Run & Gun Auto Settings

C

CINEA5TA

New member
I know you don't purchase the HMC150 to use in auto, but there are many situations that are coming up that I would love to have some sort of balanced output between set-up time and picture quality.

So my question is: How do you put your camera in "auto" for run and gun shooting? I'm finding that in it's basic auto mode, in daylight, the 150 is blowing everything out, it's unreal. Feels much more like a "manual" mode than "auto".

I just want it to be able to handle all situations "adequately" --- I figure for 3K a pop, the camera should be able to do this. But I'm finding it's not.

Any suggestion?
 
Sounds like you need to apply your ND filter. The '150 will wash out in daylight quickly without your using the ND filters.
 
I've tried the filters, they just wash out all my colors. I've been unable to find a happy medium using them. Maybe I'm just not using them correctly.

I bought two 150's back in November and now am really unhappy with this camera's "out of the box" performance.

It shouldn't be this difficult to get a "good" image. Sigh.
 
ND filters shouldn't affect colors at all. That's the whole point of making them "Neutral". All they normally do is stop down the entire spectrum of light equally.
 
1. Buy Barrys HMC150 handbook.

2. Use the ND filters with AUTO IRUS on... switch the filters till your f stop is somewhere around 4-8. Its impossible that the ND filters are washing the image out. You can also adjust your auto irus in the scene file settings, I put mine on -1 and have better results.

3. Turn on Zebras so you know whats blown out.

4. No pro camera is suppose to just work in all lighting situations "out of the box". That's why there is an Iris, ND filter, Scene files, white balance, etc.

5. Scene file 3 spark will pump some extra color in there if that's what your looking for.
 
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Cool, thanks for the replies!

@MadHMC150: Do you you set your iris to -1 on the F3 scene setting?

BTW, I do have Barry's handbook, it came with the cameras! I'll have to read it more carefully! =P

At any rate, these tips will definitely come in handy.

Right now, I have the camera set up in "manual" mode so that I can put the iris on "auto", which is strange in itself I guess.

I was using scenes F1, F5 and F6. Looks like I'll really have to look into these.

I like the suggestion that F3 will help the colors pop a little more, I prefer highly saturated colors if possible. I'd like to also crush my blacks a little more, but, will have to experiment with the settings.

My main concern was getting the overexposure auto-adjusted, but looks like there's no true "auto" setting here. A little steeper learning curve than I was expecting!
 
Best way to set exposure is by using the waveform monitor.

When you use auto you run the risk of "strobing" caused by changes in what you are shooting, ie., a person with a bright white shirt walks into the shoot, suddenly the iris stops down, they leave and it opens again.
 
Your welcome Cinea5ta,

I really learned a lot from the handbook, but I also read it cover to cover. The F3 spark will saturate the colors a little more... and I lower the master ped to -1 or -2 to crush the blacks a little in the F3 scene file settings.

Also can change the auto iris compensation in the same scene file setting.

Like Denwa says, auto iris is really bad once you know what your looking at. You really want to have skin tones around 70% exposure which you can see with your waveform.
 
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