Took my A1 for a spin: I felt like a newbie again! at DVinfo.net

Paul Lashmana · April 27th, 2007, 02:06 PM

So I finally got some spare time to get to know my A1 today. And I have to say: It hasn't been easy!
I downloaded most of the presets on this forum and had planned to go through all of them. I didn't get very far, because there were so many things to take care of. Maybe it was the crappy tripod, maybe it was the unbelievably picky and easily triggered manual focus, which made it impossible to track any object. Or maybe it was my newfound hyped-up obsession with a low DOF, that made that I zoomed in on a subject way too much.

I don't know. I knew that this -being my first hefty prosumer camcorder- wouldn't exactly be a picknick. I worked with an FX-1 before, and maybe watching some of the footage posted here gave a wrong set of expectations.

Now I know I've got a new challenge. And I will get better at the A1-rodeo :)

Bill Pryor · April 27th, 2007, 03:06 PM

First thing to do--go into the menu, customs settings I think, and turn that pesky fast focus to slow. That'll solve your manual focus problem. I don't know why it defaults to the fast mode, but it does.

For settings, I use the CF1 and cranked up the saturation just a tiny bit and softened the image. Then I made another setting exactly the same but with the blacks pressed. In 24F, those give me a standard look that works for most everything.

Paul Lashmana · April 27th, 2007, 03:13 PM

Nice! I'll get on that straightaway. Luckily I have another day tomorrow (hope I have the entire day this time) to go in and be a bit more systematic. I was filming sportrowers (just to make things even more difficult) - who, I found out, are really difficult to track, because they move in jerks and not at a steady speed.

Anyhow, I'm gonna read and re-read some of the threads. Should give me even more clues. And maybe I'll go and pick up that Libec TH650 tripod. I've got this Sony tourist-cam-tripod, which I think has a bit of difficulty of holding the A1. (Don't know how much it weighs, but I think the tripod's limit is at 2-3 kg).

Bill Pryor · April 27th, 2007, 03:20 PM

I got the Libec 22, which is good up to around 8 lbs. It works fine but isn't idiot-proof. Like all the cheap ones, there's some bounceback at the end of a pan if you let go of the handle, unlike the more professional ones where you can pan and let go and it stays there. But with a little practice you can make it work very well.

Paul Lashmana · April 27th, 2007, 03:35 PM

Thanks for the tips - I'll post another report tomorrow!
(Other feedback is soooo welcome, by the way) ;)

April 27th, 2007, 02:06 PM	#1
Paul Lashmana Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Brakel, Belgium Posts: 64	Took my A1 for a spin: I felt like a newbie again! So I finally got some spare time to get to know my A1 today. And I have to say: It hasn't been easy! I downloaded most of the presets on this forum and had planned to go through all of them. I didn't get very far, because there were so many things to take care of. Maybe it was the crappy tripod, maybe it was the unbelievably picky and easily triggered manual focus, which made it impossible to track any object. Or maybe it was my newfound hyped-up obsession with a low DOF, that made that I zoomed in on a subject way too much. I don't know. I knew that this -being my first hefty prosumer camcorder- wouldn't exactly be a picknick. I worked with an FX-1 before, and maybe watching some of the footage posted here gave a wrong set of expectations. Now I know I've got a new challenge. And I will get better at the A1-rodeo :)

April 27th, 2007, 03:06 PM	#2
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	First thing to do--go into the menu, customs settings I think, and turn that pesky fast focus to slow. That'll solve your manual focus problem. I don't know why it defaults to the fast mode, but it does. For settings, I use the CF1 and cranked up the saturation just a tiny bit and softened the image. Then I made another setting exactly the same but with the blacks pressed. In 24F, those give me a standard look that works for most everything.

April 27th, 2007, 03:13 PM	#3
Paul Lashmana Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Brakel, Belgium Posts: 64	Nice! I'll get on that straightaway. Luckily I have another day tomorrow (hope I have the entire day this time) to go in and be a bit more systematic. I was filming sportrowers (just to make things even more difficult) - who, I found out, are really difficult to track, because they move in jerks and not at a steady speed. Anyhow, I'm gonna read and re-read some of the threads. Should give me even more clues. And maybe I'll go and pick up that Libec TH650 tripod. I've got this Sony tourist-cam-tripod, which I think has a bit of difficulty of holding the A1. (Don't know how much it weighs, but I think the tripod's limit is at 2-3 kg).

April 27th, 2007, 03:20 PM	#4
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	I got the Libec 22, which is good up to around 8 lbs. It works fine but isn't idiot-proof. Like all the cheap ones, there's some bounceback at the end of a pan if you let go of the handle, unlike the more professional ones where you can pan and let go and it stays there. But with a little practice you can make it work very well.

April 27th, 2007, 03:35 PM	#5
Paul Lashmana Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Brakel, Belgium Posts: 64	Thanks for the tips - I'll post another report tomorrow! (Other feedback is soooo welcome, by the way) ;)