New To HVX200, Quick Question

N

newacepro

Member
Hi there, I did a search and I couldn't find anything, so I thought you guys could help me. I am new to this forum, but I've heard nothing but great things. I bought an hvx200 a couple of days ago and have been getting used using panasonic's layout. Once I transferred the footage, I noticed something. The footage is much darker than what is shown on the view finder and LCD. Not just a little, but immensely darker. I've been shooting in 1080/24PA and i'm using final cut pro 6 for transferring. There must be some sort of setting I have wrong? Does it have to do with my settings in final cut?
I hope this isn't anything serious. Please help, Thanks.
 
lots of things could be going on:

1. did you buy your camera used? settings could be jacked up. do a factory reset
2. maybe your mac monitors gamma/color is wrong.
 
Yes, first make sure your viewfinder is calibrated to the camera.
Just last week I did a couple "quick" additional pickup shots for a project.
No monitor, no lighting. Just a couple fillers the client added after the shoot.

When I dropped them on the timeline they were darker than I would have preferred.
It turned out a shooter we used on a multi-cam production turned down the viewfinder. Since I'm the main camera op for single cam shoots and this is the one I normally use, I didn't think to check it.

Fortunately I was able to make the filler shots look fine. But it's one more thing I'll be watching more closely now. :happy:
 
Okay, so I hit the reset button, and it's still darker when I transfer the footage :embarasse

It may be something in final cut itself, but I wouldn't know what to look for.
 
You hit the reset button...but did you reshoot? Resetting the camera will not change the video that was already shot.
Jim
 
calibrate your LCD with final cut. try hooking up an external monitor and check the difference between the two. i always shot with a monitor for that reason.
 
Set your zebras to 105%. Shoot something where the screen is full of zebras, and import that. It should look pure white. If it's darker than white, then it's your monitor's gamma that's at fault.
 
Okay these are my findings so far. The log and transfer window in fcp shows the correct exposer. Once the clip is taken from the camera and is in the browser the contrast is darker than what is shown in the log and transfer window. Is it my firewire maybe?
 
Hi newacepro,

When using the HVX ( or any of the proconsumer camera's ) never access your lighting using the LCD or for that matter the viewfinder. You can adjust their brightness and contrast, but never rely on them for correct exposure. In the camera setup menu adjust the zebra's to what you would like. The rule of thump is 70% for skin tones, 100% for highlights. Depending on your requirements you can fine tune them. Then expose using the zebra's.

I don't use FCP but depending on how you import your footage the gamma that FCP uses to display footage can be different to how it should look. If you send it out to some sought of external calbrated HD display you may find your footage is correct.

Steve.
 
newacepro said:
Okay these are my findings so far. The log and transfer window in fcp shows the correct exposer. Once the clip is taken from the camera and is in the browser the contrast is darker than what is shown in the log and transfer window. Is it my firewire maybe?
Click to expand...
People have reported that before. Your video is fine, it's an fCP/Mac problem as to why it's making it darker. Ask your question in the FCP forum, hopefully they can solve it for you.
 
Don't rely on the browser window in Final Cut. Judge exposure and color only when using an external production monitor connected to the system.
Jim
 
even after I export to QT, burn to dvd and play it on a tv/monitor, it still has this gamma issue. When in final cut the actual picture is being affected. I did ask this in the fcp forum but they said I need an external brodcast monitor, but I don't see how that changes anything because fcp is changing the gamma
 
Your asking for info on the wrong forum. The FCP forum will be a better option to solve your issue. Just to confirm that the dark video is not coming from the HVX connect the component cable to the camera and view it on an external HD display. Have a look at your video with the wave form moniter in FCP.

Steve.
 
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