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Picking up an XL1 today, help please!....


Alex MacColl

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Hi there, i managed to get a mint XL1 with all accesories and a Aluminum canon Case off a good friend.

Now i'm picking it up today, and i of course will test it.

What should i look for when testing it? (I'm a bit of a newb, albeit with experience with this camera)

I just want to be 100% sure that there isn't a problem with it.

Any help very welcome.

Thanks in advance

Alex

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Hi there, i managed to get a mint XL1 with all accesories and a Aluminum canon Case off a good friend.

Now i'm picking it up today, and i of course will test it.

What should i look for when testing it? (I'm a bit of a newb, albeit with experience with this camera)

I just want to be 100% sure that there isn't a problem with it.

Any help very welcome.

Thanks in advance

Alex

 

 

Hello. You might want to try DVinfo.net's XL1/XL1s forum. I think there might be a little more activity there. I'd answer your question but own an XL2 not 1. Good luck and great shooting. :)

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Hey,

 

The two biggest vulnerabilities on the XL series are the tape heads and the lens. Record tape through it and make sure no "mosaic" artifacts pop up on playback. Head cleaning tape may clear that up or it may not. If the cam was not cared for properly or if the previous user had a habit of not letting it equalize temperatures and condensation before shooting, the heads can get permanently goofed up. The same issue comes up when cheap tapes or different manufacturer's tapes have been used. They all have different methods of tape lubrication and mixing those can goof-up the heads and even cause permanent damage. The other issue is mishandling. Casual users can knock the lens against doorjambs or let it roll around on the floor of cars. Make sure the lens delivers sharp images at every zoom and iris setting.

 

Other than that, it's the usual concerns: are all of the jacks serviceable? The RCA jacks on the back get the most use and were a bad design choice. If all the knobs and jacks seem solid, then they'll likely be okay.

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Hey,

 

The two biggest vulnerabilities on the XL series are the tape heads and the lens. Record tape through it and make sure no "mosaic" artifacts pop up on playback.

I've owned every model in the XL series and never had any " 'mosaic artifacts popup on playback' " problem. Granted, if it does happen it's more a problem with the user not properly maintaining the camera, not an problem with the "XL series" itself.

 

Too, there is nothing wrong with the lens on the XLs, either. It simply a matter of learning how to use them.

 

Jay

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