Advice on using a FDR-AX100 to take footage of a baby after delivery?

[Mark-P]

My wife is going to give birth sometime in the next month. This will be our first baby, and I have never been in a delivery room, and am not sure how things are going to go. I want to take video of the baby right after birth and will only get one chance to get some good footage. I have no idea what the lighting will be like. I can borrow a FDR-AX100 and like the idea of shooting 4K so my footage is future proofed. Being that I have zero experience with this camera, and will not have much time to experiment with it, I'd like to have some settings ready because I am not sure how much time I will have to make adjustments (I will also need to support my wife during the birth).


1. Can anyone recommend some general settings that I might go into the room with without knowing lighting conditions, etc.?


2. Anything else anyone might be able to suggest? Maybe general advice from someone who has done this before?


Thanks for any suggestions/advice.

 

[Duke M.]

I wrote what's below and realized I was probably telling you what you already know. I'm posting it anyway in the off chance it may help you. Sorry if it doesn't.

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The forte of the AX100 is outdoor shots. It's okay in low light, but not fabulous so you need to check your settings and may have to switch to all manual settings. Without enough light the gain may be boosted to the point it gets grainy unless you go manual.

Compounding that is the fact that most hospitals have florescent lights. If the lights have the cheaper magnetic ballist they will flicker, and the flicker can ruin your video. Newer electronic ballists can be okay in video. A part will depend on what country you are in. Strobing is really bad when you're in a 60htz country and use 30 fps, or a 50htz country and you're using 25 fps.

There is an anti flicker setting, but I haven't tried it and haven't had much luck with it on other cameras. The horrible part is it's really hard to see on the tiny screen and it's too late when you get home to change anything.

When you are that unfamiliar with the camera I'd suggest push your wife's bed near the window and turn off the overhead lights. This will give you really soft and natural light. Then you can probably get away with full auto. (Unfortunately a lot of babies arrive in the middle of the night.)

My back up plan would be to bring along a small LED lighting kit. Fortunately hospital rooms are small and it shouldn't take much light. Concievably a dozen small LED flashlights from the 99 cent store aimed at the ceiling and wall would probably do it. You may have to color correct later if there is a green spike.

My very last choice would be to turn the anti flicker on. It might help to shoot at a FPS that offsets the electricity frequency (like 24 fps in a 60htz country). I'd go to the hospital and test it in the maternity ward first though as I still think it won't get rid of the strobing entirely. Fixing it in post is a nightmare. I had to do it one time before and vowed never again.

That being said, the AX100 does have pretty good full auto settings as you'd expect in a consumer cam.

 

[Blit]

Hi

Congratulations on you and your wife's pending birth.

Let's look at this from a different angle. A pro going out on an important shoot with only one take possible would only bring equipment they are very comfortable with. Now without considering that you may get another take in about a year or more... Won't you feel better forgoing the 4K in return for getting it right in HD. Good SD looked good in the past and still does. HD, even better. Yeah 4K can look better but remember the hierarchy -> content is King, then sound, then video. Then maybe fancy stuff like 4K. Now maybe on the big screen 4K is more than fancy stuff. But are you going to show your baby on the big screen? I don't know you but I know I might suffer from shaky cam and bring a very light tripod or monopod.

Depending on all sorts of things, if medical intervention or assistance is needed the medical people are not shy about asking (telling) you to get out of the way. I have two kids almost grown and they and my wife are the best things in my life. GOOD LUCK!

 

[zeke]

A GH4 with a fast lens might be a better option for this situation. Most of the footage I've seen from many AX100 appears washed out, or clipped.