Canon XL2 Instruction Manual

							
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Additional
Information
How to avoid condensation:
❍Unload the cassette, place the camcorder in an airtight plastic bag and let it adjust to temperature
changes slowly before removing it from the bag.
When condensation is detected:
❍The camcorder stops operating, and the warning message “CONDENSATION HAS BEEN DETECTED”
appears for approx. 4 seconds and “ h” starts flashing. 
❍ If a cassette is loaded, the warning message “REMOVE THE CASSETTE”\
 appears and “ v” starts
flashing. Remove the cassette immediately and leave the cassette compartment open. Leaving the
cassette in the camcorder may damage the tape. 
❍ A cassette cannot be loaded when condensation is detected.
Resuming use:
❍It takes about 1 hour until the water droplets evaporate. After the cond\
ensation warning stops
flashing, wait for 1 more hour before resuming use.
Battery Pack Handling Precautions
DANGER!
Treat the battery pack with care.
• Keep it away from fire (or it might explode).
• Do not expose the battery pack to temperature higher than 140 ºF (60\
 ºC). Do not leave it near a
heater or inside a car in hot weather.
• Do not try to disassemble or modify it.
• Do not drop or knock it.
• Do not get it wet.
❍ Charged battery packs continue to discharge naturally. Therefore, charge them on the day of use, or
the day before, to ensure a full charge.
❍ Attach the terminal cover whenever a battery pack is not in use. Contact\
 to metallic objects may
cause a short circuit and damage the battery pack. 
❍ Dirty terminals may cause a poor contact between the battery pack and the camcorder. Wipe the
terminals with a soft cloth.
❍ Since storing a charged battery pack for a long time (about 1 year) ca\
n shorten its lifecycle or affect
performance, we recommend to discharge the battery pack fully and to sto\
re it in a dry place at
temperatures no higher than 86 ˚F (30 ˚C). If you do not use the\
 battery pack for long periods, charge
and discharge it fully at least once a year. If you have more than 1 battery pack, perform these
precautions at the same time for all battery packs.
❍ Although the battery pack’s operating temperature range is from 32 ˚F to 104 ˚F 
(0 ˚C to 40 ˚C), the optimal range is from 50 ˚F to 86 ˚F (10 ˚C to 30 ˚C). At cold temperatures,
performance will temporarily decline. Warm it in your pocket before use.
❍ Replace the battery pack if the usable time after full charge diminishes substantially at normal
temperatures.  
						

							
112
Cassette Handling Precautions
❍Rewind tapes after use. If the tape becomes slack and damaged, it may ca\
use picture and sound
distortion.
❍ Return cassettes in the case and store them upright.
❍ Do not leave the cassette in the camcorder after use.
❍ Do not use spliced tapes or nonstandard cassettes as they may damage the\
 camcorder.
❍ Do not use tapes that have been jammed as video heads may become dirty.
❍ Do not insert anything into the small holes of the cassette, or cover th\
em with cellophane tape.
❍ Handle cassettes with care. Do not drop or subject them to severe impact\
 as this may damage the
cassettes.
❍ Rewind tapes from time to time if they are stored for a long time.
❍ With cassettes equipped with a memory function, metal plated terminals m\
ay become dirty with use.
Clean the terminals with a cotton swab after about 10 times of loading/u\
nloading. The memory
function is not supported by the camcorder.
Protecting Tapes from Accidental Erasure
To protect your recordings from accidental
erasure, slide the tab on the cassette to the left.
(This switch position is usually labeled SAVE or
ERASE OFF.) 
If you load a protected cassette in recording
mode, the message “THE TAPE IS SET FOR
ERASURE PREVENTION” appears for approx. 4
seconds and “ v” starts flashing. If you wish to record on that cassette, slide the \
tab back to the right.
Using the Camcorder Abroad
Power Sources
You can use the compact power adapter to operate the camcorder and to charge battery packs in any
country with power supply between 100 and 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz. Consult th\
e Canon Service Center for
information on plug adapters for overseas use.
Playback on a TV Screen
You can only play back your recordings on TVs with NTSC system. The NTSC \
system is used in the
following countries/areas: 
American Samoa, Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, Can\
ada, Chile, Columbia,
Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, Greenland, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan,
Korea, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, USA,
Venezuela, Virgin Islands.

SAVERECSAVEREC  
						

							
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Additional
Information
Troubleshooting

If you have a problem with your camcorder, refer to this checklist. Consult your dealer or a Canon
Service Center if the problem persists.
Power Source

Problem Cause SolutionBattery pack is not correctly 
attached.
Power save function has been 
activated.
Battery pack is exhausted. Attach the battery pack 
correctly.
Turn on the camcorder.
Replace or charge the battery 
pack.
Camcorder will not turn on.
The camcorder switches off 
by itself.
Viewfinder switches on and 
off.
13
32
13

Recording/Playback

Cassette is not loaded.
Condensation is detected.
Camcorder stopped operating 
to protect the tape.
Camcorder and wireless 
controller are not set to the 
same remote sensor mode.
Batteries of the wireless 
controller are exhausted. Load a cassette.
See reference page.
Unload and reload the cassette.
Change the remote sensor 
modes.
Replace the batteries.
Buttons will not work.
“
h ” flashes on the screen.
“REMOVE THE CASSETTE” 
appears on the screen.
The wireless controller will 
not work. 25
110 25
95
24

Recording

The POWER dial is not set to a 
recording program.
Time zone, date and time are 
not set, or the backup battery is 
exhausted.
Cassette is not loaded.
The POWER dial is not set to a 
recording program.
The lock lever on the carrying 
handle is activated.
Autofocus does not work on 
that subject.
Viewfinder is not adjusted.
Lens is dirty.
[TALLY LAMP] is set to [OFF] in 
the menu. Set the POWER dial to a 
recording program.
Set the time zone, date and 
time, or replace the backup 
battery and reset the date and 
time.
Load a cassette.
Set the POWER dial to a 
recording program.
Slide the lock lever to the left 
and deactivate it.
Focus manually.
Adjust the viewfinder with the 
dioptric adjustment lever.
Clean the lens.
Set [TALLY LAMP] to [ON].
Image will not appear on 
the screen.
“SET THE TIME ZONE, DATE 
AND TIME” appears on the 
screen.
Pressing the start/stop 
button will not start 
recording.
Camcorder will not focus.
The tally lamp will not light 
up. 32
30
25
32
33
41
19
108 83  
						

							
114
Recording

Bright light in a dark scene may 
cause a vertical light bar (smear) 
to appear. This is not a 
malfunction.
Viewfinder is not adjusted.
The INPUT SELECT switch is not 
set to the correct position.
The REC LEVEL switch is set to 
M, and recording level is set too 
low.
Microphone connected to the 
XLR terminal needs to be 
powered by the phantom 
power.
Microphone attenuator is 
turned on.Record in the Av mode with 
F5.6–F8.0.
Adjust the viewfinder with the 
dioptric adjustment lever.
Set the INPUT SELECT switch to 
the correct position.
Adjust the audio level correctly.
Set the +48V switch to ON.
Set the MIC ATT. switch to OFF.
A vertical light bar appears 
on the screen.
Viewfinder picture is 
blurred.
Audio is not recorded.
Audio is recorded in a very 
low level.
59
19
51
52
53
51
52
51
52
Problem Cause Solution

Playback

Camcorder is turned off, or is 
not set to VCR mode.
Cassette is not loaded.
Video heads are dirty.
You attempted to play back or 
dub copyright protected tape.
Set the camcorder to VCR 
mode.
Load a cassette.
Clean the video heads.
Stop playback/dubbing.
Pressing the playback 
button does not start
playback.
Tape is running, but image 
will not appear on the TV 
screen. 85
25
110 –
Problem Cause Solution

Others

Sometimes air bubbles may 
form inside the lens in airplanes 
or on high mountains. This is 
not a malfunction. The air 
bubbles disappear in about 1 
week.  – – – 
Lenses with built-in image 
stabilizer: Detected air 
bubbles inside the lens.
–

About the CCD
Due to the construction of the CCD, in low-light recording using the slo\
w shutter or gaining up, small
specks of light may become visible on the screen. In such cases, increase the shutter speed, reduce the
gain or use an additional light source such as a video light.  
						

							
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Additional
Information

FS-72U
Filter Set16
× IS II 
Zoom Lens 
XL 5.5-88 mm
16 × Manual Zoom 
Lens XL 5.4-86.4 mm 3
× Zoom Lens XL 
3.4–10.2 mm
EF Adapter XL
EF
lens**
CB-920 Car Battery
Adapter
CA-920 Compact 
Power Adapter
DC-920
DC Coupler
BP-930, BP-945
Battery Pack
WL-D4000
Wireless
Controller
MiniDV
Video
Cassette
Extender XL 
1.6
× *
CH-910 Dual Battery 
Charger/Holder
TV
VCR
20
× L IS Zoom Lens 
XL 5.4-108 mm SS-1000 Shoulder Strap
TA-100 Tripod Adapter
MA-300 Microphone 
Adapter
Commercially available DV cableS-150 S-video Cable
STV-150 Stereo Video Cable
HC-3200
System Case BP-930, BP-945
Battery Pack
ZR-1000 Zoom
Remote Controller
*   Can be attached to the 20
× L IS, 16 × IS II and 16 × manual zoom lenses.
** EF-S lenses cannot be used.
FU-1000 Monochrome CRT
Viewfinder Unit

System Diagram (Availability differs from area to area)  
						

							
116
3× Zoom Lens XL 3.4–10.2 mm
A super wide-angle lens that gives a range of
32.6–97.8 mm (35 mm film equivalent).

HC-3200 System Case
A solid, lockable case that provides safe and
stylish protection for the camcorder during
transportation and storage. FS-72U Filter Set
Ultraviolet, neutral density and circular
polarizing filters to help you take control of
difficult lighting conditions.

Battery Packs
The BP-930 is also available as an optional
accessory.
The optional BP-945 provides 50% more
recording time than the BP-930.
Car Battery Adapter CB-920
Use the car battery adapter to power the
camcorder or charge battery packs on the move.
The car battery adapter plugs into your car’s
cigarette lighter socket and runs off a 12-24V DC
negative ground battery.

Call or visit your local retailer/dealer for genuine Canon video accesso\
ries. You can also obtain genuine
accessories for your Canon camcorder by calling: 1-800-828-4040, Canon U\
.S.A. Information Center.
Use of genuine Canon accessories is recommended.
This product is designed to achieve excellent performance when used with genuine Canon
accessories. Canon shall not be liable for any damage to this product and/or accidents such as fire,
etc., caused by the malfunction of non-genuine Canon accessories (e.g.,\
 a leakage and/or explosion
of a battery pack). Please note that this warranty does not apply to re\
pairs arising out of the
malfunction of non-genuine Canon accessories, although you may request such repairs on a
chargeable basis.
Optional Accessories

BP-930 BP-945  
						

							
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E
Additional
Information
Extender XL 1.6×
Attach this extender between a Canon XL lens
and the XL2 to boost the focal length of the lens
by 1.6 ×.
EF Adapter XL
This allows you to attach Canon EF lenses to the
XL2. The difference in size between the XL2’s 
1/3-inch CCD’s and 35mm film means that the
effective focal length of still camera lenses is
multiplied by 9.6 × (4:3)/ 7.8 ×(16:9).
•Consult your local service outlet to make sure there
are no compatibility problems with your chosen lens.

FU-1000 Monochrome CRT Viewfinder Unit
Professional quality B&W viewfinder with a 
1.5-inch CRT.
• When you use the FU-1000 with the XL2, you
can supply power from the CA-920 or optional
CB-920. The battery adapter supplied with the
FU-1000 is not required. Attach the DC Coupler
directly to the XL2, and connect it with the
CA920/CB-920.

TA-100 Tripod Adapter
The TA-100 allows you to quickly
mount/unmount the XL2 on/from a tripod.

MA-300 Microphone Adapter
With the MA-300, you can use balanced
microphones on all 4 channels.
• Phantom power cannot be used with the MA-300.

16 ×Manual Zoom Lens XL 5.4–86.4 mm
A high-resolution zoom lens with two zoom
modes (manual and powered), built-in ND filter
and AE functions.  
						

							
118
Provided accessories:
CA-920 Compact Power Adapter 8029A002AA
DC-920 DC Coupler 8033A001AA
BP-930 Battery Pack 3058A002AA
SS-1000 Shoulder Strap D81-1220-000
WL-D4000 Wireless Controller D83-0690-000
S-150 S-Video Cable 3062A002AA
STV-150 Stereo Video Cable 3065A002AA
Adapter holder D82-0780-000
Additional accessories supplied with the Lens Kit:
20×L IS Lens 9825A002AA
Lens Hood D52-0290-000
Lens Soft Case D81-1490-000 Optional accessories:
BP-945 Battery Pack 4244A002AA
CB-920 Car Battery Adapter 8034A002AA
CH-910 Dual Battery Charger/Holder3036A002AA
ZR-1000 Zoom Remote Controller 3089A002AA
TA-100 Tripod Adapter 9859A001AA
Extender XL 1.6 × 3163A002AA
EF Adapter XL 3162A002AA
3 × Zoom Lens XL 3.4-10.2mm 3159A002AA
16 ×Zoom Lens XL 5.4-86.4mm 7122A002AA
FS-72U Filter Set 3093A002AA
HC-3200 System Case 9826A001AA
DVM-CL DV Cleaning Cassette 3134A002AA
FU-1000 Monochrome Viewfinder4252A001AA
This mark identifies genuine Canon video accessories. When you use Canon\
 video
equipment, we recommend Canon-brand accessories or products bearing the \
same mark.

Zoom Remote Controller ZR-1000
When this product is plugged into the LANC  m
terminal of a Canon camcorder, it is possible to
control functions such as the start and stop of
recording and the zoom and focusing functions
while the camcorder is mounted on a tripod,
without touching the camcorder body itself.

CH-910 Dual Battery Charger/Holder 
The CH-910 can charge two battery packs
consecutively. You can also power the camcorder 
by connecting the CH-910 with charged battery
packs to the camcorder. When you attach two 
battery packs, a battery pack can be exchanged
without interrupting the power supply.
Battery Pack Charging Time
BP-930 240 min.
BP-945 280 min.
Charging time varies according to the charging condition.  
						

							
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Additional
Information
XL2
System
Video Recording System2 rotary heads, helical scanning DV system (consumer digital VCR SD sys\
tem),
digital component recording
Audio Recording SystemPCM digital sound: 16 bit (48 kHz/2 ch); 12 bit (32 kHz/4 ch)
Television SystemEIA standard (525 lines, 60 fields) NTSC color signal
Image Sensor 1/3-inch CCD x 3 (horizontal pixel shift), approx. 680,000 pixels
Effective pixels: 4:3 approx. 350,000 pixels
16:9 approx. 460,000 pixels
Tape FormatVideocassettes bearing the “MiniDV” mark.
Tape SpeedSP: 0.74 ips (18.81 mm/s), LP: 0.49 ips (12.56 mm/s)
Maximum Recording Time SP: 80 min., LP: 120 min.
(80 min. cassette)
Fast Forward/Rewind TimeApprox. 2 min. 20 sec. (with a 60 min. cassette)
Viewfinder 2-inch. TFT color, approx. 200,000 pixels, RGB delta configuration
MicrophoneStereo electret condenser microphone
Lens mountXL interchangeable mount system
AF systemTTL autofocus, manual focusing with focus ring (with 20 ×L IS lens)
White Balance Auto white balance, pre-set white balance (indoor, outdoor) or custom
white balance
Minimum Illumination 0.7 lx (with 20×L IS lens, 60i mode, Manual mode, 1/8 shutter, F1.6, 
Gain 18 dB)
Recommended Illumination More than 100 lx
Input/Output Terminals
S-video Terminal1 Vp-p/75 ohms (Y signal), 0.286 Vp-p/75 ohms (C signal)
Video Terminal RCA jack/BNC jack
1 Vp-p/75 ohms unbalanced
Audio Out Terminals RCA jack (L, R) 2 sets
-10 dBv (47 kohm load, full-scale -12 dB)/3 kohms or less, unbalanced
Audio In Terminals FRONT MIC: ø3.5 stereo mini jack (unbalanced), ATT: 20 dB
-55 dBv (Auto mode)/600 ohms
Max: -67 dBv (Manual mode, max. volume)
AUDIO 1, 2: RCA jack (unbalanced) -10 dBv/47 kohms
REAR: XLR jack (pin1: shield, pin2: hot, pin3: cold), ATT: 20 dB -54 dBv (Auto mode)/600 ohms
Max 1: -66 dBv (Auto mode, REAR MIC Gain Up 12 dB) Max 2: -66 dBv (Manual mode, max. volume)
Max 3: -78 dBv (Manual mode, max. volume, REAR MIC Gain
Up 12 dB)
DV Terminal Special 4-pin connector (IEEE1394 compliant)
Headphone Terminal ø3.5 mm stereo mini-jack
-23.5 dBv (16 ohm load)/50 ohms
LANC Terminalø2.5 mm stereo mini-jack
Specifications  
						

							
120
Power/Others
Power supply (rated)7.2 V DC
Power consumption7.1 W (recording with autofocus, 20×L IS Lens mounted)
Operating temperature 32 – 104 ˚F (0 – 40 ˚C)
Dimensions (W ×H ×D) 8.9×8.7 ×19.5 in. (225  ×220 ×496 mm)
Weight (camcorder body only)  5.3 lb. (2410 g)
(fully loaded)7.8 lb. (3545 g)
Lens
Some lens specifications change as shown below when mounting on the XL2.\
CA-920 Compact Power Adapter
Power supply 100 – 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz
Power consumption24 W
Rated outputAdapter: 7.2 V DC, 2.0 A, Charger: 8.4 V DC, 1.5 A
Operating temperature32°– 104 ˚F (0°– 40 ˚C)
Dimensions3.0×3.9 ×2.0 in. (75  ×99 ×51 mm)
Weight 7.6 oz. (215 g) without power cable
BP-930 Battery Pack
Battery typeRechargeable lithium ion battery
Rated voltage7.2 V DC
Operating temperature32°– 104 °F (0°– 40 °C) 
Battery capacity3,000 mAh
Dimensions1.5×1.5 ×2.8 in. (38.2  ×39.0 ×70.5 mm)
Weight 6.7 oz. (190 g)
Weight and dimensions are approximate. Errors and omissions excepted. Sub\
ject to change without notice.
20×L IS Lens
16 ×IS II 
Zoom Lens
3 × Zoom
XL Lens
16 ×Manual
Zoom Lens
Wide angle
37° 12’  ×27° 42’ (4:3)
48° 24’  ×27° 42’ (16:9)
36° 36’  ×27° 12’ (4:3)
47° 42’  ×27° 12’ (16:9)
56° 18’  ×42° 48’ (4:3)
71° 6’  ×42° 48’ (16:9)
37° 12’  ×27° 42’ (4:3)
48° 24’ ×27° 42’ (16:9)
Telephoto
1° 54’  ×1° 24’ (4:3)
2° 36’  ×1° 24’ (16:9)
2° 24’  ×1° 42’ (4:3)
3° 12’  ×1° 42’ (16:9)
20° 12’  ×14° 54’ (4:3)
26° 48’  ×14° 54’ (16:9)
2° 24’  ×1° 48’ (4:3)
3° 12’  ×1° 48’ (16:9)
Wide angle
[20 mm]
44.1 ×32.0 mm (4:3)
60.0 ×32.0 mm (16:9)
[20 mm]
41.9 ×30.4 mm (4:3)
57.1 ×30.4 mm (16:9)
[20 mm]
54.6 ×40.0 mm (4:3)
72.8 ×40.0 mm (16:9)
[50 mm]
55.6 ×40.2 mm (4:3)
75.7 ×40.2 mm (16:9)
Telephoto
[1 m]
49.1 ×36.0 mm (4:3)
65.6 ×36.0 mm (16:9)
[1 m]
55.2 ×40.4 mm (4:3)
73.8 ×40.4 mm (16:9)
[0.5 m]
188.5 ×138.3 mm (4:3)
251.6 ×138.3 mm (16:9)
[1 m]
39.1 ×28.7 mm (4:3)
52.0 ×28.7 mm (16:9)
Field size at closest 
focusing distance
Angle of view