xf605 extra xlr inputs

[jlenihan]

I am using xf604 to film stage productions. I like the fact that it has four audio inputs.

However, it is a pain to try and use the 3.5 mm stereo input as a real line input. I have been looking for a device that mounts on the camera and provides xlr to stereo 3.5 conversion. 

Has anyone found such a device? 

Canon tech support said they don't have any canon products to do it.

john

[IamintheUK]

This will connect via the multifunction hot shoe to your Canon xf605.

https://www.tascam.eu/en/ca-xlr2d#specs 

[jlenihan]

Thank you very much. Canon also said that the tascam solution would work.

My two concerns are the following:

1. The device seems to stand high and supported by only the hotshoe. I am concerned that the weight of two xlr cables, even if they are strain relieved just below the camera, would cause the hotshoe to get loose and intermittant.

2. When I went to order one from bhphotovideo, the reviews indicate that after 6 to 12 months the device stops working in an unexplained and non warranty fashion. 

I have 4 605's and do a lot of multicam productions. I need to set it up once on my camera and leave it there for years without thinking about it. 

Do you have a version that is ready for pro work? Because on paper it looks good.

John Lenihan

[shadowsports]

I was going to make the same suggestion with the caveat, use at your own risk.  It either works great, or after some unspecified period of time, it doesn't.  Tascam did release a FW update for it pretty early on.  While the tascam and anker power bank received Canon's certification, the tascam's real world use hasn't been what anyone would call stellar.

I did see a video from Josh Satin and he went very in-depth on his experience using the ca-xlrd-2d with his R5 C.  He had good luck with it.  We've had users here however report mixed reliability.  Great when it worked, but some extended periods (loss of use) while they were with tascam being repaired. 

I agree with you regarding the need for some type of cable relief.         

[jlenihan]

Since I am an engineer, I can't help making a sugestion, If the problem is hardware, then they need another support point. There are two screws which hold the canon shotgun holder to the chassis. Since the tascam device has a shotgun holder, if it could screw into the two holes it would be more stable. Or it could screw into the 1/4 x 20 . Then it would have a pigtail which connects to the hotshoe.

If the problem is in the firmware getting itself tied in a knot, that I don't have the tools to make a suggestion.