First Runs Report - Great Picture . . BUT ??

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drdimento

Well-known member
FIRST - A report on our changeover in cameras.

We've made our first videos and TV runs with the XH-A1 and HV30 (the HV30 as a B Roll) and the images look absolutely amazing. Having been formerly DVX100B and HVX200 & 200A's we were very (I mean VERY) concerned that the image quality just wouldn't be there and that we'd suffer while trying to convert our operations over to some format of HD that had:

  • Simple media handling solutions
  • Archival both short and long term
  • Easy for our dual xeon Avid and Mac Pro quad cores to run
  • No need for additional media people in the field
  • Excellent image in low and medium soft light
  • Conforms to our broadcast clients specs
  • Had excellent color out of the camera
  • Had a media format that had plenty of color bandwidth for color grading where and if necessary

Both the XHA1 and HV30 have conformed to all the above even though the two camera formats are different; that is, ccd's vs cmos; medium vs small (palm) size camera profiles; consumer to semi-prosumer vs pro (though arguably some will argue that the XHA1 is also consumer or prosumer although B&H and our two local broadcasters all labeled the A1 as broadcast pro) camera settings; etc.

In the end of it, the broadcasts approved the show format.

BTW, obviously the HV30 is only good for the B Roll wide shot cuts although we believe it could be used as an A roll - but - we're not going to test for quite a while because this alone was a challenge.

SECOND - The obstacle overcome.

By far our biggest hurdle that we were never able to overcome with the DVX and HVX camera solution in the SD tape mode was that our Avid system would not blend the two videos together in a multicam sync; that is, we always had to digitize the clips and then fuse the clips to a similar format then mulitcam sync which was always a pain when dealing with three cameras at seven shows per month which was what prompted us to look at and add MacPro, MacBook Pro, and FCS2 (other reasons too.)

However, the XHA1 and HV30 cut perfectly together in multicam verifying that the two dv formats are identical and with tweaking from the nearly 50 PRESET downloads we were able to quickly find a PRESET that makes the two cameras look exactly alike despite the two different imagers (which we could get right with the Z7U let alone we had the same Avid multicam issue just like the DVX/HVX one.

THIRD - We have yet to figure out how to get the HV30 out of "stedishot" mode. That is, the HAND is always on and the approval process shots were with that material and the camera mounted on a tripod . . I know, I know, bad! I guess we should have read the manual. Anyone know quickly how to do that? EDIT: This is the "BUT ??"

FORTH - Although we've done numerous tests on the HDV side we have not offered that option to the client yet opting to continue shooting with SD 4:3 until such time as we feel totally 100% comfortable with the HDV to SD conversion off the timeline to DV25 output for the broadcasters. However, we HAVE been shooting a lot of HDV and are amazed at how good the picture looks in low light and have been experiment with a scene we tried to capture last year in Chigrin Falls, OH but could not get the river cliffs to show in overcast (snow clouds) low light without grain and using the VIVIDRGB PRESET with even full ND on we managed to get some stunning footage and are going to post some of it with and without grading to accomplish said look we've been working on and off with for two years and now we have it.

FIFTH and IN CLOSING - Thanks to all who have helped us on the boards in private emails and with phone calls in this difficult task of working through all the possible HD solutions and for your continued help as we dig deeper and deeper into making better images, better compositions, better style, with more creativity.

OBTW, if someone knows hot to quickly get that "steadishot" turned off on the HV30 please let us know. Otherwise we'll have to open the manual out of the plastic wrap.
 
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Yup "Everts" perhaps it's not a function . . that is to turn the "steadishot" off but I did see it on a menu this afternoon on another shoot but it was gray'd out so obviously there is something that has to be done to get that feature functional . . my guess is something related to manual or the like. But as for now it's been pleasing enough left alone and it doesn't seem to be affecting the picture . . although . . if we haven't seen it with the feature disabled, then I guess we can't comment, huh?
 
Yup "Everts" perhaps it's not a function . . that is to turn the "steadishot" off but I did see it on a menu this afternoon on another shoot but it was gray'd out so obviously there is something that has to be done to get that feature functional
Click to expand...
On the right side of the camera there is an AUTO/P switch. Slide it to P, then you can turn off image stab in the menu.
-Kevin
 
Sacksnack said:
On the right side of the camera there is an AUTO/P switch. Slide it to P, then you can turn off image stab in the menu.
-Kevin
Click to expand...

Alright "Kevin" Thanks. I wondered what that button was. I was just guessing it had something to do with the photo mode or the like. Guess I should actually open that manual OR look for a d/l online :D

I have to say that this HV30 is one snazzy little camera.
 
Switching to P also enables custom white balance, and the different shooting modes like shutter priority, aperture priority, etc. You can also turn down contrast, saturation, and sharpening to better match the XHA1. I would also consider using a different preset than VividRGB, because it leaves the footage with a red color cast and makes it harder to match the two cameras.
-Kevin
 
Sacksnack said:
. . . I would also consider using a different preset than VividRGB, because it leaves the footage with a red color cast and makes it harder to match the two cameras. -Kevin
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Might you have a suggestion? I have 40 some PRESETS that were downloaded from here and hv20/hv30 site, plus on the xha1 i have used one on and off for about a year now (rentals when we needed three crews out or four cameras and two crews were out) and so i know how to make changes (although im not proficient yet like i was on the dvx100b.
 
I've been using a slightly modified version of the True Color preset, which I like quite a bit. I also use the stock A1 look, which is no preset, and then achieving my look in post. I'm going to try out the new preset Panavision that Papa just came up with. You can find that one in the presets thread at the top of this forum. Vividrgb was created by Steven Dempsey, who shoots a lot of landscapes, but even he felt that it was a bit too red and didn't render skin tones well. He has since switched to a more neutral look.

The A1 is a little flatter out of the box than the HV30, but the stock looks are simliar. If you turn down the saturation and the contrast on the HV30, it is much closer to the stock A1 settings. Then you can grade them both in post in a similiar fashion.

This was shot mostly with the A1 and the True Color preset, although most clips are slightly graded to give them a little more pop.
http://vimeo.com/2041763
Forgive my crappy steadicam work, I was working with a bum ankle.
-Kevin
 
Sacksnack said:
I've been using a slightly modified version of the True Color preset, which I like quite a bit. I also use the stock A1 look, which is no preset, . . . Forgive my crappy steadicam work, I was working with a bum ankle. -Kevin
Click to expand...

Will look into the "True Color" for sure. However, the default out of the box to use looked "dead" and "flat" I actually tweaked it a little and ended up with what we used for the two cameras for the tests over to the networks wherein they gave us a go. We put them on wave form and color wave monitors to set them and came up with a close enough match to get the "approval" then we can play after a month or two.

Then for all our other work including the outdoorsy stuff we've been using that VividRGB and therein we did tweak it a little but I'll have to look at what we mod'ed but I have a feeling it was in the hue area like as in to lower that red (again I did not do it, a guy far more up on the A1 than I did it . . and I wished he worked with us, just a pal about 100 miles from here . . and . . he had never seen an HV30 or 20 for that matter.)

Actually the steadi cams looked quite nice if you ask me. We have one but hardly use it after we found this plastic rig from china that i see popping up all over the place now and it's a quick mount, no balances and you can hold it like a shotgun or two handed or even overhead. I'll post some one day when I get a chance. This change over to HD is killing me on the websites because all our nomenclature and identification was Panasonic and SD and finding it all and changing it PLUS trying to come up with new HD footage is a PAIN :(
 
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