Outfitting the HD-100 for Documentary

Transmission2

Transmission2

Active member
I am shooting a music documentary next month and would love it if some of you would share your secrets of the trade. What equipment will make my life a lot easier and what are what are some must haves for this camera and documentary shooting in general? It should be noted that I am crazy and plan to shoot and do audio all by myself. (I don't have a choice.) I plan on employing some wireless mics and a multitrack recorder and would love some insight into what type of gear I should buy to go along with my HD-100.

Im looking for recommendations on Battery Pack, Lens or lens adapter, light meter (if I need one), tripod, cases, lens filters, and any other little goodies Im unaware of.

Thanks in advance.
:)
 
You decided on the HD100, eh? As I already told you, if you plan on using a tripod, you need a focus controller. Other than that, it would be like any other camera.
 
Transmission2

Here are some must haves IMHO;

1.An alternative power source from the bundled jvc batteries. (either idx, AB or other 3rd party brick with enough amph for your needs). In my case, I had our electrical department make a voltage converter that would allow me to use cheap 12 volt lead acid batteries for the hd100.

2. another ND filter since i feel the built in ones are insufficient.

3. good mikes. the one that comes with the cam is good for capturing sound all around you. I got an akg c 568 b shotgun mike.

4. this camera, just like all big pro cams, doesnt have stabilization. find a decent tripod.

these are my top priorities, others might have different opinion.
if you plan on a lot of shallow dof shot, you'll probably need a lens adapter. in my case i made my own based on the spinning gg.

good luck,

ted
www.tedramasola.9k.com
 
Get a good tripod, a good shotgun mic, and a good wireless lav mic.

A couple of lights with diffusion would be good additions as well.
 
From Shadowood:

From Shadowood:

I've used the HD100 for a couple of years now, and I'm very pleased with the results. I've found that most of the problems associated with the camera have, in fact, been problems of my own doing.

Like all camera manufacturers these days, JVC cut corners to cut costs. In the case of the the HD100, the cost-cutting occured in the power supply and the lens. As a result, we saved a little money when we bought the camera. Now we get to spend the money on after-market improvements.

JVC makes an adaptor that will accommodate an Anton Bauer Dionic battery. The battery will last at least four hours between charges. I own two and they've served me well. The battery adds a bit of weight to the camera, but the weight is behind your shoulder during handheld operation.

Hmmm. Music video. Planning on any handheld shots? If so, I should warn you that the HD100 is not particularly user-friendly in that regard. In my estimation, the stock lens is too long and magnifies every bounce and jiggle. Therefore, if you plan to shoot with the camera on your shoulder, make sure that you zoom out just short of the widest focal length.

Don't zoom all the way out! The fujinon lens is apt to present chromatic aberrations at the extreme wide and extreme telephoto settings. The almost-wide angle setting will provide the greatest depth of field, minimize focusing errors, and minimize the jitters.

JVC will be happy to sell a couple of alternatives to the lens that came with the camera. The proper lens -- the lens they should have stuck on the camera in the first place -- costs nearly $12,000. I don't know of many people who have purchased it. JVC also will be happy to sell you a wide angle adaptor for the zoom lens. It screws on the front of the zoom lens. But its use requires removal of the lens hood. The lens hood is there to minimize halation, those pesky little halos that often appear in the presence of strong back light.

Filters are very subjective. I'd be hard-pressed to make any recommendations without knowing about the circumstances of your production -- staging, costuming, lighting and range of contrast. I carry a variety of low contrast, black net, polarizing, and coral filters in my kit. Selection depends on the look you're trying to achieve and results from extensive test shooting under conditions that will approximate the location. The problem with all these filters is that unless you have a calibrated color monitor on the set, you'll never really know what you're doing to the picture. And you can't undo the effect of a filter during post-production. Therefore, you may find that you'll have better luck using the various camera settings recommended elsewhere in this forum.

Miller makes a good three stage tripod that will support the HD 100. But make sure that you get a beefy quick-release plate. The ones that come with most tripods are not up to the task.

From what you described, you won't have much use for a lightmeter ('cause it sounded like you're relying on available light). Therefore, I'd save the money and use a standard gray card for exposure control. Again, practice before the shooting date will be your best guide.

Good luck with the production. You've got a great camera in your hands. Lots of test-shooting before the production will only improve your chances of success.
 
Capt. Quirk:

Capt. Quirk:

Zoom and focus control could be a real problem during a panning shot and would require either three hands or an assistant. I come up short in both departments.

I'm a traditionalist. I don't zoom during a shot. In fact, I switch off the servo-zoom control to conserve power. By not zooming, I can keep one hand on the panning handle and the other poised over the focus ring.

I'm also old-fashioned. I seldom pan or tilt the camera during the shot. It's not the way human vision works, anyway. Life is made up of a series of static shots. And who am I to improve on life?! In fact, I've found that the shot is most stable when I take my hand off the panning handle. Now I've got both hands free to adjust focus.

I'm on a budget. I haven't yet purchased the Chrosziel 450-HD100 kit with its follow focus system. (But I will). Adjusting focus with the focus ring is frustrating and requires the motor skills of a lockpick. When I try to pull focus, I usually over-compensate, which only calls attention to the action. Accordingly, I'll arrange the blocking so that if the subject moves, it'll move toward the camera, and I'll preset the lens focal length to maximize depth of field.

So I don't zoom, pan, tilt or adjust focus during the shot. I pretty much keep my hands in my pockets and let the audience concentrate on the content. And the content usually saves the day.

Obviously, I'm stretching the truth just a bit. When I'm unable to avoid zooming, panning, tilting or focus adjustment, my shooting ratio soars! I'll maybe get it right one time out of twenty.
 
Just wondering if you had overcome the problems I'm having. I guess not. I don't like to zoom during a shot either, but I don't have the luxury of being able to set up every shot, and often have to adjust on the fly.
 
Our team use the HD101 twice every Sunday and then some. We capture live music and also very mobile public speakers over a large variation of lighting levels.
On a tripod we use the flip out lcd with peaking turned up to max to ensure correct focus, and rely on zebras for exposure as the lcd is completely inacurrate for exposure judgement.
You can buy a zoom servo to free up your fingers for riding the aperature and the focus. We have no problems at all using combined zooming and panning movements. Focus does take a little getting used to as the adjustment is fine, but easy to nail with practise, I find turning up peaking is the best method, as the focus assist is good when you got sharp edges, but how many people have sharp faces?
We do human crane movements quite easily with practise using the lcd for above head shots. You definitely need a WA lens for close work, the standard lens isn't too wide, the 0.82 adapter doesn't require removeal of the lens hood, there is vignetting on extreme zoom, but you don't use for this purpose. Standard batteries use for an emergency back up or something, or just bin them, they're useless.

Regards

Adam
 
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