Jay Gladwell

Yes, the XL2 is considerably sharper, although I do not recall what the exact percentage is. The color is less saturated than the XL1s, too. The good news is if you're shooting footage on the XL2 that will be edited with footage shot on an XL1s, you can (will need to) adjust the settings on the XL2 to match the XL1s! Those settings are: Make certain the gain on both cameras is set to zero. Make certain both cameras are white balanced the same. On the XL2 set the color matrix/gamma to "Normal". Set the knee to "High". Set the black to "Middle". Set the color gain to "+2". Set the color phase to "+2" (toward red). Set the RGB to: Red Gain "+2", Green gain "-2", Blue gain, "+2". Set the sharpness to "-4 or -5". Set the set-up level to "-2". Set the master pedestal to "-4 to -5". This may require some minor tweeks, depending on your eye.

http://www.clickfordigital.com/detail.tpl?productid=122 has the XL2 for $3,549.00 and they have a good rating, too.

Steve, before answering your questions, it would help to know what it is you'll be shooting. Interior or exterior? Talking heads or a horse race? For me, no two jobs are exactly the same. The mics and lights I use in one shoot may not work in another.

Agreed! We were singing from the same page.

Josh, this is only a starting place--square one. If you don't know what an hour of your time is worth to you, who does? For example, if I know what the "expenses" are going to run, the only other item left is my "time." Sometimes, when all the expenses are covered by the client, as in such cases of being a "hired gun", I still need to know what my time is worth to have a basis for my day rate.

Sorry, Tim, I wasn't aware of that.

Yes, your market (location) affects everything! What the market will bear in Miami will be markedly different from what the market will bear in small Southern town. What is an hour of your time worth? Regardless of what you're doing, you charge for it. Don't forget, the rentals (and any other expenses) are in addition to your fee, not a part of. Too, you should check out DV Info Net -- http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=40 -- they discuss this topic quite often.

Since you have no budget and since this prevents any test footage, forget the on-camera filters and do your enhancements and tweaking in post. No, you don't have to lay down black, although some still do. Which camera are you using?

Ben, it all depends on what "look" is wanted. Do you want the area 3-feet away from the candles to be black? If not, you have to light your set for the look you want to see. Remember, what your eyes see and what the camera's chips see are two entirely different things. If you want some detail in the "dark" areas, you'll have to add some light (at the same color temperature as the candles) to bring up the detail in these "unlit" areas. Use a monitor (or television) so you can see what you're actually getting. Using the gain WILL add noise. Too, it's easier to salvage some detail from dark areas (if there's any there at all, i.e., it's not totally black) than it is to salvage detail from over exposed areas, 'cause there simply isn't any detail there to recover!

1) No, there isn't. 2) For the most part, yes, but not entirely, depending on your approach to lighting a set. Read this thread: http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...showtopic=11853

You're comparing apples to oranges. A few items to be considered have been mentioned, but there are many more! Work flow, for example. That in and of itself has much to be taken into consideration, because there is a difference. Many people are finding that they can't take the Z1 out of the box and start shooting like they can with so many SD cameras. Whatever "weaknesses" one has in shooting SD or whatever aspects they haven't mastered in SD, they are magnified many times shooting in HD. "Choose" wisely!"

Congrats, Chris! You're gonna really enjoy your new camera!

Chris, I guess you missed the point. They are a sham operation--bait and switch. You NEVER pay the price they advertise. They bait you with that price, then sell you another thousand dollars worth of junk that you don't want or need. If you don't play their game, the camera is instantly and mysteriously on backorder. In other words, stay away from them! Always remember: If it's too good to be true, it is!

Here's a link to a picture of the address of 47stphoto.com. You decide if this is where you want to do business. http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/h0086.htm Here's B&H. http://donwiss.com/pictures/ManhattanStores/h0002.htm

Don't waste your time. Go with B&H, a highly reputable company.

Yes, you can trasfer from one medium to another, i.e., VHS to DVD, with the proper equipment. But my question would be why would you want to? If it were me, I would go back to the Beta masters and start from there. Then, and only then, I would transfer the finished reel to DVD.

I would suggest you contact Canon and ask them for the bracket you want. Yes, the XL2 comes with said bracklet, but it is different from the brack for the earlier XL cameras.

Generally speaking, I agree with Chien. To put it simply, I would say the DVX is for those who don't know a great deal about operating a camera--more point and shoot. On the other hand, the XL2 is geared more toward those want and know how to manipulate a camera to have control over the image they are recording. The XL2 is for advanced users may be the most simple way to put it.

Right out of the box, that's true. But the XL2 is far more flexible in the image adjustment/manipulation department and has the capability of giving more gorgeous images than the DVX100.

This is what "cinematography" is all about. Even in "the movies" things aren't as they appear! The basic trick is to light the set to make it "look" like what you've described--it's a matter of ratios--light to dark. Light the table to get what you want it to look like, then add just enough light in the dark areas to bring the details up to the level you want. You will more than likely want to use a monitor while doing this so you can "see" the effect as you work on it. With the flexibility of the XL2 this would be easier to do.

With that camera, you'd have to do everything, except lighting, (de-interlace, convert to 24p, change gamma curve, etc.) in post.

I can't recall that I've ever seen one. What is it that you are specifically looking for?

James, let me begin by stating what I am about to say is NO reflection upon you, but rather your school. I can't tell you how many times I've read similar posts in like forums. One would think that if a student were shooting his "final project" for school he would have been taught, somewhere along the way, about lighting technique. Evidently, this is not the case. What a sad commentary it is on the educational institutions that pass themselves off as film schools or offer classes/degrees in filmmaking that are readily taking student's money and giving little or nothing in return.

My apologies. That should have read "I've NEVER seen that before." If it were a horizontal sync problem, wouldn't the stripe be going from side-to-side instead of top-to-bottom?

Well, I've been shooting with XLs for over 5 years and I've seen that before. I don't know what to tell you, other than 1) take the camera back to the dealer, 2) send it to Canon for a repair. Being under warranty they should fix it at no charge to you (presumming you bought it new).