Tools for capturing images and sound.
Shooters who bemoaned difficulties with the standard-issue 16x IS II Automatic lens’ focus control quickly began proclaiming this lens to be their savior, often recommending that new XL1S buyers forego the IS II lens altogether.
If we exclude the neccessary items such as batteries and tripod from this consideration, then here’s what I would call the “Top Five” must-haves for the Canon GL2.
I’ve had about 3 weeks to play with the new Canon GL2, and I thought this was a good time to offer my impressions about the camera, and also to give you the details of a comparison test I made utilizing the GL2, the XL1S and the Sony PD150.
As I only had the PD150 on loan for a few hours, this portion of the comparison only includes the XL1S and GL2. In the lowest light situations the GL2 is about 1/2 stop less sensitive than the the XL1S.
Right out of the box, I felt the PD150 looked the best relative to skin tones, however the GL2 is capable of duplicating the look of the either the PD150 or the XL1S, by adjusting color, sharpness, set-up, etc.
Some Canon GL2 Images submitted by Barry Goyette Clicking an image will open it in a new window at full-size (720×480). GL2: The neutral areas in the chart are actually…
I thought it would be neat to have a copy of the Full SMPTE Colorbars on the Sony Memory Stick. This would come in handy if and when my Calibar batteries die on location, and also nice to share with everyone that does not have a Calibar, but does own a PD150, VX2000, or other Memory Stick compatible camera.
The PD150’s on-board audio can be used successfully for audio recordings if you know its limitations. Critical audio recording is still best done with dedicated audio recording hardware using high-performance microphones and preamplifiers.
Karl Horn of CineTech is highly regarded for his superbly crafted pro shooting accessories for the film and high-end video industries. After adapting his follow focus, matte box and Hip-Cam rigs for the Canon XL1S, he recently did the same for the Sony PD150. Here are some shots of his gear from the NAB 2002 tradeshow in Las Vegas.
I thought we’d start off with a comparison of the PD150 and VX2000… in some ways they’re the same; in others, they’re different.