Howdy from Texas,

There are no dumb questions here. The only dumb question is the one that doesn't get asked.

The short answer is that Frame Movie mode does not apply to the VCR position. Once you've shot in Frame Movie mode, it's always like that, even back and forth from computer to camera.

When Frame Movie mode is initially recorded to tape during your shoot, it's broken actually down into interlace. It *looks* like 25p but it's actually 50i (otherwise you couldn't play it back on a standard PAL TV).

So no worries, and ask anything you want around here.

I've got a good friend in Canberra -- a pro videographer name of Paul Hackett -- I need to see if he's coming up stateside for NAB.

Oils in the U.S. as we speak!!

G'day,

Thanks Chris,

I've learnt so much from this community and the Watchdog. I read it most days, its great!

cheers

Canon System Hard Case
 

Does anyone have this Case? I purchased it instore from B&H Photo for about $400 after taxes. I have to say that this case is very attractive on the outside and it seems rugged enough to withstand travel however inside of the case it is setup more to carry action figures and dollies rather than an expensive DV camera.

Canon made this case and I thought it would be a perfect fit, but this case needs some foam. I wouldnt suggest carrying the camera anywhere heavy duty or on the plane.


Has anyone come up with some solutions to secure the camera rathe than the foam cardboard cutout with velcro straps that are supplied?

This may not be what you want to hear, but you could always put that case on Ebay, and then get a really good custom XL1 hardshell case from CasesPlus (articles on the Watchdog).

Webcasting with XL1S
 

Hello,

We are going to Webcast a conference and we're using our XL1S with our Webcasting software. The video is just going to be passed through the camera to the computer. Can we use the firewire cable to do this? I know that video can be passed through to a monitor via RCA and S-Video, can the same thing happen via Firewire??

If not will we have to get a analog video capture card and pass the video through that way?

Thanks!

-Tracy

Hi, I'm answering my own question. YES YOU CAN!! We got it to work and it looks great! If anyone is interested, we are going to be Webcasting Lance Armstrong in Austin next week using our Canon XL1S: http://www.oncolink.com/templates/conferences/article.cfm?c=2&s=9&ss=35&id=527

Bye,
Tracy

xl1 viewfinder markings
 

hi there xl1 users,
i am a designer, and i design several things, i have been busy designing a steadicam wich i am pretty far with building.
but now in the meanwhile im thinking of producing several plates wich you could place in your viewfinder, it would contain composition markings. and i would like to know how many of you people would be interested, it would cost about 35 dollar for a plate and the markings will be very precise and clear to see, i will design several types of plates with different markings, and ofcourse it would contain a kit for mounting it, and they are also interchangable.
there are a couple of things i would like to know :
1. how many of you would be interested in buying such a plate?
2. what kind of markings would you like to see on these plates? and do you want numbers with the markings (for examlpe small text that says its 1.78:1 aka 16:9), i can add any marking you would like, 1.85:1, 2.35:1 its also possible for me to procue plates with several markings on it.
3. its also possible to black out the part outside the marking, so if you have a 4:3 cam it would look like real 16:9 in your finder because everyting outside the 16:9 part is black. so theres a choice between transparent and black.

please let me know.

thank you in advance.

Stills
 

I am unable to get the stills off my footage easilywith Final Cut Pro 3. Should I be able to use this, or do I need another program?
Rick Banfield

Hmmm...the "stills" should come off as 6 sec of footage, which is how they're actually recorded to the tape. That is, you should be able to log and capture these segments just as you would the motion segments of the tape.

VeriZoom MediaPro
 

Well, I took the plunge. Should be here Wednesday. Already wondering if there is a place to drill holes in it to mount gadgets. Been trying to find a good place for my Studio 1 XLR audio adapter for the past year.

Fitz

Aft tally lamp cover missing
 

Gah!

The black-translucent tally lamp cover on the back (handle) of my XL1S is gone! It must have been poorly glued-on, and popped right off during transport. It wasn't in my Porta-Brace bag, and I can't find it on the floor anywhere. I'm concerned that my XL1S is made more vulnerable to the elements now that this new aperture has exposed the innards. Has this happened to anybody else? Do I have to send the whole thing back in now?

Hello,

I'll bet you'll never find it brcause more than likely it's inside the handle. If you call the canon club and then have them put you thru to repairs, they may confirm my suspicion.

If thats the case you may wish to cover it ( the opening that is, with opaque scotch tape)

If nothing else it will keep out the dirt and rain.
Hope it works.

Radio mics and inputs
 

I am using the XL-1 for the first time very soon and I am somewhat confused by my choice of audio inputs. I plan to use two radio mics and the onboard mic for back up. The camera I am using has a beechbox ( I think) which is an adapter that allows me to plug in two XLRs and therefore the radio mics. Coming out of this box are two mini jacks. Now, I have turned the camera to '12 bit ST-1,2' and I'm thinking of plugging the two mini jacks into Audio 2 so I record two mono channels of sound on this input and the onboard mic on Audio 1. Is this the correct thing to do or is there a better way of recording good quality sound onto this camera.
Thanks
Carlo

Carlo - If you are using a BeachTek adaptor designed for the XL1, it should connect directly to the Audio 2 inputs (RCA connectors). If the adaptor is designed for a different camera, it might have a miniplug that would require modification or miniplug -> RCA splitter to work. Otherwise, your approach sounds fine.

When monitoring your output with headphones or analog outputs, be aware that you can select Audio 1, Audio 2 or Mixed via the Audio Monitor button.

Chris has a very good four-part article on XL1 audio on the Watchdog site. (http://www.dvinfo.net/xl1.htm) Select the Articles Menu.

Canon Xl1 training video?
 

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a good video on the xl1?

Thanks,
Tom

get photos trouht firewire?
 

i just want to know if its possible to get the photos on hd by the firewire. (without buying the card adapter)
I have the xl1
thanks

Using video lens on normal photo camera?
 

Is it possible to take the standard Canon 16x lens for the XL1 and use it on a normal photographic camera? The only problem is my camera is a Nikon, so the lens does not fit directly. But if using the lens IS possible, are there standard adapters available that would work to hook it up?! The lens is great compared to what I have for my camera now, in terms of F-stop and focal length.

I'm pretty sure that a photo camera would not be able to operate the 16x lens; although wait until someone who knows comes along and confirms/corrects this until you take my word for it.

Hi,

No it is not possible to use a canon video lens on a 35mm still camera. The XL1 for example use 1/3 inch chips. This is much smaller than 35mm film. The circle of coverage would only fill a small portion of the 35mm film. 35mm lens work on video cameras because even on a 2/3 inch chip they have excess coverage.

The center of a lens is always the sharpest and best corrected for optical deficancies. This can provide stunning video images using 35mm lenses. But they provide a 7.2X magnification (on 1/3 inch chip) which make them usefull for few endevors other than nature work and such.

Jeff Donald

Time lapse sunrise
 

Hello all-
I am new to this group, as well as videography. I have been editing for years, but now find myself on the other end quite frequently.

My question; Will doing a timelapse sunrise damage my new XL1S? What is the best way to maximize the images, while reducing any hazards to the camera?
Thank in advance,
Keith

Shooting sunrise/sunset is perfectly safe. To be sure though turn your gain down to -3db, and use a polarizing filter on the lens. The polarizer will cut down the light 2 stops and it will also saturate the colours.

I'd also put in the ND filter first, just to be safe... You can put
it off if to few light hits the CCD. And close down your lens
as much as possible.

NAB was fun...
 

Hi Chris,

Nice to finally put a face with a name. Wish we could have spent more time, but in any case it was nice to meet you. Also, a quick howdy to Ashly Guy. Was nice to share a limo with you. Hope all the parties went well.

Coolest things I saw:
- Canopus Procoder
- AVID Express 3.0 was nice
- After Effects upgrade had some nice added tools
- Good DVD information in the Sands Hall

Most valuable tip:
- Talked to Premiere about that dang Adobe Online coming up and ruining captures, renders, and what not. FINALLY, got an answer without having to pay tech fees. Simple as deleting the Folder. Also ended up with a good technical managers name to send in suggestions.

Anyway, had fun and did meet a bunch more people.

What do you mean by this question? You have to have a firewire connection to connect to the XL-1. If you have the firewire connection, you can capture video from the XL-1 consisting if however many frames you need - including 1. So, what do you mean by: (without buying the card adapter)?

Anyone using MARzPAK?
 

Hi there,

Guys if someone got a MARzPAK? could you gimme an hoest opinion abt it and how it fares to similar in function support products?

I'm considering bying it, but would like to hear opinions before shelling out 400$ for it.

TIA
Kairat

AV INSERT feature on XL1S. Really?!
 

Hiya folks,

New XL1S user here, working through the XL1S manual and happened upon pages 90-92 describing the VCR mode's AV Insert Editing.

My initial response is - Really? That can't be! How can they? Does it really work?!?

See, I've been taught that in miniDV, each frame's time code data is encoded with the image information. Other formats, like DVCAM, Beta, or SVHS store their timecode on a separate track/band/micron of the tape. To do an insert edit requires that the timecode be undistrubed at the end of the new write when all is said and done - which is why recording a small clip in the middle a pre-recorded VHS tape results in that nasty snow wipe at the tail of the inserted clip. The VHS wrote blank time code and reading over the chage mucks up the framing.

Up till now, it's been my experience that miniDV hardware leaves a "dirty out" upon halting recording, writing the next time code address to be used on the next frame to be used. Should the device be turned off and then back on or the tape be removed and then re-inserted without being repositioned, recording can resume exactly where it left off without broken timecode. At the next record, the head reads the timecode of the dirty out and picks up from there.

I imagine that there are two great things going on with Canon's AV INSERT feature. The first being that it enables a "clean out", preventing contamination of the frame after the last inserted frame. The second is that the XL1S's mechanism is rock solid and can stop recording precisely where asked.

Heck, my Sony WV-DR7 miniDV deck can't do this. I'm not even sure the Sony DSR-11 can do it on miniDV either. It certainly can with DVCAM, of course.

It is great to know that I can call upon my XL1S to perform an insert edit to patch the occasional small flaw without having to do an assemble edit and write from the flaw to the end of the program.

Anyone have experience with this feature care to comment?

BTW, I did try to use the board's search to see if anyone's talked about the AV INSERT feature but the search engine refuses, stating that "av" doesn't meet the three character requirement. :-(

See the articles section at www.dvinfo.net for a review -- plus a link back to their site where there are some more testimonials (if memory serves). Its creator, Jacques Mersereau, is a member of our Community and I'm sure he'll respond here.

Focus Tip
 

Maybe this can become a thread where we can pass on good tips! I hope this one works.

Before I bought my XL1S, a Canon rep gave me a demonstration and mentioned this tip. Bear in mind I have had my camera for less than a week, so I'm still feeling my way (pardon the pun.)

I've noticed the focus ring in manual mode is very sensitive, requiring only minor adjusting, and maybe because I'm still new to it, I find it a little too sensitive. With more practice I'm sure this tip wont be needed. So here's the potential (still trying it) tip.

When shooting hand held and in Manual Mode, including focus, keep your thumb on the camera body, the protrusion below the iris control wheel, and your forefinger on the Pusf AF button and when you pan or zoom and need to refocus just hold down the Push AF button. In some situations you can even do it while recording. When on a tripod, and still using the zoom control, use your thumb to hold down the Push AF button.

Try it out and let us know.

Rain Coats
 

The Kata Rain Coat, RC-10, although bigger than the recommended 11 is great. With the MA-200 on and in it's rear most position, there is still about 6" of cover left. This is cool for two reasons: a)when shooting hand-held in manual mode, that little extra slack in the material makes it easier to move from the lens to the functions, and b)if at a later date I manage to get some EF lenses, that extra room will allow a longer lens.

Thanks, Guy...

This is very similar to Scott Barber's tip in his article, "Understanding Canon's New Way to Focus" on the Watchdog, but it's always nice to hear it again and it can't be repeated too often. Thanks again,

Also keep your little finger away from the focus ring when holding the camera as described. It is easy to screw up focus, even when in AF because moving the focus ring will temporarily override the auto mode. As stated above, it is a very sensitive adjustment.

XL1s Lens/Adaptor Rentals?
 

Anybody know where to rent lenses and adaptors for XL1s? It seems a shame to spend a grand for a lens to use on rare occasion.

If there is a film supply rental shop in your area they may indeed carry rental gear for DV shooters. It all depends on where you are.

See also http://www.zgc.com/html/p_s_technik_mini_35_digital_ad.html

Differences Between XL1/XL1S Lenses?
 

I have the opportunity to swap out my original XL1 lens for an XL1S lens and I was just wondering what the differences are between the two lens? Will the differences be apparent visually? Thanks

Hello Trent and Welcome!

If you mean that you plan to swap an original XL1 auto 16x lens for the newer version supplied with the XL1s, you probably won't notice too much difference. Many reporters have remarked that the autofocus on the new lens is improved and some have also remarked that the variable servo zoom on the new lens is smoother. Check out the "XL1s Skinny" on Chris' XL1 Watchdog site (http://www.dvinfo.net/xl1.htm).

Battery Connector/Adaptor
 

Does anyone know where you can get the plastic connector for the battery? What I mean is the plate with the terminals. So for example its on the battery charger, its on the camera itself, and on the canon light. Is there a way to get just that part, so you can attach it to other devices that use 7.2 volts. I want to attach that to some of my other devices so they all use the same battery. Any suggestions?

lenmar
 

For those of you who are interested, I found some a lenmar.com. I have the sony dv video walkman, and dont want to buy a sony battery so I'm going to fit this attachment and use the Canon battery since its the same voltage, it should work.

could you share your answer?
 

Tracy,

Could you share your discovery?

I'm looking to pass signal from a VHS player connected the composite RCA video of the XL1S which in turn is connected via firewire to Mac running FCP 3.

I know it's necessary to turn off FCP's deck control to do this.

What I'm not sure about is how to get the XL1s to pass through the signal without insisting that it be recording to miniDV tape along the way, or be paused at the ready to record. I'd like to avoid having it spin its VCR gears during the process if possible.

Thanks!
David.

DVCAM on XL1s
 

Will it harm the XL1s to play a DVCAM cassette?