Controlling Exposure on the HV20: Walkthroughs and Tutorials.

I had a video podcast shoot on Thursday with two HV20's. It was essential that I set both to 2.8 aperture (for that sweet filmic-look) so they both would have the same aperture and exposure - I did it with the Lytecap. It was easy and quick. It was a nice 'real-world' test considering most of my testing done before I went public was in my basement. So to answer your question - yes it works and works well, IMHO.
 
Do you normally use the sd card? I couldn't figure out why you needed the Sony to read the settings. Had me rethinking my understanding of locking the aperture and using the exp dial for a sec. Then I realized as my Fstops were changing that I was doing the same thing you were doing only I was taking my readings from the HV half pressed shutter button rather than the Sony as I stepped up and down. I know how useful the Sony's are tho, I used to get data for my friend's GL footage all the time in my VX2K.
Now your cap and 2.8. Please bare with me as I'm confused again b/c I thought with regards to mini35, the lenses of choice in the 50mm range were F1.4 and 1.8. Is 2.8 a clear sweet spot for the Canon stock lens or is that just your preference? Thx for your time.

OK, now I see. I know the corresponding gain values on the HV so much that I forget we don't actually see the gain numbers in dBs like with the Sony data code.
 
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Yeah, the sony HC1 is great for that.
As for preferences, I am finding that 2.8 yields a great picture and I use it all the time. I recently did a test on my blog that shows the difference between an aperture of 2.8 and 4.8 - both maxed out without Gain - to my eye, the 2.8 is sharper and a tad bit brighter. I am still checking other aperture settings as I go, trying to find the perfect one. With 4.8, you get a great range on the EV (all the way to +11). This is nice because each notch brightens the image a little more.
 
SenorKaffee said:
My opinion is, if there is a need to digitally enhance the picture I could still do that in my NLE.
Maybe I only need to add "digital light" to a few spots and the rest is fine.
Click to expand...

Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't it be better to apply gain to the image before it was compressed? I assumed that since the camera has access to the image before it becomes 4:2:0 MPEG that any gain which was applied would be more accurate than a brightness increase in post.
 
It is better to have NO gain from the camera because it usually results in artifacts and added grain to the image.
 
DavidD said:
It is better to have NO gain from the camera because it usually results in artifacts and added grain to the image.
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I agree, not using gain at all is ideal. I'm asking, if you were forced to digitally brighten the image, would amplification of the sensor information be cleaner if it were applied before compression?
 
I would assume any kind of processing if going to be better before compression...but that is not my field - someone else might be better suited to answer that one.
 
I venture that any algorithm such as gain, applied before compression is 'cleaner' if by cleaner you mean less artifact laden . That's because video compression is always lossy itself and that lossiness accentuates artifacts which will appear once gain (a filter) is applied. Same principle is true for still image processing. Gain is death IMHO. Useful only in surveillance images.:violent5:

AndrewGentle said:
I agree, not using gain at all is ideal. I'm asking, if you were forced to digitally brighten the image, would amplification of the sensor information be cleaner if it were applied before compression?
Click to expand...
 
2.8 V 1.8

2.8 V 1.8

I an anewbie, so apologies.
I am looking into buying a HD camcorder and after a lot of research (www.camcorderinfo.com) the hv20 isa clear winnder in my eyes.

The Litecap seems to be an idiotproof way of locking the exposure, and the video tutorial shows as much. I am curious however why the value of 2.8 was used for the demo, against the recommended by others 1.8?

The video on Vimeo of the auto versus locked at 1.8 nightime driving also sold me on the fact that this is a great handheld. I am considering getting the lytecap also, but would like a bit more 'road tested' advice as I intend getting one specifically for a holiday I have coming up in a couple of weeks.

Once you lock the exposure, is this setting retained after a power down? (I would be buying an sd card also).
If not retained, do you have to do the procedure based on the 'initial' environment or will adding the cap (in a dark room , or outdoors in bright sunshine) and following the instructions always yield the same end result prior to filming even if moving from outdoors to indoors following a single shot?

thanks for all your patience guys, this is quite new to me, and you have to start somewhere (hence the research on the website listed above).

Arthur.


DavidD said:
Yeah, the sony HC1 is great for that.
As for preferences, I am finding that 2.8 yields a great picture and I use it all the time. I recently did a test on my blog that shows the difference between an aperture of 2.8 and 4.8 - both maxed out without Gain - to my eye, the 2.8 is sharper and a tad bit brighter. I am still checking other aperture settings as I go, trying to find the perfect one. With 4.8, you get a great range on the EV (all the way to +11). This is nice because each notch brightens the image a little more.
Click to expand...
 
Please let me know where it is explained how to control the exposure on the HV20 using the mini SD card---prefer to do it the easy way!! Not clear from the posted article what steps one takes for the mini SD card method. Thanks!
 
When you have the mini-SD card installed, then when you push down the "photo" button halfway, the display will show what f-stop you're at. So you control exposure normally, with the EXP slider, but you can at least spot-check and see what f-stop the system is selecting.
 
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