Need sharper image

[A B Hancock]

I just did my first test shoot with my recently purchased EX1 and the results were not very impressive right out of the box on standard settings.

I tried Stevet's suggestion:

Matrix ON
-High Sat,
Level 3,

Gamma CINE4
Black -3
Black Gamma -2
Low Key SAT = 0

Detail ON
level = -10
Frequency = +5

While this definitely helped improve the color and blacks, my wide shots of distant mountains are not sharp but actually "fuzzy" (my PD170 takes clearer images!).Medium and close up shots are fine. So far I've been shooting in 1080P 60i. Can anyone suggest some settings that would give me more of the razor sharp image I want?

The dealer sold me a Marumi "Digital" 77mm UV filter. Could this be a problem?

Thanks for any tips.

[Stevet]

Possible back focus issue?
There's been a few cameras that had a back focus problem.

Also, set detail level back to 0 and freq back to 0 for factory sharpening settings.

Mine's very sharp at the settings you listed. Maybe too sharp.
Ideally, detail should be set to off.

There's really no detail lossed with it set to off.
This has already been verified, but many like that super enhanced look.
Although, it's smarter to do this in post.

[David@Leo's Camera]

Do the same test with the filter on and off. If it's a cheap filter it will definitely affect the sharpness.

[Barry_Green]

Yes, by all means take that filter off and try without it!

[DeeZiD]

I just did my first test shoot with my recently purchased EX1 and the results were not very impressive right out of the box on standard settings.

I tried Stevet's suggestion:

Matrix ON
-High Sat,
Level 3,

Gamma CINE4
Black -3
Black Gamma -2
Low Key SAT = 0

Detail ON
level = -10
Frequency = +5

While this definitely helped improve the color and blacks, my wide shots of distant mountains are not sharp but actually "fuzzy" (my PD170 takes clearer images!).Medium and close up shots are fine. So far I've been shooting in 1080P 60i. Can anyone suggest some settings that would give me more of the razor sharp image I want?

The dealer sold me a Marumi "Digital" 77mm UV filter. Could this be a problem?

Thanks for any tips.

Why shooting INTERLACED?
Try progressive 1080/30p instead and you'll see the DIFFERENCE!

And set detail=off. Add sharpening in post and you'll receive an even clearer image.



regards Dennis

[A B Hancock]

Thanks for the replies.

I took UV filter off-no help at all. I zoom in on a ridge line, focus, then when I pull back wide the picture basically turns to mush. I think there's something wrong with this camera. The images are either blown out or murky. My wife and I have shot about four hours with it and we have yet to produce a single sharp, bright, colorful shot like we consistently got with the rental camera over the weekend.

To top things off it looks like I have a blown pixel right in the middle of the lens. It's a black speck, visable against the sky when wide, then disappears during a zoom in.

I'm headed for Atlanta in the AM to exchange it for another camera--you'd better believe this one's going to get checked out in the store and in the parking lot before I bring it home!

We'll definitely check out the progressive mode but we shouldn't be struggling this hard to get a decent picture. Instead of straining to equal the PQ of our PD170 we should be effortlessly blowing it out of the water!

[DeeZiD]

Believe me or not, interlaced video on the EX1 looks somehow out of focus compared to the progressive counterpart! You won't be disappointed :)


regards Dennis

[DeeZiD]

This is the image quality I achieve with my setting

without post (settings are listed in the image):

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/6417/mypresetpu3.th.jpg (http://img229.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mypresetpu3.jpg)


after post (only a simple avisynth script):
DirectShowSource("Path to your.MP4",fps=25,audio=false)
Tweak(sat=1.4,cont=1.2, bright=-10)
LimitedSharpen(ss_x=1.0,ss_y=1.0,Smode=3,strength= 50)

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/6647/afteravisynthkm6.th.jpg (http://img220.imageshack.us/my.php?image=afteravisynthkm6.jpg)



regards Dennis

[basspig]

I, too, have been noticing that the images from my replacement camera have been soft. Two things that I didn't notice on the original camera received Feb 5th are chromatic aberration (lots of it on tele shots) and soft and even blurred wide angle shots. The odd part is I can't seem to duplicate this in the studio, so it may be that if the camera is not running at 80 degrees F or hotter, the backfocus mechanicals don't function right. I have more testing to do, and I even did a backfocus adjustment last night, to no avail, but it may be too early to tell. The camera seems tempermental, in that some days it's great, and others it generates soft images that are not sharp to the pixel, like the footage I have seen online. It is a very aggressive design, and perhaps the tolerances are so tight that they cannot be maintained for any reasonable period. Sort of like a Jaguar XJ12 that needs constant tuneups to perform well.

[Barry_Green]

Thanks for the replies.

I took UV filter off-no help at all. I zoom in on a ridge line, focus, then when I pull back wide the picture basically turns to mush.
Can you successfully focus it better at that point? i.e., once you've pulled it back to wide, try focusing -- does the image get better? If so, then obviously your backfocus is out. If not, well, that points to some other can of worms.


Instead of straining to equal the PQ of our PD170 we should be effortlessly blowing it out of the water!
Undoubtedly.

[J.R. Hudson]

Take it off Auto Focus ? (heh heh)

[Mister Big]

I've never heard of the Marumi brand of filters. I'm guessing it's a no-name brand with a high mark up. You could be putting a coke bottle in front of your stunning Fuji optik. Take the filter off or pop for a Hoya Super Multicoated or B&W. It's no fun buying a protection filter, but a good one will make you a little more fearless with the camera.

[A B Hancock]

Just got back from getting the EX-1 box out of storage (what an optimist I was) and now it's too dark to try your suggestion Barry. We may have some snow by morning and I'll try it then (will also shoot 24P). This has been a discouraging twenty four hours. My dealer in Atlanta is making the exchange easy. I could just send the camera back but I'm driving it down because I want him to see the crappy footage for himself.

Did a "reset all" before I left and it didn't help. However I now can't see the black spot/"dead pixel any longer. Maybe I'm starting to lose my grip...

Holy cow, J.R., you were right! It was on auto focus all the time! (I'm joking...how I wish it was that simple).

Thanks very much for the comments and suggestions. I'll keep you posted on what happens tomorrow..

[RichardVClark]

Is your shutter off? It comes switched off from the factory.

[A B Hancock]

Mister Big, I tried it without the filter and it was very slightly improved but not nearly enough.

Richard the shutter is on and we shot between 60 and 150.

Just talked to my dealer and he said he was mystified and would probably sleep badly tonight. He's eager to get his hands on it tomorrow. My hope is that this camera is screwed up and I'll get a "good one" tomorrow. I even suggested that he trade me this one for the rental!

[Stevet]

Send your camera in for repair...

[A B Hancock]

Well that was easy. Back focus problem confirmed by dealer. I'm home with a new camera. It was a very cold windy day in Atlanta but I took the exchange camera outside for some quick test shots that proved appreciably cleaner and free of the back focus problem. Just one of those things I guess...

Thanks for the feedback.