A1 grainy picture problem

[Paul Cronin]

Yes Nelson I will update when the camera comes back or a new one arrives.

I will shoot and post a few frame grabs to compare. I hope the problem is solved and not something silly I was doing.

[Steven Cowie]

Originally Posted by Paul Cronin

The presets are not the problem since with out a preset on it is the same grain (heat wave) problem.

Also I went back to the factory default while on with B&H and it is also the same problem.

I think both of my ones display the same issue at the telephoto end of the lens (a sort of shimmering heat haze where the image gets unstable/'pulses' every few seconds?)

Usually on mine its only noticeable if focus is on something greater than 20 to 30 metres away while at high level of zoom (eg up close tele focusing on objects a metre away is fine)

Like yourself I tried OIS off and manual focus in case either of those were having an impact but result remained the same

I have to admit as it occured on both the units I have I didnt really think much of it (we never really use that end of the zoom range for the stuff we shoot)

If you can keep us posted be much appreciated as I might arrange a return on ours if canon agree that yours is out of spec.

stevie

[Paul Cronin]

Thanks for the input Steven. I am at that end of the lens all the time and need a telephoto adapter. On my Sony Z1 I used the Century Optics 1.6 all the time. I hope I don't miss that camera which I sold last week.

I will post and keep everyone up to date on the problem. UPS said it would arrive in Jamesburg NJ service center tomorrow afternoon. Canon told me 5 days max turn around time. Time will tell. I need two cameras in service and this will tell if they will be a A1's. My hope is Canon will solve the problem.

[Khoi Pham]

Did you hook it up straight to a HD monitor and check to make sure that it's not something funky with your Avid captured did? I have 3 A1s and use full zoom all the time and they don't look like that at all.

[Stefan Scherperel]

Hey Paul, I have a request. When you get your camera back maybe you could do some test shots on the other side of the bay in Narragansett, even the Narragansett beach. I grew up there, it was great to see some of the east coast in your shots there.

[Paul Cronin]

Khoi I did hook it up directly to the monitor with out going through Avid Liquid to check on the problem. Even with out the tape running it had the problem in standby.

Good news that you have two A1's and use the long end of the lens all the time with out this problem. Do you have some clips on the site at the long end of the lens?

Stefan I have a clip going on my site of Pt. Judith during the Nor'easter two weeks ago. Huge waves, big winds with cold temps. Narragansett beach lost all of its sand to the point where old structures were showing.

[Peter Jefferson]

u know, i think its your custom settings..
mess with detal coring (jack it up) and drop your pedestal so your blacks arent so luminous

Set yoru presets right and you wont need to CC in post

[Khoi Pham]

Paul, I don't have clips but I upload 5 pict for you, all are at full zoom but not at infinity focus like yours though.
www.proeditproductions.com/realaudio/p1.bmp
www.proeditproductions.com/realaudio/p2.bmp
www.proeditproductions.com/realaudio/p3.bmp
www.proeditproductions.com/realaudio/p4.bmp
www.proeditproductions.com/realaudio/p5.bmp
they are full bmp so they are large.

[Paul Cronin]

Thanks Peter when the camera is back I will look at your options.

Khoi those are very helpful to show me I camera was off by a lot. Thank you.

I ordered a second A1 today so I can see the difference and that was my plan after selling my Z1. If it does not have the problem great. If something is wrong then it can go back. But I expect clear crisp picture at full zoom like your shots Khoi.

New camera should arrive tomorrow or Monday.

[Peter Jefferson]

hey paul, ur a lucky boy and i hope the investment pays off for you.
I too had a couple of z1's and sold them off not for the a1's but becuase the z1 couldnt deliver what " I " needed.
THe A1, being similar in design to DSLR's through menu structure as well as offering the tweakbility of a DVX on steroids, its the logical tape based solution to my personal dillema

one thing about custom settings is that those that are new to the feature dont knwow hat each option may mean or imply. They dont understand what impact it may have on teh image. With this in mind, i usually say to people to check out the OTHER CAMERA's (H1, HVX/DVX/JVC250 etc) which DO have thse features and see what image results THEY get using particular settings.
With that info, u go out for a day and really mess with the camera as some of the OTHER camera's might have similar settings to THIS one.. (such pedestal, gamma curves, colour saturation etc etc

And the fact that there is no harm in trying, u might even surprise yourself with the results.

[Steven Cowie]

heres a 25 second test clip of the problem I find on our A1s At full zoom the image gets really unstable like a heat haze

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NZ5KWX2Y

[Paul Cronin]

Thanks Peter I try and learn every day with the camera. The first three tapes where just going out and playing with all the settings while keeping notes. Then going back to the studio and putting the Z1 on one monitor and the A1 on the other monitor and redo the same setting in the studio, also at times the HV-20.

I think some comments could be due to the warm (blue card) balance I was trying in the shots I put in the forum. Attached is the same session with proper white balance. All part of the experiment. One is Panalook and two are vivid thanks to Steve.

Pictures coming the upload fails when I try and use .BMP so I have to change to .JPG not sure why this happens.

[Khoi Pham]

Originally Posted by Steven Cowie

heres a 25 second test clip of the problem I find on our A1s At full zoom the image gets really unstable like a heat haze

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NZ5KWX2Y

Looks like it might have something to do with the is, do you have it on? it should be off when it is on the tripod, the leafs moving could trick it and thought that it is movement and it might try to compensate for it.

[Steven Cowie]

hi Khoi

OIS is off (it was my first suspect) and manual focus enabled (instant AF was my second suspect)

I left everything else on default settings for that particular clip

The clip is more of a general example eg I hit exactly same problems regardless of tweaks, custom settings or whether theres any moving objects/leaves etc in the frame

stevie

[Paul Cronin]

Steve the link sends me to Helium to join. How do I see you clip?