Vixia update
*Sigh* You know when you have something that's so close to perfection but there's just one tiny problem? Yeah. It exists with the Canon HF11. As detailed in the previous post I've been having audio issues stemming from my use of an external mic attached to the camera via a 1/8" mini-plug. All to spec as outlined in the HF11's manual.
I sent it in a few weeks ago only to get it back not but a week later with a "could not duplicate" notice. Er. I'm not sure how you couldn't duplicate something as inherently simple as plugging in a cable to the back of the camera. It's not rocket science. So, thinking I was doing something wrong I retraced my steps and tried the camera out again. I was able to duplicate the problem 6 different ways using a variety of cables.
So I made a little video to help my friends at Canon Technical Support hear what's going wrong. Sadly I failed to capture the video for you all to admire, but it basically consisted of 1 minute of video where I recorded using the on-board mic for 30 seconds and then connected an external mic for another 30 seconds in one take. No fancy editing, you can hear me shuffling in the background. The minute that mic goes in the plug the clicks begin, regardless of whether the mic is actually turned on or not. I could take the mic off the cable completely and would still get the issue.
So I spoke with Canon again and they said to ship it back and they'll take another look. If this turns out to be what they intended I'll post a sample video for you folks and you can give me your feedback. Till then cross your fingers that they'll figure out the problem and/or send me a brand new (working) camera.
In other news we're in the final post phases of a new short that I hope to have up in a couple weeks. I'm excited for this one.