AC130: Autoexposure issues yesterday while shooting a parade outdoors with my new AC130

Auto exposure is a useless function on a video camera IMO. An exposure mode that lets you get an initial auto exposure setting and then lock it so it doesn't change is useful. Does the Panasonic have this? I use this approach with my GL2, let it set exposure for a composition with the broadest possible range of scene values, lock it, then decide what scene values I will accept for 100% white highlights and use the 100% zebra to manually adjust the auto exposure setting to match. Generally I am shooting about 1 stop under the auto exposure setting.
TTL auto exposure settings are always a weighted average of the image composition at a point in time. If the mix of scene values changes in the frame the exposure changes to match. Unless the lighting changes drastically, these exposure shifts are unnecessary. On an overcast day outdoors this typically doesn't occur.
For any type of photography/videography I highly recommend learning Ansel Adams Zone exposure techniques. It gives you the visual skill to judge scene values outside of the camera and make appropriate creative choices about where to set exposure for any given condition.
 
I agree with Dstar. I will be testing my 130 camera this week. It is not a question if we can use manual . Most people here do that if we are spending 4000$, if we want to use auto modes though, they should do a decent job for the money we spent. The auto modes should work as good as my older video cameras, otherwise the camera is being shipped back. I am hoping it will work out.
 
Dstar, you mentioned firmware. Does Panasonic do this a lot? And what sort of things are fixable? Autofocus, auto-otherthings, timecode....?
It would be nice to know if they are looking into any of this?
 
Ansel Adams zone system was designed for exposing film based on future pushing and pulling of film in development in order to get sections of image in a certain zone range. Based on a 10 zone system. You could call him the master of contrast.
A modern day video have a range of perhaps 5 zones. Just being 2 stops off, in video, will generate an improper exposure. I can pan and zoom and the camera will require a 2 stop adjustment. I can't pan & shoot and manually adjust the iris, all while shooting. Perhaps if there was a non-destructive way to push and pull your video image after shooting it, I could use Adam's Zone system, but no such beast exists. So auto iris with average weighted exposures will have to do, for now.
 
I don't know LampoFilm, but might have to return for different model to suit my needs? Being my main camera, I need something that semi works with manual mode and can't wait for future fixes or firmware updates.
 
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