Low Light Shooting

R

raepp

New member
I am ready to order a DVX100A; however, I still have one issue to be resolved. I shoot weddings in low lighted churches (candle light, etc.). I am unsure how the 100A performs in low light and get mixed signals from other users. Several recommend the Sony VX2100 for low light but I really like the features of the 100A. Can anyone provide some first hand experience to help keep me from making a mistake?

Thanks :undecided
 
The dvx100a will do you just fine, you may have to use gain in low light. I've done this, you always want to avoid gain whenever possible.

always be sure you are shooting in 24p at 24frames to allow maximum light through. The vx2100 may have lower lux but that one bonus isn't worth throwing away all the other bonus you get from the DVX, and believe me, you customers are going to love the images from the DVX much more than from the sony.
 
Icarus2005 said:
The dvx100a will do you just fine, you may have to use gain in low light. I've done this, you always want to avoid gain whenever possible.

always be sure you are shooting in 24p at 24frames to allow maximum light through.
Click to expand...

You may have to use the gain, but as icarus said don't use it if possible. It is better to increase the lighting instead.

As for 24p it is 24 frames, that's what the "p" stands for - PROGRESSIVE aka one single frame. To get the maximum light through you'll want to shoot in 60i as it will be sampling every 1/60th of a second, (24p samples at 1/24th). But you'll lose the progressive frames by doing this. a middle ground is 30p which allows more light in and still has some of the 24p feel to it. I would highly recommend the DVX and have used it on many weddings this year, it's been a great camera. Just be sure to show up of the rehearsal to get some test footage, and set things up so that you're ready to go come game time.
 
I'm not going to argu this, but in 24p and 24 shutter speed I get a brighter image that in 30p and 30 shutter speed. this is because the shutter is open longer between closings.

the default shutter speed is 48 on 24p but if you change it to 24 you'll get a brighter image.

I shoot low light fairly often and often on purpose and that's how I need to do it for maximum exposure.

I'm not a high tech guy, I just know that's how I do it.
 
24p at 1/24 would be about the same exposure level as 60i at 1/60th. 1/24 lets more light in, yes, but the very nature of interlaced processing doubles the sensitivity. Look at 24p @ 1/60th vs. 60i at 1/60th... the 60i will be a full stop brighter.

You can gain that stop back by using 1/24 on 24p, but that won't be brighter than 60i, it'll be about the same. So you don't need to choose one or the other for brightness because they'll net out at just about the same. Instead choose one or the other for the "look" you're trying to achieve.
 
I have heard that re-white balancing when you turn on the gain helps to cut down a little on the grain of the image too. I haven't tried it myself though so I don't know if that's true.
 
actually it seems to help a littel but i think its because the colors are being proccesed normally now. I was shooting in a nearly pitch dark, club, "natural" light, and i boosted gain to 18db in 60i, and white balanced, and it atually looked ok when i dropped to 24p again. you can do it at 1/24th and 9 db in 24P too. it seems ot cut down on color noise, a littel. but the standard gain noise is the same.

( forgot to add, the NAtural light was UV black light and red lights...... DV nightmare)
 
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