Brightness/Luminance Levels

TJIsACoolGuy

TJIsACoolGuy

Active member
How would I go about adjusting my monitor to the appropriate brightness level........balance the colors correctly.

Here is my problem. I shoot video, and rely that my dvx's viewfinders are a good guide for light levels. I Iris up or down depending on the zebra...and the way it looks on the viewfinder in the camera. It looks good on the camera/viewfinder when I capture it in vegas... Vegas on the monitor looks awful.....Very dark, low light.. Most of the time it looks alright in vegas and I don't worry about it, but this time it doesn't look so good. Still looks good on the camera though. So..........Two questions-- ONE: How would I make my monitor look the same as the camera--accurately. And TWO: Can I rely on the camera as being good??? I mean, I thought my monitor was set up fine until I saw this video on there. What if I send this same video to someone who's tv does the same thing to it? How do I adjust my video to look good for everyone...with all of their different tv/monitor settings?
 
Re: Brightness/Luminance Levels

This is why serious production work requires a broadcast monitor with a blue gun-only function. When you calibrate to the SMPTE color bars, you know your values are correct..no guessing.

Gary
 
Re: Brightness/Luminance Levels

Yeah, you've got to calibrate your monitor. Use Vegas' test patterns, and then follow the instructions on greatdv.com or videouniversity.com for how to calibrate your monitor.

What it looks like on the DVX's LCD is irrelevant -- how it looks on the final display device is what's important.

And by "monitor" -- do you mean the computer monitor? Or a production monitor/television? Computer monitors will always show video a lot darker than it is on the television.
 
Re: Brightness/Luminance Levels

But if I left my Camera plugged into firewire, while I edited and used the lcd on the camera as a monitor, could I have faith that the color balance and brightness levels were good based on the lcd screen. Is that an option to ensure correct levels? And if that is the case, than If I balance my computer monitor to the camera, based upon both being on the same shot...will that appropriately place the levels where they need to be? Because I have some lighting that I think is ok, and some I need to bring up, and the way it looks now on my computer monitor, I would have to bring it all up. But based on what I took on location off the camera, I would only need to bring up a little at the beginning. What can I go off of?
 
Re: Brightness/Luminance Levels

No.

Neither the camera LCD or your computer monitor can be counted on for accuracy (except that the computer monitor is DEFINITELY not accurate).

Gary
 
Re: Brightness/Luminance Levels

As Gary said, you just can't do it that way.

The LCD is nearly worthless for judging exposure/contrast in a critical production environment. Why? Because the angle you look at it changes the way the picture is displayed! Rotate the LCD a little and you'll see contrast and color change significantly.

The viewfinder might be better because at least with it, it forces you to always look at it from the same direction.

At the bare minimum you should be judging your work off of a television screen. You cannot hope to have an accurate image off the computer monitor or off the camera's LCD. Plug the camera's video out ports into a TV, and then use Vegas' color bars to try to calibrate the TV. It won't be perfect, but it'll be a hundred times better than trying to use the LCD or the computer monitor.

Unless you have a laptop or second computer with DV Rack installed -- that's a way you could use a computer to get accurate color... but other than that, no, gotta use at least a TV, and preferably a real monitor.
 
Re: Brightness/Luminance Levels

Can anyone recommend to me a good monitor. I am really interested in getting a monitor for editing. Maybe one I could use on location as well. Something for dual-use. Preferably in the lower to mid range. I want the best one you can get in the lower price range. Anyway, this would help with my problems of knowing that what I am seeing is actually the way it is.
 
Re: Brightness/Luminance Levels

As Gary mentioned, you can't go wrong with the Sony.
JVC has some good prices and good value for on-location shooting as well. We use the lil' JVC's on location, cuz their cheap and I don't mind TOO much if it gets damaged. Easy and fast to calibrate too.
 
Re: Brightness/Luminance Levels

what little jvc's exactly are you talking about? Do you have a model # or a link of some kind?

Thanks
 
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