Bob's Tests & Comments on the HMC40

You can adjust the level of the LCD backlight to brighten it up if you want, but (at risk of shouting) -- if you're trying to judge the brightness of the image off of the LCD, you're already screwed six ways from Sunday. You can never rely on something like that. That's why the camera has all the monitoring tools it does, including the zebras and the waveform monitor and the marker.

Learn to use those, and you can produce stellar video. Try to rely on the LCD for knowing if your exposure's right, and you'll be doomed.
 
The Zebra strips are great for seeing where I'm clipping. I decided to set mine to 105% rather than 100%.

The waveform monitor tells the whole story from black to white; very nice...

I'm still considering getting a 50% gray card or 25% gray card. If I put the gray card in the frame and measure it, the light falling on the card should read xx% using the marker function. Assuming the card is in the same light source as the main subject, it should be reasonably consistent for my iris setting. OK, it maybe more work than the other forms, but if it gives the most consistent results, it might be worth the trouble.

At least that's my thinking as to another way to decide on the exposure. I've never had a camera that could do what the HMC40 can do, so there are several things I want to try out...



Bob Diaz
 
Cranky said:
Bob, you look like a pro!

P.S. Hey, this mic is twice longer than your cam :)
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Beyond the impression that people have when they see the mic, the audio from the Azden SGM-2x is outstanding. Nothing is perfect, but it does a really good job of picking the sound I want and rejecting the sounds I don't want.

For a $200 mic, it does a good job and it impresses the **** out of people. :thumbsup:



Bob Diaz
 
Barry_Green said:
That's why the camera has all the monitoring tools it does, including the zebras and the waveform monitor and the marker.

Learn to use those, and you can produce stellar video.
Click to expand...

Where can we best learn to use these? lets assume for a moment that I am a *clears throat* total greenhorn and know nothing more about the zebra & waveform monitor other than the description of what they do. Where can we learn the 'hows" of these items?

BobDiaz said:
The Zebra strips are great for seeing where I'm clipping. I decided to set mine to 105% rather than 100%.

The waveform monitor tells the whole story from black to white; very nice...

I'm still considering getting a 50% gray card or 25% gray card. If I put the gray card in the frame and measure it, the light falling on the card should read xx% using the marker function. Assuming the card is in the same light source as the main subject, it should be reasonably consistent for my iris setting. OK, it maybe more work than the other forms, but if it gives the most consistent results, it might be worth the trouble.

At least that's my thinking as to another way to decide on the exposure. I've never had a camera that could do what the HMC40 can do, so there are several things I want to try out...
Bob Diaz
Click to expand...

hurruu?? I have sinking feeling I'm well over my head...
 
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There's been lots of discussion of all of them here on the forum, although it'll take some searching to root it out.

But definitely, by all means, learn how to use them.

At the risk of this appearing as blatant self-promotion, what I think will be an excellent all-in-one place will probably be in the new HMC Book, whith new chapters totally rewritten for the (as you say) greenhorn. But that's still a good six weeks away.
 
Barry_Green said:
There's been lots of discussion of all of them here on the forum, although it'll take some searching to root it out.

But definitely, by all means, learn how to use them.

At the risk of this appearing as blatant self-promotion, what I think will be an excellent all-in-one place will probably be in the new HMC Book, whith new chapters totally rewritten for the (as you say) greenhorn. But that's still a good six weeks away.
Click to expand...

If I'm not the first to order it, its only because somebody knocked me down to get it first.
 
BobDiaz said:
The Zebra strips are great for seeing where I'm clipping. I decided to set mine to 105% rather than 100%.

The waveform monitor tells the whole story from black to white; very nice...

I'm still considering getting a 50% gray card or 25% gray card. If I put the gray card in the frame and measure it, the light falling on the card should read xx% using the marker function. Assuming the card is in the same light source as the main subject, it should be reasonably consistent for my iris setting. OK, it maybe more work than the other forms, but if it gives the most consistent results, it might be worth the trouble.

At least that's my thinking as to another way to decide on the exposure. I've never had a camera that could do what the HMC40 can do, so there are several things I want to try out...



Bob Diaz
Click to expand...

Why not get a 18% gray card that way you zone where zone 5 is and the camera will measure the iris perfectly. That is if the meter on the camera is set for zone 5 which it should be but maybe Barry knows for sure.
 
The "Toast 9" 11 Frame Glitch:

I'm wrapping up on my second video, the Smart Car Event and I learned something VERY important for Apple users...

I'm using Toast 9 to convert the 720/30 AVCHD files into a form that FCE (Final Cut Express) likes. With my first video, I tried Quicktime, but by the second video, I found that if I chose AIC (Apple Intermediate Codec), FCE performed a lot better.

The first video just has background sounds of the trains, so I didn't notice, but in the Smart Car Gathering, I had lots of interviews, where I noticed that the lips seemed out of sync. The closing of the car door was the dead give-away that my audio slipped out of sync. :shocked:

At first I assumed that the audio was in sync, but the processor of the Apple was lagging on the video; that was NOT the case. After looking at the AIC source files and even the Quicktime files, it appears that the video is frozen for 11 frames. Thus, my video started 11 frames late. That's over 1/3 of a second at 720/30p.

My simple solution right now was to output the whole production using AIC, pull the output file into FCP, unlock the audio/video, push the audio over 11 frames, and render the final video. It works, but good grief, what a pain...

For some reason 720/30p causes problems with Toast 9. It's getting late, so I'll have to wait for a later time to try the conversion with Voltaic to see if I have the same problem or not. If all else fails, maybe upgrade to the latest version of Toast.

From what I recall, it was ONLY 720/30p that seemed to have problems with the conversion.... More tests to come....


Bob Diaz
 
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OK here's the video that I posted to VIMEO and to YouTube. The VIMEO is higher quality and if you set-up a VIMEO account (free), you can download the source file (about 950 MB).

http://vimeo.com/8926452

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnh1rH1Jnsg

Now everyone knows the #1 rule, "Use a tripod stupid!!!" and I broke the rule by using a mono-pod, but it was a case of doing a run and gun shoot OR missing things. Overall, a mono-pot is far better than hand held.

It turns out that the "glitch" in my conversion is always 11 frames at 720/30p. This was VERY helpful, because shifting the audio by 11 frames fixed every clip.

In shooting the video, the idea was simple, just ask Smart Car owners about their car. Getting people who wanted to be interviewed was a bit of a trick; most said no. However, out of the group, enough said Yes and that gave me the message I was looking for. If you take a step back, this is a bit of a low key video "selling" the idea of the Smart Car to others.

Now the funny part, I don't work for Smart, nor do I own a Smart Car! Just think if I had to push to get a $2,000 camera, I really would have to push to get a $13,000 car. :happy:



Bob Diaz
 
BobDiaz said:
In shooting the video, the idea was simple, just ask Smart Car owners about their car. Getting people who wanted to be interviewed was a bit of a trick; most said no. However, out of the group, enough said Yes and that gave me the message I was looking for.
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Did you know any of the owners or did you just come to their meet and told them... what did you tell them? That you are shooting for yourself, for your university or what did you tell them? Did you ask for release?
 
Bob, if you have the newest version of iMovie, you can import your clips straight to AIC using that, then open the files in FCE and edit away. It's a shame to have to go through the hassle you went through.

I noticed one problem with your microphone in the video...THE SHADOW
 
Did you know any of the owners or did you just come to their meet and told them... what did you tell them? That you are shooting for yourself, for your university or what did you tell them? Did you ask for release?
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I didn't know anyone, except Rachel & Boris from Smart Madness. I told everyone that I am an independent producer making a short documentary for fun. The finished product will appear on YouTube and VIMEO and is a non-profit production. I also asked them that I was looking for Smart Car owners who were willing to talk about their feelings on the Smart Car.

I may work at El Camino College, BUT my filming had nothing to do with the college. This was something 100% separate from my job.

> Did you ask for release?

I don't know the legal issues involved, but because it's a non-profit documentary and I'm standing in a public area, I assumed that no release was needed. IF anyone said, "Don't film me!", I respected their wishes.

Interesting point, does anyone know the legal issues of showing people at a public event in a non-commercial documentary???

Bob, if you have the newest version of iMovie, you can import your clips straight to AIC using that, then open the files in FCE and edit away. It's a shame to have to go through the hassle you went through.

I noticed one problem with your microphone in the video...THE SHADOW
Click to expand...

I'll have to try that out, thanks.

I saw the shadow during filming and tried to move the shadow out of the image, but there wasn't room to move, because of the cars next to me... sorry. Now you can say that I'm a bit less than professional.


Bob Diaz
 
Properly, you should have a release. Whether you are filming for profit or not, doesn't change anyone's rights. There's some decent release forms on the web. It's occurred to me that, with a camcorder, (while recording) you could simply verbally state the terms on a release form (one that is short, to the point, and in plain English) and ask the person if they agree to the terms.
 
One would think you would get implied consent if they were talking to the cameraman.

I know I have been interviewed by news affiliates and been on TV without ever signing anything, and that was a commercial program.
 
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