Ha!

This is pretty funny.....I recently shot a stage performance. 1st act was OK. Then, just prior to the 2nd act, I got the same alert. I'd also had never seen it before. I just about panicked, and examined and twisted every knob on the XL-1 trying to salvage what I thought was going to be a blown shoot!

20 year old eyes might have resolved the icon; 50+ year old eyes didn't immediately, until I finally guessed what it might be!

Cheers

External LCD viewfinder for XL-1
 

Has anyone except Daniel Kohl (see http://www.dvinfo.net/canon/articles/article78.htm) ever attached a external LCD viewfinder to the XL-1, in a non-destructive way (and not using a steadycam setup)?
I find the normal viewfinder difficult to use in fast handheld action, like walking with the camera through a crowd. Holding the cam to your eye is awful and the existing EVF is just too small for seeing anything from 1 meter away.

XL1 shooters add external LCD monitors all the time. Go to the Watchdog at www.dvinfo.net/xl1.htm and choose Articles Menu. See Adam Wakely's piece under the EVF section. Also, I recommend a couple LCD monitors in the "Top Five XL1/XL1S Accessories" page also in the Articles section. Hope this helps,

Yep, it's as easy as can be. Varizoom and Nebtek both sell models that you can mount on the accessory shoe, and I believe Nebtek has an adapter that will let you use XL1 batteries to power it. It's a plug 'n play situation. No sweat, (just money). ;)

Brilliant! I just hadn't been looking closely enough! Sorry and thanks both of you!

XL-1 viewfinder
 

I just got this nifty little gizmo at Radio Shack... it's an active matrix monitor made for playing DVDs in cars, but the thing has awesome picture quality, and it accepts 16:9. It runs on 12 volts (I bought an adapter and long cable to use off the car, and one you plug into the wall inside). I also took the shoe mount off an old flash and now the monitor fits atop my camera. The whole rig was less than $200.00!

small tip - viewfinder mount
 

We all know that annoying piece of rubber that ships with the XL1 to secure the viewfinder to the body. Well, it's very common to lose track of this little do-hickey.

I found that the plastic ring that ships in blank cd-rom spindles (it's a little plastic washer) can be use in lieu of the rubber do-hickey.

Just remove the washer from your spindle, then take some scissors and snip it once. This allows you to slip it onto the viewfinder mount. Attach viewfinder (you might need some tweezers or paperclip to properly slip washer so that it's closest to tightening nut) and tighten. Now it won't slip and it takes a bit of effort to remove so chances of losing it are minimized. Also saves a trip to home-depot as we all have a spindle floating around somewhere in our studios.

Adrian

There's a similar tip on the Watchdog site at www.dvinfo.net/xl1.htm under User Tips, but I've never heard of it done this way before! Many thanks,

I saw that a while back.

As I have a junk drawer and little spare time, (home-depot is in the 'burbs and I'm downtown) hence I mentioned that "also saves a trip to the home-depot"

:)

Adrian

<<<-- Originally posted by Chris Hurd : There's a similar tip on the Watchdog site at www.dvinfo.net/xl1.htm under User Tips,

Viewfinder Adjustment Nut
 

Can anyone tell me how I can keep my viewfinder from sliding back and forth after I keep tightening the adjustment nut? This nut seems to have a mind of its own. I tighten it almost to the point where I fear somethings going to break and the viewfinder stays in place for about a minute and then it starts sliding around again because the nut losens on its own.

A nylon or rubber washer on the spindle does the job nicely. Any hardware store should have what you need.

Thanks that sounds easy! I try it

I have this issue as well, but I don't know what a spindle is. Can someone describe in more detail?

He's referring to the EVF assembly mounting bolt. The stud projecting out of the front handle of the camera.

Thanks. I see what you all's be talkin' about.