AC160 Interval Recording

tflak

tflak

Veteran
Hi Everyone,

Have been posting over in the AF100 and GH2 forums for awhile and have been lurking here, but this is my first post.

Am really loving the AC160A. Still just playing around with it, but after having used AF100s since first release, the AC160 lens and video cam features are a huge and very welcome change for run-n-gun and wildlife. Really appreciate having the 1:1 mag for focus too, but am finding the Push Auto very fast and accurate so am not using the 1:1 nearly as often as I thought I would. But it is nice to have. Original intent was to use the Push Auto to get in the ballpark and then fine tune manually. But am finding Push Auto nails it more often than not. Almost always so far, in fact. Have been very pleasantly surprised. Then again, haven't used the camera a whole lot yet.


Okay, so this video was a spur-of-the-moment decision to try some timelapse when I saw the mist and sun shining through the trees. Was actually headed to another location and intended to just pass through this area on my way. So not knowing much about the camera or the Scene Files, I just used the one I was planning on using later in the day. Had used it with good results on an outdoor shoot on a bright, sunny day previously. Bottom line is I was surprised at the amount of noise in the footage. It also looked really soft to me and I wasn't able to do much sharpening in post without further accentuating the noise.


That said, this is the first time I've used the Interval Recording so I don't know if it's just the nature of the beast and introduces more noise than regular recording. I did forget I had DRS turned on and maybe that had something to do with the noise - even though it was set at 1. Would be nice if there was an indicator for DRS. Have since assigned it to a User button so it's easier to check. And while we're on the topic of useful indicators, I got burned by the Manual/Servo Zoom and ended up manually turning the lens when in Servo mode. Doesn't seem to have done any damage and I didn't force it. But it really pissed me off because I know it can do damage, and coming from the AF100 I'm just not used to even thinking in those terms. Has been many years since I used a servo zoom.


Am looking forward to learning from and contributing to this community. Please check out the video. Comments and suggestions on the settings would be much appreciated:




Interval Recording = 1 fps (time remapping in FCPX)
Shutter 180.0d
Focal 15mm
f/5.0
0dB GAIN
ND OFF (used Sing-Ray Vari-ND to adjust for changing light)


Scene File:
DETAIL: -2
V DETAIL: -2
DETAIL CORING: -2
CHROMA LEVEL: -2
CHROMA PHASE: 0
MASTER PEDESTAL: +1
DRS: ON
DRS EFFECT 1
GAMMA: CINE-LIKE D
MATRIX: CINE-LIKE
SKIN TONE DTL: OFF
 
Wow - over 170 views and no comments. I realize nobody buys this camera for interval recording so I didn't expect a whole lot of interest. But am kind of surprised at zero. Then again, this place is a bit quiet in general.


Must be getting senile (more so) because I said in my last post that this was my first one here. Forgot that I had posted about the price of the camera previously. But this was my first post after having bought and used it. So I consider it my first.


Seriously - no comments or suggestions on the settings?
 
Hey I know this post has been out there for quite awhile but I've been doing some interval (time lapse) recordings of sunrises. Of course, the brightness changes as the sun comes up which means ND filters need applied. The AC160 has the built in ND Filters which are great but obviously there is an abrupt image change when I click up to the next filter and then adjust IRIS. In the end it just looks bad in an otherwise nice looking time lapse. So wondering how others who may be playing with this cool feature of the camera are handling the light changes. A decent variable filter costs about $400 or so and kinda kills me to spend that kind of money for something already built into the camera. Comments appreciated.
Oh and BTW tflak I thought our TL looked great!!

 
Thanks, DMcnell. As you've discovered, the built-in ND filters on the AC160 are definitely not suitable to use while recording. And function nothing like a good variable ND which can be incrementally (smoothly) adjusted. Especially if you use something like this:

http://www.cappojim.com/Trudeau-Twist-Jar-Opener.html

I've since sold my AC160 and bought an HC-X1000. It doesn't have interval recording and so I'm not using it for time-lapse. But the interesting thing about it is swapping the ND filters is a lot more seamless than with the AC160 and looks more like an iris change. Still not as smooth as what can be achieved with a variable ND, but worlds better than the abrupt ND change on the AC160. That said, of course using built-in ND filters avoids some of the possible pitfalls of a variable ND; like discoloration, softness at the long end of a tele lens, etc.

The HC-X1000 is the only camera I've ever owned where I'm willing to use it on fully automatic (iA) setting. I was hesitant to even try it based on prior experience with lots of other cameras. And everyone knows fully automatic is a no-no. But I was honestly amazed at the results. Not saying I use it a lot, however I don't hesitate to use it when rushed for time or shooting in highly variable conditions. It produces surprisingly smooth and even looking footage. And part of that is the way it seamlessly uses the built-in NDs on that setting.

Actually, the video posted here was the first and only time-lapse I ever shot with the AC160. I normally now use a GH4 for time-lapse and find the built-in time-lapse feature on that camera to be surprisingly good.
 
Tflak - thanks for that link. That's awesome. I'm going to order some for some other purposes. I've seen similar items for a lot more money.

As for time lapse video. Thanks for the feedback. Obviously I still have the AC160 and have done some other time lapse which came out OK. It was a night time setup so the ND filtering wasn’t as big an issue. I’m surprised other people with this camera have not used this feature and have any other opinion or experience on it. But it looks like if I want to use this camera for such a purpose I’ll have to rent or buy a variable ND filter which as I said kinda sucks because buying a cheap one won’t work for the reasons you mentioned above.


So, just a quick question a bit off topic – why did you dump the AC160 for the HC-X1000. And why not just use the GH4. Is there some kind of specific shooting you’re doing that requires one over the other? I’m asking in part because I’m thinking of selling the AC160 but torn on going with another fixed lens camera like AC160 or HC-X1000 verses removable lens like the GH4.
 
Hmm, if you do decide to sell, please message me. I have an A160A, I might be able to use a 2nd one.
 
DMcneil said:
Tflak - thanks for that link. That's awesome. I'm going to order some for some other purposes. I've seen similar items for a lot more money.

As for time lapse video. Thanks for the feedback. Obviously I still have the AC160 and have done some other time lapse which came out OK. It was a night time setup so the ND filtering wasn’t as big an issue. I’m surprised other people with this camera have not used this feature and have any other opinion or experience on it. But it looks like if I want to use this camera for such a purpose I’ll have to rent or buy a variable ND filter which as I said kinda sucks because buying a cheap one won’t work for the reasons you mentioned above.


So, just a quick question a bit off topic – why did you dump the AC160 for the HC-X1000. And why not just use the GH4. Is there some kind of specific shooting you’re doing that requires one over the other? I’m asking in part because I’m thinking of selling the AC160 but torn on going with another fixed lens camera like AC160 or HC-X1000 verses removable lens like the GH4.
Click to expand...

Short answers are I use this primarily for wildlife, it is smaller and lighter than the AC160, shoots 4K, and has insanely great autofocus. And is more suited for wildlife shooting than the GH4 due to not needing to change lenses to cover a very wide range of focal lengths and it has built-in NDs.

For an in-depth discussion you may want to check out this thread:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...-X1000&p=1986491803&viewfull=1#post1986491803

Hope that helps.

btw–black text on a gray background is not easy to read.
 
Thanks tflak for the response and info!! I will check out that link. Sorry also about the txt color. I was having problems entering txt. It was going insanely slow for some reason so I was cutting and pasting from MS Word. IDK what the prob was but will make note of that for future posts. :)
 
kwkeirstead - I got your email and have tried to reply but it comes back undeliverable every time. IDK why. Something that maybe Hotmail doesn't like. IDK. Can you resend with a different addr maybe?
 
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