Operating the XL2

Alvin Pingol · January 22, 2005

Yesterday, I operated an XL2 for about a 3 hour period (with brief "shoulder breaks" every now and then). Today, my shoulder still hurts. The camera felt very awkward to operate, with its front end being quite heavy. I never felt like I got used to the camera. The whole time I was struggling to position the camera body on my shoulder so that it wouldn't be bothersome, yet at the same time be easy to operate. I never did find that position.

Anyone else find the XL2 not quite ergonomically friendly? Or does it take quite some time to get used to?

Phil Rhodes · January 23, 2005

Hi,

Well, yes, that's the problem with the ol' bendycam.

One thing - how tall are you? I'm six four with arms to match, and I find I have to crunch my arm up so much to grip the thing that it's really very uncomfortable. I find that the XL tends to be actually resting on your hand, whereas your shoulder is simply contacting it, not taking any of the weight. This does improve if you put a professional battery adaptor on the back which balances it out considerably, but then it's a pretty wobbly medusa.

Having said that after a full day with my own camera, which certainly does put all the weight on your shoulder, you do know about it rather, so it's a case of choosing.

Phil

Alvin Pingol · January 24, 2005

I'm a mere 5 and a half(-ish) feet tall. Don't laugh - no one in my family is above six feet tall, relatives included.

Anyway, you mentioned the gripping hand taking much of the weight, and I found this to be true as well. Though my right arm quickly fatigued, which made operating a bit more difficult, it was my shoulder that felt the effects the day after. Perhaps I have a weak shoulder, but I think the soreness comes from the fact that the size of the shoulder rest is simply too small to evenly distribute the weight.

As opposed to, say...

drew_town · January 24, 2005

You can buy a shoulder mount that has a counter-weight system like the DV-Rig system or Varizoom. Yeah I recently shot handheld for an hour and a half straight. I was hurting. I'm throwing my pennies in a can for a DV-Rig. Oh, but it's still a great camera.

J. Lamar King IMPOSTOR · January 26, 2005

With the XL cameras one of the rod rigs that mount a battery and/or weght out back over your shoulder are the best way to go. It balances on a tripod better too.