Canon XL2 Instruction Manual

							
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Recording

Exposure Lock
1. Set the POWER dial to n,Tv orAv .
2. Press the EXP. LOCK button.
The exposure indicator appears. 
Changing the Aperture after Exposure Lock
You can select from 23 aperture settings (with 20 ×L IS lens). The setting can be adjusted in 1/4 steps.
However, only the following numbers are displayed on the screen: F1.6, F2.0, F2\
.8, F4.0, F5.6, F8.0, F11,
CLOSE.
Select the aperture with the IRIS dial.
Changing the Shutter Speed after Exposure Lock
You can select from 12 shutter speeds (with 20 ×L IS lens). 
Select the shutter speed with the SHUTTER  ror tbutton.
Changing the Gain after Exposure Lock 
You can select from 6 gain levels .
1. Press the GAIN dial so that it pops out.
2. Turn the GAIN dial to adjust the level.
The selected level appears.
+18 dB is not available in 30p and 24p mode. When you select +18 dB, it \
automatically sets to 
+12 dB (“12dB” appears in yellow).

Adjusting the Exposure

SHUTTER rtbuttons
POWER dial
EXP. LOCK button
IRIS dial GAIN dial  
						

							
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You can use the AE Shift control to manually override the automatic expos\
ure system to darken or
lighten the image. Select from 13 AE levels (+2.0, +1.5, +1.0, +0.75, +\
0.5, +0.25, ±0, -0.25, -0.5, -0.75, 
-1.0, -1.5, -2.0). 
1. Set the POWER dial to n,Tv orAv .
2. Turn the AE SHIFT dial to adjust the level.
The selected level appears.

Using AE Shift

AE SHIFT dial
POWER dial  
						

							
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Recording
Gain control adjusts the amount of video signal generated depending upon\
 lighting and shooting
conditions. You can select from automatic gain control and preset levels that range f\
rom -3 to +18 dB.
1. Set the POWER dial to n,Tv ,Av orM.
2. Press the GAIN dial so that it pops out.
3. Turn the GAIN dial to adjust the level. 
The selected level appears.
Noise may appear on the picture when setting a high gain level.

Adjusting the Gain

-3 dB For lowest noise recording for indoor, low light or low contrast scenes.
Auto Automatic adjustment of gain.
0 dB Life like night/artificial light scenes.
+3 dB/+6 dB/ Increases brightness in indoor or low-light scenes. Increases depth of field.
+12 dB/+18 dB*
POWER dial
GAIN dial

* +18 dB is not available in 30p and 24p mode. When you select +18 dB, i\
t automatically sets to +12 dB (“12dB” appears in yellow).  
						

							
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The camcorder uses an electronic white balance process to calibrate the \
picture for accurate color
display in different lighting conditions (i.e. sunlight versus indoor incandescent.)\
 
Automated white balance settings include a fully automated mode, an indo\
or mode and an outdoor
mode. In addition, you can set the white balance manually and save up to\
 three white balance presets
that can be reused for non-sequential shooting. 
Selecting an Automated White Balance Setting
1. Press the WHITE BALANCE dial so that it pops out.
2. Set the WHITE BALANCE dial to A,U or
T.

White sheet 
or paper
Setting the White Balance
WHITE BALANCE dial Zoom lever
Zoom ring
POWER dial
WHITE BALANCE  Wbutton
Auto Automated adjustments of white balance.
U(Outdoor) Bright sunlight - 5600ºK
T (Indoor) Incandescent light - 3200ºK
Preset 1, 2, 3 Custom white balance setting variable 3200 - 5600ºK.  
						

							
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Recording
Setting a Custom White Balance
1. Press the WHITE BALANCE dial so that it pops out.
2. Set the WHITE BALANCE dial to 1, 2 or 3.
3. Point the camcorder at a white object and zoom in until it fills the whole screen.
Keep the camcorder zoomed at the white object until step 4 is completed.
4. Press the WHITE BALANCE Wbutton.
”W “ flashes and stops flashing when setting is complete.
❍The camcorder retains the custom white balance setting even if you turn it off. 
❍ When you have set the custom white balance: 
- Depending on the light source, “ W” may keep flashing. The result will still be better than with
the auto setting.
- When you have turned on/off the built-in ND-filter of the lens, reset the custom white balance. 
❍ Custom white balance may provide better results in the following cases:
- Changing lighting conditions
- Close-ups
- Subjects in a single color (sky, sea or forest)
- Under mercury lamps or certain types of fluorescent lights
Recording with Preset Custom White Balance
1. Set the POWER dial to a recording program other than  [.
2. Turn the WHITE BALANCE dial to select a preset number.
The preset custom white balance is activated.
The custom preset settings [R GAIN], [G GAIN] and [B GAIN] ( 69) will override the white balance
setting set with above procedure.  
						

							
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This camcorder has a zebra pattern feature that shows black and white di\
agonal stripes over the area
that is overexposed. The zebra pattern is only displayed on the screen. \
Use this feature to guide the
adjustment of the aperture and shutter speed. Available zebra pattern settings: 80 IRE, 85 IRE, 90 IRE,
95 IRE, and 100 IRE.
Selecting the Zebra Pattern Level
Open the menu and select [CAMERA SETUP]. Select [ZEBRA LEVEL], select a \
setting option
and close the menu.
Activating the Zebra Pattern
Open the menu and select [CAMERA SETUP]. Select [ZEBRA], set it to [ON] \
and close the
menu.

Using the Zebra Pattern

CAMERA SETUP ZEBRA••••••••OFF
( 26)

CAMERA SETUP ZEBRA LEVEL••90
( 26)

MENU button
SET dial POWER dial  
						

							
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Recording
You can adjust hue, chroma, area and Y level to determine the skin area a\
nd soften the details to
reduce the appearance of skin imperfections. A zebra pattern identifying\
 the skin area appears,
alternating with the normal picture (a white pattern appears on a conne\
cted TV or computer screen).
Activating the Skin Detail Function
Open the menu and select [CAMERA SETUP] and [SKIN D.SET]. Select [SKIN D\
ETAIL], set it
to [HIGH ], [MIDDLE ] or [LOW ] and close the menu.
“ “ appears.
Determining the Skin Area
Open the menu and select [CAMERA SETUP] and [SKIN D.SET]. Select [HUE], \
[CHROMA],
[AREA] or [Y LEVEL], adjust the levels and close the menu.
• HUE: Adjust the hue for detection of the skin area. Adjusting to [R] det\
ects reddish skin color, and to [G]detects greenish skin color.
• CHROMA: Adjust the saturation for detection of the skin area. Adjusting \
to [+] detects brighter skin color, and to [-] detects lighter skin color.
• AREA: Adjust the color range for detection of the skin area. Adjusting t\
o [+] detects a wide color range, and to [-] detects a narrow color range.
• Y LEVEL: Adjust the brightness for detection of the skin area. Adjusting t\
o [+] detects brighter skin color, and to [-] detects darker skin color.
You cannot record on the tape while determining the skin area.

Using the Skin Detail Function

CAMERA SETUP SKIN D.SET SKIN DETAIL••OFF
( 26)

CAMERA SETUP SKIN D.SET HUE••••••••••G        R
CHROMA•••••••
+
-
+
-
+
-
AREA•••••••••
Y LEVEL••••••

( 26)  
						

							
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You can establish three preset registrations for the following 15 camera \
features: gamma curve, knee,
black stretch/press, color matrix, color gain, color phase, R gain, G ga\
in, B gain, V detail, sharpness,
coring, setup level, master pedestal and NR.
You can also import preset settings from another XL2 and save them to you\
r camcorder.
Gamma Curve
Select between standard gamma curve ([NORMAL])
and cine-like gamma curve ([CINE]).
Knee Point Adjustment
Adjust the dynamic range (knee point) in the
highlight area of the image to prevent
overexposure. You can select from [HIGH], [MIDDLE]
or [LOW]. 
Black Stretch/Black Press
Adjust the dynamic range in the black area of the
image. You can select from [STRETCH], [MIDDLE] or
[PRESS]. [STRETCH] emphasizes contrast in the dark
area, while [PRESS] enhances or deepens darkness.
Color Matrix
Select from two color matrix settings: [NORMAL] and [CINE]. Setting gamm\
a and color matrix to [CINE]
creates cine-like colors.
Color Gain
Adjust the saturation of the color from off (-) to oversaturated (+). 
Using the Custom Preset

[NORMAL]
Output
Input
Representation of the setting
[CINE]

[LOW]
[HIGH]
[MIDDLE]
[MIDDLE]
[PRESS]
[STRETCH]
KNEE
BLACK
Output
Input
Representation of the setting  
						

							
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Recording
Color Phase
Adjust to [G] for adding more green to the image, and to [R] for more re\
d.
R Gain
Adjust to [-] for white balance toward cyan, and to [+] for white balance toward red.
G Gain
Adjust to [-] for white balance toward magenta, and to [+] for white balance toward green.
B Gain
Adjust to [-] for white balance toward yellow, and to [+] for white balance toward blue.
Vertical Detail
Adjust the vertical detail frequency for recordings in 30p or 24p mode. \
Select from [NORMAL] and
[LOW].
• When you play back a recording on an interlaced TV with [V DETAIL] set to [NORMAL], horizontallines may flicker. 
• Select [NORMAL] for non-interlaced playback or editing on a compute\
r, or for transferring to a DVD.
• Image resolution will not change in the 60i mode.
• When you select a custom preset setting with [V DETAIL] set to [LOW] in 60i mode, “CP” appears in yellow.
Sharpness
Adjust the degree of sharpness in the picture. Adjust to [-] for a softe\
r picture, and to [+] for a sharper
picture. When set to the [+] side, noise may become more noticeable.
Coring
Adjust the detail noise level. Adjust to [-] to add the noise, and to [+\
] to reduce noise.
Setup Level
Adjust the black level of the video signal. Adjust to [-] to darken the \
picture, and to [+] to brighten the
shadow area.
Master Pedestal
Adjust the master pedestal level. Adjust to [-] to make dark areas darker and increase the contrast, and
to [+] to make dark areas lighter and reduce the contrast.
Noise Reduction
Select the variable range of noise reduction from [OFF], [HIGH], [MIDDLE] and [LOW]. With [HIGH],
[MIDDLE] and [LOW], the noise reduction level is adjusted according to t\
he gain. Select [HIGH] for
maximum variable range. 
• When set to [HIGH], moving subjects may leave a trailing afterimage\
.
• When the noise based on the gain setting is low, the NR effect may not be noticeable.  
						

							
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Setting the Custom Preset Settings
1. Open the menu and select [CUSTOM PRESET]. 
2. Select [PRESET SETUP].
The custom preset items appear.
3. Select [SEL PRESET] and select the custom preset file you wish to change.
4. Select the preset items, select the setting options and close the menu.
❍The custom preset menu consists of 5 pages. The items [SEL PRESET] and [ /CLEAR] can be
selected on each page.
❍ When you attempt to change a protected setting, “ ” starts flashing.
Protecting a Custom Preset File 
Open the menu and select [CUSTOM PRESET], followed by [PRESET SETUP]. Se\
lect 
[ /CLEAR], set it to [PROTECT ] and close the menu.
To cancel the protection, reselect [PROTECT ].
Resetting a Custom Preset File
1. Open the menu and select [CUSTOM PRESET], followed by [PRESET SETUP]. 
2. Select [ /CLEAR] and set it to [CLEAR].
A confirmation message appears.
3. Select [Yes] and close the menu.
A protected preset file cannot be reset.

CUSTOM PRESET PRESET SETUP SEL PRESET( 26)
MENU button
SET dial CUSTOM PRESET ON/OFF button
CUSTOM PRESET SELECT button