Just got HMC40 Need help

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I am a equine videographer and take about 50,000 videos a year with my camera. For the last year I have used the Canon HFS100 and have got so used to it. Now I wanted to move up to the HMC40 and have some things that I need help trying to work like the HFS100.

1. video counter. is there any way to show how many videos I have taken on the card while in the record mode?
2. onscreen markers- I am so used to using the oncreen markers of the canon, and would like to find a way to have them on the HMC. I use the small single line in the middle with a cross in the middle of the screen.
3. pre record- is this the same as the 3 second start on the canon?
4. ZOOM - need better control of this, as it likes to take off on me. What zoom controller do you recomend to just set the maximum speed of the zoom? When using these controllers, do they effect the normal zoom button speed or just the controls?

These are the main questions I have right now, and not sure if I cant them, if I will be able to use this and maintain my standard video. Or did I get the wrong camera for this?
 
I have the HMC80 which has the same electronics but it's shoulder mount and have XLR audio built-in

You can record the run time of the current clip (as well as time code and much more formats) BUT I see no way of seeing the number of clips recorded until you switch to playback on the camera...that will give you an instant clip count..remember on the HMC's a clip is created when you hit start and finishes when you hit stop ... Do a start/stop sequence over 15 seconds, 3 times and you get 3 x 5 second clips

Sadly the on screen guide lines were dropped after the HMC70 ..I loved them too... they offered 4:3 crop lines, 1/3rd guide lines and a grid too...the 40/80 only have it in photomode

Pre-recod is the same ... the 40/80 have 3 zoom speeds and most zoom controllers will work fine on the camera ...Just make sure the controller has "P" mode and not only LANC

Chris
 
I just did my first event with the HMC40 and still have some issues to work on. Here is a video that I took with the HMC 40 http://youtu.be/phKQri3cmpc and one a couple of weeks prior with the HFS100 http://youtu.be/M9NYHnezW_0 What can I do to make the HMC video better? I tried playing with the settings, but ended up just using the auto mode till I knew more about what it should be.




I also need a better control over the maximum speed fo the zoom as it did take off on me a couple of times. Can you suggest the VariZoom Stealth DVX Zoom Controller for the Panasonic #VZ-STEALTH-DVX http://www.adorama.com/VDVZSTEALDVX.htm http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Zoom-Co...21?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec34f06cdI also need a better control over the maximum speed fo the zoom as it did take off on me a couple of times. Can you suggest the VariZoom Stealth DVX Zoom Controller for the Panasonic #VZ-STEALTH-DVX http://www.adorama.com/VDVZSTEALDVX.htm http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Zoom-Co...821?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec34f06cd
 
Like Chris, I own an HMC80. Your video actually looks pretty decent to me, although you might try playing around with the gamma and pedestal settings -- the blacks seem a little washed out. In particular, if you have the camera configured for 7.5 IRE setup, that should be turned off when shooting for digital editing and delivery. I tend to like the B.Press gamma option for general video work, but that is a matter of taste and experience to some extent.

I use the VariZoom VZRock-PZFI controller and prefer it to the one you listed because it has a more sensitive rocker-style lever for the zoom control rather than the little slide potentiometer on the Stealth:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._ROCK_PZFI_VZRock_PZFI_Rocker_Controller.html

There is also a model without the integrated focus and iris controls, but the all-in-one box works well for me. You still need to practice some and develop a "feel" for how the zoom will work with the external controller, but it is generally easier to operate than the rocker on the camera itself.

Hope this helps. I actually think you're off to a good start; I didn't see any real problems in your footage.

- Greg
 
Hi Guys

No real problem on that video at all but yes it does seem a tiny bit washed out to me too. I normally leave my scene files on default so everything is at zero but for really bright scenes BPress is a nice Gamma to use. I made my own zoom controller!! See the sticky in this forum...By changing the potentiometer value you can make the zoom exactly how you want it... With horse riding that quickly you do need a pretty responsive zoom!!

Chris
 
So I tried it again at another arena that had some bad lighting. I kept noticing that once the camera cam from the dark area to the light, it would refocus. Is there a way to turn that off, and just use the seetings for the main area? I tried to swicth it ti a manual mode so it wouldnt do this, but it kept doing it. Here is an example. http://youtu.be/OepkHuem5_U
 
Like most modern cameras Manual doesn't put the camera into manual mode, it just makes manual mode available (apart from the shutter that locks at 1/50th) To switch to manual focus you need to physically switch the focus button. However turning the auto/manual switch back to auto will reset everything ... switch to manual then turn AF on or off as desired.

Chris
 
Greg, Been a while since I checked the HMC40 forum and your comment about IRE caught my attention ( quote "Like Chris, I own an HMC80. Your video actually looks pretty decent to me, although you might try playing around with the gamma and pedestal settings -- the blacks seem a little washed out. In particular, if you have the camera configured for 7.5 IRE setup, that should be turned off when shooting for digital editing and delivery. I tend to like the B.Press gamma option for general video work, but that is a matter of taste and experience to some extent.)

I am still discovering things about HMC40, but for reasons I can not now remember I set my camera to 7.5 IRE (maybe that is default?). I edit with Avid Media Composer and output is Blu-ray or DVD so if I read your note correctly you suggest setting to 0 IRE--could you explain a little more about that?

And I see you and Chris both suggest B.Press gamma setting---when I shoot in bright sun the video looks "harsh" to me or possibly overexposed when I use full auto setting so would B.Press help reduce the "harsh" look. I also am considering setting the auto iris to minus 2 or so in case my problem is the camera default auto exposure is a bit on the overexposed side.
 
Setting to 0 or 7.5 IRE will not affect the recording at all. It only affects the black level on the composite video output.

I don't know specifically what you mean by it looking harsh in bright sun, but B.Press is a contrasty gamma, so it might make it look harsher if that's what you mean (high contrast = harsh?) If so, the opposite can be gotten by using cinelike-D. So try them both and see which you prefer.
 
Barry_Green said:
Setting to 0 or 7.5 IRE will not affect the recording at all. It only affects the black level on the composite video output.

I don't know specifically what you mean by it looking harsh in bright sun, but B.Press is a contrasty gamma, so it might make it look harsher if that's what you mean (high contrast = harsh?) If so, the opposite can be gotten by using cinelike-D. So try them both and see which you prefer.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Barry. Now I remember it was pages 152,153 in your HMC book where I read about IRE 7.5% relating to analog days and only adding 7.5% to camera's analog outputs. Probably time for me to review your book again.

"Harsh" is not a precise term for my personal view of recording and I am realizing it could be due to several factors including (1) overexposure, (2) too much detail, (3) contrast you mention. I have experimented mostly with exposure settings but will also experiment with contrast and detail settings. Dennis
 
Hi Dennis

The one thing that really impressed me about the 40/80 is that you can shoot on the default scene file and really get a good, well saturated image ...on the AC-130 I adopted the same attitude and everything was washed out and looked terrible so I had to use their F3 scene file which also uses BPress gamma....In general video work, on the 40 or 80 you can shoot with everything in the scene file set to zero and you still get a very acceptable result!!

Chris
 
ChrisHarding said:
Hi Dennis

The one thing that really impressed me about the 40/80 is that you can shoot on the default scene file and really get a good, well saturated image ...on the AC-130 I adopted the same attitude and everything was washed out and looked terrible so I had to use their F3 scene file which also uses BPress gamma....In general video work, on the 40 or 80 you can shoot with everything in the scene file set to zero and you still get a very acceptable result!!

Chris
Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

Thank you for feedback and I agree the HMC40 gives very good results with default settings. At my current level of experience when I have to take fast shots in changing outdoor light conditions I still rely on full auto and generally get good results. My comments about some of my shots looking "harsh" I think probably has to do with fact that I am generally not shooting in studio or controlled lighting conditions so I am doing things like shooting in bright noon time sun which is my fault and not camera's fault. For instance, I had some time to wander around Charleston, SC recently, but it was during noon time with bright sun, so pastel tones of many of the homes came out "harsher" and a bit washed out when I viewed them later--but it was the only time I had to shoot even though it was bad light. To get a more pleasing look under those lighting conditions would have required more time than I had to experiment with various parameters to get best results.

I do at least use a ND filter in bright sunlight, but I am going to have to learn more about using on screen displays to better gauge exposure and color since looking at shot in viewfinder or LCD does not give best indication of how shot will look when I view on big HD tv screen. Dennis
 
Hi Dennis

In really bright conditions it's probably a shutter speed issue and apart from screwing on a realy heavy ND, the best advice for mid-day shoots is don't! Contrast is also highest at midday so screw on at least an ND8 filter to keep shutter a wee bit lower. I have to use an ND8 on my Sony EA-50 as well which replaced one of the HMC80's at mid-day or early afternoon ..I'm doing weddings and no control of the time of day .. I have to shoot when the bride decides but if you are doing your own shoot just skip the middle period of the day...I found the the HMC80 will push shutter as high as 1/2000th in bright sunshine and also when it's really bright and contrasty the camera cannot make an accurate assumption of the huge amount of light coming in so based on what you see it might be worth it to just under-expose a tiny bit (you can do that in auto as well!)

Chris
 
Hi Chris,

Like you I generally can not choose when I film so most of my filming (outdoor filming) is not around sunrise or sunset and I have to make do with light I have. Based on many forum comments I did buy a B+W ND 0.9 filter a while back and have begun using it in bright light. From my earlier post ( Question: What isFull Auto Operating Priority for HMC40) I received many helpful replies and gaining understanding of how HMC40 tries to keep exposure setting below f8 or so (although the way camera applies its own ND filters means f stop displayed is not an actual f stop value). I will experiment more with exposure settings including setting Automatic Iris Level to minus values (-1 or -2) --always have to think about minus meaning under-expose (higher f stop). Dennis
 
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