HD100 in low light

M

magji2000

Member
So anyone get to try this cam in the dark. I am interested to see how footage has come out, night footage, stuff like that. On camera light is OK and if so does the Split Screen pop up?

Reason I ask is I do a lot of shooting in the dark, night clubs, evening events etc. I can on Camera light the scene, but I just want to know how well does the camera preform? How much more sensitive does the camera get if you bump the shutter down to 1/45? I really want to get one an thats the only thing that is holding me back. I am shooting with a DV500 right now so it wasn't all that great in low light either (better the the PD170 though) Also when is the 1/2 lens adapter supposed to come out? Also I know some people have been fitting Nikon Lens to this camera, what about Canon Lens? Anything out there that can do that? Thanks

Silton
 
Thanks Tim,

Great stuff, so I take it no spit screen problem. I am getting ready to produce a new TV show locally so this is pretty important to me, I would love to do the whole thing in 16X9 24F SD. As long as I can work with it I am OK. How much stop difference does 1/45 make you think? If I can get close to the same sensitivity as the DV500 (By slower shutter) I'll be good with it. Not everything I am going to shoot will be in dark thats why. Thanks
 
magji2000 said:
Thanks Tim,

Great stuff, so I take it no spit screen problem. I am getting ready to produce a new TV show locally so this is pretty important to me, I would love to do the whole thing in 16X9 24F SD. As long as I can work with it I am OK. How much stop difference does 1/45 make you think? If I can get close to the same sensitivity as the DV500 (By slower shutter) I'll be good with it. Not everything I am going to shoot will be in dark thats why. Thanks
Click to expand...

The split screen did show up once in a while (if you look closely you will see it) but I managed to work it out on both of my cameras by lowering the master black a little. My firmware is v1.14 so I would still like to get both cameras firmware upgraded and re-calibrated but they haven't caused any issues in any productions so far.

1/48 to 1/45 won't make much of a difference at all. Personally, I would suggest going to +3dB gain instead of lowering the shutter speed so that you don't get the tell-tale "blurry video-like" motion.
 
You would add extra noise before you would except a little blur? Gain is a no-no. I shoot my wedding footage in dark reception halls at 1/15 shutter rather than using any gain. The only time the blur is apparent is when there is lots of motion. I will be using a mounted light as soon as I find one I like.

-Kevin
 
Kevin Briggs said:
You would add extra noise before you would except a little blur?
Click to expand...

I would add gain first also.

My reasoning is this: in all the years we've all been watching film and video, we as viewers have picked up visual cues from the material we've watched. A dissolve as transition usually means a passage of time; 60i originated material (at least for my generation, born in the 70s), usually means "news" or "soap opera".

To me, the blurred motion of a 1/24th shutter or longer always says "dream sequence". I think that's changing a little with the advent of 24p HD cameras, but before these new cameras came on the scene, a 1/24th or slower shutter was not physically possible unless you were shooting film at 12fps or slower.

So to me, the implied look of video gain is the same as obvious film grain (which is to say, push film processing). It says to the viewer "It was dark here". Depending on your project, the decline in image quality may be acceptable in that context.

Same goes for shutter speed. My criteria would be "I feel most people think blurred motion means 'dream sequence or the like'", so I would think that may not be appropriate for something almost like reportage like weddings. Or at least not the entire reception.

Either way, I guess the reason I wrote this long post is to encourage you to take into account the 'language' of film and television in your choices, not simply what creates the technically cleanest image. If long shutter fits what you're trying to say with your shots, then I say continue with it!
 
As an instructor in fine arts Iv'e always taught to my students that Art can and is a "language". Language IS essential in communication. No arguement there. Just connecting the two.
 
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