New (to me) JVC-GZ-HD7

[John Nantz]

Just got this camera about four weeks ago and like someone else who put up a post on their "new" to them camera, I'm also really jazzed!

The first videos I took were in Full HD and they looked absolutely great on the TV. The only problem was the sound which sounded very amateurish. The fix for this was to get a mic and I wound up getting a Sennheiser ME-66 shotgun mic. This worked really great for what it was designed for, but I decided to add a ME-64 to the system because I already had the K6 part. Well, that wasn't enough so for gun-'n-run family stuff I got a Rode Stereo Videomic. Now I've got something that really works.

The next step is to learn how to edit all these files in iMovie HD6.

[Kaushik Parmar]

Originally Posted by John Nantz

Just got this camera about four weeks ago and like someone else who put up a post on their "new" to them camera, I'm also really jazzed!

The first videos I took were in Full HD and they looked absolutely great on the TV. The only problem was the sound which sounded very amateurish. The fix for this was to get a mic and I wound up getting a Sennheiser ME-66 shotgun mic. This worked really great for what it was designed for, but I decided to add a ME-64 to the system because I already had the K6 part. Well, that wasn't enough so for gun-'n-run family stuff I got a Rode Stereo Videomic. Now I've got something that really works.

The next step is to learn how to edit all these files in iMovie HD6.

Well come to JVC GZ HD7 world! I am proud owner of HD7 and I am still using it since last 3 years, I purchased very first day from Circuit City, NJ. I am very happy with this camera, I guess you must have seen my videos.

Here are my links:

YouTube - ‪AhmedabadHD's Channel‬‎

Kaushik on Vimeo

If you have time see my videos, I have uploaded some new videos.

Share your work please.

Thanks,
Kaushik

[John Nantz]

Thanks for the “welcome aboard” and the offer to post some videos. While I’ve take a few videos already they are nowhere near prime time. I’ve been taking mostly test runs while trying to figure out how to use the camera and mics.

And yes, I have seen some of your videos. It was interesting watching the birds in the one in your link Our cat was very interested in them too.

Yesterday I tested the Rode Stereo Videomic (Rode SVM) under three circumstances: In the kitchen/dinette area with someone talking at a distance between approximately 6 and 12 feet. The audio was okay with nothing to complain about. This is probably about optimum for this mic. The next test was with someone playing an accordion at a distance of about 8 feet and this didn’t nearly as good as I had hoped because the treble sounded quite tinny. My third test was outdoors in the back yard where the distance to the subject was in the range of 20 to 30 feet and this was too great of a distance for it. A plane (jet at probably 5,000 feet) flew overhead and the mic picked up it’s sound, perhaps a bit too much.

My previous tests were all with the Sennheiser ME-66 on subjects (a choir on stage) with a distance of perhaps 25 to 35 feet and the audio was quite impressive – picking up the choir while at the same time rejecting small amounts of noise from the audience.

I see the mics being used for audio pretty much like an artist would use his brushes. I think I’ve got enough experience handling the mics now to be dangerous.

There are two main areas where I have to put my effort now: (1) learning how to edit using iMovie HD6, and (2), learning how to make use of the Manual controls. The few times I tried using Manual controls it was a disaster. Even with Automatic there is the Backlight control which I keep forgetting to use.

IMovie HD6: Is there a good forum for learning how to use iMovie? I just got “iMovie 6 & iDVD”, The Missing Manual by David Pogue and it is already very helpful. In fact, at the moment, I am overwhelmed with everything I’m reading. At this point I’m very open to all ideas and suggestions!

[Kaushik Parmar]

Yes I know about Cats.

You should not use this camera in Auto control, always use it in Manual controls, in worst condition like if it is low light situation you can use it.

And one point I would like tell you that always put off "AGC" mean auto gain control, you must not use when you shoot in day or in very bright situation. If you put on when light in good enough then your result would be over expose, unwanted brightness would be there and its annoying!

Best luck.

[John Nantz]

With regard to low-light situations, I've found out about this the hard way. In Manual, the color balance was terrible and the shutter speed was way too slow - or something. Switching to Automatic cured this problem and I'll re-visit this Manual Mode later.

And speaking of Manual Mode, there are a lot of settings that can be adjusted:
Program AE
Aperture Priority
Shutter Speed
Brightness
Focus
Nightalive
Backlight
Spot Exposure
White Balance
Effect
Tele & Macro
Zebra
Custom: Sharpness and Color Bar

The problem is there are so many settings to consider and it takes so long to go through the Camera Manual to read up on these and make the settings. What I'm thinking of doing is making a Cheat-Sheet to have available when video recording. Something I can laminate in plastic and clip with a nylon tie to part of the camera, maybe.

What would be useful is to come up with a prioritized list of settings. What do others do when dealing with editing or seting Manual settings?

Thanks for the comment about the AGC setting. I just checked and found it was set to "ON" so I disabled it and switched it to "OFF". I was wondering what I could do with the colors of the outdoor shots which were looked too saturated or bleached out depending on the brightness situation.

I've started to make my own "Index" for the JVC HD7 Manual so hopefully I won't have to spend so much time looking for things. This will obviously be a Work-in-Progress" for some time to come.

[Kaushik Parmar]

If you put shutter speed 1/30, your images would be blurry, you must use tripod. In dark light do not put shutter speed less than 1/60, else you can't move your camera. This camera is outstanding for outdoor shooting with manual mode. I always try to keep aperture 1.8 and shutter speed 1/500, and if it is more bright than 1/1000, so than we can catch fast movement very well, with good light. I mean I do in that settings.

Kaushik

[John Nantz]

Thanks again for the additional information. With regard to the shutter speed and apature settings, I don't know, yet, how to change this without causing a problem. I tried twice or three times with "normal" indoor light but got jerky and pixilated pictures. Since then I've reverted to the "Auto" mode as I concentrate on other things, like audio, for example. Up until now I just wanted to get something "decent" that can I can watch and can also be shown to others.

This morning I started doing some Internet search for information about iMovie HD6 and using it for editing. I have a lot of video clips that are in need of serious editing and I want to get the files off my hard drives. They're filling up space at a fantastic rate. I also have iMovie 09 but I don't think this works with the HD7 files and I'm basically shooting in Full HD. I don't want to convert the files because I don't want to create even larger files, or, loose any of the high-definition quality.

I'm beginning to feel comfortable taking new clips with this camera so pretty soon I'll explore the Manual mode and see what happens.

[Kaushik Parmar]

Yes, indeed it will take time, but try to learn everyday, nothing will happen. I wish you all the best. Once you will have command you will then less using Auto, or maybe you will never use Auto, like me, I use Auto in worst condition.

I will give you example why you need to lock shutter speed & aperture, for say you need to shoot some landscape in that contain images of clouds, pure blue or mix kind of and then it will not keep steady, brightness and shutter speed will change on images, it will be more brighter, sky will not be steady blue but it will show some time bright while you move camera, because keep change lights accordingly, and you know it annoying! More of time we will get over expose images, so if you need steady lights then use manual controls and lock aperture & shutter speed, so then images will be steady.

Kaushik

[John Nantz]

It is true that one has to start using Manual controls to learn how they work. But it's hard when one doesn't want to ruin the shots!

What you mentioned about the sky and clouds I think I have experienced with similar lighting situations where the camera couldn't figure out what it wanted to do. I will be on the lookout for this situation in the future and now I will know that this is an issue.

I really need to learn how to edit before I can take many more videos because the files are starting to accumulate and they are taking up storage.

iMovie HD6 is what I'm going to be using for editing. I have iMovie 09 but apparently it is not useable for the HD7 file type format.

This is the iMovie web site I plan to be using for support:
Apple web site for iMovie HD 6: Apple - Support - Discussions - iMovie HD 6

If anyone has some other ideas I'm open for suggestions.

[John Nantz]

How does one delete a duplicate post?

[Kaushik Parmar]

Its good you understand my point and you will be ok when you start browse all button on back side of camera. Double press on Shutter speed & Aperture button will take camera in Auto mode, yes it is possible you can put Auto in manual control too! Just set shutter speed and aperture accordingly, you can see in LCD screen, the changes, see whether picture gets good exposer or not it should not be over expose, for example guy is wearing plain white shirt with some design, strips or anything, it must be clearly visible! Then you let open both buttons if you want your cam to see more light accordingly, you can then put it on, and by holding about three or four second it will be go on lock mode, display will change color of words, so you will understand, if you want to unlock press same for twice and it will be come auto. If your picture is showing too darling in LCD preview you should not worry, it will be bright when you see on big TVs, and on CRT it will be perfect, so that is the reason in professional work they use expensive external monitors!

Do not worry you will learning everything by using it! Same happen with me.

See this clip, you will understand why manual is important, I kept open shutter speed and aperture for some time for some scenes.

See this it has nice color with manual and auto settings.

YouTube - Atira After Rain 2010

Kaushik

[Marty Mulholland]

Originally Posted by Kaushik Parmar

You should not use this camera in Auto control, always use it in Manual controls,

i think that is ONLY true in low light, if you're outside on a sunny day, you really can't go too wrong with auto. Ive shot hundreds of hours of published material from this camera onto youtube (mightcarmods.com) and although we aren't going to motion picture quality awards, it all looks pretty decent.

the beauty of this camera is how FAST it is to work with

i've now got its big brother (hm100) as my main cam but i still love cracking out the HD7 with a light tripod and wide angle, set to auto, forget and just shoot shoot shoot!

[Kaushik Parmar]

If you are enjoying Auto control nothing bad, it is absolute fine. But this camera works wonder in Manual mode. If you would like to share your uploaded videos here, would be great.

[John Nantz]

By "fast" do you mean fast in being able to take videos without having to do a lot of settings in order to shoot a video?

The past couple days I've been working hard on trying to make my first video using iMovie HD6. I managed to get it all together, complete with titles, and went to burn it to a DVD-R but it wouldn't burn because there was no "Theme".

The Theme "window" only had a couple "blank" little video-looking folders which are apparently empty. The Theme section doesn't have any Theme - but - the computer has a Theme folder that includes several dozen Theme-named sub-folders, each of which has two files.

I spent the whole day on the Internet researching this problem to no avail. Now I have a question posted on the apple iMovieHD web site so hopefully some kind person will help me out of this dilema.

I'm really anxious to start shooting more video! This is a great camera and I know I can have lots of fun with it.

[Kaushik Parmar]

I am using this: HD Video Editing and Movie Making Software ? PowerDirector 8

It is very easy to use, try it, and its support .TOD files too, you can direct drop in timeline!

Kaushik