Some pointers on adjusting the exposure??

Bruce S. Yarock · October 22nd, 2006, 08:56 AM

Steve Rosen.
Have you been able to try the fu 1000 monochrome viewfinder? If and when I sell my XL2 and get an H1, I plan to keep my fu 1000 to use on the H1.
Also, which follow focus knob do you use? that sounds like it could really make manual focus easier.
Bruce S. yarock
www.yarock.com

Jonas Nystrom · October 22nd, 2006, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alistair Briggs

Sorry, it is indeed nearer 350asa/iso

It's about 320 ASA according to another forum. At which gain? I don't know, but I suppose at 0 gain. I would like to know the ASA at -3 gain which I use as default!

Nick Hiltgen · October 22nd, 2006, 11:07 AM

I think I'm going to get my hands on a waveform monitor (ok I'll probably use the one in FCP) and a light meter and see if I can't figure out exactly what the asa is for the various modes. that would be a fun project for the week.

Jonas Nystrom · October 22nd, 2006, 01:54 PM

Nick, that would be great! I would do it, if I know how to (is it possible to compare and match ASA with a SLR camera?).

A. J. deLange · October 23rd, 2006, 12:49 PM

Yes, definitely. The light meter in an SLR is designed to put a 19% gray card into Zone V just as is the light meter in the H1. So get a gray card, turn off all the automatic stuff on the H1 and fill the viewfinder with the card. Make sure gain is set for 0. Center the light meter and note aperture and shutter speed. Now take the SLR and set same shutter speed and aperture and rotate the ASA/ISO dial until the exposure meter is centered. The indicated ASA/ISO is the speed of the XL-H1. You don't really even need the gray card. Any scene will do. You can also do the measurements with an incident light meter such as the Sekonic rather than an SLR. This is probably the more accurate way as you will be off by the difference of the f/stop t/stop difference of the two cameras. With the light meter only the f/t difference of the XL-H1 comes into it.

Steve Rosen · October 23rd, 2006, 01:46 PM

Bruce: I don't use the monochrome finder, I thought hard about it but heard on this site that there were potential power issues.. blown fuses apparently, with some users.. I also don't like the funky way the thing is powered, with the adapter.. I got alot of stuff hanging on my camera already, and I handhold most of the time... Supposedly Canon is working on a more elegant after-market sollution (which could be as much as 6 grand), we'll see...

I use the Chrosziel DV follow-focus, which I bought specifically to use with this camera and the 16x - I have an older Chrosziel studio follow focus but it won't fit because it has knobs on both sides and the starboard-side knob hits the H1's handle - also, I like the DV model because the focus scale is visible from the viewfinder, very useful with the 16x handheld - I bought an additional sleeve and lettered a custom focus scale on it for the 16x (by the way, I did this instead of making data rings for the lens which I talked about several months ago) -

Although I got the FF specifically to use with the 16x, I have discovered that the small gear wheel modifies the ratio with the 20x enough that it makes it way easier to manually focus that lens too... FYI, the FF gear wheel for the 16x is different than the one for the 20x gear ring - so you have to buy the FF, the gear ring and an additional gear wheel if you use the 16x...

Nick Hiltgen · October 25th, 2006, 08:13 AM

Steve just so you're aware, the fu-1000 on the XL-H1 plugs directly into the other viewfinder port of the camera, thus no worries about a funky adapter or blown fuses. it does add a few pounds of weight which I understand can be annoying, but other then that the reasons you've listed for the fu-1000 aren't really factors on the xl-h1 (though they definitely were on all the previous xl cameras.)

I use the fu-1000 anytime that I have an external color monitor on set because for sharpness (focusing) I like it a lot better.

Steve Rosen · October 25th, 2006, 05:02 PM

Thanx, that's good to know...

Bruce S. Yarock · October 25th, 2006, 08:33 PM

Nick,
Does the fu 1000 burn up as much power on the H1 as on the XL2? I burn through two 945's during a wedding, and still need another battery! ( I use my AB dionic 90 only for powering my frezzi light).

The other negative besides power drain , is no color. If you're not carefull with white balance, you can come home with blue footage! (It's happened to me a couple of times). I really love the fu 1000 because of it's sharp focus ability and increased resolution, but I wish I also had a small color monitor.I thought of buying something cheap for my XL2, but since I plan to move up to the H1, I don't want to waste money on an sd monitor. And the Marshall is EXPENSIVE! In addition,adiing a monitor to the AB battery, one or two wireless,and the Frezzi with softbox, might be too much.
And the beat goes on....
Bruce S. Yarock
www.yarock.com

Nick Hiltgen · October 25th, 2006, 10:33 PM

I can't say for certain, but "TO ME" it seems that the battery drain isn't really that differetn between the canon stock viewfinder and the fu-1000. Honestly though there hasn't been too much of an issue with battery drain for me, I went to power101.com bought 6 batteries for a hundred bucks (five of them actually worked) and keep those ina ddition to my 2 canon bp945 and one bp930 (which also lasts a long time.)

It would be nice to have a color viewfinder that was hi res but that still seems a little ways off. I'm willing ot bet that if it does come out it won't be more then $3k which when compared to the SONY HD CVF for the 900's is a pretty good price, but I'm sepculating. I like the marshall but to be honest it seems as though there is a slight stretch in the image, at least it's not overscanned like the stock VF though.

Bruce S. Yarock · October 26th, 2006, 06:57 AM

Nick,
Thanks for the info on power.101. I'm going to buy some today. I think I might get an inexpensive small monitor so that I can at least be sure about overall color and white balance. Any suggestions?
Bruce S. Yarock
www.yarock.com

Marty Hudzik · October 26th, 2006, 07:19 AM

I just ordered a BP-945 from power101 as a spare. Are you saying it might not work? I didn't want to order a bunch until I verified how well it perfomed.
Out of 6 you bought, one of them really didn't work? Or was that humor?

Peace.

October 22nd, 2006, 11:07 AM	#18
Nick Hiltgen Trustee Join Date: May 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 1,427	I think I'm going to get my hands on a waveform monitor (ok I'll probably use the one in FCP) and a light meter and see if I can't figure out exactly what the asa is for the various modes. that would be a fun project for the week. __________________ I have a dream that one day canon will release a 35mm ef to xl adapter and I'll have iris control and a 35mm dof of all my ef lenses, and it will be awesome...

October 22nd, 2006, 01:54 PM	#19
Jonas Nystrom Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Göteborg, Sweden Posts: 306	Nick, that would be great! I would do it, if I know how to (is it possible to compare and match ASA with a SLR camera?). __________________ Jonas Nyström, DoP :: HOT SHOT® SWEDEN :: www.hotshot.nu :: RED #1567, RED 18-50mm T3 :: XL A1, Letus Extreme :: XL H1, 20X & 6X lens (for sale) :: www.vimeo.com/nystrom

October 25th, 2006, 08:13 AM	#22
Nick Hiltgen Trustee Join Date: May 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 1,427	Steve just so you're aware, the fu-1000 on the XL-H1 plugs directly into the other viewfinder port of the camera, thus no worries about a funky adapter or blown fuses. it does add a few pounds of weight which I understand can be annoying, but other then that the reasons you've listed for the fu-1000 aren't really factors on the xl-h1 (though they definitely were on all the previous xl cameras.) I use the fu-1000 anytime that I have an external color monitor on set because for sharpness (focusing) I like it a lot better. __________________ I have a dream that one day canon will release a 35mm ef to xl adapter and I'll have iris control and a 35mm dof of all my ef lenses, and it will be awesome... Last edited by Nick Hiltgen; October 25th, 2006 at 01:10 PM.

October 25th, 2006, 10:33 PM	#25
Nick Hiltgen Trustee Join Date: May 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 1,427	I can't say for certain, but "TO ME" it seems that the battery drain isn't really that differetn between the canon stock viewfinder and the fu-1000. Honestly though there hasn't been too much of an issue with battery drain for me, I went to power101.com bought 6 batteries for a hundred bucks (five of them actually worked) and keep those ina ddition to my 2 canon bp945 and one bp930 (which also lasts a long time.) It would be nice to have a color viewfinder that was hi res but that still seems a little ways off. I'm willing ot bet that if it does come out it won't be more then $3k which when compared to the SONY HD CVF for the 900's is a pretty good price, but I'm sepculating. I like the marshall but to be honest it seems as though there is a slight stretch in the image, at least it's not overscanned like the stock VF though. __________________ I have a dream that one day canon will release a 35mm ef to xl adapter and I'll have iris control and a 35mm dof of all my ef lenses, and it will be awesome...

October 22nd, 2006, 08:56 AM	#16
Bruce S. Yarock Trustee Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pembroke Pines, Fl. Posts: 1,842	Steve Rosen. Have you been able to try the fu 1000 monochrome viewfinder? If and when I sell my XL2 and get an H1, I plan to keep my fu 1000 to use on the H1. Also, which follow focus knob do you use? that sounds like it could really make manual focus easier. Bruce S. yarock www.yarock.com

October 23rd, 2006, 12:49 PM	#20
A. J. deLange Major Player Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: McLean, VA United States Posts: 749	Yes, definitely. The light meter in an SLR is designed to put a 19% gray card into Zone V just as is the light meter in the H1. So get a gray card, turn off all the automatic stuff on the H1 and fill the viewfinder with the card. Make sure gain is set for 0. Center the light meter and note aperture and shutter speed. Now take the SLR and set same shutter speed and aperture and rotate the ASA/ISO dial until the exposure meter is centered. The indicated ASA/ISO is the speed of the XL-H1. You don't really even need the gray card. Any scene will do. You can also do the measurements with an incident light meter such as the Sekonic rather than an SLR. This is probably the more accurate way as you will be off by the difference of the f/stop t/stop difference of the two cameras. With the light meter only the f/t difference of the XL-H1 comes into it.

October 23rd, 2006, 01:46 PM	#21
Steve Rosen Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Monterey, California Posts: 895	Bruce: I don't use the monochrome finder, I thought hard about it but heard on this site that there were potential power issues.. blown fuses apparently, with some users.. I also don't like the funky way the thing is powered, with the adapter.. I got alot of stuff hanging on my camera already, and I handhold most of the time... Supposedly Canon is working on a more elegant after-market sollution (which could be as much as 6 grand), we'll see... I use the Chrosziel DV follow-focus, which I bought specifically to use with this camera and the 16x - I have an older Chrosziel studio follow focus but it won't fit because it has knobs on both sides and the starboard-side knob hits the H1's handle - also, I like the DV model because the focus scale is visible from the viewfinder, very useful with the 16x handheld - I bought an additional sleeve and lettered a custom focus scale on it for the 16x (by the way, I did this instead of making data rings for the lens which I talked about several months ago) - Although I got the FF specifically to use with the 16x, I have discovered that the small gear wheel modifies the ratio with the 20x enough that it makes it way easier to manually focus that lens too... FYI, the FF gear wheel for the 16x is different than the one for the 20x gear ring - so you have to buy the FF, the gear ring and an additional gear wheel if you use the 16x...

October 25th, 2006, 05:02 PM	#23
Steve Rosen Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Monterey, California Posts: 895	Thanx, that's good to know...

October 25th, 2006, 08:33 PM	#24
Bruce S. Yarock Trustee Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pembroke Pines, Fl. Posts: 1,842	Nick, Does the fu 1000 burn up as much power on the H1 as on the XL2? I burn through two 945's during a wedding, and still need another battery! ( I use my AB dionic 90 only for powering my frezzi light). The other negative besides power drain , is no color. If you're not carefull with white balance, you can come home with blue footage! (It's happened to me a couple of times). I really love the fu 1000 because of it's sharp focus ability and increased resolution, but I wish I also had a small color monitor.I thought of buying something cheap for my XL2, but since I plan to move up to the H1, I don't want to waste money on an sd monitor. And the Marshall is EXPENSIVE! In addition,adiing a monitor to the AB battery, one or two wireless,and the Frezzi with softbox, might be too much. And the beat goes on.... Bruce S. Yarock www.yarock.com

October 26th, 2006, 06:57 AM	#26
Bruce S. Yarock Trustee Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pembroke Pines, Fl. Posts: 1,842	Nick, Thanks for the info on power.101. I'm going to buy some today. I think I might get an inexpensive small monitor so that I can at least be sure about overall color and white balance. Any suggestions? Bruce S. Yarock www.yarock.com

October 26th, 2006, 07:19 AM	#27
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	I just ordered a BP-945 from power101 as a spare. Are you saying it might not work? I didn't want to order a bunch until I verified how well it perfomed. Out of 6 you bought, one of them really didn't work? Or was that humor? Peace.