C300: My first shoot. Advice?
- Thread starter vanvideo
- Start date
Yeah, I'm getting used to that. I'm more comfortable with a simple WB and GAIN switch, without going through a FUNCTION button.
indiawilds
Veteran
It is good in low light, however don't starve it. Get your exposure right. I have been shooting with a C300 since 2012 and in c-log and pretty happy with it. Some people here are pretty happy and only use WDR.
It is a good practice to initialise your cards in the camera. I suggest that you take a few test shots and check so that you feel comfortable.
What kind of shoot is it?
It is a good practice to initialise your cards in the camera. I suggest that you take a few test shots and check so that you feel comfortable.
What kind of shoot is it?
ReelWorksMedia
Well-known member
Also....double check that the audio connectors are securely attached and that the C300 shows signal on the audio meters. I shoot on location almost every weekend. I get use to the workflow and have never really had a problem. We also use off camera audio capture...but for 2 events...I forgot to check and realized that the camera did not capture any audio....for about 6 hours of material.
I was able to save everything by doing a visual sync manually...it just took time for a silly oversight.
Still not sure what went wrong. It was plugged in...but I guess it wasn't snug. The audio controls were set properly. It most likely was the cable not being plugged in all the way. So check that.
I was able to save everything by doing a visual sync manually...it just took time for a silly oversight.
Still not sure what went wrong. It was plugged in...but I guess it wasn't snug. The audio controls were set properly. It most likely was the cable not being plugged in all the way. So check that.
Last edited:
The shoot was a success!
It was a talking head interview, pretty basic. I shot for a British TV show, so it was in 1080/50i. I used the Canon 24-105 lens. I don't remember the picture profile, I just used the one the camera's owner set up.
Really nice camera, although I'm glad I didn't have to hand hold it. I tried that around my house the night before and it's a hefty camera.
It was a talking head interview, pretty basic. I shot for a British TV show, so it was in 1080/50i. I used the Canon 24-105 lens. I don't remember the picture profile, I just used the one the camera's owner set up.
Really nice camera, although I'm glad I didn't have to hand hold it. I tried that around my house the night before and it's a hefty camera.
MattDavis
Well-known member
Glad the shoot went well. Sorry I didn't spot the post until now.
Although the 'native' ISO seems to be 850, it's actually 640 - the C-Log setting bumps up the ISO then under-exposes by a bit. Just one of the quirks of C-Log and its highlight protection.
However, I'd highly recommend NOT setting a lower ISO without careful examination of its effects.
By setting a lower ISO, you're lowering the '100IRE' maximum exposure, you can severely limit the dynamic range and hurt the look of the camera by using an ISO lower than 640 or by using -3dB and -6dB. Check it out on the Waveform Monitor.
One of the oddities of these cameras is the 'ABB' - Auto Black Balance is a pretty benign thing, and can cure stuck pixels. However, the C300 and C100 are 8 bit cameras that have 'texture' (a sort of grain effect). They also can exhibit some pretty strong 'Static Noise' patterns if you shoot low key scenes at higher ISOs. Therefore it explains the manual's suggestion that you should do an ABB when changing ISO settings. No, in mid to high key scenes, you're not going to see much of a difference, but in low key scenes with details in the IRE20-IRE30 range, you really REALLY want to do an ABB. The 40 seconds with a lens cap on are worth it.
The FS100 struggles with bright highlights and challenging light sources (LED, fluoro) on skin. The Canon C100 wins over the FS100 IMHO - I did side by side tests and immediately sold my FS100 for a C100, and now rent C300s when it's requested. The images are lovely (not perfect) and what the clients ask for (and I'm happy to deliver them).
Although the 'native' ISO seems to be 850, it's actually 640 - the C-Log setting bumps up the ISO then under-exposes by a bit. Just one of the quirks of C-Log and its highlight protection.
However, I'd highly recommend NOT setting a lower ISO without careful examination of its effects.
By setting a lower ISO, you're lowering the '100IRE' maximum exposure, you can severely limit the dynamic range and hurt the look of the camera by using an ISO lower than 640 or by using -3dB and -6dB. Check it out on the Waveform Monitor.
One of the oddities of these cameras is the 'ABB' - Auto Black Balance is a pretty benign thing, and can cure stuck pixels. However, the C300 and C100 are 8 bit cameras that have 'texture' (a sort of grain effect). They also can exhibit some pretty strong 'Static Noise' patterns if you shoot low key scenes at higher ISOs. Therefore it explains the manual's suggestion that you should do an ABB when changing ISO settings. No, in mid to high key scenes, you're not going to see much of a difference, but in low key scenes with details in the IRE20-IRE30 range, you really REALLY want to do an ABB. The 40 seconds with a lens cap on are worth it.
The FS100 struggles with bright highlights and challenging light sources (LED, fluoro) on skin. The Canon C100 wins over the FS100 IMHO - I did side by side tests and immediately sold my FS100 for a C100, and now rent C300s when it's requested. The images are lovely (not perfect) and what the clients ask for (and I'm happy to deliver them).