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Note: this camcorder was first sold in Aug 2003. There may be newer versions available.
Canon GL2
Canon GL2
F
HQ Grade: F
A is outstanding and exceptional, rated in the top 10% of camcorders.
B means they are good, with some standout features.
C means they are mediocre, and probably more trouble than they are worth.
D & F mean they are absolutely awful or old. Avoid at all costs.
  • 3 out of 5
"Problems with Start/Stop Rewind/FF"
  • 3 out of 5
"Great Camera Quality but not dependable"
See rating based on 153 user reviews
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Question Answered!
Ed Space (pespace) 0 pts
March 24, 2008 5:26 AM
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Anybody had experience with Spiderbrace on a GL2?

I am using a GL2 W/MA300 & Azden mic making rig front heavy. Spiderbrace looks like a possible solution, but I wonder about eye allignment with GL2.
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Answers This question has been answered!
by James DeRuvo (byjamesderuvo) 58448 pts
March 24, 2008 5:47 PM
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I got one of these to test, and frankly, I think you could save money and make one yourself out of PVC pipe. Because that's exactly what the Spiderbrace is made of. Here's a testimonial I read about the Cons of the design:

It does not appear to me to be all that durable. It is made out of 1" thinwall plastic pipe, thin sticky foam,a plastic electrical conduit box, and some bicycle handlebar end plugs. You can see where the pipe was evidently heated with a torch. The unit I purchased had appeared to have a a melted hole covered with a thin piece of sticky foam on one of the handles. All ends of pipe are capped with the handlebar plugs. There were also 2 glue drips on my particular unit., although the paint job hid it pretty well. With care however, the unit could last some time.

The only other concern I have is that every time I reached for a control on the XL1S, the unit became unbalanced. I could probably learn to compenstae for that, but it might take a little while. If the 2 handles were extended by a few inches, then a zoom/remote for the lanc could probably be attached with good results.

My major disappointment was that I assumed that the unit would be made of metal, and was supriised when I unpacked it and found it to be made of plastic. The design itself is ingenious and works very well, I'd be willing to pay more for a tubular metal model, but I don't know about another $75 for the plastic model.

So, you can lay out $75 for it, or go to a hardware/home supply store about buy about $20 in PVC and make your own.
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Ed Space (pespace) 0 pts
March 24, 2008 8:32 PM
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Thanks, James—good info. I can sure make one sturdier than the one your answer described, and I could even put an off-set in it to align the viewfinder.
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by James DeRuvo (byjamesderuvo) 58448 pts
March 25, 2008 1:02 PM
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Don't forget to come back and share your results when you're done, Ed. You may have people who will need/want what you end up making. ;) BTW - If you're happy with the answer you received, you can simply click on "Mark for best answer" bubble and it will place the question in the "Answered" category for all to see. Or, you can leave the question open for a little while longer and see what else gets posted.

Thanks for posting it and Good luck!
Best Answer
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D.J. Ammons 5 pts
April 5, 2008 1:30 PM
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There are many positive reviews of the Spiderbrace you can find on the internet. For many the PVC construction is a positive as it is very light and certainly durable enough to handle the weight of these prosumer camcorders it is designed for.

I will find out for myself soon enough as I just ordered one today for my Sony V1U cameras.
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Ed Space (pespace) 0 pts
April 5, 2008 5:41 PM
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Thanks D.J, let me know how you like it when you get. How sturdy is camera mount? Read good reviews for Spiderbrace on DVI.

Ed Space
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by James DeRuvo (byjamesderuvo) 58448 pts
April 7, 2008 2:33 PM
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Well, all I can tell you is that I've got one and it collects dust in my garage. When I got it, I was very disappointed in the quality of the construction. Light? Sure. You bet. But I believe that also equates to using thinner PVC which will break when stressed and when it does, that camcorder will hit the ground faster than you can even think about catching it.
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Ed Space (pespace) 0 pts
April 8, 2008 2:45 AM
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Thanks James, try going on eBay and enter CAMERA SHOULDER BRACE COUNTER WEGHT and take a look at that brace.

Ed Space
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by James DeRuvo (byjamesderuvo) 58448 pts
April 9, 2008 12:22 PM
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Honestly,I don't think that adding weight does anything but add unwanted torque to one side of what I am convinced is a very flimsy design. Would it be great for a cheap ZR60? You bet. An expensive GL2? I wouldn't take that risk. But your mileage may vary.
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Jason Preston (jasonp12) 0 pts
January 7, 2009 12:42 AM
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The Steadybrace (www.steadybrace.com) in my opinion is much cleaner unit. I've got both and I rarely use the spiderbrace anymore. As for the concerns about metal vs PVC. I personally prefer the PVC for weight reasons.
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