Video University: Video University Forums: Canon All Camcorders: noob question

VideoUniversity.com
Home	Free Library	Store
Free Catalog Please support VU by making your B&H purchases and links through this B&H ad. Doesn't cost a penny more.

See The New VU Postcard Catalog

To post in the forums see the Forum Guidelines.

Join or Renew Today.
New Benefits for all VU Members

Forum Guidelines and FAQ
Main Index	Search Posts
Who's Online	Log In

Home: Video University Forums: Canon All Camcorders:
noob question - picture quality of XL2

stonecutter
Novice

Mar 28, 2006, 8:01 PM

Post #1 of 6 (1682 views)
Shortcut

noob question - picture quality of XL2	Can't Post

hi everyone-
i got my XL2. besides a missing piece to the order, everything looks great. haven't had time to test it out yet. can't wait to use the 3X wide angle too.

question, in the form of a paragraph:
the company i work for just built a new high-end hotel. for reasons i will never know they don't want to pay for a photographer to shoot pics of the rooms etc. They all know i have the XL1 and now XL2, and I've been asked if I can "help out". what that exactly means, i'm not sure. but i'm wondering what the quality or dpi (or whatever) is that the XL2 can take. i think they need to submit pics in about two weeks to a magazine, and then also for the website.
any opinions on this? i can get lighting, boss already said they'd pay for it. so buying equipment is not a barrier. i'm just not a photographer, and i barely even know these video cameras. (my aim was to do their "home channel" vids, and marketing vids, so if i could make this part happen it would be ideal)

any thoughts? much appreciated.

-stoney

AndrewMSV
Veteran

Mar 29, 2006, 12:44 AM

Post #2 of 6 (1671 views)
Shortcut

Re: [stonecutter] noob question - picture quality of XL2 [In reply to]	Can't Post

A video camera is not a still camera - no matter what you do to it.

If you are planning to print these stills, you're in for a big disappointment.
If you're going to go to web, you might be OK.

I'd just as soon bust out the 5.0 megapixel Sony Cybershot before I used a video camera for a still-photo shoot.

To answer your question, the XL2 shoots 720x480 4:3 video (it can also do native 16:9 video at 960x480) so the images will be about .3 megapixels and .46 megapixels. DPI is "dots per inch" - which you can specify with your image program (like Photoshop)

If you print a 960x480 image at the standard minimum print specification of 300dpi, your screen grab will be 3.2" x 1.6" big. It will literally be almost half the size of a business card. If you print it at 72dpi (computer resolution) you can get the image as big as 13 1/3" x 6 2/3" but it will look extremely crappy.

I hope this helps.
Cheers!

Andrew
m o r n i n g__s t a r__v i d e o g r a p h y
sf chapter, vu california crew
I think we should turn that whole region into one shiny piece of radioactive glass. - CartoonChris

stonecutter
Novice

Mar 29, 2006, 3:19 AM

Post #3 of 6 (1667 views)
Shortcut

Re: [AndrewMSV] noob question - picture quality of XL2 [In reply to]	Can't Post

thanks. yeah, that's what i figured. i do have a 6 MP Olympus.
maybe my "help" on this is to tell them they need a photographer.

RatVega
Enthusiast

Mar 29, 2006, 4:45 PM

Post #4 of 6 (1654 views)
Shortcut

Re: [stonecutter] noob question - picture quality of XL2 [In reply to]	Can't Post

Andrew has it right... you have some very nice video gear, but it's not comparible to (or suitable for) photographic gear.
Some people get confused because the consumer cams frequently include a "still" mode that will give 1-2MP results.

If you want to knuckle under using the Olympus, be my guest - at least it's in the range. Just for reference, the SD 4:3 standard is 720X480, or .345MP - hardly impressive when printed.

______________________________________________________________
Currently on a loaded 2.5GHz G5 dualie/5GB/1TB internal RAID/dual 19" monitors. Final Cut Studio, Adobe Suite, Boris RED. Shooting with Canon.

VU California Crew, Inland Empire Sub-Chapter (paragraph?)

Gal In Socal
User

Mar 30, 2006, 2:17 AM

Post #5 of 6 (1639 views)
Shortcut

Re: [stonecutter] noob question - picture quality of XL2 [In reply to]	Can't Post

I used to do architectural photography which is what they want by photographs of the rooms for print. We would spend up to 6 hours lighting one shot (and up to 23 lights/14avg). I would be very careful about accepting that assignment.

Waldemar
Enthusiast

Mar 30, 2006, 8:33 PM

Post #6 of 6 (1615 views)
Shortcut

Re: [stonecutter] noob question - picture quality of XL2 [In reply to]	Can't Post

As a retired AV professional in the "hotel circuit", I am convinced you are dealing with a cheap director of sales who would rather spend his promotional budget (or has already spent it) elsewhere. Don't let the boob of easy.

Your XL2 might be able to produce a still with enough quaity for web use, but forget it for color printed advertising, be it brochure or magazine. You might be able to squeeze a small printed image in at 4MP. 6MP is the minimal acceptable standard, and most ad agencies want much, much more detail.

You work for a hotel corp? If you want to stay involved in media production, please, find a professional media company to employ you. The hotel mentality will stifle you.
G5 1.8. Final Cut/QT Pro/iMovie/Still Life. GL1. XL1-s