Camera "B" - my solution

G

globalsearch

Member
As it was put to me.... "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few..or the one"

In an effort to save money and get over the handycap of not having anything "DECENT" to film with - I present my option.

I purchased a GS400 -
added 43-52 step-up adapter
52mm UV filter
52mm round rubber lens hood
SIMA shotgun/zoom mic. (powered) with windscreen/hot-shoe mount
Lavalier clip on-mike (ATR35S)
Sony MDR-V150 studio monitor headphone
Aluminum Carrying case with sponge insert

This week I am ordering a twin soft-box lighting kit (35" I believe) with case as well as a backdrop kit (stands/rod/2 standard color/1 chroma-key muslin drapes)

What do you think of my solution?
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

The GS400 sounds like a great little cam--especially since it has quite a bit of manual control. I'm not sure you can do any better at that price point. The Sima mic is not going to be too good, though. I think you can do better in terms of mics. I picked up some nice AT cardioid condenser mics for $10 each at a big Guitar Center sale. You could get something similar and build (or buy) an XLR-mini plug adapter. Rig up a homemade boom and shock mount and you should be able to capture decent sound.
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

Go to the Screen Grabs Forum, there's instructions there.
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

Barry,

This forum has helped quite a bit on my learning curve.
I chose the SIMA mics because of pure specs (response) and because I have not yet decided how to best adapt to XLR. I chose the GS400 because of its video properties - even the taping will eventually go directly to disk rather than tape. (I even started a aluminum exo-frame for the unit so it can take some abuse for run-n-gun scenarios)

I plan on doing to some sample studio shoots that will record from various sources to get the feel of what has the best dynamic range. I come from an electronics background and a good pro-photography experience. Moving into video/film has been a goal for some 5 years, and only in this last year have I been applying the old lead foot to the pedal. As I said, the learning curve has been steep.

I will take your advice regarding the mics. Nothing is set in stone, and I am willing to work with whatever works best. Its best to stay as flexible as possible.


Thanks again.


PS - I will check out those picture posting instructions.
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

I'd love to see some side by side screen grabs of the PV-GS400 V.S. the DVX100. They are both 30P progressive/ 3CCD cameras...Just maybe they have the same CCD's in both cameras. After all I believe when it comes to 24P/24Pa process its happening somewhere seperate from the CCD's themselves...so who knows. If they are the same then your right. What a great B-cam to have in your bag. Personally I find myself shooting more 30P than 24P these days. The too look very much the same but with 30P you have a hint less of that strobing effect - letting you get away with faster pans and you never have to worry about any interlaced frames.

Anyways screen grabs anyone?
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

Not even close.  The GS400 is 1/4.7" megapixel CCD's, with no progressive scan (just frame mode).

And 24P happens at the CCD level.  The CCD's actually scan at a 24Hz rate.

GS400's a screaming deal and a great little camera, but no, any speculation about them having the same CCD's would be wishful thinking, but unsubstantiated.  They're not related.
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

I was thinking of adding the Cokin filter system to the GS400 - unless there is a better way? Any sugestions?

Also, that filter comparison CD that is being talked about on these boards - I take it the results do nor reflect the performance I would I get out of the GS400?
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

Thanks for clearing that up. Some sites were misleading when it came to the "progressive mode".
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

I think the Cokin P-size system would be perfect for the GS400. Jarred's filtration DVD would only partially apply in the case of the GS400, but it might be useful just to see the kind of filtration you might want to consider. On the other hand, you could just buy a little assortment of P-size optical resin filters and play around--they're fairly inexpensive.
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

I read somewhere that since the GS400 has true 16:9 - that if you add a wide angle lens, you can achieve 2.35:1 (film wide-screen)

Is this true?
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

The GS-400 does not have "true" 16x9. the CCD's are 4:3. I have a PV-DV953 which was last years version of this camera. And it has a letterbox mode that crops off the top and bottom of the screen, and a squeeze mode that also crops off the top and bottom of the screen and then digitally squeezes that 16x9 (ish) image over the entire 4x3 raster before going to tape. allowing you to unsqueeze this pseudo-anamorphic image in most nonlinear editors to create an anamorphic widescreen image. Neither of these processes is a preferred method of achieving widescreen in that so much resolution is discarded by the process and in the case of the squeeze mode undesirable artifacts are introduced due to the digital squeeze process. A wide angle lens added to this arrangement would only achieve a wider angle of view in the overall image. It would not change the shape of the image at all since wide angle lenses expand the image in both the horizontal and vertical planes. Now an anamorphic lens will optically resize a 16x9 image onto a 4:3 imager that can be expanded just as the previously aforementioned squeeze mode but without the loss of resolution. I've heard that using an anamorphic lens and the internal 16:9 settings on a camera results in a loss of resolution but also in an image very close to the shape of 2.35:1 "cinemascope" film images.
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

I am a little confused - a wide angle lens brings in more information - and I understand - both horizontal and vertical. But the "anamorphic" wide angle only brings in more horizontal only?

Does this mean I need to specify "anamorphic" as opposed to simply "wide-angle"?

Also, the GS400 has a 43mm lens mount. I have changed this with a 43mm to 52mm adaptor. I would thing that a 52mm wide angle would have little if any vignetting. No?
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

A wide angle lens is allowing the camera to see a few more degrees to either side. This is not the same at all as an anamorphic lens, which is maintaining the same viewing angle and distorting it so that it fills more of the vertical frame; you're actually losing vertical, not adding horizontal.

Someone else may correct me on this, but I believe that is the way the anamorphic adapter works.

These two adapters are for completely different purposes. The wide angle lens exists to get more into your frame. The only purpose of the anamorphic adapter is to change the aspect ratio without loss of resolution.
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

The only anamorphic lens I have experience with is the AG-LA7200 Panasonic for the DVX100/ DVC80 (some have used this with the XL1/s) This lens DOES increase the field of view horizontally as well as compress a 16:9 image onto the 4:3 chips. I have never noticed any loss of vertical resolution or coverage when compared to footage from the same camera without the ana lens attached (and in 4:3 mode). Century optics may make an anamorphic lens that you can use with that camera but you will need to check with someone in the know before committing to the purchase. Using a step up ring between the cameras threads and the adaptor lens may cause bigger problems than you want to deal with as the anamorphic glass focuses an image onto a very specific plane. The step up ring might place your CCD beyond the focal point of the glass and you will have nightmarish focusing issues. Be careful.
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

glassblowerscat's description would be appropriate to describe Squeeze Mode, but not the anamorphic adapter. Collink's description is accurate.

The anamorphic adapter keeps the same vertical field of view, and expands the horizontal by 33%, giving you a true 16:9 widescreen picture, optically squeezing it all into the 4:3 CCD of the camera. You lose no resolution, you get "native 16:9".

A wide-angle adapter increases the field of view on both axes, but still giving you a 4:3 video. The anamorphic increases the field of view on the horizontal axis, giving you 16:9 video.
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

Hey, that's good to know; thanks Barry. I guess if I'd thought about it a little harder I'd have figured that out.
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

Normally, when someone says "true 16:9 mode," I would think that meant it actually had 16:9 CCDs. In the case of this camera though, I just plain don't believe it.

And there is one tell-tale sign that I am right not to. One of his sentences on "true 16:9" mentions that the image is stretched in the viewfinder. That clearly makes this "true 16:9" much more like the DVX's squeeze mode. That guy can go on saying "true 16:9" all he wants, but that doesn't make his camera have 16:9 CCDs, which is the only way to actually get "true 16:9."
 
Re: Camera "B" - my solution

My understanding is that in 4:3 mode, the GS400 does not use all the pixels - and its resolution if greater than 500 lines (v) - but in 16:9 modes - it uses more horizontal pixels.
 
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