XL2 Software Developers Kit results yet?

[Patrick King]

Originally Posted by Greg Boston

Patrick,

That was the app I was referring to when I said I couldn't say anything. I was actually testing a beta copy for Steve Duke at the time you posted the question. I did not know it was going to be offered as a freebie for the DV INFO community. Again, many thanks to Steve and Chris for making this available.

regards,

-gb-

Greg, As a result of me pestering you about it, Chris had me contact Steve to test the program also. Isn't Steve a good guy to work with? He was patient, visionary, and obviously talented as a programmer. I'm grateful for the opportunity and thrilled that its released here in the DV Info forum.

So, Greg...can we wrangle a setup out of you to try in the XL2 Presets Manager? You're an experienced XL2/DV/Film guru, lay a great preset on us!

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Patrick King

Greg, As a result of me pestering you about it, Chris had me contact Steve to test the program also. Isn't Steve a good guy to work with? He was patient, visionary, and obviously talented as a programmer. I'm grateful for the opportunity and thrilled that its released here in the DV Info forum.

So, Greg...can we wrangle a setup out of you to try in the XL2 Presets Manager? You're an experienced XL2/DV/Film guru, lay a great preset on us!

Yes Patrick, Steve is a great guy. I got to meet him at the Canon booth during NAB. As for guru status, I am primarily an event video person so I don't venture into 'artistic' camera use very often. I try to document life in a reality sense. I was that way with still photography also. I liked the challenge of 'getting the shot' as it happened with no chance for error. It's kind of like hunting, only with a camera instead of a gun. In this respect, video is easier for me because if the camera is already rolling, I am less likely to miss a desired shot. I would say I am more of a tech guru than artistic guru.

-gb-

[Patrick King]

Originally Posted by Greg Boston

As for guru status, I am primarily an event video person so I don't venture into 'artistic' camera use very often. I try to document life in a reality sense.

Great, give us your best "Reality Hunt" setup! Explain to us why you think it helps you capture the event in a reality sense. Everyone gets to contribute. Pester alot, don't I? ; )

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Patrick King

Great, give us your best "Reality Hunt" setup! Explain to us why you think it helps you capture the event in a reality sense. Everyone gets to contribute. Pester alot, don't I? ; )

You got it. Here it is.

CP OFF (usually, see below)
MODE AV,TV, or Full Manual as appropriate.
ZEBRA BARS 100%
Roll tape using light, aperture, shutter, ND, UV, POL as appropriate

Most of my changes come in post. Namely color correction between shots or an overall saturation bump. For shooting bands in clubs, I try to lower the knee and stretch the blacks because I know it's going to be a high contrast scene with dark room/stage lighting. I use a 25watt on camera light for hand held close ups. It won't blind the performers and it gives a little detail to the instruments and faces.

This may change as I recently picked up a book on film making and some of the techniques would apply to what I'm doing as well. If I come up with something cool, I will definitely share. And how nice to be able to do that now in the form of a small file rather than typed out.

regards,

-gb-

[Patrick King]

Thanks Greg.

What is the CP you are referring to? Color Phase?

Also, do you think the 100% zebra setting is more effective just in the club setting you mentioned, or do you shoot 100% zebra during daylight locations as well?

Do you change the setup when you switch on the 25w light for close-ups or is that one of the color corrections you fix in post?

[Chris Hurd]

Patrick, I think Greg is referring to the entire Custom Preset menu when he says "CP off."

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Patrick King

Thanks Greg.

What is the CP you are referring to? Color Phase?

Also, do you think the 100% zebra setting is more effective just in the club setting you mentioned, or do you shoot 100% zebra during daylight locations as well?

Do you change the setup when you switch on the 25w light for close-ups or is that one of the color corrections you fix in post?

In a club setting, I am already WB to tungsten because that's the normal color temp of the lights if they didn't have various color filters/gels on them. Kicking on the on camera light helps me overcome those colored lights in the small area I am shooting during a close up so that faces aren't blue/green/red/amber, etc. I don't usually use zoom to get a close up(especially shooting hand held using the 16x manual lens). I get 'close-up' myself so that the light can do its thing.

CP=custom preset, as abbreviated in the vf.

I like to run zebra at 100%. I want to know my upper threshold before blowing a highlight which can't be recovered in post. You can retrieve some detail out of the dark in post, but blown highlights are gone forever. That's just my personal comfort zone and what I have become accustomed to using since they weren't adjustable on my XL-1 or Pana 953. As I have stated in other threads, the zebras also help me compose a shot without too much contrast for the mini DV format to handle by altering the lighting or composition.

I prefer my final output to be pretty much the way my eyes originally saw it. That's my 'reality of life' look. On the subject of post, I prefer to let someone else do that. I prefer image aquistion over editing. I only edit because it helps me become a better shooter in terms of making life easy for the editor. It's definitely not my strong suit.

-gb-

[Patrick King]

Originally Posted by Greg Boston

CP=custom preset, as abbreviated in the vf.-gb-

Doh! Sorry for not understanding. But thanks for explaining how you work acquisition, you've actually helped me with something. I shot a club type setting and didn't use an onboard light with exactly the result you mentioned: yellow, green, red, or blue faces. There was plenty of light to illuminate the faces, just not the light I was looking for. I guess you ride the iris so that if you see zebras you f-stop down quickly? Thanks Greg.

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Patrick King

Doh! Sorry for not understanding. But thanks for explaining how you work acquisition, you've actually helped me with something. I shot a club type setting and didn't use an onboard light with exactly the result you mentioned: yellow, green, red, or blue faces. There was plenty of light to illuminate the faces, just not the light I was looking for. I guess you ride the iris so that if you see zebras you f-stop down quickly? Thanks Greg.

That, or have the camera do it for you in Tv mode. You'd be surprised how good the camera is at reacting to that situation. If you know you don't want that to happen, just reach up and press exp lock. You'll then see the full manual type display in the vf showing you both shutter and iris settings.

That's what those modes are for. To help you get clean images when you have too many other things to juggle. It doesn't make someone a wimp or a newbie to use the semi-auto mode, it makes them smart. As in, 'work smarter, not harder'. That said, I think everyone should run their cameras in full manual while learning to get a feel for it. Sort of like graduating to an automatic transmission after learning how to drive a manual stick shift.

JMHO,

-gb-