Kevin,
Thanks for the tip...will keep NeatVideo in mind.
Jeff H.

I second Neat Video. Great tool.

Change in subject...I know this has been kicked around a lot...and opinions differ across the forum....but

Specific to weddings, what mode do you shoot and why. 60i,30p, 24p, or 60p. ?? I will deliver the video on DVD and most customers will have wide-screen LED TVs. I will be using a GH2,XA10, and possibly the XHA1 for the shoots.

Seems to me the "p" modes are the way to go since you can pull good stills off the frames should you need them.

BTW my XA10 arrived yesterday, still in the box, but hope to try it out today. I will be my first non-tape video camera. I ordered a larger battery (BP827).

Jeff

Jeff, there are lots of opinions on this matter, and you will get lots of suggestions, which can be quite confusing.

Ideally you should be able to determine yourself which frame rates (60i, 30p, 24p etc.) and resolution (720 or 1080) you should shoot in.

The way I determine this is from a practical point of view, not artistic. I want editing and rendering to be hassle free, and I want to produce my product with a minimum of fuss, while maintaining high quality.

You should Keep It Simple and think logically. What modes do you have to choose from to begin with? That is where you start.

Find the "modes" that your cameras all share. The only mode that your three particular cameras all share is 1080 60i. In the first place, for a wedding one should be using matching cameras, but if we don't have matching cameras, we want to match them as closely as possible by running them in identical "modes".

30p and 24p would be of no use for you because your XHA1 doesn not shoot in 24p, and your XA10 and does not shoot in 30p.

In your case, 60i would be the logical choice for you, because all of your cameras have 1080 60i. The XHA1 is going to be the odd man out because your GH2 and XA10 shoots 1920x1080, whereas your XHA1 shoots in 1440x1080, but that is a relatively minor issue which I would forget about for now.

Progressive mode is nice, but not necessary. In my case I can shoot in either 60i or 24p because all my cameras share those settings. If you remove the XHA1 from the equation, then you too can choose between 24p or 60i.

Now given all of the above you could choose to shoot in mismatched modes and then deal with the differences in post. That's not something I would do, because it would just complicate things unnecessarily.

Jeff Harper

Yeah, decided on that Jeff.

BTW...I just received my XA10 today. When I lifted the box I almost threw it over my head....so light. ha
I think my GH2 is bigger than my camcorder now.....a real new experience. haha

If the XA10 proves to satisfy my "school" event needs I will sell the XHA1 and get another XA10. I expect the 12x zoom will not allow me to shoot most school plays, because most around here dont have a center isle to allow setup close enough. Im taking the XA10 to a couple of schools to see what the zoom will do.

The XA10 being so small, should make it a pleasure to work with. Finally going tapeless will be nice too.

Thanks for all the advice,
Jeff

XA10 is nice. With a shotgun, (even without a shotgun), the audio is awesome.

At weddings is the "photographer" friend or enemy ?

Im curious to know what relationship you've experienced shooting video along side the photographer....since both are wanting to get the best vantage points for their shots/clips.

Do you get with the photographer and work out a plan at the rehearsal ? The weddings Ive attended always seemed the "photographer" was in charge and the video guy.....well, was just there. :>) It seemed the "priority" was on the photographs, rather than the video.

Im interested in knowing what your final product includes. Do you include the "raw" footage, a edited highlights, as well as a "doc" of the complete ceremony and reception. I assume it varies with the package they select. Id like to "limit" the options in my packages and keep it simple. The less the client has to ponder the better chance of getting the gig. Any advice in this direction is appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff

XA10 is nice. With a shotgun, (even without a shotgun), the audio is awesome.
__________________________

BH photo recommends this shotgun mic for the XA10
Audio-Technica - AT875 Short Condenser Shotgun Microphone

The spec calls for a min of 11vdc for Phantom power? Will this work on the XA10 since it only has 7.2 vdc battery...or does the mic contain batteries....did not show details on bh site.

Jeff

30p and 24p would be of no use for you because your XHA1 doesn not shoot in 24p, and your XA10 and does not shoot in 30p.The XHA1 does shoot 24p or rather it shoots 24pf which is 24p inside 60i wrapper. Likewise the it shoots 30pf or rather 30f. The XA10 also shoots 24pf & 30pf. Finally the GH2 with the new 1.1 firmware will also shoot 30p in a 60i wrapper. Your editor will do the right thing with progressive footage in an interlaced wrapper. So you can in fact shoot 24p or 30p with all of your cameras.

If you are correct about the XHA1 then I was wrong if it shoots 24p. A friend of mine who has shot with it for years apparently doesn't know his camera. We were talking about his cam and he said it doesn't shoot 24p, so I was misinformed apparently. Wrong again on the 30p with the XA10 also.

I don't mixed wrapped and unwrapped footage personally, if Vegas automatically unwraps it I don't know about it, will look into that.

The XHA1 does shoot 24p or rather it shoots 24pf which is 24p inside 60i wrapper. Likewise the it shoots 30pf or rather 30f. The XA10 also shoots 24pf & 30pf. Finally the GH2 with the new 1.1 firmware will also shoot 30p in a 60i wrapper. Your editor will do the right thing with progressive footage in an interlaced wrapper. So you can in fact shoot 24p or 30p with all of your cameras.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Yes, I think you are correct. I will get a chance tomorrow to shoot a short clip on all 3 cams, put it in CS5 and check it out. 30P has been good to me...except if one wants smooth slow-mo. Im sure I will wind up getting another XA10 though.

Thanks,
Jeff

Jeff, here's the XA10 GH2 sample for you. The cams don't match perfectly, but they're pretty close. The 12mm is the low shot from down front. It's on a tiny tripod.

Jennifer Scholl is Wed at Blessed Sacrament Church on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/34140452)

Jeff Harper. Was wondering, did you use auto focus during this event? Reason I ask is I see some out of focus shots slowly become in focus.

We get 25P in a wrapper after the 1.1 udate here and its great imo, happy new year.

Which shots? That was my second wedding using the camera, it was pretty rough looking from a technical point of view, but the look of the footage, I thought, was nice.

I remember the shot of the groom was out of focus and came into focus, but I don't remember if it was auto or not. I go back and forth from auto to manual a fair bit. I love that feature of the button on the side of the screen.

The footage of the girls dancing that was so badly out of focus, that was me handheld with a GH2, and using that stinky 20mm which I no longer care for. I think one shot of the girls was the XA10, and another was the 12mm from off in the corner.

If I had been using the 12mm or the 25mm one push of the shutter and I would've been in focus instantly. That 20mm gave me fits trying to focus that night.

Ok, to be more specific, on the GH2s, I never use continuous auto focus, I keep that turned off. I set focus on a fixed objects for the stationary cameras using the shutter button and leave it alone till it needs changed.

So aisle shots were shot using a fixed focus, and the Canon was probably in auto focus, and I probably used the touch screen thingy to focus on his face, but I'm honestly not sure.

Unboxing the XA10 today...

One disappointment... the battery has to be charged in the cam....no external battery charger supplied.
Th paint finish feels like sandpaper....maybe that's on purpose for better grip...minor annoyance.

Im hoping there's a battery charger available..hate to keep the cam out just to charge batteries. Will check BH for charger.

dual charger on order.....cheap of canon not so supply one though...at least the cheap outlet charger.

Jeff

Playing with my XA10 and GH2 today....

I think using 2 XA10s and one GH2 will work for me and wife at weddings. During the ceremony we can cover back and front with the XA10s, and use the GH2 for wide shot.
At reception I will let her shoot with XA10 while I run and gun with the GH2 with 25mm 1.4 set on shutter priority...or even full manual. (been playing with the 25mm f 1.4... video and stills look great)

I think the best mode for me with the GH2- is 30P HBR, Vibrant CC, and S-mode. I can keep shutter speed on 60fps if I set 3200 ISO limit. The cinema mode on the XA10 can be set to 30PF, and with the color set to Vivid both cams match nicely. I can always drop the color in post if its to cartoon-ish.

anyway...trying to learn both cams is confusing, but ya'll just let me ramble on...I will figure it all out soon. haha

Jeff

The XHA1 and GH2 match up nicely in any mode. I filmed a club's new years event last night in 30p on both cameras. Generally when I'm using both cams for weddings or other events I shoot 'em both in 24p. I always match the footage in post with color correction and it comes out great. All this matching wrapped/unwrapped frame rate talk is nonsense. I do it all the time with no problems.

Also, for the first time I decided to put automatic gain control on as a test with my XHA1 filming the band. The stage lights kept changing, band members walked into and out of the lights, and the camera tried to keep up. Not worth it. This is why I almost always shoot everything fully manual.

Yeah Patrick...
I think we both use Adobe CS5. I think some other NLEs do have more problems mixing.

Im keeping my XHA1 to use for some events where I will need the 20x zoom. But I really like the XA-10 package. The video looks great and I really like the small size...no bigger than my GH2. I think 2 XA10s and my GH2 will fit in my old XHA1 case. : ? )

Jeff

The XHA1 and GH2 match up nicely in any mode. I filmed a club's new years event last night in 30p on both cameras. Generally when I'm using both cams for weddings or other events I shoot 'em both in 24p. I always match the footage in post with color correction and it comes out great. All this matching wrapped/unwrapped frame rate talk is nonsense. I do it all the time with no problems.

Also, for the first time I decided to put automatic gain control on as a test with my XHA1 filming the band. The stage lights kept changing, band members walked into and out of the lights, and the camera tried to keep up. Not worth it. This is why I almost always shoot everything fully manual.
____________________________________________________________________________________
I hear ya....no AGC for me either on the A1
I do, depending on event, set 3 diff gains on the manual gain switch..normally 0,3db,6db. That way you can cover 3 diff light situations without using AGC with just a flip of the switch. But WB is a problem with colored lights...another job for post work.
Jeff

As a novice...diving into weddings this season, Im interested in knowing what you feel is a good AUDIO "near-failsafe" setup. I will have two XA-10s and at least one, maybe 2 GH2s to shoot weddings.

Ive always been on pins and needles using my Azden UHF unit..its never failed, but it's scary especially during the ceremony. It uses 6 or 8 AA batteries, and only one has to fail to spell disaster.

Any advice capturing audio will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff

Jeff, I can't imagine anyone would be thrilled much with the XHA1 after using the XA10. Patrick seems happy, I guess, but I wasn't this past year. I edited several cheapo weddings I sent guys out with XHA1s and the GH1, and the XHA1 look pretty bad to me. Low light performance was so poor I absolutely couldn't believe it. The weddings where I send out a crew using Z1s, FX1s and the GH1 were somewhat better, but not by much.

XHA1 has never been famous for lowlight performance, and I suspect when you start using these cameras and mixing them in a lowlight envioronment, you'll freak out. Of course, if you're not picky I guess it's not a big deal. I can guaran-damn-tee you I will never send an XHA1 or Z1 out on a job again.

I've got a friend/competitor who's been using the XHA1 since he bought it new years ago. He borrowed my XA10 awhile back and he's been trying to dump his camera desperately ever since, he hates shooting with it anymore, can't say as I blame him.

Patrick, I'd like to see some of your wedding work where you're mixing the XHA1, do you have anything posted? Do you lower the exposure on the GH2 to help it match up in the dark, what do you do, just darken it in post?

I bet next to your 0.95 lens it would be touch to use the XHA1 in a dark reception hall, am I right?

Jeff, I don't have any wedding footage online right now, I apologize. Here are a couple of comedy promos I did for some local comics, though:

Mike & Jiggy Comedy Promo - YouTube (http://youtu.be/DromdQTHwSE?hd=1)

Preacher: Stand-Up Comedy Demo - YouTube (http://youtu.be/KFNEBlbBHZs?hd=1)

The colors aren't perfectly matched, but close enough. The colors in the first video are a bit too oversaturated. The colors look more normal and even in the second one. All the wide shots of the stage in both videos were done with the XHA1. Everything else was the GH2. I don't lower the exposure on the GH2 at all. I shoot everything as I would normally. As far as a dark banquet hall I just use an on camera light. I have the Canon VL-10Li and a Comer 1800 gen2. All the audience shots outside of the club in that first video used the Canon light because I left the battery for my Comer at home.

Jeff & Patrick...

There's no doubt the XHA1 is a great camera...it just needs more light than the GH2 or XA10.
Ive seen feature "indie" films shot exclusively with the A1 that look fabulous..but....it has to have good lighting.
I just think the XHA1 is /was targeted toward the indie narrative film market, rather than the wedding video shooter. The XHA1 is far more sophisticated than the XA10....it allows a shooter to "totally design" the look he wants for the film. Great audio too.

just sayin : O )

We used to own XHA1s & in good lighting the quality is really, really good but in low light it gets grainy very quickly & looks like crap. Recently my wife was editing a wedding shot with a couple of XHA1s & it looks great but the church was very well lit Tolulope weds Charles on Vimeo

Nigel...the video looks really good.

What was used for the shallow DOF clips? I also noticed a camcorder near the end of the video on tripod, that did not look like the A1. Did you use another camcorder besides the A1 also.
Thanks Jeff

Nigel, not bad. A few of the shots could have used some color correction, however, like the one right after they kiss where you're filming upwards towards the sky as they're walking by. There's a massive blue cast on the whole picture.

Jeff, you don't need a special camera to get a shallow DOF. DOF is affected by distance to subject, focal length, and aperture setting. If you either get right next to your subject, or back up a fair amount and zoom into your subject you will narrow the focal plane. Add to that keeping the aperture wide open and throwing on the ND filter to compensate, and you've got shallow DOF. DSLR's don't have a monopoly on shallow DOF.

Nigel...the video looks really good.

What was used for the shallow DOF clips? I also noticed a camcorder near the end of the video on tripod, that did not look like the A1. Did you use another camcorder besides the A1 also.
Thanks JeffI didn't film it. This was some work that my wife edited for a colleague. As it turns out it seems that I mislead you & in fact this was filmed with two Sony Z1s & not Canon XHA1s as I thought. They are pretty similar though in that they are HDV tape camcorders & therefore only 1440x1080 resolution.

Nigel, not bad. A few of the shots could have used some color correction, however, like the one right after they kiss where you're filming upwards towards the sky as they're walking by. There's a massive blue cast on the whole picture.Patrick, I didn't film it or edit it. My wife edited it for a colleague & I mistakenly thought that it was a good example of XHA1 footage in adequate light. As it turns out Sony Z1s were used & it wasn't the finished graded version of the video which can in fact be found here TOLULOPE & CHARLES WEDDING HIGHLIGHTS TRAILER on Vimeo

Gotcha, Nigel. Not to be a pain, but I prefer the ungraded version. This one is over saturated, and the red channel is overrepresented. Just my opinion, though.

Gotcha, Nigel. Not to be a pain, but I prefer the ungraded version.Me too which is why I posted the other mildly graded version. I am also not keen on the faux widescreen cropping with black bars top & bottom. However that was the way that our colleague wanted it.

Newbie question...

I use Adobe CS5..

In the monitor window you can click the safe area button and get the rectangles on the screen. Useful for making sure your "titles" are seen on TVs. Do you resize the complete video to fit into the safe area.?

Newbie question...

I use Adobe CS5..

In the monitor window you can click the safe area button and get the rectangles on the screen. Useful for making sure your "titles" are seen on TVs. Do you resize the complete video to fit into the safe area.?

Hi Jeff,

I would never recommend doing that . . . the title/action safe guides are just that: guides. Some TV's/display devices will crop somewhat, and it's usually a good idea to keep all the highly important stuff inside these guides, just in case (however rare it may be that significant cropping actually happens). However, for display on a computer screen or the web, no cropping will occur. So if someone puts the DVD into a computer to play it, and you've resized your whole video to fit inside the title safe area, a black box will appear around the whole video.

Corey...
Thanks for the info. Won't do that then.

I have seen people that their video has a "cinemascope" look to it. How are they doing that without cropping the vertical. Is it shot that way or done in post.

Another question....
I want to shot in the manual mode with my GH2 for some still portraits. Id like the LED and EVF to reflect WYSIWYG. But it's not doing that. I have checked to make sure the auto brighness level of the display is not on. The only thing I can do right how is shoot,review and reshoot the pic.
Id like to have the display show exactly or close to what I will get with the settings. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,
Jeff

I have seen people that their video has a "cinemascope" look to it. How are they doing that without cropping the vertical. Is it shot that way or done in post.

Are you talking about letterboxing (black bars on the top/bottom)? If so, I don't believe there's any sort of in-camera technique for this. This has likely been achieved in one of two ways:

1. It's shot in HD, then converted to SD without cropping any of the original footage. Since HD is 16:9 and SD is 4:3, black bars appear on the top and bottom to fill in the rest of the SD frame.

2. It's shot in HD, but they crop the vertical by placing black bars on the top and bottom, as you mentioned.

Hope this helps!

Another question....
I want to shot in the manual mode with my GH2 for some still portraits. Id like the LED and EVF to reflect WYSIWYG.

I can't really speak on this, as I use GH1's and still have a hard time bringing the LED/EVF to the point where I can consistently rely on it to be a true representation of the video being captured.

Re the display....
Surely there's a way to do WYSIWYG...other wise it's trial and error...not great expecially for video at a wedding ha.
Thanks will keep on trying.


update: I found some settings.... if I put the lcd on its lowest brightness setting, AND there's a setting call Live View that you toggle on and off, Im now seeing what I shoot.
Dunno if that's the way to do it or not, but its working for me until I find a better way.
Jeff

Jeff, one frustrating thing about shooting stills in M is that if you take the shutter speed past 1/1200 or so, there's no resultant effect in the evf/lcd. The picture remains constant even though as you increase the shutter speed the actual pictures come out darker. This is infuriating.

My only experience has been video...
Im quickly gaining a lot of respect for photographers....sooooooooo many options to deal with.
I still don't have a handle on it, but Im shooting everything with my GH2. I just wish the LCD would be closer to the actual shot. Im shooting stills in manual only, just so that I can get the correlation between A,S,ISO, etc.
Ive taken some great shots all in natural light....just cant remember how I did it. haha

Thanks for the tip,
Jeff

Im in trouble...

I shot outside for the first time today using both the XA10 and GH2.

I CANT SEE A DAMN THING USING THE SCREEN....and very little using the EVF.
Guess Im gonna have to put a cover over my head. haha

Im gonna need a large eyecup for both cams outside. I don't see how you folks are seeing enough to compose and focus outside with the sun behind you.

Am I blind or do I need an attachment. I dont think those small clip on shades will be enough for me.

What are you using?

Jeff

Jeff, one frustrating thing about shooting stills in M is that if you take the shutter speed past 1/1200 or so, there's no resultant effect in the evf/lcd. The picture remains constant even though as you increase the shutter speed the actual pictures come out darker. This is infuriating.

Is this with the viewfinder menu option (I wish I could remember what it is called and the camera is at the office) set to display the actual results of the camera not to artificially change it for the viewfinder (this is useful for flash photography in dark places).

Im in trouble...

I shot outside for the first time today using both the XA10 and GH2.

I CANT SEE A DAMN THING USING THE SCREEN....and very little using the EVF.
Guess Im gonna have to put a cover over my head. haha

Im gonna need a large eyecup for both cams outside. I don't see how you folks are seeing enough to compose and focus outside with the sun behind you.

Am I blind or do I need an attachment. I dont think those small clip on shades will be enough for me.

What are you using?

Jeff

Wear a hat with a wide brim.

Stand between the sun and LCD.

Ha...yep probably the best thing to do.
Found one at B&H.com ...the GH2 BullRider on sale. $1199.00

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/members/jeff-hinson-albums-test-match-sony-nex-5n-canon-xha1-picture652-gh2hat.jpg

Im in trouble...I CANT SEE A DAMN THING USING THE SCREEN....What are you using?

Jeff - I use the $20 Hoodman HD300 in bright sunlight (Amazon has the wrong picture posted).

Here is what it looks like on my GH2: GH2 in the park | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/45061726@N00/5439368387/in/photostream/)

It works, but it's no substitute for a viewfinder.

I'm looking seriously at the $40 Raider i-Cuff DV Viewfinder Hood for critical focus situations.

Hope this is helpful,

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution (http://hybridcamerarevolution.blogspot.com)

Bill....
Will check those out.

I like the look of your GH2 rig...tell me more. Is that a recorder you have mounted instead of a mic? I found a similar left grip with extra shoes, but I like yours better.

I will explore the LED menu more....maybe I didnt have it on the highest brightness setting. Since Im trying to learn both the XA10 and GH2 at the same time, I get the menus confused.

Seems everyone here is having no problem shooting with the LED or EVF....so it's just my inexperience...gotta shoot more.

Jeff

Personally I think using a loupe on the LCD screen is a retrograde step as the EVF of the GH2 has a much higher resolution. All you are doing with a loupe is enlarging fewer pixels. I have shot quite a lot with the GH2 in the bright sunshine of the South of France & found the EVF perfectly satisfactory.

I use DIY hoods around my LCD's during sunny outdoor shoots, and they work like a charm. I made them myself, so they cost next to nothing. Velcro, cardboard and gaff tape. If you do it right, they look great and function wonderfully.

...tell me more. Is that a recorder you have mounted instead of a mic? I found a similar left grip with extra shoes, but I like yours better...

Jeff,

The bracket is a $9 Adorama C Bracket (http://www.adorama.com/FABC.html).

The recorder is an $86 Zoom H1 with a $20 Furryhead Windscreen.

The cable is a $36 Sescom attenuating cable (w headphone monitoring jack) (http://www.adorama.com/SELN2ZMH4MON.html) from the recorder to the GH2's mic input. You will also need a 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter due to the Panasonic's proprietary mic input jack.

I did a blog post (with how-to video) on this here: Hybrid Camera Revolution: Using the Zoom H1 recorder as an external mic for the GH2 (http://hybridcamerarevolution.blogspot.com/2011/02/using-zoom-h1-recorder-as-external-mic.html)

Here is another picture with a rechargeable LED and the recorder both on the bracket:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45061726@N00/5389124079/

The extra cold shoes are really useful.

Hope this helps,

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution (http://hybridcamerarevolution.blogspot.com)

Hey Bill,
I like the (poor man's) rig......looks good.
thanks for the tips.

I have a recorder that I can mount on my current handle w/cold shoes...a
Tascam Amazon.com: Tascam DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder: Musical Instruments

p.s. Shot this yesterday with my GH2 rig in a small room SHELBY ADKINS SCREEN TEST on Vimeo

Jeff

I need some advice on shooting close-up "face shots" with the GH2 and XA10. ...mainly on shooting music videos.

The ability to sharp focus on both cameras is unforgiving for flaws on skin. Especially on acne and liver spots etc. I can take some of that out with software on the stills, but on video I have to use some disffusing effect which messes up the rest of the video.

Any advice on shooting better face shots is appreciated.

thanks,
Jeff