New to forum, some questions

[Tracy Painter]

I just got my XH A1 and I've been working with the camera mainly doing sports video. I also shot 1 wedding. Here's a highlight clip from one of my sports shoots.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/...ctid1173350970

I'm trying to learn the custom settings. This is what I have been using.
Gamma: Cine1
Color Matrix: Normal
Color Gain: 25 (This is about the limit. Adding more color does very little to enhancing chroma and does a lot for introducing unwanted noise)
Color Phase: 0
Knee: Low
Black: Middle
Master Ped: -5
Setup Level: 0
HDF: High (or ";mid"; if sharpness is set to 0)
H/V Detail: 0
Sharpness: 3 (adjust to taste)
NR1: Off
NR2: Off
Coring: 0
Red Gain: -2
Green Gain: -2
Blue Gain: -3
RG Matrix: 0
RB Matrix: 0
GR Matrix: 0
GB Matrix: 10
BR Matrix: 0
BG Matrix: -13

I found it on a thread at the WEVA forum.

I'm shooting 60i.

My questions.

1. Is there a better custom preset setting that I should use for sports? Any changes that I should make to this setting?

2. Should I shoot in 60i or 30p? What's the difference? I notice a little bit of "jagginess?" around the yard lines at the ends of the field. Is this a product of 60i?

3. Under the stadium lights I seem to like using the AGC. Is this a problem?

I am really glad I found this forum. There is a ton of good info here.

Thanks,
Tracy

[Don Palomaki]

Spend some time in the XH Custom presets thread above if you haven't already

Should I shoot in 60i or 30p? What's the difference?

Depends on the visual effect you are trying to achieve. For motion sports, 60i should give a smoother motion than 30p because the image is sample 60 times per second vs 30. But frame grabs for stills will show interlace artifacts on any motion of subjects or camera pan/tilt.

Under the stadium lights I seem to like using the AGC. Is this a problem?

.

It is not a problem if you are satisfied with the results. In venues where field lighting condition vary greatly and action is fast, using an auto exposure mode (with or without AGC) maybe the the most effective way to acquire acceptable video.

Many folks, especially professionals, prefer to not use AGC, and to use manual exposure control. You will receive this admonishment from many who participate in these forums. Depending on local shooting conditions, use of AGC may accentuate introduction of noise in the image, especially at venues such as high school sports under lights (where lighting is not up to professional sports, lighted for network TV, standards).

Keep in mind that folks can tell you what works best for them (or at least what they use which may or may not be the best practice), and even what may be generally acknowledged as good practice, but ultimately only you can determine what works best for you in your shooting situations.

[Tracy Painter]

Thanks for the info

Tracy