FS7: Best setting for full auto mode

P

Publimix

Veteran
Anyone using full auto?...

I try to make the camera fool proof for some easy interview setups fot the Internet.

What is your recomended setup for full auto modus? (that little button with the green light) which I never touched before. The setting is a restaurant with some led lights.

HD, MPEG4, HG8?

tnx
 
The ironic thing is that by choosing Full Auto you are basically guaranteeing your client (or yourself) worse results than if the camera was operated professionally. That is just the opposite of foolproof. Some might even call it foolish. What difference does it make if the video is for the internet or broadcast television? Why would you not want to do your best work all the time? I don't get that mindset.
 
Doug Jensen said:
The ironic thing is that by choosing Full Auto you are basically guaranteeing your client (or yourself) worse results than if the camera was operated professionally. That is just the opposite of foolproof. Some might even call it foolish. What difference does it make if the video is for the internet or broadcast television? Why would you not want to do your best work all the time? I don't get that mindset.
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Only thing I can think of, is if you need to have an inexperienced person
operate camera for you for some reason. I would personally use a different,
less advanced camera for something like this but maybe it's the only camera available?
I dunno, just trying to think of a reason, because I agree with Doug, not something
I'd be doing.
 
Doug Jensen said:
The ironic thing is that by choosing Full Auto you are basically guaranteeing your client (or yourself) worse results than if the camera was operated professionally. Some might even call it foolish. I don't get that mindset.
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It is obvious that 'full auto gets other results than if the camera is operated professionally.' Thank you.
I wasn't looking for a passive aggressive opinion, but just some camera settings for some kids who want to film some stuff for a project and can use my camera.
 
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Publimix said:
I try to make the camera fool proof for some easy interview setups fot the Internet.
Click to expand...

I saw no mention of kids. Am I supposed to be a mind reader? But that still wouldn't have changed my answer anyway. Kids, appearently unlike some adults, are quite capable of learning very quickly how to do something professionally. (is that passive aggressive enough for ya?) :-)
 
Thanks again for your opinion. Sorry that I didn't make my question fool proof.
But let me ask this question again, are there beside all the pro's and camcorder Instructors, amateurs here, or other people who sometimes use Full Auto Mode for some reason?

And if so, do they want to risk to be judged here or still have the guts to answer this question? It would be appreciated.

thanks
 
I've owned the camera two years now. Not a professional, just an enthusiast. I pressed the full auto button twice in two years and regretted it immediately. Even with my very limited skills, that mode is no good for me. I would rather make some attempt to get decent footage on my own then let the full auto do whatever it is that it does. I could quickly see that it was worse than anything I would do. It's sort of an insult to the capabilities of that camera to use the full auto mode, it's like you're choosing to punt on 2nd down. If an operator doesn't want to invest the minimal time and effort to learn some basics about how to shoot with the FS7, then why let them near it? Mainly, you just need to know how to get a proper exposure and dial in some settings and you're good to go.

Mark
 
Thank you Mark,

I just want some kids to: aim camera, push button, leave the camera recording for a few hours and leave the camera alone while they do their thing. The light can change a bit during the day.

Use the FS7 as an expensive webcam with sound so to say.
 
But you didn't say any of that in your first post.

I know I should just shut up and let this thread die, but I can't do it. When someone comes onto a professional forum, such as this, and starts talking about using Full Auto, they should be shot down fast. What you want to do on your own time is your business, and if you want to teach the next generation of kids poor practices, there is nothing we can do to stop you. But if you expect to come to a forum like this and talk about runing the camera like a complete rank amatuer, I think the rest of us have an obligation to speak up. By promoting half-assed shooting techniques with a camera that many of us own, you are pissing in the pool that we are all swimming in. And the whole "its just for the internet" attitude really ticks me off. How can you go to a client (or potential client) and convince them that they need high-end production values for their videos if you are saying that it doesn't matter because its just for online. You are bringing down the whole profession with that attitude. Here's a news flash for you -- the vast majority of videos most of us get paid to shoot are only seen on the internet. Quality matters. Quality always matters. Or at least it should to a professional who expects to be paid for their work. Maybe you have variable standards that ebb and flow depending on where the final product will be seen, but I'd venture to say that most people here at DVXUSER actually want to do their best work all the time without regard to where it will be shown. That is how a successful business and reputation is built.

And please, do those kids a huge favor and take an hour to show them how to run the camera properly.

Thank you for letting a grumpy old man have his morning rant to get the day started off right! :-)
 
Dear mr Jensen, there is no client, you are assuming, not knowing. You don't know the purpose and the circumstances behind the question and yet you have a strong opinion that you have to preach.

The basic question was: 'anyone using Full Auto?' you obviously don't. So you did not have to answer it.

I know you are using this site to sell your camera manuals and video courses and that you have to expose your knowledge for this purpose. Having the last word is part of this strategy I suppose (besides posting air shows and wildlife).

But that doesn't make you spokesman for this entire web forum even when you think you have 'half god status' for some people. And mayby you can use your status to make Sony remove the auto button if it is such an amateurish thing.
So, yes, unless you are the moderator for this site, you sometimes should shut up and give people chance to ask questions. Even the stupid ones.
 
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Ok - then let me add to Doug's advice already in this thread. Teaching the kids something about using a professional camera would be doing them a favor. Handing them your camera and having them pressing full auto seems to me to be telling them condescendingly that they are too dumb to understand how to use it.
 
Thanks Mark, that is not the problem, of course these kids can easy learn how to use this camera, no need for poorly styled manuals/books here. I even can show them Alistair Chapmans course on youtube :-)


I had hoped there was a quick and easy way to do this. Push button and walk away.
But it seems I entered a minefield with this thread, maybe the same as ye old 'autofocus taboo' I suppose. It is not my intention to upset 'professionals' here.

And about this comment: from a well know bookseller:
Here's a news flash for you -- the vast majority of videos most of us get paid to shoot are only seen on the internet.
And 99% of it content is made with camera's or Iphones in auto mode. So stay in your Ivory tower.

Let's close this thread.
 
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Tough crowd.

Publimix, I've been playing with full auto on the FS5 and think it's kind of good. I have to imagine it has similar performance as the FS7. The auto focus works but sometimes there is the occasional hunting, the push auto button can be useful at times so you might need to use that to set it in place initially. Hopefully it doesn't hunt and wander off later.

I don't know if you have the markII FS7 but the auto ND function is something worth raving about.

Good luck with your shoot, let us know how it went.
 
A few more thoughts --

Perhaps we should change the name of the button to 'FOOL AUTO'

That said, I will admit that there have been times I've pushed the button. Think of it as a third parachute when skydiving. Who in their right mind would not use the primary chute first? Or if that one fouls go for a secondary. Of course if the secondary fails as well and you're hurtling towards the ground at 140mph and 300 feet altitude, you'd probably be crazy not to go for any other options if you had them available.

I've used full auto a few times when shooting at huge meetings where I want to do a rapid pan/ zoom out from speakers on stage lit by spotlights at 200+ footcandles to wide shots of the audience - which is not lit at all, but illuminated by light from the projection screens behind the speakers, usually at 1-2 footcandles or less. The Fool Auto button gets pressed as the pan begins, just after no longer seeing the speaker, and the Iris/gain ramps up exponentially - since during the move I need to pick up 7 or more stops of exposure, as well as what is often a different color balance. Of course if I pan back to the speaker I need to disengage Fool Auto before the speaker is in frame again. Of course this is an application that doesn't work unless I've properly set all manual settings for the speakers on stage, since Fool Auto would provide no usable footage of speakers lit by spotlights.

If you really want to use auto settings, think about what works well for a Go-Pro or an ActionCam in auto mode. Everything uniformly lit - such as daytime with the sun behind the camera - and superwide lenses for lots of depth of field. If you're trying to do an interview, Make the person dominant in the frame and make sure there are no fine details behind them, or anything either really bright or really dark or with any kind of mixed light, and of course absolutely no windows or light sources visible in any shot. I often see documentaries where it's obvious to me that someone had the camera set in some sort of auto mode, since the focus on the interview subject ends up on the wall of books behind them rather than on the person's face.

Figure that in properly set and operated manual mode 90% of the footage should be usable (clouds may cover the sun, someone may reposition in frame faster than the operator can follow and adjust focus, etc.) I figure that with Fool Auto you can drop the percentage of acceptable footage to about 10% - which of course means a lot of extra work editing and in postproduction.

Last year I was an instructor for a TV intro class where we sent the students (college freshmen) out with EX1R cameras to do their first test shoot after about 2 hours of instruction. The ones who paid attention and set up the camera manually came back with good shots. The students who thought they would do the 'easy thing' and put the camera into auto mode came back with unusable footage and were sent back out to re-do the assignment.
 
Would you go to a dentist that had a big red auto button on the drill.. ? but called him/her self a professional.. ?
 
Robotic surgery seems promising, and as far as I know dentists in the US use full anesthesia so you won't notice the big red button. :-)
 
Publimix said:
Dear mr Jensen, there is no client, you are assuming, not knowing. You don't know the purpose and the circumstances behind the question and yet you have a strong opinion that you have to preach.

The basic question was: 'anyone using Full Auto?' you obviously don't. So you did not have to answer it.

I know you are using this site to sell your camera manuals and video courses and that you have to expose your knowledge for this purpose. Having the last word is part of this strategy I suppose (besides posting air shows and wildlife).

But that doesn't make you spokesman for this entire web forum even when you think you have 'half god status' for some people. And mayby you can use your status to make Sony remove the auto button if it is such an amateurish thing.
So, yes, unless you are the moderator for this site, you sometimes should shut up and give people chance to ask questions. Even the stupid ones.
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Yes, they should remove the auto button or let us reassign or turn off that button. ... I hate the auto button! I have had to train my brain and muscles to stay away from that button. When I hire someone else to run the camera and they inadvertently hit that stupid button, a look of panic comes across their face as the camera takes over and takes them to a place where they don't want to be. Students should be taught how to use a camera when they are using a professional camera. I spent many years teaching teachers how to shoot and the amazement and wonder that they expressed once they learned about exposure and how to control depth of field was wonderful. Try it. Don't assume that they can't learn.

Doug, thank you for speaking up for people who make their living by delivering a quality product.....all the time.

I was asked once to make a video with an iPhone. You can do it and there is a lot that you can control. It is not just a point and shoot camera. Kids know all that stuff...trust them and they will amaze you!
 
I removed the auto button from my Gopro and now it stopped working.

I said I never touched the damn button on the FS7 before and I asked a simple technical question for a very specific situation and got bashed. So be it. Now let us never speak again about this button and ban everyone who does, from this forum.
 
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Publimix said:
Robotic surgery seems promising, and as far as I know dentists in the US use full anesthesia so you won't notice the big red button. :-)
Click to expand...

Yes true Ive filmed it.. a huge machine called DaVinci .. BUT.. drum roll.. its actually operated by a human surgeon .. a few meters away.. full anesthesia for all dentistry.. your insurance must be $1m a year sir.. :)
 
The most expensive insurance here that covers almost everything including dentist, hospital etc. is 2300 euro per year plus 2900 basic insurance. That is maximum 420 per month, I pay totally about 200 per month, covers most. (500 for the whole family)
I do not have dentist insurance not worth it, just paying the dentist is cheaper.
 
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