shooting arc welding.

AbracadabraFilms

AbracadabraFilms

Active member
Is there a safe way to shoot arc welding without frying the CCD's of a DVX100a? I need to shoot a piece for an aluminum fabricator and there will be welding involved. It's not neceessary to get extreme close-ups, and I can keep the camera moving. Thoughts? thanks, Craig Hollenback
 
I shot several welding training videos with no problems. Of course, first I RENTED a camera to be sure. :)

I need to shoot a "sun" shot -- can this be done without damage?
 
ND Filters are your friend. You no longer need to worry about melting your film or leaving a burn on the tube cameras. As far as I know there shouldnt be any problems shooting a bright source with a CCD Camera, just make sure you set your exposures and use ND as much as possible when you need to stop down.

And for your own sake avoid looking at the welding source with naked eyes, Ive spent enough time in scene shops and welding to know how nasty it can be on you.
 
I agree with Shawn. ND, ND, ND! Something else you might need to keep in mind: Lighting the pajeezus out of the surrounding area to match the brightness of the weld sparks.

Dan
www.DvcameraRigs.com
 
Thanks!

Thanks!

Appreciate the feedback...the ND's sound like the way to go...also, I have a 2K fresnel that I can light the scene with. Great Idea! thanks again, Craig
 
Be careful, there is a post around somewhere where a guy has burnt out his XL2 filming a low powered laser. Have a search for it. Welding is obviously slightly different though, but be warned.
 
Another tip about welding: Even if you don't look at the arc directly, the UV will still get into your eyes and you will have a KILLER headache for a day afterwards. This is NOT FUN -- I speak from painful experience!

Also, your UV-afflicted eyes will lose the ability to focus (short-term only, not permanent!), and the camera's autofocus will be screwed up by the UV -- in short your footage will look like crap.

Keep goggles or shielded glasses on your head ready for use, and keep your eye stuck to the viewfinder (and the other eye closed).

You'll also need to keep the area brightly lit -- welding shops tend to be poorly lit and surfaces dark. This is where a bunch of cheap workshop lights come in. You'll be surprised at how much light is sucked-up by dark surfaces, leaving you wondering if your lights are on or not.
 
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