My HVX has a major problem...

Shooter

Shooter

Veteran
I think my HVX has suddenly developed a major fault! (Reshoot coming up)

Yesterdays shoot appears under exposed, lacking in contrast and sharpness and the levels are very compressed (on the waveform).

Images appear noisy.

I guess it will go into the shop on Monday but anyone got any thoughts or ideas.

I can absolutely eliminate operator errors or wrong camera settings.

We were shooting 720 /25p and were slightly aware during the shoot that something was not looking as well as we are used to on our external monitor. It was not till we saw it on the Edit Suite monitor and system that we realised exactly how bad this problem is !
 
I have now shot some tests:

Focus Charts, Grey Scales, Objects - manual and auto focus, manual and auto Iris

The HVX is not recording correct levels (exposures) as it is indicating on either the waveform monitor (Panasonic LH 1700 on screen or Adobe ON Location)

More significant is the resolution is reduced and its noisy.

The images are at approx two stops under exposed and flattened. The Camera Monitors are both reflecting closer to the result than the External Monitors and waveforms.

If the image on the External monitor looks over exposed, the result is closer to how it should be but it is also noisy and out of focus (lo rez look)

I have used reference material from previous shoots by way of comparison and definitely something is screwed up.
 
RESOLVED

Issue was caused by a termination error on the Panasonic monitor.

Seems this monitor has Auto Termination and we had not noticed that a BNC/RCA conveter plug had been left on one of the RGB Out connectors.

Beware.
 
We were shooting 720 /25p and were slightly aware during the shoot that something was not looking as well as we are used to on our external monitor. It was not till we saw it on the Edit Suite monitor and system that we realised exactly how bad this problem is !
Click to expand...

So you were lacking the termination on both monitors?
I'm glad you found the problem - I hate these kind of problems where you don't have a definite error, but you know something must be wrong. Always good when you find the culprit and it's just some plug that's not where it belongs.
 
Our mistake actually was watching the incorrectly terminated Panasonic Monitor (and waveform) whilst ignoring the Camera Monitors and the On Location Waveform which is fed by the Firewire connection. There was no loop thru on the monitor but a single BNC adaptor was telling the monitor there might have been. (Auto Termination)

Problem was compounded by the fact we were shooting Green Screen (all day/every shot)

Basically we were under exposing the image. and the Panasonic was not showing us that correctly due to our screw up.

Reshooting Friday...oh happy days. (At least my camera is not mis functioning but it is a $10k mistake)
 
Ouch, S10k? My condolences, that hurts. I take it the money is not coming out of your pocket hopefully?

I have said it many times before, equipment is a *****.

Good luck.
 
It is coming from my pocket so thanx for the condolences... but a donation would be better... (PayPal)

:-)


Its my first ever reshoot in many many years. I have been through neg scratches etc... but getting boned in a digital world. Fek.


Check this out cos its the way I feel at he moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvZZNwDnJuk

(I may post this up elsewhere as well cos it is cool)
 
Here in my country we have very good sense of humor, but a serious thing is a serious thing, as some things in this kind of forums.

We feel involved and solidary with people having problems, and eventually we feel bad being "framed"... like Roger Rabbit was.

Regards.

PS I now what mean to loose money because an accident, we lost US$ 125.000 last year due to a car accident.

Our equipement get F"·*=·D and we di not have accident insurance.
 
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That makes my $10k loss insignificant. I hope things worked out for you in the end and no one was hurt.

In the end its only money and much better to keep the client (and keep them happy) as I am doing. Small reshoot is nothing and it could have been worse.

I am currently re- investigating Neg Insurance except it will be 'Digital Neg Insurance' .

I always insured neg shoots but never really thought about it with Digital Shoots.
 
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