I recommend that you connect your XL1s to a field monitor or a TV. Use the RCA or S-Video out if possible.

Turn on the color bars and adjust your field monitor or TV so that the color bars are proper.

Once you have your TV or field monitor properly calibrated, the color bars should look good. There are procedures on the web, search for monitor calibration.

Then adjust your viewfinder, using the colorbars. There are brightness and contrast adjustments underneath the viewfinder, if I remember correctly. There may also be menu items (I don't have a XL1s manual handy, sorry).

Then record a test using both the color bars and live footage. Play it back so see if the levels are correct.

35mm for your xl??
 

i was wondering if anyone here has tried those 35mm lens conversions devices out there. the ones that let you use 35mm lens with your xl and get the shallow depth of field and wide angles.

mike

See the Alternative Imaging forum.

Picture/Image fault. Please help
 

Pal XL1s.
I set the camera up today after about 2 months of not using it.
Preparing to shoot a trailer tomorrow, I took some footage and played it back in VCR mode on my monitor connected to the camera and also via svideo to my TV. There is terrible distortion on the picture. Straight lines (eg a picture frame) are wavy in sections where it looks as if something has cut across it and other images carry a trace or shadow from left to right across the screen. This is not apparent in the EVF viewfinder at the time or in the EVF at playback.
When the camera is connected to the TV via svideo but not recording the fault is also visable.

I am running out of time. Any help as ever, much appreciated
Thankyou
Chris

Sorted
 

Ok sweat is over !
This was just a problem with the svideo connection.
Captured and viewed with premiere pro all is fine.
Guess i will hook up to monitor using video out rca plug

Ta

Chris

XL1S color space conversion
 

Dear Members,

I'm sure this is a fairly simple question for many of you. I'm shooting
a simple documentary on my XL1s. I understand that the color space
the camera shoots in is a prosumer color space and that if the doc was
ever to be broadcast, it would have to be converted to a broadcast color
space ( 4:2:2:? ). Is this conversion a simple process or is it complicated
and expensive. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Regards, glen

Daily XL1s rate
 

Does anyone know the rate of renting an XL1s for one day? Just the camera (stock).

Price for gear rental, much like anything else, is dependent on location. The price in Houston is different than L.A., or S.F. Why not call the nearest local produciton house, ( or Google them) to find their rates?

I don't know what country your in, NTSC or Pal, but the XL1S does shoot in 4:2:2 in NTSC .I've not had to convert to any other colorspace for broadcast.
Just make sure that it's at "legal" broadcast as per the broadcaster specs.
eg. 7.5 IRE
If your talking about conversion to film, contact the house that you plan on using FIRST.

Distorted playback image Through Mini DV Player
 

I have a Canon XL1 and a Sony Mini DV player. I'm using a Sony Mini DV tape to record. When recording from XL1 and playing back through my mini DV player as well as one other Mini DV player that I tried, the image is heavily distorted when panning. Playback through from the Canon Xl1 viewfinder looks fine.
So I sent off the camera to Canon to be fixed and they replaced the Drum. I have the camera back now and it's doing the same thing. If I play back from the camera in the viewfinder the image looks fine. If I play back on Final Cut from the camera image looks fine, and if I capture a clip from the camera the image plays fine.
However if I try to do any form of playback from the mini DV player the image is heavily distorted.
One last note, I also have a Sony mini dv camcorder (trv 950). If I record with that on the same tape, and play back on the same mini dv player, the image is fine. The image only distorts when playing video that was captured on the XL1.
I called a video shop where I live and they said the mini dv players were very sensitive, and that the problem was not the tape, but that the Xl1 needed to be aligned.
So I'm a bit perplexed at this point as to send the camera to be repaied again. or not. I don't want to do all the playback from the camera itself. Thanks.

fuzziness?
 

Hi,

im very new to this forum so if this is in the wrong place please move it.

Too the point,
i just bought a xl1s and i use magix 10 for editing the quailty looks ok however there is a line that runs across the bottom of the screen that looks out of focus, how should i get rid of this?

Thank you

When Canon repairs a camera, it is given a thorough system test. Unless camera behavior is completely outside the rather broad system parameters I feel it would be extremely odd to a camera to still have a malfunction following repair (although that could still be a possibility).

I don't own a SONY mini DV player, but have used a friends on occasion. If I recall correctly, these players are built to read a slightly longer helical scan (DVC-PRO?), but will read Mini-DV. If the player has a defect, then this might point to a problem.

I would give all other componets in your system a thorough check before returning to the camera.

Female Mini-XLR to Male Mini Stereo, Help Please
 

Hi:

I have a Samson Micro 32 Lavalier Series that I wish to connect it straight to my XL1s. The Samson Mircro 32 lav system has a MINI XLR output so I need to find a MINI XLR female to MINI Stereo male adapter but I can't find it anywhere.

I found a bunch on Markertek but none listed as MINI XLR. From the picture I can't tell whether it is MINI or Regular size of XLR. Can some one kindly point me to the link that offer Female mini XLR to Male Mini Stereo adapter please?

Thanks

Sampson offers adapters/cables as accessories. Check their web site for part numbers.

How do you propose to connect it? Via a MA-100 or Beacktek, Studio 1, or Sign Video adapter, to the RCA jacks, or the MIC input jack on the camcorder? BTW: The MIC input jack is for mic-level sources, not for line level.

Be aware that if you connect a balanced source to the mic input jack (the stereo mini-phone jack) with a simple gender-bender adapter, you will end up with equal but out of phase sound on left and right. That can sound funny on a stereo syste, and may result in essentially no sound on simple mono systems. You could go from the Mini 32 unbalanced output directly to the Audio 1 inputs, that should work OK and uses a simpler adapter available at Radio Shack, etc..

thanks, I'll try radio shack

Audio/Video Synch with XL1s
 

I am wondering what will happen if I record the video for a 2 hour rock concert on an XL1s but record the audio onto a seperate mini disc. When I import them into FCP are they going to be out of synch?

I read about the camera's motors having to be specifically setup so they run at a constant speed....is the XL1s setup this way?

Why not get a line audio feed from the sound board for your XL1s? That would resolve all synch issues. This is, of course, based upon the assumption you can get a line audio feed from the sound board.

Only once did I use a mini disc for audio backup. That was for an approx. one hour Jewish wedding. No issues with audio sync in post. At least none I could identify. Since that event I acquired an iRiver mp3 recorder which is usually attached to the DJ's sound board and allowed to record for 3 or more hours. Again, no issues with audio sync. With the iRiver I always set the sample rate at 48k. I use FCP, by the way.

I think the only reason for variable speed motors on a video camera would apply to those cameras that record directly to an optical disc. Tape cartrige cameras, like those recording to Mini-DV, must have constant speed motors. The tape has to be pulled over the record heads at a constant speed or the spacing of the helical scan would be horribly disrupted and cause an unrepairable loss of syncronization. Years ago some very special 3/4" analog Video players had the ability to adjust playback speed with no loss of synchronization. I don't think that kind of machine is available for mini-DV tape players. I have absolutely no knowledge regarding cameras recording to flash cards.

Servicing the XL1S-how often?
 

Is there a way to check how many hours the heads have?
I have been noticed vertical lines, dropped frames and a few glitches lately. I have been using the tape cleaner but feel it might be time for a canon service and new heads to be safe. The last time I used it the clean heads message came up again.
Where can they be serviced in Canada?
How much for drum and head reoplacement?

There is no run time/head hours indicator on the XL1s that anyone has ever discovered/reported.

Routine annual servicing is a good idea if you are a heavy/professional user of the camcorder. Casual user can get away with less often

Back of the manual should have the Canon Canada contact information, my XL1 mmanual says ca.. 1-800-828-4040, (same number as USA) and they should be able to give you assistance finding Canon repair/service.

Hey alex,

What I use is a flash recorder. edirols r9 has not let me down. You can record wav and load into your system via usb. I used to use minidisc but every once in awhile i would find myself importing into my DAW to stretch. The cool thing is that I can import my movie(I use DP5.0) and sync without hassle! the best!

CA-920 Question
 

I dropped my CA-920 charger and although there is no visible damage to the exterior, it stopped working (doesn't supply any power to camera nor does it charge batteries). It simply makes a faint, high-pitched whining sound. Any ideas on what can be done?

Thanks,

Scott

Sounds like perhaps a cracked circuit board trace or loose connection. Short of you being a well qualified electronics technician, no suggstions other than to call Canon and find out whether or not it is worth sending in for repair or just buying a new one.

Video Light Recommendations
 

I am looking to purchase a Video Light for my XL1s for low light interviews... Any suggestions?
Thanks,

Probably any on camera video will do for a start.

There are three issues, in my opinion.

1st: If the interview is close to you, less than 6', 10 watts of quartz DC light is more than adequate.

2nd: Diffuse the light so it has a softer, and less spectral quality.

3d: Figure out a way to extend the position of the light so it is at least 10" above the lens. Most on-camera light manufacturers seem to think the the camera built-in elevation between lens and shoe mount (abour 3-4 inches) is enough to avoid bright light complaints from subjects. They are dead wrong.

After that it is power supply and convenience of use. I've beenm using my on camera lights for 20 years.

You might check into the NRG line. Specifically the Varalux Pro. You can control the intensity from 10 to 100% of capacity, (10 watts to 100 watts with a 100 watt bulb), plus the head tilts up so you can bounce the light and avoid complaints, while diffusing the light. A very versatile light!

Mark

Frame Rate Capture Presets for FCP 5.1
 

What's the best capture settings for my XL1s footage, shot in frame rate? I'm guessing 23.97? What about advanced pulldown removal? What about 24fps? I'd really appreciate any input.

Black and white EVF Option, need guidance!
 

On the Canon XL1S Watchdog under exploration of new features it states:

EVF Color/Black and White -- according to the XL1S instruction manual, you now have the option of turning off the color information in the EVF, converting it into a black and white LCD display. This is not as good as the more expensive B&W CRT viewfinder, but some shooters may prefer B&W in the LCD display instead of full color

I scanned the manual and cannot figure out how to do this, any ideas?

Cleaning heads ?
 

As I have had this "Clean Heads" come up everyday I use this camera and I have ran a "Panisonic Dry Head cleaning tape" through the camera about 6-7 times and I still seem to get the same message with the same problems as jeff has, I came to wondering if anyone has ever tried cleaning the heads with a damp quewtip and alcohal and had this problem clear up.

I'm running out of ideas and am planing on going to get another head cleaning tape to try, I may also grab the Sony tape and try it. As I see it I'm going to have to send this camera in, so I may as well try to see if I can get another few weeks out of it...

Whats your thoughts on the damp quewtip or is it a bad idea ?

Wet cleaning carries additional risk. MiniDV video heads are very small compared to VHS, Beta, etc, and a wet process could leave residue or debris/fibers from a poor cleaning swab (and a cotton tipped Q-tip is a very poor head cleaning swab) that might make things worse, which is I suspect why Canon does not recommend it.

If several dry tape cleanings does not help, best to send it to Canon for a servicing. Note: just a thought - have you checked the heads with a new, freshly recorded tape after your cleaning? A tape made just before the cleaning may have had a problem during the record process.

Thanks Don for your feed back,

To answer your question , yes sir I have. I have tried everything possible to clear this up but it has never got any better and seems to be getting worst as time goes on. I'm beginning to get a lot of Blue screen recordings.

I understand the frustration jeff is having as I have lost tons of footage I can not regain.

I'm using the Panasonic Mini DV Professional tapes and as I was told the owner I bought the camera off used Panasonic as well in this camera.

I have to wonder if the cleaning tape i have is a Nil tape, so I'm going to get another today...

Thanks again

Ok, this is posted on the XL1S Watchdog site and no one has any idea on how or where to find this function... Or am I alone and no one knows where to find this function?

Broken Lens, Please help!
 

Does anyone know how to fix a broken lens, or where to go to get it fixed in Ireland?

The problem happened when I wanted to bring the camera up to the country with me, I strapped it up and put it in it's metal case then put it in the boot. When I opened the box after the drive everything looked O.K., then when I lifted up the camera the lens didnt come up with it! It fell of the camera! It was still hanging because it was connected by a couple of different coloured wires! I brought it inside and had a look of it...What I had found was that the metal part on the end of the lens (the bit that grips into the camera) was still attached onto the XL1 but had slipped off the end of the lens! The screws had become loose forcing it to slip off. The green and yellow wires are now disconnected from the tiny metal parts on the broken off part of the lens, while the others (purple, blue, orange, red, brown) are still connected!The screws might have become loose from the vibration's and shaking of the car or something.

does anyone know what to do...I live in Ireland, so does anyone know the place where they service them, and aprox how much it will be??

I really cant live without the XL1, and help would be greatly appreciated.

please respond soon,

-Reece O Connell

Probably why Canon ships the camcorders wit the lens removed.

Canon has service centers in Europe. You can probably find the one that services your location on the web if you search for it. Maybe start at: http://www.canon.ie/

If you are a skilled technician you might be able to put the lens back together yourself. The screws may still be in the case or under the flange. But some adjustments might be off when done, such as flange back distance, and thus the results could be less than optimum. In general the body and lens should to be together for the factory adjustment to be optimum.

I think my XL1 may be dying
 

As of lately I have been having some problems with my XL1. It is the backup to my HVX200, but I still rely on it a lot for multicamera shoots etc. Because the camera is mainly unmanned I run it in the auto mode, setting the AE so that it grabs the correct light level, or at least close enough for me to adjust it in post. The camera is now really shifting the light level back and forth, as well as the focus is shifting a lot. What could be causing this problem, has anyone else experienced it?

xl 1's NEVER DIE.


Send it in for a complete overall / You will still be shooting with it a few
years from now.

I can't say this from the latter in the XL Series Cammy's because from the
different transport mechanisim /

But i know , because i know , the original xl1 stood the test of time.

Spend some bucks on it , you won't regret it.

Herman.

sending it in to canon tomorrow.....

Thank you very much

Price for used XL1
 

What's average price for good condition XL1 and it comes with original accessories? TIA.

Private sale, trade with a dealer, etc.? Values vary widely and will depend on location as well.

For starters check the Private Classifieds here, http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=16

Then check E-bay, especially recently completed auctions if you can, other used gear lists like Craig's List or Recycler, and of course, the dealers who also do used gear such as B&H.

Hmm no one responded to your question.

You'll want to capture at the standard DV NTSC 29.97 preset in FCP. Your camera doesn't shoot in 24p so capturing at 24fps is not a good idea and doesn't give you any advantage. Stick to the DV NTSC preset and you'll be good.

Advanced pull-down is used for a camera, like the XL2, that will shoot in 24p advanced. It extracts the full 24 frames per sec from the tape.

I do believe you could alter the preset to turn the fields off if you're shooting in frame mode, but I do not know this for sure.