FS7: ND and color balance

A

allenfacemire

Well-known member
I've been an owner operator of an FS7 since, well the beginning. Love it.
However of late I have found that when I change my ND filters, the color balance changes, which is stone cold drag.
I typically shoot 1080 30p 422 50 in the basic XDCAM mode. I've started using XAVC, sLog2 with for me, are great results.
However I am currently on a 20/20 shoot and as of today, I have color shift from ND changes.
My Jensen book is not helpful here and while not stopping the shoot, its painful for me to be mindful of not being able to set my color temp via Memory A and B, like I used too. A is 4300 and B is 5600, locked in--but not now.
Where have I wandered?
 
allenfacemire said:
My Jensen book is not helpful here and while not stopping the shoot, its painful for me to be mindful of not being able to set my color temp via Memory A and B, like I used too. A is 4300 and B is 5600, locked in--but not now. Where have I wandered?
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Hi Allen,

I do cover this issue in my book but I'm traveling right now and don't have a copy so I can't tell you what page it is on. But it is there.

However, here's a transcript from FS7 training video:

"The final White Balance setting I want to point out is this one -- FILTER WHITE MEMORY. This in advanced setting that you should probably leave turned off, specially if you’ve got to share your FS7 with other people. If this setting is unknowingly turned on, it could really screw up a shoot. Normally when you switch to a different ND filter, the exposure changes but the white balance is unaffected – and that’s usually exactly how you want it to behave. But the purpose of this menu is to allow you to save a different white balance memory for each position of the ND filter knob. But it gets more complicated than that. Since the camcorder has four built-in ND filters and you can save a custom memory on Memory A and Memory B for each one of them -- you’ve actually got a total of eight different possible white balance values."

So, turn off the FILTER WHITE MEMORY menu and all will be normal again.

http://www.vortexmedia.com/DVD_FS7.html

http://www.vortexmedia.com/Sony_PXW-FS7_Field_Guide.html

BTW, the third edition of the book (updated and revise for firmware v3.1) started shipping a couple of weeks ago.
 
That's a classic Sony Gotcha that had my head spinning back in the B4 days. Good call Doug. I didn't realize it was even in the FS7
 
Doug Jensen said:
Hi Allen,

I do cover this issue in my book but I'm traveling right now and don't have a copy so I can't tell you what page it is on. But it is there.

So, turn off the FILTER WHITE MEMORY menu and all will be normal again.

http://www.vortexmedia.com/DVD_FS7.html

http://www.vortexmedia.com/Sony_PXW-FS7_Field_Guide.html

BTW, the third edition of the book (updated and revise for firmware v3.1) started shipping a couple of weeks ago.
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Dude! Thanks! Have NO idea how that happened because I am basically the guy who rarely color balances. I mean I will and I will store them for the day but I'm not going to balance on ever take. I will on a narrative, always shoot a McBeth at every new lighting set up but like for 20/20, they don't color balance and audio sweeten anything so no chart. I make sure both cameras match and to that end, that usually means a common white balance but to have my color shift at every ND turn, that's not only crazy seriously frustrating. I see no need for that option.
Again, thanks.
BTW...your book is in my carry bag but I wish it were as detailed as your HDX900 manual. That said, I'm glad you did an FS7 and I would encourage everyone to buy one and keep it handy just like us old guys did in the film days with the ASC Manual.
 
The first time I ever encountered was with a company owned camera and they just thought that was normal. Took me a few head scratching days to figure it out.
 
Run&Gun said:
Panasonic has the same option on their Vari's and ENG/Broadcast cams, too.
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Huh. I ran into this for the first time using my FS7 several months ago and scratched my head as well. Must be something I've skipped over all these years.
And Allen if you makes you feel better, I'm certain I didn't turn that option on either... certainly not intentionally. So maybe it's some odd bug somewhere in the XDCAM mode. (because anecdotally, I'm pretty sure I was shooting that codec when it happened to me as well.
 
This is a hangover from broadcast cams, I remember the dvcam DSR 300 I owned had hard wired temp setting, 3200k for filter 1 and 5600k for above. It was emblazoned on the camera body so it was never a surprise. Those were the days of B&W crt VFs so you had to think about WB all the time. Ahhhh nostalgia...
 
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