Ron Sharp

Hey are you speaking of Panchromatic Viewing Filter? if this is what you looking for Filmtools has a good selection. http://www.filmtools.com/tif1panviewf.html

please forgive me for asking, What is pan glass?

A spot meter is a great tool, with the experience to understand the info it confirms for you. A image is made up of a range of light's(highlight's) and dark's(shadows), a spot meter confirms this range of highlight's and shadows. The dynamic range of the medium your using will determine the clipping point of the highlights and shadows for a image. Read about the "zone system" it will help a lot. SLR cameras now use a matrix metering system for exposure, this is just a number of spot meter readings in the camera with a algorithm to determine the exposure for you(Program mode). but it is still just used in the same way. Ron

Bad news first. it will not increase "film like" appearance. Good news it will increase telephoto properties big time. with the draw back being loss of light.F2.8 helps a lot. You will need the converter to adapt it to the xl2. this will give you 500mm -1440 mm converted to 35mm Get a sturdy tripod because stability will be an issue. for wildlife its awesome. IMO you will like it.

Xl2 works fine for chroma keying, either green or blue. tricks: make full use of the zebras to light the background as even as possible. set zebras to 100% for hot spots. make sure objects to be keyed out are away from background and casting no shadows on background. use a rim light and/or side light to cut any spill on objects from the green/blue background. use soft lights, chinaballs, softboxs, silks, to give good wrap around lighting for no shadows. make sure no wardrobe or props are even close to the same color or reflect the background.

I shoot the XL2 also, and the use of a circular polarizer (CPL) is the most important item you could use. Reduce reflections,Increase saturation, The on board ND filter does not reduce reflections only reduces exposure which only opens up the aperture and creates shallow depth of field which in surfing makes it harder to maintain focus or slower shutter speeds which makes blur. I use a CPL to maintain focus ability.I put a thin uv filter over it to protect the $270 filter. Regular linear pol filter inhibits the XL2 contrast focus lines and causes the lens to breath. when shooting with on shore winds I use a bag to prevent salt spray/sand/dust from evading camera.also a good sunshade and or french flag or "eyebrow" is a must to eliminate lens flare. tips: I like to use a ND grad filter to further reduce the sky exposure and bring down clipping in the sky. you can not bring out detail in the white blownout areas but you can lighten dark areas in post. also I use a fluid head tripod this is a must. zebras to 100% "to watch the blownout white in the waves and sky." Gamma Normal "I notice in (cine) I increase contrast in post." knee low "to prevent clipping in whites" Black Stretch "to separate blacks from shadows and/or dark green waves" I also make a second Custom Preset for the surfer girls but that's something entirely different. Thanks, Ron

Try a digital projector. if its to bright use ND filters to tone it down.

I believe that the halo effect is from the sun placed behind the actor. and a bounce board to fill the shadows.

If its in a studio you could use a cove,or cyclorama