HPX 250 sync 2 cameras? at DVinfo.net

David Morgan · August 1st, 2012, 07:45 PM

I'm going to do an all day shoot with 2 of these units. Anyone know of methods to keep them in sync with one another without renting a lockit box or such? Can I periodically jam sync one camera to the other or what?
thx

Gary Nattrass · August 2nd, 2012, 07:06 AM

I have the HPX371 and you just take timecode out to timecode in and set the clock, it then takes the incoming timecode as its reference.

David Morgan · August 2nd, 2012, 08:48 PM

thx for the video.
Wonder how long the TC will stay in sync? Should I use a genlock cable between the two cameras and keep the wired TC in/outs?

Daniel Epstein · August 3rd, 2012, 10:58 AM

You should genlock the cameras for best results. You also have to designate one as the Master and one as the slave for Timecode as there is only one spigot for TC In/Out. Resyncing is useful if you don't have to be frame accurate all the time but just close. No guarantees unless completely connected the whole time.

Gary Nattrass · August 3rd, 2012, 06:09 PM

Should be good for a few hours just on timecode but what most people do is break it down and re-sync at lunchtime and evening to keep the timecode refreshed.

Daniel Epstein · August 4th, 2012, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Nattrass

Should be good for a few hours just on timecode but what most people do is break it down and re-sync at lunchtime and evening to keep the timecode refreshed.

If you want exact Timecode match then you need to stay connected as I mentioned in my earlier response. Refreshing every few hours but not staying connected will allow drift into the equation. Most shoots this is easy to deal with in post.

David Morgan · August 4th, 2012, 09:35 PM

Well, I tried it today using the video instructions but I couldn't get it to work. The slave camera's TC did not sync to the master.
On top of that, If you set the slave TC to TC in, it seems the camera will not record unless it see's an incoming TC. After I couldn't jam sync it, I had to reset the TC to generate.

#2-What the heck does TCG/TCR really do?

Daniel Epstein · August 6th, 2012, 12:39 PM

David,
Sorry you are having so much trouble. Hard to say what is going on. When you set the camera up to be the Master you want it to generate TC all the time and not have it switch if you are playing back a clip which might confuse a camera which was receiving the playback TC. As to only being able to lock to TC when connected and then not record without a signal this would not be very useful. I do use my 250 as source not slave as my HPX2000 is easier to slave. Maybe I will be able to see if my 250 works the way you describe.

Dan Brockett · August 27th, 2012, 04:50 PM

I just finished a all week multi-camera shoot last night. We drove our time code using the Tascam 8 track audio recorder as our audio master and we used a timecode slate. My recommendation is that you use either an external audio recorder or time code slate as your time code master clock or rent/buy a time code generator box to serve as the tc master source.

Relying on the time code generators in low end cameras can work, but is not always as rock solid as one would hope them to be. Battery changes, voltage brownout dips and differences between master clocks are all possible culprits in the tc slipping out of sync with each other. Genlock is a good idea, if the HPX250 has a genlock input.

My 02 frames worth!

Dan

August 1st, 2012, 07:45 PM	#1
David Morgan Major Player Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Burbank CA Posts: 466	HPX 250 sync 2 cameras? I'm going to do an all day shoot with 2 of these units. Anyone know of methods to keep them in sync with one another without renting a lockit box or such? Can I periodically jam sync one camera to the other or what? thx

August 2nd, 2012, 08:48 PM	#3
David Morgan Major Player Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Burbank CA Posts: 466	Re: HPX 250 sync 2 cameras? thx for the video. Wonder how long the TC will stay in sync? Should I use a genlock cable between the two cameras and keep the wired TC in/outs?

August 3rd, 2012, 10:58 AM	#4
Daniel Epstein Trustee Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New York, NY Posts: 1,267	Re: HPX 250 sync 2 cameras? You should genlock the cameras for best results. You also have to designate one as the Master and one as the slave for Timecode as there is only one spigot for TC In/Out. Resyncing is useful if you don't have to be frame accurate all the time but just close. No guarantees unless completely connected the whole time.

August 3rd, 2012, 06:09 PM	#5
Gary Nattrass Trustee Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Cornsay Durham UK Posts: 1,992	Re: HPX 250 sync 2 cameras? Should be good for a few hours just on timecode but what most people do is break it down and re-sync at lunchtime and evening to keep the timecode refreshed. __________________ Over 15 minutes in Broadcast Film and TV production: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1044352/

August 4th, 2012, 09:35 PM	#7
David Morgan Major Player Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Burbank CA Posts: 466	Re: HPX 250 sync 2 cameras? Well, I tried it today using the video instructions but I couldn't get it to work. The slave camera's TC did not sync to the master. On top of that, If you set the slave TC to TC in, it seems the camera will not record unless it see's an incoming TC. After I couldn't jam sync it, I had to reset the TC to generate. #2-What the heck does TCG/TCR really do?

August 2nd, 2012, 07:06 AM	#2
Gary Nattrass Trustee Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Cornsay Durham UK Posts: 1,992	Re: HPX 250 sync 2 cameras? How to sync timecode with the HPX250 - YouTube I have the HPX371 and you just take timecode out to timecode in and set the clock, it then takes the incoming timecode as its reference. __________________ Over 15 minutes in Broadcast Film and TV production: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1044352/

August 6th, 2012, 12:39 PM	#8
Daniel Epstein Trustee Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New York, NY Posts: 1,267	Re: HPX 250 sync 2 cameras? David, Sorry you are having so much trouble. Hard to say what is going on. When you set the camera up to be the Master you want it to generate TC all the time and not have it switch if you are playing back a clip which might confuse a camera which was receiving the playback TC. As to only being able to lock to TC when connected and then not record without a signal this would not be very useful. I do use my 250 as source not slave as my HPX2000 is easier to slave. Maybe I will be able to see if my 250 works the way you describe.

August 27th, 2012, 04:50 PM	#9
Dan Brockett Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 2,109	Re: HPX 250 sync 2 cameras? I just finished a all week multi-camera shoot last night. We drove our time code using the Tascam 8 track audio recorder as our audio master and we used a timecode slate. My recommendation is that you use either an external audio recorder or time code slate as your time code master clock or rent/buy a time code generator box to serve as the tc master source. Relying on the time code generators in low end cameras can work, but is not always as rock solid as one would hope them to be. Battery changes, voltage brownout dips and differences between master clocks are all possible culprits in the tc slipping out of sync with each other. Genlock is a good idea, if the HPX250 has a genlock input. My 02 frames worth! Dan