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On screen display override in Canon XL H1s?
We just purchased a Canon XL H1s HDV camcorder for our video department. Beautiful camera that has more settings than I’ve ever seen on any camcorder. They seem to have thought of everything except one. It says in the manual(p39) that the on-screen displays will appear on an external monitor. That’s a nice feature, but how do you turn it off? We will be using the camera in a multi-camera setup so the camera operator may want the viewfinder display but we can’t send that to the switcher. I don’t see any way to override this in the menu. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Leonard
Leonard F.
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9 Replies
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On top of the camera body (right under the handle) there are five push-button switches. The four most rearward ones are the custom keys, but the most forward one (the one nearest the lens) says “EVF Display.” Push this button to toggle the on-screen display graphics on and off.
Note though that you CAN’T separate the viewfinder display from the video-out displays. If you have the graphics displayed on the viewfinder, they will be displayed on an external monitor as well. If you turn them off so they don’t show on an external feed, it also turns them off in the viewfinder. There is no way to split that.
But turning them on and off is easy breezy.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Thanks, Todd. Yes, I had found the button to change and turn off the on-screen display. But you answered my question about not being able to split the feeds to the viewfinder and external monitor. Strange that you can’t do that. Oh well.
Leonard
Leonard F.
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I do not use all of the outputs on a very regular basis so I can’t say for sure, but I know for a fact that the Composite, Component, and S-Video outputs will show exactly the same thing in terms of graphic displays as the viewfinder (when the finder graphics are on, the graphics will be on those external feeds as well). I think that’s true as well for the HD-SDI output, but I can’t swear to it. It might be worth checking, and if not then you can use the HD-SDI outputs for a clean feed while retaining the viewfinder display info (although as I said I don’t think it works that way).
However, I’m pretty sure that the FireWire (DV) output is a clean feed irrespective of the viewfinder display settings. At least I think it is, if memory serves. If that proves to be the case (again, it bears checking), then you could use the DV out as your clean feed.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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I am using this in a genlock situation, so I don’t know if the DV out workaround will work. I would have to route the DV signal through a deck and grab the composite video out of the deck. I actually inadverently plugged my video cable into the HD/SDI out connector thinking that was the composite video out, since it was right next to the genlock jack, but it didn’t output anything in standard def mode, which is what I’m using for now. I will still look into the DV out workaround. Thanks.
Leonard
Leonard F.
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You can totally do this with the cam.
In the menu section, under display section, just turn the “TV Screen” option to off.
This will remove all viewfinder information from all the outputs. You can still see it all in your viewfinder, but your outputs will be clean.
I have the XLH1S and yes, it really has every option available. Love the cam!
Hope this helps.
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Wow, that’s interesting. Will definitely have to check that out.
I don’t have the XLH1S… I have the XLH1 (I was so eager for this camera I think I practically have serial number 0000001)… I don’t think the non-S version will do that (I remember a few years ago being told that it definitely wouldn’t, and not really needing that feature I really didn’t investigate it further) but maybe it will. Or with my luck that’s probably an “S-version-only” feature. I sure will check when back in the studio tomorrow though.
Thanks!
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Thanks for the tip! I had to set this up quickly since we just got the camera and we have a major live event today, so I didn’t even notice the Display settings in the menu. Thanks for pointing that out.
Leonard
Leonard F.
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I had the original H1 as well, and I thought it had this feature…
If you love the original H1, I think you’ll really love the ‘S’ version. Canon did so many little refinements to polish the camera. Really is an underrated upgrade. Everything from variable peaking to gain increments to the audio subsection to the HD-SDI with embedded audio and timecode (which is perfect for my Nanoflash!).
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Checked today when on a shoot, and the original (non-“S”) XLH1 will do that too. Nice!
Who knew??
People (including me) have been saying for years that it wouldn’t. I very happily stand corrected.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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