Recommended Shutter Speeds for HMC-150?? - (Motion Blur Issues)

[Vince27]

Hi All -

I've had the HMC-150 for a while now, & still feel like something isn't right...

Everyone talks about how great this camera shoots, & about shooting in 24p, or 30p - but when I set the camera for these modes, I can't believe the motion blur I get, & don't see how people find these modes acceptable?

For example, when I pan the camera in these modes, everything blurs out - even if it's a slow pan, what I am panning, is blurring... so I think these modes are useless (if for example let's say I wanted to pan a landscape) - as you pan in these modes, you don't capture clear footage (until the camera basically comes to a halt & stops) -

This is why I've been shooting everything in 720/60p - because at least when you pan in this mode, you can clearly see what you are panning - but I think I am running into issues with the 60fps because when I import the footage (fcpx) I get certain spots where the footage gets jerky, or acts like it is dropping frames or something... even after I optimize the footage to pro-res, & then master render, the footage still has the jerky spots... but this problem I'm thinking is an editing issue... (a whole other mess to worry about) -

But getting back to the motion blur/shutter speed thing...

I have basically been shooting with the shutter speeds all relevant to the fps (which is recommended in barry greens book)

24p (24 shutter speed)
30p (30 shutter speed)
60p (60 shutter speed)

I have just read that shooting like this is basically shooting with the shutter "off" - i have no idea at this point...
I also read how shutter speeds should be set like this:

24p (48 shutter speed)
30p (60 shutter speed)
60p (120 shutter speed)

So I did some testing, & here's what I found... when you increase the shutter speed, you start to get "choppy footage" aka the "saving ryan footage" - which again, I find unacceptable & useless (unless you want to get creative with this style for something specific - which i can see, but for general shooting?? - (& this doesn't really cure the motion blur either) - so increasing shutter speed doesn't seem to be the answer...

if you keep the shutter speeds relevant to the fps (ie. 30p/30 shutter speed) - you get all this motion blur when you pan... and when I use 24p, it's ridiculous! (seriously, the motion blur i get with 24p is ridiculous!) - you even see this on the lcd once you switch into these modes (24p/30p) - when you pan the camera, the image ((on the lcd)) "staggers"! - do you guys get this as well on your lcd in these modes?

So what's the deal??
I'm thinking at this point either:

A). I'm just completely missing something here, & the camera is set wrong somehow, or...
B). perhaps there is just something wrong with my camera??


This keeps making me think of the days when I was using my simple Sony DCR-SR80 consumer camcorder (which recorded in 30fps) and there wasn't ANY motion blur! - so I'm dumbfounded at this point... ?

ANY advice, guidance, insight is much appreciated!
Also, any advice or insight on the editing standpoint is appreciated as well!

I have a very fast (current) 27" iMac with i7 & 16g RAM - so the machine (& fcpx) are built to edit this footage, but still seems to struggle with the AVCHD... ?? - or perhaps its struggling with the 60fps? - don't know...

Once again thanks in advance for your help & input!

 

[abeas]

Shutter speed should be double the frame rate, 24p would be 1/48 shutter speed. There is a big difference going from 60p/i to 24 or 30p. It's no longer the smooth, fluid live/video look you were probably use to on your older video cams. Pan slower, follow an object when you pan. Something I do when I am creating a project in 30p or 24p (the latter is rare) is to record a long pan at a faster frame rate and then conform it to the current project frame rate. In other words, if I want a pan or a hillside or something, I will pan very quickly across it at 60p, and then conform it to 30p. It plays back at half speed and looks pretty good. With the HMC150, that limits you to 1280x720 resolution though.

 

[Phil1076]

The only time I use 1/24 shutter is for ultra-low light where there is no motion. You should be shooting at 1/48.

 

[Vince27]

Abeas - thanks for your input - I've been thinking that maybe this is an issue of me re-learning my shooting skills... like panning slower etc.. as i do have a "video style/60fps style of shooting" - but even when you pan slow, things blur out - perhaps you need to pan REALY SLOW - but i will give your method a try (panning in 60fps & then dropping that into the 30fps timeline) - is there a reason why you don't mention panning 1080/60i? (& then conform that?) - thanks!

 

[Vince27]

Phil1076 - thanks for the input - do you shoot your other modes "half" - like 30p/60shutter - 60p/120shutter?

 

[Phil1076]

I usually use the camera defaults (whatever they are) with the exception of 24 in low light.

If you're getting unacceptable motion blur in your video just raise your shutter speed....do a couple of test shots and compare which results you like. There's no right or wrong way...it's preference.