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Shooting with the XL-1


Ari Davidson

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Hello cinematographers!

 

I'm performing camera/lens tests for a surreal short I was recently hired on. Currently I'm shooting with the stock 16x lens but I am not crazy about the way it operates. I've stumbled upon a few dead links that mentioned a PL to Xl adapter. This would be perfect since I do have access to a 16mm angenieux 12-120. I don't mind the 3x magnification since I'm shooting mostly exterior and telephoto. As I said all the links are dead. Does anyone know where I can find a PL adapter? Or any mount adapter that would allow me to use more conventional lenses. Furthermore, I would love to hear any suggestions, praises, or horror stories regarding this camera.

 

Best,

 

Ari.

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Les Bosher in the UK makes a PL adapter for the XL-1:

 

http://www.lesbosher.co.uk/

 

Hello cinematographers!

 

I'm performing camera/lens tests for a surreal short I was recently hired on. Currently I'm shooting with the stock 16x lens but I am not crazy about the way it operates. I've stumbled upon a few dead links that mentioned a PL to Xl adapter. This would be perfect since I do have access to a 16mm angenieux 12-120. I don't mind the 3x magnification since I'm shooting mostly exterior and telephoto. As I said all the links are dead. Does anyone know where I can find a PL adapter? Or any mount adapter that would allow me to use more conventional lenses. Furthermore, I would love to hear any suggestions, praises, or horror stories regarding this camera.

 

Best,

 

Ari.

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You have an Angenieux 12-120 in PL mount? I don't think I've ever seen one of those up for sale; just older mounts.

 

Just for the record, though, you're going to pay several hundred dollars for the mount adapter (in my experience) which you could use to rent a better camera for the shoot, more than likely (like an XVX200 and go the HDV route).

 

Also, though, the XL1 might fight you a bit with the mechanical adapter. I've always very much disliked Canon's super proprietary lens mounts, which is why when it came time to get a DSLR I voted for Nikon.

 

In terms of shooting, I shot several (terrible) shorts with an XL1s years ago. I jumped on the XL1 bandwagon before there was a DVX100 bandwagon to jump on. I think the XL1 was the most light sensitive of all the prosumer DV cams that came out. It seemed like I was constantly using ND filters AND stopping it down. I never did figure out how to consistently get the contrast right, but that may be my complete ineptitude as a photographer. If you're shooting day exteriors, I don't know how you're going to keep the images from being completely blown out; I never figured it out and I had two ND filters on my lens whenever I was outside.

 

I'd still vote for renting better equipment than investing in the adapter (any adapter, for that matter) -- even if you already own the XL1. I've seen my footage (inept as it may be) projected on a cinema screen next to (equally inept) footage from the DVX100 and there was a noticeable difference in just the basic quality of the image. Maybe simply because of the great (or at least better than Canon) lenses a lot of the fixed lens DV and HDV camera have.

 

That's just my two cents, though.

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Hello cinematographers!

 

I'm performing camera/lens tests for a surreal short I was recently hired on. Currently I'm shooting with the stock 16x lens but I am not crazy about the way it operates. I've stumbled upon a few dead links that mentioned a PL to Xl adapter. This would be perfect since I do have access to a 16mm angenieux 12-120. I don't mind the 3x magnification since I'm shooting mostly exterior and telephoto. As I said all the links are dead. Does anyone know where I can find a PL adapter? Or any mount adapter that would allow me to use more conventional lenses. Furthermore, I would love to hear any suggestions, praises, or horror stories regarding this camera.

 

Best,

 

Ari.

 

Ari,

 

If you are hellbent on using the XL1, may I suggest you try to find a Canon 14X fully manual lens that was made for that camera. I shot a couple of documentaries in 2002 with an XL1s and the 14x manual lens, and the image quality was head and shoulders above the 16x lens that came with the camera.

 

Canon 14x Manual Focus Lens on eBay

 

I don't know anything about that auction, I just wanted to point out what the lens looks like.

 

Best,

-Tim

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