it would be appreciated.

I recently shot a documentary and 80% of it was shot with the 3x. I didn't have any problems.

Jay

Ed,

I got my 3x a month ago and no problems. It is a great lens!

Kevin

No issues here either...



ash =o)

Thanks guys. Appreciate it.