Jerky Zoom on HVX

[tomk358]

So when I was trying out the HVX's at the Panasonic Booth at NAB I noticed that at the slowest zoom speed (which isn't that slow) I saw some sort of stair-step type effect, where it seemed to be pulsing on and off, rather than slowly zooming in. I asked the guy about it and he tried to feed me some BS about the component output not having the full 60P resolution. I called him on it, and he admitted he had no idea.

I saw it both with the handle zoom, and the controller closer to the lens.

So here is my question- is this the motor itself? or the circuit controlling it?
If you had an external zoom controller would it work better, or would it be the same, since it's controlling the same stepper motor?

Does this mean that people manually zoom instead? It's hard for me to get a good super slow push-in w/ the manual control.

-Tomk

 

[filmstox]

I love my HVX but this is the one thing that drives me nuts. The zoom is really the weakest part of what is otherwise a spectacular piece of gear. I have the Zoe zoom control from Bebob and while very well made, can't make up for poor performance in the HVX servo. The option to set the speed of the zoom for push button control does let you execute a repeatably smooth slow zoom but it still has a jump, feathering the zoom isn't possible. If I can't zoom through the whole shot, I just work like I'm on primes.

Considering all of the plusses, I'm willing to take this minus in stride, it's no worse than the DVX but it was my least favorite part of that camera as well.

-filmstox

 

[jniddrie]

Hi, I am having the same problem (a very slow zoom out using the handle zoom that has that small pulsing effect) and am wondering if there is any further advice to combat this little problem. I am using the hvx170

 

[xqzt]

I agree that little hiccup is so annoying. I've tried every thing I can to ease into it, but that servozoom is just the way it is. I never use the rocker at all because of this. On the other side I love that quick manual zoom. I guess the only way to maybe fudge it would be to take a step forward or lean in previous to a zoom. Anyways it just forces you to edit into the shot once the zoom in en route. Or use a pinch of variable frame rate effect to make it happen?

This kind of screwed me up once when I was doing one of those Hitchcock push-in, zoom outs with a sled on ice, cause you really want to nail the framing right off the top of your move.