New user with an HPX170P

OMG I am a moron just putting that out there. There is a small and shall I say very well hidden set of RCA outputs just above the XLR audio inputs. SIGH
 
IT WORKS IT WORKS !!!!! Strangely it works really well for setting a few things. The waveform monitor makes more sense and you can see changes on the screen that you could not see on the LCD screen.

While it is not the best of the best setup for a hundred buck it is a LOT better than the LCD screen.

Have no fear I'll get this figured out.

P.S. HVS - HPX book has been ordered.
 
The more and more I am playing with this camera the more I like it. One thing that helped me out in figuring the control was to hook it up to our main TV in the house, throw out some lighting and just work with it. Watch changed in the wave form monitor and see the effect directly on the screen.

After Christmas budget is always tight so i have not yet had a chance to get Barry's book yet, but it is on the to get it list.
 
So today I took a more in depth look at scene files and the scene files sticky. I downloaded all the ones for the HPX-170 and perhaps I don't understand but why would you have the same settings but use the scene file switch to change framerates ??

As an experiment I copied the F1, F2, F3, etc etc into one file and loaded it into the machine. It worked like a million bucks, I have 6 different setups, named, and work really well. I am growing to like this camera more and more.
 
It takes a single RCA input so I put a BNC to RCA adapter and voila no signal.
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i know this was posted a while back, but the reason that didnt work is that although the CONNECTION was bnc, what was coming out of it was HD SDI so simply using an adapter wouldnt change the signal to something that would show up via a composite cable = no signal that that monitor could read.
 
Midnightsun37 said:
Has anyone ever used the VZ-TFT7U ? I can pick one up local for a bit less than 200.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=618575&is=REG&Q=&A=details
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I have that monitor. Beware, it is NOT HD, uses composite RCA input (shudder) and, aside from framing and using off camera when shooting at odd angles, is worthless for focusing. The battery on mine seems to run itself dead even when not in use. I would not recommend it, even at that price.
 
I bought it already and I agree with all you have said. It is nice for framing and I do use it often as I have nothing to replace it with just yet. I figure I have a choice of what to get next and I am thinking more P2 cards first and just use what I have for a monitor. While not great for focusing the stock LCD screen is worse.
 
Whoops I guess I didn't get past the first page before posting my reply. Glad you find it useful though.

As far as other, reasonably priced gear to go with your HVX... I guess it depends on what you are shooting, but for me the combo of two P2 cards and the PCD2 USB P2 card reader was the biggest improvement in shooting with an HVX camera. It allows for unlimited HD recording buy pulling out full cards on the fly and offloading them to a laptop in less time than it takes for the other card to fill up. It's very reassuring to know my footage is backed up immediately, I can review it on an HD screen, and I know I won't run out of card space in a critical moment.
 
I am looking forward to this book. Because I swear no matter how well lit, or I do my best on settings the video is always full of noise. I have yet to get a crystal clear video and I would hate to have to ready for a $200 camcorder because it takes better video.
 
Midnightsun37 said:
Because I swear no matter how well lit, or I do my best on settings the video is always full of noise.
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And it will always be. HPX170 is a noisy camera, you'll never, I repeat, never get it nowhere near "crystal clear". Only with Neat Video maybe:) I don't know what you've been told, I've had the HPX171 for two years, and I must say, it's a noisy camera. Fortunately a lot of noise gets smoothed over when you compress it for the web or when it gets broadcasted. As soon as you push the HPXs material in post - when you start colour correcting it - you bring the noise out. So, the best thing you can do is:

1. don't shoot to flat. Use about 8 stops not 10.
2. try to get the colour balance as perfect as possible
3. Don't bring the levels up to much in post.
4. Don't push the material to much in post
5. Buy and use diligently "Neat Video":)

That's about the most you can do.
 
I purchased the Neat video plug in the other day and have been impressed by the results, But I am trying to get the best video possible and not have to use it.

I did run across NOISE TESTING and it was full of a wealth of information that I am looking forward to trying out tonight. Also as mentioned the HPX / HVX book has been shipped and I will be reading that and hopefully gain some insight as to what I am doing wrong. What is also proving tough is I do not know of anyone else here that uses one so I cannot bounce questions off them as it's happening.

Sorry for my rant up above I was just getting frustrated.
 
KINOKS said:
5. Buy and use diligently "Neat Video":)
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Thank you so much for this tip! I just downloaded the demo and tried it on some HVX200 and 5D footage that I'd written off as unusable and it blew me away. You have changed what I thought was possible with pushing high-gain and high ISO!
 
Sigh. This camera has cool features and is very capable. But I am still about to grind it up and burns the pieces. For several months now I have been trying and trying to get a decent image, I have read the HVX/HPX user guide cover to cover, tried it out every which way I can, downloaded several scene files etc etc etc blah blah blah. But it is full of noise noise noise noise.

The small Sony camcorder I picked up off craigslist for 300 bucks creates a gorgeous image and frankly I think that is backwards. What else is annoying is that I have nobody else around here I know of that uses this camera so I can ask "what am I doing wrong ?"

I try to post an example later, but noisy footage is noisy footage.

Sigh
 
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