The 150 and Premiere Pro

J

Jim Simon

Veteran
Now that I know the new AF100 has no servo zoom, I guess my fall back will be the HMC150. I haven't been around these forums in a while, so please forgive if my question has been covered.

I'm looking for people who use the 150 and edit in Premiere Pro on a regular basis. If memory serves, there was an issue with some sort of audio glitch across spanned clips (long clips cut into smaller files due to the limits of FAT32).

Have I got that right? Is that still an issue for the 150's media? What version of Premiere Pro do you edit with?
 
I'm on an HMC151 and editing with Premiere CS5. It is so much faster that the CS4, you can actually edit the AVCHD material without any signifcant slow down.

As for the audio I haven't had any issues at all with my clips...
 
Thanks, guys.

I will be using CS5 myself, and have noticed it's fluidity with some consumer AVCHD clips.

More to the point, I will often have clips exceeding 20 minutes in length. They will, of course, be split into several files on the SD card. I know Premiere Pro can read them as a single clip, but I just want to confirm that you guys are using very long clips and having no audio issues across the file split, especially since the 150 unfortunately uses AAC audio and not WAV.
 
That's not my normal workflow so I can't confirm that for you, but I know for a fact that the footage on the cards is stored properly, continuously, so there shouldn't be a problem. Whether there is or not, that's a different question, but there certainly shouldn't be...
 
I'd agree, there shouldn't be. But if memory serves, there once was. Whether this was Panny's fault or Adobe's I can't say. My main concern is whether or not that issue still exists for the 150 and CS5.

If anyone else is using very long clips with the 150 and Premiere Pro, please chime in.
 
I've recorded several long events. PPro CS5 links the split clips together, no audio glitches or other problems here.
 
In CS5 there have been no audio glitches reported, nor have I experienced any -- and yes, I've filmed hour plus interviews.
 
Yep, you'll be fine. I've cut together a few wedding ceremonies and band performances of 40 minutes each, CS5 has had no problem with the file splits.
 
I record 45 minutes routinly for a show I do. Never had any audio problems of that nature. (now wireless mics, thats a different story)
 
^ Beautifully. There was very little light - so much so that the XHA1 was next to useless, and the HVX200 had to put its gain all the way up. The 150's low light performance is exemplary.

You can see how it held up in the video below. Most of the footage used is from the 150.

 
RESPONSE: CS5 and HMC are great together, no audio glitches or anything unusual. Primary audio captured via H4n, so wouldn't likely hurt me anyway.

NOTE: I wouldn't bother trying to edit AVCHD on anything less than CS5 and a GTX470. Multiple layers and effects like a hot knife through warm butter.

SIDEBAR: I still don't understand why videographers are so averse to using camera/accessory lighting at weddings and other events. I'll keep preaching the good word until every event filmmaker lights the shots like they ought to. ;)

FINAL THOUGHTS: Latitude of a camera is relevant of course, and knowing you can keep your lens open with less light is good, but every time I see a shot with no light at a dark reception or something, my brain can't help but think "too bad! This would have looked 10x better with just a little accessory light!" AVCHD footage in particular will perform so much better with extra light. Compression artifacts are rather unnobtrusive with good light, but add even +3 gain with a dark shot and you start getting blocks (and the autofocus, if you're using it, is gone). Multiply these factors if you're shooting 24p.
 
I do use a camera light, but those things don't throw very far. (And if they did, would be too bright for comfortable use.) That's what makes a good image in low light VERY important for event videographers. We are very limited in what we can do with lighting.
 
I've set up Lowel Pro 250W lights bouncing off of ceilings at receptions (hidden behind the DJ speakers, naturally), and that works great when you're trying to get broad coverage of the dance floor. The trick is to set them up before the guests get in there so you're not turning them on after everyone has gotten used to ambient lighting. This works well if you want to point the lights directly at the floor as well, but it's obviously a less subtle effect and much more directional than just bouncing off a ceiling (or tent, if you're outdoors).

As for throw...if you're doing interviews, your light is on your camera just 3-5 feet away. Most decent lights have dimmers on them, which gives you the freedom to move in and out of range as needed.

The Comer 1800 (the 1800 is the lux rating at 1 meter, or about 3 1/3 feet) is finely tunable...you have a built-in diffuser AND a built in focusing filter (which can be used in unison for a long, soft light). Add the dimmer and what else could you want? Comes in around $300 or so including a 3 hour battery. It's got almost as much juice in an LED light as I have in my old NRG Varalux Pro 100W light (and I am so so so glad I don't have to haul around that battery belt anymore).

Sorry, starting to take the thread off topic. Just buy the HMC150, you know you want it. :)
 
scapsinger said:
SIDEBAR: I still don't understand why videographers are so averse to using camera/accessory lighting at weddings and other events. I'll keep preaching the good word until every event filmmaker lights the shots like they ought to. ;)
Click to expand...

That option isn't always available. I've done some weddings where they will absolutely not let you use any extra lighting, even if it's hidden. Same with some clubs. Sometimes a venue wants to maintain a certain vibe at all cost.
 
I did a club event for the Lingerie Football League premiere and they loved the cam light...they said to keep it going, it made it feel like a big red carpet event. Of course, one man's vibe is another man's party foul I suppose. At the events where the camera is supposed to be unobtrusive, the guests probably want to avoid the cameras, too.

Agreed on the weddings, there are some venues where I've done a ceremony (never a problem with receptions) where the sanctuary is practically an electronics-free zone altogether. In those instances, the low light ability of the DVX100B and the PD170 (and now, the HMC150) did serve me well. But that's probably 5% of the time. In all cases, I make sure I talk to all the event personnel in advance so that they know I'm going to need to set the house lighting appropriate to my camera. Then when I get there, I re-introduce myself to the event personnel and remind them of our earlier agreement, they show me where the light controls are, and we're done. If I use any additional stand lighting, I've gotten that pre-approved and again it's been no problem except on a few isolated occasions.
 
scapsinger said:
I've set up Lowel Pro 250W lights bouncing off of ceilings at receptions
Click to expand...

I just don't consider that a viable option. For one thing, I'm not always (or even often) there before the guests. For another, 250W even bounced is waaaaay too bright. The DJ and Banquet Manager would kill me. My current light is only 20w max. Finally, to remain as unobtrusive as possible, I only add light when I'm actually shooting, so people will definitely notice when I turn those on and off.

The Comer's I'm looking into.

While we're on the subject, can anyone recommend an LED light with a spread as good as the Comers but using double or triple A batteries instead?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top