checking focus after the fact on my macbook pro

amber

amber

Active member
hey all,

apparently i'm not a faithful enough reader of dvxuser to have known that you can't really focus using the little flip out screen on the hvx. (this after filmining 1/2 of a feature!!!).

the goal here is to have hd footage. the question is, can i check clips to see if they are in focus after they have been downloaded and made into quicktime files in fcp on my macbook pro? yes we've been using the p2 cards, etc. and yes i'm about to invest in an (ouch, expensive) hd monitor.



thank you!
 
I'm not positive I understand what your asking, my guess is you wonder if the macbook pro lcd can be trusted when looking at focus since the flip out lcd on the camera cant. Yes you can look at it on the computer and tell.
However doing so will invariably slow down your shoot. Given you likely won't upload your P2 cards until one is full, you could be on to an entirely different setup by the time you upload, import to fcp, and check. My advice to you is just look through the eyepiece viewfinder, and save yourself the time. This is what I've always done, and never had trouble. If you really really want to be sure you could tape focus to get an approximation, and adjust from there.
As for your HD monitor, will you be hooking it up to the camera to watch as you shoot, or just to watch footage with later, because if you use it as you shoot you can tell by looking at that too.

Good Luck
 
ah so that's how it works

ah so that's how it works

yes that's what i meant,
can i tell if something was in focus by checking the quicktime of it on fcp using the
lcd monitor of my macbook pro. (and no, we weren't doing that kind of focus check on set, we were just using the lowly little lcd screen).
luckily there's a great rate of things being in focus in what we've already shot.
and that's a relief. but i didn't know that you can focus even better by looking through
the eyepiece than by using the hvx's lcd screen. good to know. and yes we'll be attaching the monitor to the hvx to watch it while we shoot.

thank you david!
 
Didn't someone around here, sometime describe a set of tables that can be used with the DVX to focus-by-tape? I always feel much safer working that way in 16mm, but I think I remember there being some weirdnesses involved in using existing focus tables for the DVX (small-chip cameras in general, really...)
 
here is the chart:

http://www.eric-petersen.com/more/

I had mixed results. I may have a faulty DVX, or the camera may give different readings under different circumstances. I suspect that switching the internal ND filters may affect the distance readings (such as what would happen with a behind the lens filter for an SR or Bolex)
 
There are two or three techniques explained in The HVX Book, including FOCUS ASSIST button, the EVF DTL button, laser measure device from home depot, and the ZOOM-FOCUS sceen display.

Also, by fortune or misfortune, I have a PC laptop to dump P2 cards...so I bought a copy of DV RACK HD software to tune the color and the shots. It is great for focus, color, and zebra.

The DV RACK HD 2 seems to be just fine for a monitor. It can also monitor sound, color, zebra, and even record on a PC laptop. So now you can justify buying a PC laptop for P2 dump and get monitor to boot.

Oh...I also use a Macbook pro for FCP edit part.
 
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that brings up another thing

that brings up another thing

yeah, monitors,
indywannabe you're thinking like i've been thinking -
and looks like lots of us have been, well, thinking.
it does seem a much better value to get the pc laptop
to dump to and use it as a monitor,
its good to hear that its working for you.
the only thing that is not so fun is getting fcp for that machine.
have to cruise around and see which laptops people are tending
to buy.
thought of bringing my macbook pro on location,
but nooooo... too iffy.
 
yeah especially when

yeah especially when

it just up and stops working,
but at least its still under warranty
so i take my eyes off the street
4 stories below
and just put it back on the desk
slowly now
 
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