HMC40 w/Century 0.5x Wide Angle and FlowPod

MrPolarBare

MrPolarBare

Well-known member
This is a shot from a virtual tour I did. I used the Panasonic AG-HMC40 with a Century 0.5x wide angle adapter. I also used a FlowPod.

The footage was captured at 1080/30p with 1/50 shutter speed. All of the settings were AUTO except the white balance. I used the "Low Noise" scene file that has been floating around these forums. I didn't use a lens hood, and you can see some flaring once I get underneath the dining area lights. The edit was done in Premiere. I didn't mess with the colors. I rendered using the Premiere "YouTube HD" setting (H.264 MP4 6mbps VBR, 9mbps max, 720p, 29.97).

I've uploaded to YouTube for your convenience. If you need a better quality, I'll include a link to the MP4 as well.

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I AGREE


MP4 Version
 
The footage was captured at 1080/30p with 1/50 shutter speed.
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You may want to switch the shutter speed to 1/60 of a second, because there is a risk of a beat pattern from any florescent lights. Florescent light flash at 120 times per second and are not an even multiple of 50.

It's difficult to tell the sharpness because of the movement in the image. When I freeze on an frame, the image looks soft, but my guess is that I'm seeing the blur due to the movement.

The wide angle effect does work well and gives an open look to the house. (Very important when selling a person on seeing the house. :happy:)

You FlowPod may be a bit out of adjustment, because I noticed some left/right swaying as you walked around.

Overall you're on the right track,


Bob Diaz
 
Yeah, this was my first outing with the HMC40, and I switched from 720p to 1080p, and therefore it changed my shutter to 1/50. I didn't realize this until after the footage was shot (rookie mistake). This was done for a personal project, not a client, so it was kindof a rush job (one day from capture to web delivery). Admittedly, 99% of the footage I take is me standing still, shooting from a boat. To say capturing this type of footage (run and gun) is out of my comfort zone is probably an understatement. I have very little experience with my FlowPod, and have never had an experienced user "show me the ropes" with it. I wouldn't be surprised at all if my adjustments were off a bit.

The footage was shot at 30p, with the assumption that I'd overcrank it a bit with a 24p playback (for slightly slower footage). I wasn't too terribly pleased however, so I kept the output at 30p. Also, I wanted to use Mercalli for some software stablizing, but after going througha few steps to finally get my software re-registered and updated for CS4, it was acting quirky, and I didn't feel like messing with it anymore because it was killing my deadline I had set for myself. I do think that the Century gives me enough viewing angle to allow for a decent amount of software stabilizing correction.

The finished piece is at http://167sunnyside.com. It has been crunched to 640x360 @ 1.5mbps though.

If I can break away, I'll try to do another walkthrough in my office using more appropriate settings. I'll post it here.
 
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ATL Media Group said:
How'd you like the HMC40 on the flowpod?
Click to expand...

Well considering I'd only used my FlowPod with my HVX200, I liked it a lot. It's lighter form-factor made it much easier on my arm. Fatigue never set in during this shoot. Also, I didn't have to use as much counter-weight for stabilization.

As far as the footage that was taken, I am not too hot on it, but I put the blame squarely on the camera operator (me).

Also, there are moments of the video that the FlowPod looks great. I think if I would of...

A.) Done a 10 minute practice session with the FlowPod before filming

B.) Shot more than just one take

...the footage could have been much nicer. Also a little software stabilization could have probably gone a long way.
 
Just a quick comments on any stedycam system, it has to be balanced. If the weight below the point of rotation is greater than the weight above, there will be a tendency for the system to act like a pendulum.

On most systems, there's some means to shift a weight up of down to get the proper leverage so that the pull is about equal.


Bob Diaz
 
What was the model number of the adaptor? Century Precision Optics 0HD-05WA-43 0.5x Wide Angle Adapter Lens for $150 perhaps ???
 
It's Century Precision Optics 0HD-05WA-43 0.5x Wide Angle Adapter Lens and it sells for around $160 to $190.


Bob Diaz
 
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