HM100 with SD Broadcast Footage

Steve Cottrell · June 21st, 2010, 04:06 PM

In another thread I mentioned I would post some HM100 footage from the 'Round the Island Race' broadcast today on a UK regional news item for the south of England (UK). I was aboard a 44' yacht belonging to the Ellen MacArthur Trust taking part in the annual race around the Isle of Wight. In fact we had Dame Ellen on board as well, acting as crew! The idea was to take a DSR450 to do on-deck shooting in gentle airs, and interviews etc, while the HM100 would be used for everything else. We had a mixture of weather and both performed well, particularly the HM100. The DSR tape went with the reporter and the HM100 footage (PAL 50i 1440x1080 SP quality) was dragged into a FCP PAL DVCam timeline and rendered. This was then squeezed down and sent via broadband to an AVID Unity server ready for editing and broadcast. The result can be seen here:

Meridian Regional News | Merdian Tonight - ITV Local

First few shots and all aerials supplied by organisers (via Sunset+Vine) but everything else a mixture of DSR and HM100. For the terminally curious, individual shot IDs can be seen here:

Island Race ID

Lee ho!

Colin Rowe · June 22nd, 2010, 04:45 AM

Good stuff Steve, must have been a great day.

Steve Cottrell · June 22nd, 2010, 05:24 AM

It wasn't bad, despite my alarm going off at 3.50am! I'm not too bad with sea legs, but I made a base camp with my stuff (Portabrace bag for the DSR and a Pelican case for the JVC and bits) down below in a berth. A couple of trips down there rooting around for bits and bobs in rough sea and it takes a minute to recover with wind in your face and a horizon to see again.

I should say that the mic on the HM100 worked very well - the ATR875 with a Rycote on it - picked up all the natural sound, especially the bits with Ellen talking to the kids and the bit with the lifeboat hovering close, all that sound picked up beautifully. Great combination. Also, it had the JVC wide angle adapter on all the time, gives a very usable angle of view for stuff like this.

Operation-wise, I use manual everything: focus and exposure. Focus was easy using the mono/highlighted edges focus assist system, no problems. Exposure always more tricky. The problem with the HM100 is that the aperture adjusts in steps - very noticeable steps. So as you nudge the rocker switch on the back with aperture selected, you really notice the 'stepping' as it opens or closes. I don't trust it on auto, except where I can't physically do it myself like holding the camera with one hand over the edge of the boat. But I'm getting used to it and it just needs a knack, so one gets by. It's more important for me to have the small size/weight than the features, so I'll live with it.

All in all, really happy with the camera - with a little care, the images off the HM100 are absolutely fantastic. No regrets!

Shufiyan Shukur · June 30th, 2010, 10:32 AM

Hi Steve. Just watched your showreel. Excellent! Just wondering though, how on earth did you shoot this segment ...

Steve Cottrell · July 1st, 2010, 01:37 AM

Ahar...

A Hague 'Handy Jib' Hague Handy-Jib K1

A waterproof mini cam with remote recorder.

A boat.

HTH :)

Shufiyan Shukur · July 1st, 2010, 05:09 AM

Ah! OK! Thanks very much Steve.

Wayne Garton · July 6th, 2010, 04:55 PM

Your footage from that TV station is not viewable outside of the UK. So I'll never know if the camera did a good job or not.

Steve Cottrell · July 8th, 2010, 02:29 PM

YouTube - Island Race.mp4

HM100 shots are mixed in with DVCam footage, the shot with the lifeboat is HM100, the shot of them chatting on the deck is HM100, explaining how the sail works, and obviously anything hoiked out over the side of the yacht. HTH.

Nigel Barker · July 13th, 2010, 05:38 AM

My Goodness so Fred Dineage is still going strong! He was hosting that same regional TV programme then known as Coast to Coast over 25 years ago. UK readers may be interested to know that he co-hosted Coast to Coast with the then much slimmer Fern Britton.

Nice video work on the 'Round The Island' race too.

Steve Cottrell · July 14th, 2010, 03:06 PM

Fred is a real trooper. Absolute gentleman. Still going!

Thanks for the kind words. Expecting an Epic underwater housing for the HM100 any day now - gonna have some fun with that ;-)

June 21st, 2010, 04:06 PM	#1
Steve Cottrell Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Oxford UK Posts: 110	HM100 with SD Broadcast Footage - UK Sailing Race In another thread I mentioned I would post some HM100 footage from the 'Round the Island Race' broadcast today on a UK regional news item for the south of England (UK). I was aboard a 44' yacht belonging to the Ellen MacArthur Trust taking part in the annual race around the Isle of Wight. In fact we had Dame Ellen on board as well, acting as crew! The idea was to take a DSR450 to do on-deck shooting in gentle airs, and interviews etc, while the HM100 would be used for everything else. We had a mixture of weather and both performed well, particularly the HM100. The DSR tape went with the reporter and the HM100 footage (PAL 50i 1440x1080 SP quality) was dragged into a FCP PAL DVCam timeline and rendered. This was then squeezed down and sent via broadband to an AVID Unity server ready for editing and broadcast. The result can be seen here: Meridian Regional News \| Merdian Tonight - ITV Local First few shots and all aerials supplied by organisers (via Sunset+Vine) but everything else a mixture of DSR and HM100. For the terminally curious, individual shot IDs can be seen here: Island Race ID Lee ho! Attached Thumbnails

June 22nd, 2010, 04:45 AM	#2
Colin Rowe Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cornwall UK Posts: 793	Good stuff Steve, must have been a great day. __________________ Colin

June 30th, 2010, 10:32 AM	#4
Shufiyan Shukur Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Malaysia Posts: 91	How did you shoot this? Hi Steve. Just watched your showreel. Excellent! Just wondering though, how on earth did you shoot this segment ... Attached Thumbnails __________________ Shuf www.malaysiakini.tv

July 1st, 2010, 05:09 AM	#6
Shufiyan Shukur Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Malaysia Posts: 91	Ah! OK! Thanks very much Steve. __________________ Shuf www.malaysiakini.tv

July 6th, 2010, 04:55 PM	#7
Wayne Garton New Boot Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Whangarei NZ Posts: 12	Cant view it on this side of the world Your footage from that TV station is not viewable outside of the UK. So I'll never know if the camera did a good job or not.

June 22nd, 2010, 05:24 AM	#3
Steve Cottrell Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Oxford UK Posts: 110	It wasn't bad, despite my alarm going off at 3.50am! I'm not too bad with sea legs, but I made a base camp with my stuff (Portabrace bag for the DSR and a Pelican case for the JVC and bits) down below in a berth. A couple of trips down there rooting around for bits and bobs in rough sea and it takes a minute to recover with wind in your face and a horizon to see again. I should say that the mic on the HM100 worked very well - the ATR875 with a Rycote on it - picked up all the natural sound, especially the bits with Ellen talking to the kids and the bit with the lifeboat hovering close, all that sound picked up beautifully. Great combination. Also, it had the JVC wide angle adapter on all the time, gives a very usable angle of view for stuff like this. Operation-wise, I use manual everything: focus and exposure. Focus was easy using the mono/highlighted edges focus assist system, no problems. Exposure always more tricky. The problem with the HM100 is that the aperture adjusts in steps - very noticeable steps. So as you nudge the rocker switch on the back with aperture selected, you really notice the 'stepping' as it opens or closes. I don't trust it on auto, except where I can't physically do it myself like holding the camera with one hand over the edge of the boat. But I'm getting used to it and it just needs a knack, so one gets by. It's more important for me to have the small size/weight than the features, so I'll live with it. All in all, really happy with the camera - with a little care, the images off the HM100 are absolutely fantastic. No regrets!

July 1st, 2010, 01:37 AM	#5
Steve Cottrell Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Oxford UK Posts: 110	Ahar... A Hague 'Handy Jib' Hague Handy-Jib K1 A waterproof mini cam with remote recorder. A boat. HTH :)

July 8th, 2010, 02:29 PM	#8
Steve Cottrell Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Oxford UK Posts: 110	YouTube - Island Race.mp4 HM100 shots are mixed in with DVCam footage, the shot with the lifeboat is HM100, the shot of them chatting on the deck is HM100, explaining how the sail works, and obviously anything hoiked out over the side of the yacht. HTH.

July 13th, 2010, 05:38 AM	#9
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	My Goodness so Fred Dineage is still going strong! He was hosting that same regional TV programme then known as Coast to Coast over 25 years ago. UK readers may be interested to know that he co-hosted Coast to Coast with the then much slimmer Fern Britton. Nice video work on the 'Round The Island' race too.

July 14th, 2010, 03:06 PM	#10
Steve Cottrell Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Oxford UK Posts: 110	Fred is a real trooper. Absolute gentleman. Still going! Thanks for the kind words. Expecting an Epic underwater housing for the HM100 any day now - gonna have some fun with that ;-)