Would this work with the TM/SD900?

JVC Wide Conversion Lens Package HM100U169WC7X B&H Photo Video

6 weeks without power? I can't say what's best but I can tell you if it was me, I wouldn't be caught fumbling around in Africa with netbooks and chargers, fretting where the next charge is coming from, lining up for your chance at the cigarette lighter socket becomes a competition with everyone sharing the same problem. Backups? Your netbook itself could fail as could your charger, camcorder or any piece of equipment you rely on. There is safety in numbers. If you carried 10 sd cards that would equal the capacity of the netbook. If one failed (which I doubt), you'd lose just that one. Redundant backup of data is folly if you don't have redundancy in cameras, chargers, hard drives, netbooks and everything else including enough working cigarette lighter adapters to satisfy the demand for everyone with a camera and a netbook. Folly! Apollo 11 went to the moon and back with less computing power than is being talked about here. What backup did we have with film? The processing lab could lose it in the mail. It happened. Things happen. The idea that you are providing security is only as secure as your ability to predict which piece of the chain is going to fail. Meanwhile, the more junk you carry, the more dependent you become on each link. The idea of carrying the netbook as backup security in a land of no power sounds like you're trying to be cheap, and you'll get what you pay for. Buy the extra cards, sell the ones you don't need when you get back.

I would also go back to Claire's post #391, and that's exactly how you should preserve your data for the exact reasons she stated. Not only that, but the HD Writer player is 10 times better than VLC for playing the native TM900 files. If you just drag and drop them between devices, you'll lose forever the ability to play those files using the HD Writer player.

And go back and read Carol's posts as well. Along with Claire, they have it figured out better than anything else I've read here.

Hi guys,

I've got a quick question for you TM900 owners.

I've just bought a TM900 as a B/C Roll camera for weddings.

I currently use two Canon XHA1's as my main cameras.

My question is - as I'm shooting in 50i 1080i on DV tape with my Canon's, what format should I shoot in on the TM900 to be able to put the footage together side by side on the same timeline in Adobe Premiere CS5.

Thanks

Steve

I don't edit with 50i or 25P because I'm in the US, but in Premiere Pro my 60P files play well on 30P timelines. I like to capture everything in 60P as it gives me a bit more versatility if I decide to do a Slow-Mo. Also I find the quality of the 60P because of the higher bitrate at 28mbps is better than the lower frame rates.

What is your final delivery format? Is it an interlaced format? If so I would capture interlaced. If not then you might want to capture your other cameras in progressive, such as 25P, then you can use the TM900 in 25P or 50P (not sure if those frame rates are available on your model).

6 weeks without power? I can't say what's best but I can tell you if it was me, I wouldn't be caught fumbling around in Africa with netbooks and chargers, fretting where the next charge is coming from, lining up for your chance at the cigarette lighter socket becomes a competition with everyone sharing the same problem. Backups? Your netbook itself could fail as could your charger, camcorder or any piece of equipment you rely on. There is safety in numbers. If you carried 10 sd cards that would equal the capacity of the netbook. If one failed (which I doubt), you'd lose just that one. Redundant backup of data is folly if you don't have redundancy in cameras, chargers, hard drives, netbooks and everything else including enough working cigarette lighter adapters to satisfy the demand for everyone with a camera and a netbook. Folly! Apollo 11 went to the moon and back with less computing power than is being talked about here. What backup did we have with film? The processing lab could lose it in the mail. It happened. Things happen. The idea that you are providing security is only as secure as your ability to predict which piece of the chain is going to fail. Meanwhile, the more junk you carry, the more dependent you become on each link. The idea of carrying the netbook as backup security in a land of no power sounds like you're trying to be cheap, and you'll get what you pay for. Buy the extra cards, sell the ones you don't need when you get back.

I would also go back to Claire's post #391, and that's exactly how you should preserve your data for the exact reasons she stated. Not only that, but the HD Writer player is 10 times better than VLC for playing the native TM900 files. If you just drag and drop them between devices, you'll lose forever the ability to play those files using the HD Writer player.

And go back and read Carol's posts as well. Along with Claire, they have it figured out better than anything else I've read here.

I an owner of a TM900 as well as an assortment of other pro Camcorders, I was suggesting a recommended course of archiving based on my own experience as a professional videographer and filmmaker that on occasion needs to travel with my file-based acquisition video gear (and reliably archive the data while on the road.)

I also understand Tom's point. If you are out in the wilderness or in an area of limited resources, lugging around a lot of backup gear is going to be some trouble. I don't discount Claire's recommendations for transferring. I think that George should try out various methods of archiving his data. My own philosophy is to faithfully preserve as much of what the camcorder recorded as possible. This gives me (or an editor) more options later down the road. When I archive, I copy the whole directory structure inside another folder titled with the date recorded, a brief description of the location, and the camera it was recorded with. This gives me a series of folders I can refer to. If I want to interpret the footage later using HDWriter or a NLE, then the original structure is there for the software to piece it together. I try not to change the format from one to another in an archive.

HDWriter is consumer software that is PC based and I'm Mac based, so I never used it so I cannot attest to how well it works. However, if it can't work with media / folder that has been copied from your SDHC card to a hard drive with directory structures intact as Tom suggests, I think it leaves a lot to be desired. It means the only way it works is directly with the SDHC media, that seems flawed.

But maybe I'm totally misinformed about it. George should try it out and see if it works for him, it may be a good solution for his situation.

I believe we're all here to try to help each other, so I'd prefer if we can just stick to helpful information, it's a lot more productive.

HDWriter is consumer software that is PC based and I'm Mac based, so I never used it so I cannot attest to how well it works. However, if it can't work with media / folder that has been copied from your SDHC card to a hard drive with directory structures intact as Tom suggests, I think it leaves a lot to be desired. It means the only way it works is directly with the SDHC media, that seems flawed.

I understand your point. I thought you were probably on Mac. And while it does seem flawed on the surface, it's no different than Sony Clip Browser for EX1/EX3 XDCAM-EX....(I think). It's been a little while since I used it. My workflow changed a bit when I got the Nanoflash to go along with my PMW350k. But the basics, using the Sony Clip Browser like HD Writer, not only makes organizing and viewing clips more convenient, they expedite other functions like seamless joining of clips that span across more than one memory card or more than one file.

Really, I am so envious of the others going to Africa. The point about a trip like that is also not to get bogged down in i-pod, ipad, mp3, dvd burners or whatever...but to roll the clock back to a time when you're out there just to be there. You carried a camera and a bunch of rolls of film then, and your motion picture camera was powered by a windup spring. I hope they have a great time!

Tom, thanks for the response. I have an EX1 and use Sony Clip Browser all the time, but I use it to make exact copies of what is on the card to the computer. It has a great copy function that does the 'verification' that gives me peace of mind that what is on the card is what gets written to my computer. I also use the Sony Clip Browser to look at footage I've archived and it understands the structure on the hard drive and can put them into the same viewer and functionality as reading directly off the card.

I see the similarities with HDWriter, however I don't use Sony's Clip Browser or the Sony XDCam utility to 'pre select' my clips. Instead the editing software I use can read the native folder structures of the XDCam EX and join clips as needed seamlessly. if HDWriter had the ability to browse TM900 off the hard drive, it would definitely get my vote, but I still wouldn't use it to make an archive of what I have on my card unless it copies the structure precisely, that's just the way I work, I may be a purist in that regard.

George, enjoy the trip. As a filmmaker, when I go on a trip that is centered around filming, that takes precedence over other things, like general touristy enjoyment. However, for a tourist who is not a professional filmmaker and merely wants to capture a reasonable record of some of the events, I would agree with Tom to remember ENJOY the moment and not necessarily get bogged down with gadgets (unless that's an integral part of your enjoyment). Have fun!

Jalan - there's no reason why the 900 wouldn't work (and work well) with that 0.7x JVC wide-angle converter. I've not tried the combo myself, but I have used the 900 with wideangles made by Bolex, Schneider Kreutznach and Kenko, and they all work well.

Keith and Tom, thanks for this invigorating dialog; it is truly helpful. Tom, I appreciate your concerns about netbook failures, so I have a little trouble reconciling that with your recommendation to use HD Writer, which would have to be on my netbook. I did look at the more expensive Nexto and Digital Foci backup solutions, but decided on the netbook so I could get a better view of my footage if I wanted. The netbook at 8" wide fits very comfortably into a special slot on my Kata 3N1 sling backpack. All that said, however, I've got four 32GB cards, and I'll take your advice and get two or three more. They will help in case my little dvd writer fails.

As far as charging goes, I'll be in a village, travelling with my San Francisco host who is from there and was there as recently as four months ago. He assures me that we will be able to charge using one of the village's three trucks. Also, we will be travelling at least once per week to a neighboring village that does have power.

I'm not unfamiliar with Africa, having lived in Tanzania from 1967 - 1970. I remember well the film canisters and having to send them to Europe or North America to get them developed. I was never able to appreciate what great photos I got with my old Nikkormat until about three months later. While there, I bought a Canon Super-8 movie camera, and enjoyed the results from that as well. And speaking of the moon shots, we were at the Marangu Hotel on the slopes of Kilimanjaro listening to the landing on the radio - no TV in Tanzania at that time.

But I digress, as they say. I think I'll take my chances with Keith's drag and drop procedure because of the quickness and simplicity in the field. But I'll test both ways this coming weekend using only battery power on the netbook and the camcorder, and I'll report the results.

Claire and I have talked on the phone. She's in Pacifica, I'm in San Francisco, and you're in Brisbane, Keith. Maybe we three should get together at the Seven Mile House for some suds and a chat!

Thanks to everybody.

Hi

Sharpness, it's like salt, we seem to be forced by the manufacturers to have too much of it :-)

I've now had the pleasure of watching some finished edits in glorious 1080/50p, and one thing I have found I need to do is knock back the sharpness of the TV considerably as anything with lots of detail is over the top sharpened and often doesn't look realistic. I then started to wonder why I don't see the same oversharpened images with Blu-ray that are watched without needing to knock down the TVs sharpness.

The answer is quite simple, the sharpness setting on the TM900 is mid position, or at 0, and the scale runs -5 to +5, but zero doesn't mean no sharpening, it just means that is the default level of sharpening. When you go towards the plus you are adding more than the default, and if you go to the minus numbers you are adding less than the default. The sharpness scale would be more useful numbered 0 to 10, so it sits at 5 by default. So the image is already sharpened, and the TV is adding another lot to it, and it's over the top. I can see the sharpening (the tell-tale halos) if I pixel peak the raw footage, but if I pixel peak a Blu-ray movie, I can't see see any evidence of sharpening, or if there is, it's considerably less.

On the sharpness scale as Panasonic show it, I've found -5 is no sharpening, and not as perhaps the minus might suggest, the opposite and a deliberate softening of the image. At -5 you capture the image unprocessed in terms of artificial detail, it is as it is, a bit like a digital negative.

So I've been trying at -5 (so no sharpening applied) and the results are looking very good. First off, you can add sharpening to taste in your editing package (assuming you will edit), and you can also use a more superior unsharp mask. Also that extra sharpness added to the captured video takes a hit on the encoder in the camera as it's harder work to compress, so some real detail gets sacrificed for the artificial sharpness, plus it exagerates any sensor noise especially in low light situations, which takes an even bigger hit for encoding. Now that hit for the encoding is a waste when you can achieve exactly the same sharpness if you wish later. I've compared some test clips and adding a standard Sony Vegas Sharpness filter using the lowest pre-set achieves exactly the same as done in the camera on the default mid setting. An unsharp mask does a much nicer job!

So just thought I would flag up my findings to see what others thought.

Regards

Phil

Yes, I agree, the default sharpness is too sharp if you want the look to be more filmic or match other camcorders / DSLRs. I use a least -3 and sometimes more and if I need to sharpen in post.

I also tune the color to -3 and the exposure and wb adjust to -1.

In Auto exposure I find it's too blown out on anything approaching highlights, the camcorder (as well as most consumer camcorder) doesn't react too well to overexposure, this also adds to the 'videoish' look Best to try to keep things from getting overexposed with this camcorder if possible.

Keith and Tom, thanks for this invigorating dialog; it is truly helpful. Tom, I appreciate your concerns about netbook failures, so I have a little trouble reconciling that with your recommendation to use HD Writer, which would have to be on my netbook. I did look at the more expensive Nexto and Digital Foci backup solutions, but decided on the netbook so I could get a better view of my footage if I wanted. The netbook at 8" wide fits very comfortably into a special slot on my Kata 3N1 sling backpack. All that said, however, I've got four 32GB cards, and I'll take your advice and get two or three more. They will help in case my little dvd writer fails.

Hi George

If you can, I might recommend something to verify the transfer. Shotput Pro is something many people use, here's a link: ShotPut Pro™ for Windows Panasonic P2, AVCHD, Sony SxS, JVC, Arri and RED Offload Software [1123] - $99.00 (http://www.imagineproducts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=33), it's kind of overpriced, in my estimation, for what it does but if it helps you even once it could be invaluable.

There are other copying techniques using copy in the dos prompt, for example, you can google them, there are also utilities, like this one File Copy Software for Windows: Copy Files Faster with ViceVersa (http://www.tgrmn.com/web/entry/filecopy.htm)

George, also if you do need to eventually erase the SDHC cards I would suggest you have the data copied onto another drive in addition to the internal netbook drive. You can get USB external drives amazingly cheap at Costco or mail order. I used to be in the hard drive manufacturing business, and I learned (from all the warranty repairs, etc) that they are mechanical devices and they do go bad. PM me for a personal meeting, I know 7 Mile house.

-Keith

Claire and I have talked on the phone. She's in Pacifica, I'm in San Francisco, and you're in Brisbane, Keith. Maybe we three should get together at the Seven Mile House for some suds and a chat!

Thanks to everybody.

George, it it's me you are referring to I am in the UK so it would be quite a journey :-)

But you know you're always welcome, Claire! Seven Mile House is well worth the trip - especially if you're a 49er fan (and no....I won't explain that to you ..... LOL). It was a slip of my tired fingers. I meant to type "Carol."

Seriously, though - now that I have your attention - I have a question about the JuicedLink box. You mentioned a few posts back that you have the model with phantom power. As you know, I have ordered the CX211, but it hasn't arrived yet. I have read through the User Manual, and there is a lot of useful instruction there. But nothing beats the testimony of an experienced user. My questions are......Do you have a standard sequential routine you go through when setting the thing up before a shoot....sorta like step A, step B, step C, and so on? Also, regarding earphone monitoring, does this box demand a high-quality headset, or can I get by with the type I'd use on my MP3 player? I own a quality headset, but it's bulky, as you can imagine.

Thanks. (And Seven Mile House beer is good, but it's a bit different from what you might be used to.)

I recently did a trip to Thailand and used my TM900 heaps. As the internal drive became full, I transfered the .MTS files to both my netbook and tablet for backup. Once I verified the files on both PCs, I formatted the internal drive to allow for more clips. Now unfortunately, I only copied the .MTS files and not all the other folders. Is there anyway I can put files back on the camera and it actually see them?? I have tried simply putting MTS files in the correct folder, but something is missing as the cam does not see them.

George, I have enjoyed the beer in San Francisco! When I was last there in 2006 I filmed lots as I travelled around the beautiful city.. in the trams, from the warf, up to China town, around the bay in a boat, under the big bridge and to the island with the old prison on it, I had a brand new Sony A1E, my very first HD (V) cam plus an expensive huge and heavy wide angle lens, it did quite well, footage now edited and on Blu-ray.

Back then it was easy just to take plenty of cheap tapes, now I take a quantity of expensive but seemingly reliable 16GB Sandisk Extreme cards, yes a big cost compared to tapes but at least no laptop needed, makes for light travelling.

Regarding the JuicedLink, mine doesn't have a headphone socket, I use the one on the cam but in fact once I had set all the little slide switches correctly and discovered what levels to set both on the JL and in the cam then I figured headphones were not needed for the sort of filming I mostly use this cam for. However before use I do carefully check the slide switches have not been moved since last time, it's just SO EASY for this to happen!!! So I stuck little labels on the JL box with arrows drawn pointing to where the switches should be set.

Of course the mic level is displayed on the cam itself which is reassuring and enables one to use the knobs on the JL box for adjustment while recording if needed.

I'd suggest you spend a lot of time getting to know the JL well so you are confident with it when you get to Africa and don't mess up your sound like I did in the beginning, no matter how careful one is those darn little switches get moved when you put your gear away or retrieve it.

I'm not unfamiliar with Africa, having lived in Tanzania from 1967 - 1970. I remember well the film canisters and having to send them to Europe or North America to get them developed. I was never able to appreciate what great photos I got with my old Nikkormat until about three months later. While there, I bought a Canon Super-8 movie camera, and enjoyed the results from that as well. And speaking of the moon shots, we were at the Marangu Hotel on the slopes of Kilimanjaro listening to the landing on the radio - no TV in Tanzania at that time.

And now there is TV in Tanzania but no moon shots :-(

Have a great trip!

Yes, I agree, the default sharpness is too sharp if you want the look to be more filmic or match other camcorders / DSLRs. I use a least -3 and sometimes more and if I need to sharpen in post.

I agree, also with Phil Lee, sharpness is like salt. -3 is still really sharp, but there are a few instances where if you go less than that, like low light, the image softens up maybe too much, so my default is -3.

The HD Writer software smart renders (without re-encoding) AVC h.264 1080/60p clips, screaming fast!

Unfortunately, I find the images need a little bit of gamma correction so I apply a filter in post with Vegas Pro 11.0 64 bit. But HD Writer would be very useful for home movie makers, easy on the processor power and easy on the price.

You guys really need a dedicated board, there's too much going on in this thread.
Anyway ... here's my addition.
I'm shooting football currently and think this camera would great with the 'hi-pods' that they use for the end zone coverage. It's a cam on a stick - telescoping post, to be more precise. And i was wondering, it there a way to control the camera remotely? No LANC port, right? Firewire or USB contol?

Hi Mark,

I have set my TM900 up so that I can use it on a boom. I miss the LANC control I had on my PD 150. Below is a rough outline of my work around.

The TM900 comes with an infrared remote, however the IR sensor is located on the front of the camera which is a nuisance if you want to control the camera from behind. This problem can be overcome by using a reflector to direct the IR remote beam onto the sensor. The reflector can be quite crude - aluminium foil works well and much to my surprise so does black dyed anodized aluminium.

The range of the IR remote can be increased by using an IR extender. Mine is made from a Jaycar kit. The IR remote signal is directed to the extender which reproduces the signal that can then be conducted along a cable to an IR emitter placed near the camera sensor. With such a set-up you can turn on the camera, start and stop recording and zoom but not focus.

I have added a focus control. This consists of a small motor than can rotate the control ring. The motor I use runs from a single AA cell. To see what the camera sees I use a DP6 field monitor. For remote framing I use a motorized head.

This 900 series seems to be a wonderful little camera.

I have looked around but can anyone tell me if you can record to the internal media (flash on the TM and HDD on the HS) AND and sd card at the same time??

This would give a safety net for say wedding fottage. The HDD could fill up with the days shooting, and I would have it on SD card at the same time?

If you can do this, then I cant think of any other camera that would offer this redundancy at this price.

Let me know guys :)

James

Simple answer.

Yes it is a wonderful camera.

No you can't "dual record" in the manner you describe.

Maybe next year's model!

Alastair, Thanks . . . How long is the lead to the camera? Is it an IR LED or one of those adhesive pads?
Is there a lag in response when activating zoom?

Impressive that you went as far as a motor for focus . . . are you satisfied with the setup over all?

I've seen others attempt to integrate a fiberoptic cable for extended control . . . any experience with that effort?

Hi again Mark,

I have two camera leads one about 7 feet long and the other about 25 feet. I can use either or both to together to give a 32 foot total if required. I do not know what the limit is but I am happy with what I have got. The 10 cores all have roles (sometimes more than one) including the option of powering the camera from an external supply, focus and motorized head control.

There is no noticeable delay when using the set-up to control the zoom.

The IR extender has two output sockets so that I can control two cameras from the one point. The sensor for the extender is housed with the DP6 monitor so that I can watch the DP6 screen and with the relevant IR remote run the TM900 and/or the EX3 and the DP6.

I have a selection IR emitters to cater for different mounting options. One is in the lower end of a “J” shaped tube. The long arm of the “J” clips to the bottom of the camera mount platform and the IR emitter points back to the camera. Another clips to the bottom of the tripod head mounting plate, the emitter points forward to a reflector that directs the signal to the front of camera. The advantage of this being that I can use the remote on its own if required.

I have not tried a fibre optic cable but I would expect that there are limits to in the ways they can be cut and joined..

Basically I am happy with the set up but there a couple features of the TM 900 that are disappointing; one is that the very useful prerecord function has to be set in the menu for every shot and the other is that I have no way of manually fiddling with the exposure remotely.

I am very pleased with the remote focus. It is particularly useful for close ups and also there is no risk of bumping the camera when making adjustments. I am full of praise for the blue focus assist function of the TM 900 and I am hoping that Small HD will give DP6 users a blue option.

Hi All:
We leave for Africa Wednesday, and I am doing some last-minute checking of my equipment.

I have been playing with various file upload processes, as we have discussed previously in this thread. I thought I would report what I have found, although this may be old news to many of you.

I recorded some 1080-60/P footage to a newly reformatted SDHC card. I removed the card from the camcorder and copied the entire cart contents into a folder on my computer, using the onboard card slot. There were three folders: DCIM, MISC, PRIVATE. I followed the trail as follows: PRIVATE/AVCHD/BDMV/STREAM/to my file 00000.MTS. That file played flawlessly on Windows Media Player.

I then copied the entire computer file directory onto a DVD RW. Again, I was able to play the .MTS file via Windows Media Player. I then copied the entire set of directories from the DVD back onto a newly formatted SDHC card, which I inserted into the TM 900, and I was able to play the footage flawlessly on the camera.
I then uploaded that footage using HD Writer directly from the camcorder to my computer, and here's the rub. The file would play on my computer using HD writer, but it was jerky, although the sound was flawless.

I think that has something to do with me not using HD Writer properly. I hope that is so, because otherwise I feel confident that if I upload files from the camcorder to a computer and thence to a DVD using drag and drop, I will have preserved the integrity of the files for future use either with HD writer or some other editing software.

I'm wondering if anybody might have more light to shed about this.

Thanks again, and I'll let you know when I get back safely in late January. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all!

George- I'm looking forward to seeing your video when you return! I've got a quick question if you have time before you leave. My cigarette lighter battery charger hasn't arrived yet. Did you get yours and did you get a chance to test it? I leave in 3 weeks and it's the last piece of equipment that I am waiting for and I am getting worried in case it either doesn't arrive or doesn't work. I hope you have a fabulous trip and you return with an amazing documentary!

We'll have to have that beer in San Francisco when you get back!

Carol

Carol - I'll call you Sunday with the name of a place that sells them in Fremont, CA

What do you folks find to be the best tripod for this Tm900? I see mostly junk out there. They stick, wobble, nothing seems available to provide a smooth pan. We don't need to support a heavy unit. Also, I'm frustrated with the touch screen zoom function. It zooms in well, but when zooming out it is unresponsive.

Hi Greg,

There are several ways of zooming with the TM900. The lever on the top of the camera gives the most control. The multi control ring on the lens barrel can also be used as can the IR remote.

You may find some helpful comments on tripods and heads elsewhere on DV Info net.

The lever on the top has absolutly no contol. It is either in, or out, right now. Not gradual, no easy in or out. The ring around the lens tends to capture your fingers or is like stepping on a mushy gas pedel, might take you a few turns, or steps, to get you where you want to be. Anytime you touch the camera with a crappy tripod, (which I initally posted), things (subjects) are just going to jump around. Lets start over.
What kind of tripod or device can give me a smooth pan with a Panasonic TM 900?

I'm thinking of an invention here perhaps?

Any Gitzo carbon fiber series 1 or 2 tripod, and nothing lighter than the Manfrotto 701HDV head will do.

Nice work Dan.
How did you get such a smooth pan with your Grand Canyon video?
I'll take the time to watch some of your others, but just be ready for questions.
Thanks.

Alastair,

Would you be kind enough to post a few pictures or videos of you rig with the motor focus and IR set-up. I've been considering the same options, but would love to see how you accomplished it. Is the focus variable speed, or just on-off?

Nice work Dan.
How did you get such a smooth pan with your Grand Canyon video?
I'll take the time to watch some of your others, but just be ready for questions.
Thanks.

Thanks Greg. On a recent Canyon project I used only a Manfrotto 561 fluid monopod. For three days there was little wind and I could get 1 good pan in 3 to 5 attempts. I often use a lightweight setup of a Benro Travel Angel tripod & Manfrotto 700RC2 head. This head also requires 3 to 5 attempts for 1 good pan or tilt. However, with the TM700 or GH2 on a Manfrotto 700HDV head, 1 attempt is usually enough.

Good luck.

Roger, below are some pictures of some of my gadgets.

The motor is a salvaged Faulhaber. It is attached to piece of metal shaped to fit in the TM’s accessory shoe mount. Drive is by pulley and “O” ring. Faulhabers are very classy and are possibly an overkill. I have just discovered some Chinese motors marketed by Marcmart, their size is similar but their cost is less than $9 au. each including postage. They run very nicely and like the Faulhaber pictured should do the job with just one AA cell. The control box shown has one AA cell and a momentary contact switch set up so that if I push the toggle away from me the focus plane moves away also. Toggling the switch towards me brings the focus closer. At the moment the speed is fixed and happens to take about 22 seconds for one revolution of the control ring. I find it to be a good speed for focussing and if I try zooming it takes about 70 seconds to get through the full range i.e. up to 20x from wide angle. At that speed the zoom is so slow that you have to look twice to see if anything is happening. The motorised head uses Faulhaber motors with zero backlash gear boxes. I can get quite a good range of pan and tilt speeds just by varying the applied voltage. By increasing or decreasing the voltage slowly I can get smooth starts and stops. It would be relatively easy to apply a similar control to the zoom.

There is a picture of the housed extender and the TM900 remote. Note I have two leads and a splitter attached. One lead goes to my EX3 and the other to the TM900. I was worried that splitting the signal may cause problems but it works OK. Fortunately the EX3 and TM 900 are controlled by different signals, I just have to remember to pick up the right remote. There is a picture showing the IR emitter end of the extender cables, the top one is used for the EX3, the middle one clips to the underside of the tripod head and points forward to the reflector, the lower one clips to the underneath of the camera platform on the motorised head.

I have also shown two pictures of my DP6 field monitor. It housed in a semi-permanent hood together with its oversized batteries, another IR extender and a couple regulated voltage sources. One voltage source is set at at 9.3 volts and will run the TM900 if need be. The housing for the DP6 has a pair of rounded buttocks that sit in a cradle. The cradle can be set on the ground or on a bench. It can also be mounted on a tripod or hung from a tree. To change the viewing angle the the housing is simply tilted in the cradle. There are no clamps.

Greg is asking what tripod and heads we are using. The tripod shown is a Chinese e-Image found in a bargain bin minus ball and head. It is now fitted with a nodal head. Nodal heads do not use counterbalance springs, instead the centre of gravity of the camera, its accessories and in this case the microphone all align with the tilt axis. There is also has a column arrangement that provides for easy height adjustment. A short boom permits movement in a horizontal plane. These movements are not extensive but with them the camera position can be varied without moving the tripod, all highly desirable if you are working at very close range with a close up lens and a focussing range of a few inches. http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/images/attach/jpg.gifhttp://www.dvinfo.net/forum/images/attach/jpg.gifhttp://www.dvinfo.net/forum/images/attach/jpg.gifhttp://www.dvinfo.net/forum/images/attach/jpg.gifhttp://www.dvinfo.net/forum/images/attach/jpg.gifhttp://www.dvinfo.net/forum/images/attach/jpg.gifhttp://www.dvinfo.net/forum/images/attach/jpg.gif

Roger, three pictures got lost from the post above, here they are: -


http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/images/attach/jpg.gifhttp://www.dvinfo.net/forum/images/attach/jpg.gifhttp://www.dvinfo.net/forum/images/attach/jpg.gif

Quote: - "The lever on the top has absolutely no control- It is either in, or out, right now. Not gradual, no easy in or out".

Hi Greg,

Have a look at the very first post in this very long thread. It is by Andy Wilkinson, note point number 5. It summarises my experience with the zoom lever exactly. Perhaps yours is faulty?

Love the motorized ring! Thanks for posting. Total cost for mods <$150 US?

Hi All

I just got a TM900, primarily to use as a stealth cam. When I go out with it nobody raises an eyebrow, which is absolutely great. My main camera is the EX1R, but it always attracts attention. Anyway, I'm just trying to learn my way around this little thing and would appreciate any tips that people who've been using it for a while might pass on. Some specific questions:

If you're joyriding in full auto is there any quick way to lock all the settings?

Are there situations in which the image stabilization might bite you in the ass? (aside from having it on a tripod or something like that...) I had some odd shots today with light sources, light bulbs, sticking in the image and smearing while everything else stayed normal. Trying to figure it out.

Thanks,

Mark

Mark,

I think you'll find that the iA/Manual button your best friend. If you go from iA to manual, the camera is still essentially in automatic until you change one of the settings. If you enter an "iris", then the camera still maintains automatic by changing the shutter - to the degree it can. If you enter a shutter speed in addition to iris, now you've locked down the camera to a true manual setting.If you get lost and hit iA and later go back to manual, the camera doesn't remember you last manual settings and you have to readjust. This is both good and bad. Good in that if the scene is different from your last manual setting, iA gets you close and you can vary from there. It's bad in that if you return to a similar scene, you can't just go back to your same manual settings.

Two things I commonly do:

1. Start in manual and lock shutter to 1/60 or 1/120 and let the camera manage the iris for me. If things get moving too fast to keep up, iA is my "hyperspace" to get me back on track, even if I just go to iA and immediately back to manual.

2. The camera tends to overexpose in bright sunlight so I If I'm shooting a mixture of inside and outside I will program the picture exposure down -2 in manual and when shooting inside I'll stay with iA inside and shift to Manual outside with the exposure down 2 stops. You can change the exposure by going to manual mode, going to "menu", finding "Picture adjust", and there you can set biases for sharpness, color, exposure, and WB. I believe many of the guys also reduce sharpness to -2 as well.

As far as the image stabilization, its wonderful but it can sometimes get a bit of a mind of its own after bumping around and the image will "float" and recenter a bit. I haven't found a way around it, but have found the IS generally amazing and allowing me to get handheld shots I haven't been able to achieve with other systems.

"As far as the image stabilization, its wonderful but it can sometimes get a bit of a mind of its own after bumping around and the image will "float" and recenter a bit. I haven't found a way around it, but have found the IS generally amazing and allowing me to get handheld shots I haven't been able to achieve with other systems."

I love the stabilization of my TM700, but you could always stabilize in post. Here's a demo of my TM700 with stabilization off, 18x zoom & using Mercalli V2 in Sony Vegas to stabilize the clip.

Mercalli V2 Stabilization on Vimeo

...Jerry

Thanks for the info Roger. Looks like I'm just gonna have to get really quick at manually locking the WB, shutter and iris. Sure be nice if there were a way to it in just one step. Maybe on next year's model... When everything is right I think the picture quality is remarkably good. But if an adjustment is off things fall apart pretty quickly.

Noticed that B&H put these on sale today for $599-. I should have waited a week to buy mine. Arghhh.

I think it is an amazing camera for the price, but doesn't have the manual controls you might enjoy with a 3 ring lens. I used to use a Canon XHA1, and in many ways the TM900 bests it, but not in the arena of controlling manual functions. There still is a place for a fine, manually controlled camera with proper controls. I think the TM900 excells for shots that the scenery is somewhat constant, or where AF/IS is needed. It breaks down a bit when you need excellent, intelligent manual control of the camera.

I recently shot a session with my son of a winery in N. Georgia showing their vineyards and processing techniques as a draft for a TV pilot before incurring significant expense on broadcast gear and talent. I used the TM900 on a shoulder mount. I feel the TM900 performed beautifully. We had a 7d and t2i to cover wide shots, their footage is not shown. AF, IS, and Automatic exposure were quite good. This is un-CC'd footage in the raw, so realize I'm showing what came directly out of camera and sound is quite rough:

20110917 N Ga wine with Jake Sample TM900 on Vimeo

Noticed that B&H put these on sale today for $599-. I should have waited a week to buy mine. Arghhh.

Can't find that price! Went to B&H and it's $724. I'd be tempted to pick up a couple at $599.

Panasonic HDC-TM900 High Definition Camcorder HDC-TM900K B&H

Try this link for the B&H sale price: Panasonic HDC-TM900 High Definition Camcorder B&H Photo Video (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Panasonic/Ntt/EMBL124PAM90/N/0)

Also, when I play your winery video, I'm seeing a very poor quality replay (i.e. blocking artifacts). It looks like the TM900 did a very nice job, but Vimeo is causing problems.

...Jerry

I uploaded @ 15Mbps 1080, so that might be a struggle for Vimeo. I may need to downgrade to 720 @ 5Mbps, which is their normal standard. Until then, I'll turn off 1080P. If you go straight to Vimeo, it looks better.

@Roger, Have you tried HandBrake? I'm a huge supporter of the following procedure:

Vegas-to-Vimeo Tutorial - A Better Method on Vimeo

Of course you may not edit in Vegas, but the HandBrake parts of the tutorial should apply to most any video editing software. The tut is also focused on deinterlacing, but HandBrake also works very well for resizing & compressing progressive footage.

...Jerry

PS: I went to your Vimeo site and the footage plays w/o problems. That's strange? In any case, your point of the TM900 taking some beautiful footage is well taken!

Roger, your winery material played well and looked very good to me so I doubt if Vimeo is the problem.

Jerry, I was very impressed with the stabilisation you achieved with the Mercalli V2 and I was wondering how useful it is with a tracking shot that is not as smooth as it might be?

@Alastair, I haven't made a demo video for motion stabilization, but Mercalli V2 has a preset named "Glide Camera" which is used to simulate a GlideCam. I don't have a demo of this in my library, but a search turned up the following which was made by the well-respected video editing guru, John Rofrano.

proDAD Mercalli 2 Stabilization test on Vimeo

There's also the proDAD website with demo footage: proDAD Mercalli Version 2 (http://www.prodad.com/home/products/videostabilizing/300391667/samples,l-us.xhtml)

I love making short demo videos, so maybe in a few days I'll produce a "Glide Camera" demo. I want to wait for the sun to shine on the East Coast of the US, which might be a few days [grin]

...Jerry

@Roger, Have you tried HandBrake? I'm a huge supporter of the following procedure:

Jerry,

I've never used Handbrake but am a long time user of Vegas Pro, now using V11. I shoot only progressive footage now. Looking at the sample I provided, understanding it hasn't been graded yet, what advantages would you expect to see following this method? You won't hurt my feelings a bit, I'd love to get better at sharing online and have been reasonably happy with standard Vegas renders, except for the long conversion process.

I typically use Sony AVC 720P @ 5Mbps and have found that better than MainConcept AVC.