Canon XL2 Instruction Manual

							
31
E
Preparation

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Time zone
LONDON
PARIS
CAIRO
MOSCOW
DUBAI
KARACHI
DACCA
BANGKOK
H. KONG (Hong Kong)
TOKYO
SYDNEY
SOLOMON WELLGTN (Wellington)
SAMOA
HONOLU. (Honolulu)
ANCHOR. (Anchorage)
L.A. (Los Angeles)
DENVER
CHICAGO
N.Y. (New York)
CARACAS
RIO (Rio de Janeiro)
FERNAN. (Fernando de Noronha)
AZORES
No.
Time zone
No.

Once you have set time zone, date and time, you do not need to reset the clock each time you travel
to another time zone. Just set the time zone to the one of your destinat\
ion, and the camcorder
automatically adjusts the clock.
Displaying Date and Time during Recording
You can display the date and time in the lower left corner of the screen. 
Open the menu and select [DISPLAY SETUP/ ]. Select [GUIDE INFO], set it to [D/T
DISPLAY] and close the menu.

GUIDE INFO•••OFF
DISPLAY SETUP/( 26)  
						

							
32
Recording

Before You Begin Recording
Make a test recording first to check if the camcorder operates correctly\
. If necessary, clean the video
heads ( 110).
Recording
1. Remove the lens cap.
2. Press the button and set the POWER dialto a recording program.
3. Press the start/stop button to begin recording.
• The tally lamp starts flashing, and the REC
lamp on the viewfinder lights up.
• Press the start/stop button again to pause recording.
When You Have Finished Recording
1. Set the POWER dial to OFF. 
2. Replace the lens cap.
3. Unload the cassette.
4. Disconnect the power source.
❍ Wait until the tape counter stops completely before you start recording. 
❍ When you do not remove the cassette, you can record the next scene without producing any
noise or blank sections between the recordings even if you turn the camcorder off.

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33
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Recording
Low-angle Recording
The carrying handle is equipped with a duplicate
set of recording and zoom controls, ideal for low-
angle recording. Slide the LOCK lever to the right
to prevent accidental operation.
Power Saving Mechanisms 
STANDBY Button 
Pressing the STANDBY button for more than 1 second in record pause or VCR STOP mode act\
ivates the
power save mode (”ENTERING POWER STANDBY“ appears). This shuts the power down to the camera
and VCR sections while maintaining the camera settings. The camcorder retains the settings of
exposure lock and color bars. Press the STANDBY button again to turn the camcorder back on.
Power Save Function
The camcorder activates the power save function after 5 minutes in record pause mode to protect tape
and video heads. You have the option to set the camcorder to shut off (SHUT OFF) or to turn off the
VCR section leaving the camera section turned on (VCR STOP). In VCR STOP mode, the camcorder
retains camera settings such as aperture and shutter speed, so you can adjust the camera section
without worrying about the automatic shut-off. The VCR STOP function can also be assigned to a
custom key ( 74).
Open the menu and select [VCR SETUP]. Select [POWER SAVE], select a setting option and
close the menu.
❍When set to [SHUT OFF]: To turn the camcorder on, press the STANDBY button or set the POWER
dial to OFF and then back to a recording program.
❍ When set to [VCR STOP]: To start recording, press the start/stop button. To go into record pause
mode, use the custom key ( 74).

VCR SETUP POWER SAVE•••SHUT OFF
( 26)

START/STOP 
button
LOCK lever
Zoom lever  
						

							
34
Screen Displays during Recording 
tRecording reminder
rWhen “ j” flashes
qTime code
wRemaining tape
eRemaining battery charge
The camcorder counts from 1 to 10 seconds when
you start recording. This is helpful to avoid scenes
that are too short.
y Center marker
Use the center marker to accurately frame subjects 
( 35).

iREC lamp
Lights up during recording.
The REC lamp starts flashing when the remaining
tape is less than 5 minutes (it does not flash when
the remaining tape information is not displayed on
the screen.)
oGAIN lamp
Lights up when the AGC (auto gain control)
becomes set to -3 dB or +3 dB or higher.
uSHUTTER lamp
Lights up when the shutter speed is changed from
the following:
60i 1/60 of a second
30p 1/30 of a second
24p 1/48 of a second
You can select between drop frame or non-drop
frame time code ( 47).

Indicates the remaining time of the tape in minutes.
“b END“ flashes when the tape reaches the end.
• When the time left is less than 15 seconds, the remaining tape time may not appear.
• Depending on the type of the tape, the indication may not be displayed correctly.
“j “ flashes in red when the lithium button
battery is not installed, or when it needs replacing.
The battery symbol indicates the charge status of
the battery pack.
•“ k “ starts flashing in red when the battery
pack is empty.
• When you attach an empty battery pack, the power may turn off without displaying “ k“.
• The actual battery charge may not be indicated accurately depending on the condition under
which battery pack and camcorder are used.

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35
E
Recording
You can select the amount of information shown on the screen from full, partial or no display.
The setting changes with each press of the EVF DISPLAY button.
* When [GUIDE INFO] is set to [D/T DISPLAY].
Displaying the Center Marker
Use the center marker to accurately frame subjects.
Open the menu and select [DISPLAY SETUP/ ]. Select [CENTER MARK], set it to [ON] and
close the menu.

Normal screen display
Audio level indicator, center marker, recording program, EXP lock, ND filter, custom preset, shutter
speed, aperture, AE shift, gain, white balance, skin detail, warning, date/time*
Date/time*
No display
/
/
//

CENTER MARK••OFF
DISPLAY SETUP/
( 26)  
						

							
36
Reviewing and Searching when Recording
Record Review
In record pause mode, this function allows you to review the last few seconds of your recording to
check if it has been recorded properly.
Press and release the c(record review) button.
The camcorder rewinds the tape, plays back the last few seconds, and returns to record pause mode.
Record Search
In record pause mode, this function allows you to play back the tape (f\
orward or reverse) to locate the
point where you wish to begin recording. 
Press and hold the REC SEARCH + button (forward) or – button (reverse).
• Release the button at the point you wish to begin recording.
• The camcorder returns to record pause mode.

REC SEARCH – button/  v(record review) button
REC SEARCH + button  
						

							
37
E
Recording
End Search

You can use this function to locate the end of the last recorded scene.
Press the END SEARCH button.
• “END SEARCH” appears.
• The camcorder rewinds/fast forwards the tape, plays back the last few seconds of the recording and stopsthe tape.
• Pressing the button again cancels the search.
❍ End search cannot be used once you unload the cassette.
❍ End search may not work properly if a blank section exists on the tape.

END SEARCH button  
						

							
38
Zooming

You can operate the zoom from either the side grip or the carrying handle\
. You can also use the zoom
ring on the zoom lens or the zoom buttons on the wireless controller.
Move the zoom lever toward Wto zoom out (wide-angle). Move it toward  Tto zoom in
(telephoto).
About the Variable Zoom Speeds
Zoom lever on the side grip:
When the ZOOM SPEED switch is set to CONSTANT, the zoom speed is constant. However, you can
change the zoom speed with the dial above (a number indicating the leve\
l is displayed next to the
zoom indicator). 
When the ZOOM SPEED switch is set to VARIABLE, the zoom speed is linked to how hard you move the
zoom lever.
Zoom speed with 20x L IS Lens (from wide-angle to telephoto):
CONSTANT:  Level 1: approx. 60 seconds
Level 16: approx. 3.5 seconds 
VARIABLE:  Up to approx. 10 seconds
Zoom speed varies depending on the lens.
Zoom lever on the carrying handle: 
You can select the zoom speed from low, middle and high.
Open the menu and select [CAMERA SETUP]. Select [ZOOM HANDLE], select th\
e zoom
speed and close the menu.

Zoom lever
Zoom ring
ZOOM SPEED switch Zoom buttons

CAMERA SETUP ZOOM HANDLE••MIDDLE
( 26)  
						

							
39
E
Recording
Zoom ring: 
The zoom speed is linked to the speed you turn the zoom ring.
Zoom buttons on the wireless controller: 
The zoom speed is constant and cannot be adjusted.
Zoom Preset (Lenses Equipped with the Zoom Preset Function)
This function enables any given zoom setting to be memorized and to return to the zoom setting
instantly. 
Presetting the Zoom
1. Set the POSITION PRESET switch to ZOOM.
2. Move the POSITION PRESET ON/SET switch to SET.
The preset zoom position appears in yellow on the zoom indicator. 
Returning to the Preset Zoom Position
Move the POSITION PRESET ON/SET switch to ON.
The camcorder returns to the preset zoom position.
❍The preset setting is canceled when you attach the optional Extender XL 1.6 ×or mount a lens
with different magnification.
❍ The camcorder uses the zoom speed of the CONSTANT setting when returning to the preset zoom
position.

POSITION PRESET ON/SET switch POSITION PRESET switch  
						

							
40
Adjusting the Focus

Focus ring
Focus selector e
AF switch
Autofocus (Lenses Equipped with the Autofocus Function)
Autofocus is set when the focus selector on the lens is set to AF. The camcorder uses TTL autofocus
system with a focusing range of 0.8 in. (2 cm) (at wide-angle from the front of the lens barrel) to 
∞.
The camcorder focuses on the subject in the center of the screen.
Temporary Focus Override
Turn the focus ring during autofocus to focus manually.
Autofocus will resume as soon as you take your hand away from the focus ring.
When recording under bright conditions, the camcorder sets a small aperture value, and the picture
may appear blurred. This may be more noticeable at wide-angle. When you are using a lens with
built-in ND filter, turn it on/off according to the screen display ( 43).
❍ When recording under dark conditions, the focusing range narrows and the picture may appear
blurred.
❍ In 30p and 24p mode, autofocus takes longer than in the 60i mode.
❍ Autofocus may not work well on the following subjects. In such case, foc\
us manually.
- Reflective surfaces
- Subjects with low contrast or without vertical lines
- Fast moving subjects
- Through dirty or wet windows
- Night scenes