Mike Cecotka
October 21st, 2003, 05:42 PM
Hi,
I'm going to give my comments from perspective of someone who gets paid to do a job and please the customer.
For the past 7 years I've used Sony VX 1000 which took me through weddings, corporate videos and my first feature with one problem only. I wish I could say it's over for Sony but...
Here are loose comments of 2 weddings I did.
I hope that somebody with better knowledge of this camera can comment.
People who buy this camera as a hobby should not complain at all because of the price of this fine piece of machinery.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wedding 1 - Oct 11, 2003
Rating out of 5
Ceremony 3
Park 5 plus
Reception 2
This wedding supposed to be no editing documentary style.
I got camera 4 weeks before wedding
First wide angle Raynox 6600 return since it's not full zoom and I can see small grain on faces in low light.
I changed it to Ryanox 4500 super wide full zoom (second wedding I took it of)
I walked to the church switched to AE mode to see what camera see - exposure it was 9db to 12db. I look at the LCD monitor everything looks OK.
I set monitor setting in menu to normal so I can get as close to true picture as possible.
Footage on TV looks darker so now I have to go through Adobe and put 15% bright filter.
I think LCD is brigther by half or one F stop then reality.
Any comments about using AE mode on the lens barrel switch as light meter, setting LCD in menu to get perfect picture and so on.
Park
Watching VHS copy of park is like watching my Sony playing directly from DV tape - it's great.
One problem is because there is no weight in this camera any Close up shakes badly.
Practice needed.
Reception
This is not low light camera. It was big hall for 400 guests.
I had 2000 wats and still picture was too dark. All speaches go to computer for brightness adjustment.
This camera needs constant fill light from on camera light in dark with lights on.
Where there is no light there is pure black. I can't even see faces far away.
Any comments on hacking internal gain for exposure like we could with Sony, how to change contrast setting so it's not that exteme.
No light =blackness
Wedding 2 - Oct.18, 2003
Rating out of 5
Ceremony 0
Park shot with Sony it was raining
Reception 4
Church was very dark, just few lights. I used AE switch exposure was 12db and the monitor dark too.
I decided to use Sony since I know that it can handle this kind of lighting.
Here is the choice
Use Sony with weak color reproduction but bright picture or
GS 100 for great colors but faces will be dark. This is what I see now as a big deal with new camera. Excellent color reproduction.
Park
It was raining I didn't have housing with me. I used sony.
Reception
I took wide angle off
I think it takes too much needed light from the lens.
Smaller room then last one.
From previous experience I took 1000wats light 10 meters away from speaker's podium - great image
All special dances - 2000 wats on the center of dance floor plus fill 20wats spot on camera - great images
There is no mercy with this camera on guests - you need light all the time.
My next wedding Oct 25 will be for editing so I will take shots with both cameras to see what is really going on in low light.
If we could find proper setting for low light, knew what is the maximum DB exposure setting before grain appears and practice holding this puppy it would be great.
I'm considering shooting feature with this camera (because of the price - get 2 more) but didn't experiment with Wide and Pro Cinema modes.
If there is an article somewhere about this camera please let me know.
That's all for know. No hate email please :)
I'm owner and looking to squeeze this camera for best performance.
Mike
I'm going to give my comments from perspective of someone who gets paid to do a job and please the customer.
For the past 7 years I've used Sony VX 1000 which took me through weddings, corporate videos and my first feature with one problem only. I wish I could say it's over for Sony but...
Here are loose comments of 2 weddings I did.
I hope that somebody with better knowledge of this camera can comment.
People who buy this camera as a hobby should not complain at all because of the price of this fine piece of machinery.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wedding 1 - Oct 11, 2003
Rating out of 5
Ceremony 3
Park 5 plus
Reception 2
This wedding supposed to be no editing documentary style.
I got camera 4 weeks before wedding
First wide angle Raynox 6600 return since it's not full zoom and I can see small grain on faces in low light.
I changed it to Ryanox 4500 super wide full zoom (second wedding I took it of)
I walked to the church switched to AE mode to see what camera see - exposure it was 9db to 12db. I look at the LCD monitor everything looks OK.
I set monitor setting in menu to normal so I can get as close to true picture as possible.
Footage on TV looks darker so now I have to go through Adobe and put 15% bright filter.
I think LCD is brigther by half or one F stop then reality.
Any comments about using AE mode on the lens barrel switch as light meter, setting LCD in menu to get perfect picture and so on.
Park
Watching VHS copy of park is like watching my Sony playing directly from DV tape - it's great.
One problem is because there is no weight in this camera any Close up shakes badly.
Practice needed.
Reception
This is not low light camera. It was big hall for 400 guests.
I had 2000 wats and still picture was too dark. All speaches go to computer for brightness adjustment.
This camera needs constant fill light from on camera light in dark with lights on.
Where there is no light there is pure black. I can't even see faces far away.
Any comments on hacking internal gain for exposure like we could with Sony, how to change contrast setting so it's not that exteme.
No light =blackness
Wedding 2 - Oct.18, 2003
Rating out of 5
Ceremony 0
Park shot with Sony it was raining
Reception 4
Church was very dark, just few lights. I used AE switch exposure was 12db and the monitor dark too.
I decided to use Sony since I know that it can handle this kind of lighting.
Here is the choice
Use Sony with weak color reproduction but bright picture or
GS 100 for great colors but faces will be dark. This is what I see now as a big deal with new camera. Excellent color reproduction.
Park
It was raining I didn't have housing with me. I used sony.
Reception
I took wide angle off
I think it takes too much needed light from the lens.
Smaller room then last one.
From previous experience I took 1000wats light 10 meters away from speaker's podium - great image
All special dances - 2000 wats on the center of dance floor plus fill 20wats spot on camera - great images
There is no mercy with this camera on guests - you need light all the time.
My next wedding Oct 25 will be for editing so I will take shots with both cameras to see what is really going on in low light.
If we could find proper setting for low light, knew what is the maximum DB exposure setting before grain appears and practice holding this puppy it would be great.
I'm considering shooting feature with this camera (because of the price - get 2 more) but didn't experiment with Wide and Pro Cinema modes.
If there is an article somewhere about this camera please let me know.
That's all for know. No hate email please :)
I'm owner and looking to squeeze this camera for best performance.
Mike