VL-3 modification for XL2, shown here
 

I got a little tired of worrying about shadows from my on camera mic getting in the shot when using my Canon VL-3. I know it is not made for the camera, but for the price and no extra weight or need for external power, it is a great accessory. Well it is even better now.

http://www.atsi.ca/images/xl2/vl3mod.jpg

I machined up a bit of black plastic and lengthened the wires, reassembled and volia!

This could be done with wood for those who are handy. If you don't know how to solder, this is an easy one to learn on.

What a great DIY project, Les, thanks for sharing this! I've never looked inside a VL-3. How many wires are there?

A little unrelated but I use a Pag light kit http://www.paguk.com/C6_Orbitor/C6information.htm

And I'm just reminded that they now offer a Pag battery adaptor for the XL-2, allowing power to the light and camera from one battery pack...

http://www.paguk.com/C6_Orbitor/C6DVSolutions.htm

There are three wires, so it an easy job. The light comes apart pretty easily and it looks like the lamp is replaceable. I will post some pictures and some more info in a bit.

I have made a crude drawing up to show the details of the extension.
http://www.atsi.ca/images/xl2/vl3_ext.jpg

You can see from the following picture how the foot screws onto the extension.
http://www.atsi.ca/images/xl2/vl3mod_bottom.jpg

And you can see how the top is attached, sort of...
The top is just crazy glued to the top, but not the front piece that has the diffuser lens in it. It can still be removed to get at the lamp and interior.
http://www.atsi.ca/images/xl2/vl3mod_top.jpg

The #54 drill mentioned in the drawing is 0.055" in dia. The screws that attach the foot self thread into this quite nicely in the plastic I used.

You will notice that my extension doesn't quite match the drawing. Prototypes rarely do.

When adding wire length, add at least 3 inches so that you can work at each end with some slack. The wire will bunch up easily into the large cavity of the extension. The height (3") of the entension can be made to anything you like. 3" is the minimum to get the mic shadow out of picture. 6 degrees of tilt down on the lamp is good for about 3" rise, but that angle needs to be adjusted for different extensions.

I hope someone else benefits from this information.