On Jan 24, 6:10 pm, "John" <joh***@pacbell.net> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I just got a new used Canon L1A video camera.  I have a few questions
> if anyone would not mind answering.  The camera came with 3 lenses,
> 15x, 8x and the 3x wide angle.  I like the 3x for the wide angle and
> the 8x for the compact size and light weight.  The camera also came
> with the Wireless Remote and External stereo/zoom mic.
>
> I am using the Sony HMP Hi8/Digital8 tapes.  My first project was
> recording Tennis indoors.  I thought the lighting was OK untill a
> talked to other fellow tennis players.  But it should not be too bad.
> To start off I have a Panasonic VHS-C camera that I have use for a few
> years.  I think it take quite good Video.  But I was expecting the
> Canon L1 to take considerably better video.  So far for this project it
> does not.  Any thoughts on this subject?
>
> The main problem I am having is that when I play back the video there
> is a lot of noise/static or noice bars that come and go during
> playback.  This shows up when I play back the recording on my computer
> as well as when I view the play back in the view finder.  My first
> guess is that this is do to the tracking function?  I am trying to
> adject the tracking according to the Manual which I got from Canon.  It
> says to use the Wireless remote and put the camera in to slow motion
> playback.  Then press the +/- buttons on the camera untill the noise
> goes away.  What is the range of this?  ;Meaning roughly how many time
> should I have to press the +/- buttion in either direction in order to
> see a result?  I am comparing this function to what I know about VCR
> tracking.  With a VCR if you press the tracking button in one direction
> to many times the picture start shaking letting me know I am getting
> out of range.
>
> After the recording I bought a cleaning tape and cleaned the heads, 1
> time only.  My Panasonic video camera's manual says not to clean the
> tape heads unless you see a problem.  ;That you could damage the heads.
> Is this true with the Canon camera?  I did take some other video after
> cleaning the heads but I have more testing to see if that fixed the
> problem.  What do you think?
>
> The final question is about how the MIC/Head phones work.  I plugged in
> a pair of Sony in the ear type headphones and I only hear out of one
> ear.  Even in Stereo mode.  Is this correct?  The camera looks like it
> is recording in Stereo by the level indicators.  I can not get the
> automatic MIC setting to operate.  When I first turn on the camera in
> MIC - Auto mode it spikes and then I get no audio.  If I then switch to
> manual nmode the MIC works fine.
>
> Other than that I love the camera.
>
> Any other tid bits you can tell me about how to improve the image
> S-video quality would be appreciated.  The tennis video just looks
> grainy.  I am trying to get a feel as to what I should expect as a
> starting point.
>
> I am also using the Canopus ADVC 110, and Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0
> software.
>
> Thanks in advance for the help!!
>
> John

> I haven't used my L1 and L2 since 1998 so I am very rusty on how to
> operate them.   I don't recall any tracking controls.   Tracking should
> be automatic on all 8mm and Hi8 camcorders and VCR's.   I would guess
> that the tracking adjustments that you found were only for that slow
> motion effect and not for normal video.   The first thing I would
> suspect is a bad tape.   Try other NEW Hi8 tapes to see if they have
> the same problem.
>
> My L1 and L2 worked great in normal sunlight.   I think there was a
> small amount of grain in low light.    The automatic white balance
> didn't work well with mercury vapor lights which you probably
> encountered at the indoor tennis court?    Don't judge the camcorder
> under those conditions.
>
> To test the camcorder get new tapes and take video in good outdoor
> lighting.   You should have no noise bars and the video should be close
> to what todays MiniDV camcorders can produce.    It is hard to say what
> your problems are when using the camcorder under those marginal
> conditions.
>
> I never used a cleaning tape in either of my Canon camcorders.   I
> would not use one very often because they are about the same as extra
> fine grit sandpaper and they do wear on the heads.   A well used
> camcorder may already have worn out heads and could be causing your
> noise problems.
>
> Try wiggling your headphone plug while wearing the headphones and see
> if the dead side starts working in some position.   I suspect you have
> a bad headphone jack on the camcorder.   Maybe it is just dirty and
> some electrical contact cleaning fluid or tuner cleaner sprayed on some
> cotton wrapped around a toothpick and inserted in the headphone jack a
> few times might help a dirty headphone jack?
>
> Buying used camcorders is a crap shoot.   I am suspecting that yours
> was worn out before you got it.   I hope I am wrong.   The L1 and L2
> were great camcorders.   I am not familiar with the L1A?    I never
> heard of it before but I assume it was a late model L1?
>
> Dave
>
> On Jan 24, 6:10 pm, "John" <joh***@pacbell.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Hello,
>
> > I just got a new used Canon L1A video camera.  I have a few questions
> > if anyone would not mind answering.  The camera came with 3 lenses,
> > 15x, 8x and the 3x wide angle.  I like the 3x for the wide angle and
> > the 8x for the compact size and light weight.  The camera also came
> > with the Wireless Remote and External stereo/zoom mic.
>
> > I am using the Sony HMP Hi8/Digital8 tapes.  My first project was
> > recording Tennis indoors.  I thought the lighting was OK untill a
> > talked to other fellow tennis players.  But it should not be too bad.
> > To start off I have a Panasonic VHS-C camera that I have use for a few
> > years.  I think it take quite good Video.  But I was expecting the
> > Canon L1 to take considerably better video.  So far for this project it
> > does not.  Any thoughts on this subject?
>
> > The main problem I am having is that when I play back the video there
> > is a lot of noise/static or noice bars that come and go during
> > playback.  This shows up when I play back the recording on my computer
> > as well as when I view the play back in the view finder.  My first
> > guess is that this is do to the tracking function?  I am trying to
> > adject the tracking according to the Manual which I got from Canon.  It
> > says to use the Wireless remote and put the camera in to slow motion
> > playback.  Then press the +/- buttons on the camera untill the noise
> > goes away.  What is the range of this?  ;Meaning roughly how many time
> > should I have to press the +/- buttion in either direction in order to
> > see a result?  I am comparing this function to what I know about VCR
> > tracking.  With a VCR if you press the tracking button in one direction
> > to many times the picture start shaking letting me know I am getting
> > out of range.
>
> > After the recording I bought a cleaning tape and cleaned the heads, 1
> > time only.  My Panasonic video camera's manual says not to clean the
> > tape heads unless you see a problem.  ;That you could damage the heads.
> > Is this true with the Canon camera?  I did take some other video after
> > cleaning the heads but I have more testing to see if that fixed the
> > problem.  What do you think?
>
> > The final question is about how the MIC/Head phones work.  I plugged in
> > a pair of Sony in the ear type headphones and I only hear out of one
> > ear.  Even in Stereo mode.  Is this correct?  The camera looks like it
> > is recording in Stereo by the level indicators.  I can not get the
> > automatic MIC setting to operate.  When I first turn on the camera in
> > MIC - Auto mode it spikes and then I get no audio.  If I then switch to
> > manual nmode the MIC works fine.
>
> > Other than that I love the camera.
>
> > Any other tid bits you can tell me about how to improve the image
> > S-video quality would be appreciated.  The tennis video just looks
> > grainy.  I am trying to get a feel as to what I should expect as a
> > starting point.
>
> > I am also using the Canopus ADVC 110, and Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0
> > software.
>
> > Thanks in advance for the help!!
>
> > John- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -