Questions: focus/audio/figrig/16x9

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daveNL

Member
Hi everyone,

First of all, thanks for this great and helpfull forum!

Unfortunately I don’t own a DVXA yet myself, but I will use one for the first time for a short lowbudget independent film (documentary style, screening at festivals).

After reading a lot about the camera I’ve got four questions ( I already ordered the DVX book, can’t wait to receive it!):

1. In a comment on a DVX-review I’ve red, quote: “But when will these companies learn to use a black-&-white CRT viewfinder? An LCD viewfinder is garbage, unusable for focusing and totally redundant because all these cameras have flip-out LCD screens. So we have a camera with no way to accurately focus it. Great”. My question: is it true accurate focus is a problem with the DVX? Any advice how to get a accurate focus? I will use manual focus and 25P (I’m from Europe, PAL).

2. Due to the lowbudget I will shoot with a XLR mic. on the camera, and will not use someone for audio with a fieldmixer and equipment. My question: is the DVX audio quality good enough to shoot this way? Or do you guys advice me to get a budget for better audio? Anyone have good audio advice for using just a XLR mic.?

3. Does anyone have experience with the new Manfrotto Figrig and the DVX? I’m intending to use it because of the documentary style that I want to get. In case I’ll use it the XLR mic. will be on the Figrig and not on the camera.

4. At this forum I’ve red several advices about how to shoot best (setting 4:3 or 4:3 letterbox or squeeze mode) te get the best high quality anamorphic 16x9 footage in post. I’ve red advices to use all these three settings to get a good result. Can someone explain to me the differences, pros and cons? I will use premiere pro 1.5.

Thanks!
 
I'll answer just to #2:

XLR mic doesnt mean low end mic. it's just the name of the balanced 3 pin connector. I assume it's a shotgun / hypercardioid mic. you can get decent results with on camera mic as long as the actors are not farther than 1 or 2 meters. Otherwise, indoor, you audio intellegibility will be sinking in an orgy of reverberation, and outdoor, uncle Conrad playing with his chainsaw 3 blocks away will be louder than your talent's voices.

If you have an XLR shotgun, get a long wire and put it on a boom pole. Budget is not an issue here (except the long cable), since you can use a broom stick and build yourself your own shock mount (several people did it), if nothing better, with some duct tape and foam rubber.
convincing one of the actors to hold the boom while they're not acting won't be hard :)

Andrea
 
Andrea, thanks for your answer. Yes, I'm using a XLR shotgun. I'll try to make that boom pole or I'll ask some friends if they have one for me to use outdoors.

Can you also give me some advice about the audio settings on the DVXcamera when just using a XLR shotgun?

Thanks

Dave
 
you're welcome.
i would like to point out that using a boom pole is very important even indoors. Even in that case it's desirable to get as close as possible (without getting into frame) the the actors' mouths to minimize reverb. also you may want to consider to put some blankets over the most reverberating walls.

My Settings:
1- make sure the front selectors are on 'mic' and not 'line'. from the menu (dont ask me which one :)), leave the mic gain to -50dB and the ALC on.
2- if you have just one mic, put it in the input 2 and on the selectors by the LCD panel select input 2 for both. make sure the sound is actually coming from the ext mic tapping on it with your finger.
3- if the mic is battery powered make sure the cam is not set +48V phantom power (by the LCD). viceversa if you want to use phantom power. if the mic has a low-profile-wind switch, make sure it is off.
4- position actors and boom pole and do a reharsal: during the reharsal you will set the volume of ch 1 (knobs on the bottom left side of the cam) so that you get 2-3 red dots in the LCD vu-meter in the actors' voice peaks. dont let it go to the top since it means distortion. position the volume of ch 2 a little lower so you can use it as backup if #1 clips.
5- always wear headphones. and some sort of shock mount. avoid banging objects on the boom pole, moving it too fast. outdoor, if there's 2 much wind, a windscreen may be needed (or wait for the wind to stop)

good luck,
Andrea
 
daveNL said:
is it true accurate focus is a problem with the DVX?
Click to expand...
No.
Any advice how to get a accurate focus?
Click to expand...
The DVX is quite easy to get pinpoint focus with. Turn on the EVF DTL function (a.k.a. "peaking"). Zoom in on your subject, and open the iris up, and grab pinpoint focus -- when the "peaking" outline pops around your subject's eyes, you will have razor-sharp, perfect focus.

My question: is the DVX audio quality good enough to shoot this way?
Click to expand...
The DVX has the best audio system of any prosumer-priced camera. But mic placement is far more important than any other factor. If you want good audio, get a good, qualified boom operator.

4. At this forum I’ve red several advices about how to shoot best (setting 4:3 or 4:3 letterbox or squeeze mode) te get the best high quality anamorphic 16x9 footage in post. I’ve red advices to use all these three settings to get a good result. Can someone explain to me the differences, pros and cons? I will use premiere pro 1.5.
Click to expand...
If you're shooting in 24p or 30p mode, just put the camera in Squeeze, set vertical line detail to THIN, and never even think about it again. Squeeze/24p/thin does a great job.
 
Barry and Andrea thanks for the great help!

A last question: is the squeeze mode also a good option when working with premiere 6.5? (not shure yet I can work with a licenced premiere pro 1.5)

Thanks

Dave
 
>is the squeeze mode also a good option when working with premiere 6.5?

Yes it is!
Andrea
 
Thanks again!

I've received the DVX Book and DVD today!!! Fast delivery to Europe!!!

Another question came up: if I want to use my dvx 25P squeeze mode footage together with 50i 4:3 footage (shot with another camera, lower resolution) in post/edit on a 25P timeline (premiere 6.5), is that possible? Or is it better to take screenshots with the dvx from the 50i footage? Hope this makes sense. What I want to show are some video images a character in the movie has shot (using a consumer camera).

Thanks,

Dave
 
daveNL said:
Hi everyone,

2. Due to the lowbudget I will shoot with a XLR mic. on the camera, and will not use someone for audio with a fieldmixer and equipment. My question: is the DVX audio quality good enough to shoot this way? Or do you guys advice me to get a budget for better audio? Anyone have good audio advice for using just a XLR mic.?

3. Does anyone have experience with the new Manfrotto Figrig and the DVX? I’m intending to use it because of the documentary style that I want to get. In case I’ll use it the XLR mic. will be on the Figrig and not on the camera.


Thanks!
Click to expand...

Hi,
I've got a Beyerdynamic MCE 86 S2 microphone and it's incredibly good for yhe price, 300€ in Germany...
Got a fig rig too, it's well balanced with the dvx-100, but don't use the clamps Manfrotto tries to sell with, it's much too weighty.
Put your mike directly on the dvx as close as the gravity center that you can. Do not use any accessories, the fig rig has to be the lightest possible to be really efficient.
best regards

Arnaud
 
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