HVX - 2fps - Las Vegas Strip

[Barry Green]

I don't see a lot of talk on DVInfo about the other variable frame rates in the HVX (for those who don't know, we've unlocked some hidden frame rates and have basically tripled the number of frame rates the camera can support). My favorite of these is 2 frames per second for the hyper-speed effect.

For fun I strapped the HVX200 on the roof of my vehicle and went barrelling down the freeway and then down the Las Vegas Strip.

I set the camera in the special two-frames-per-second mode with the shutter at 350 degrees to get some nice high-speed blur effects. At one point I had to adjust exposure, because the strip hotels were super-bright; it wasn't all that easy; had to hop out of the truck while stopped at a stoplight and clamber up on the roof to spin the iris wheel... must have looked a bit curious to all the other drivers. :)

http://hvx200.moctel.com/Users/Barry...Strip-2fps.mov


Right-click and save-as...

[Jeff Kilgroe]

That's pretty damn cool. Good musical choice too. :)

[Federico Prieto]

HEY!!!!! That was a m a i z i n g .........

[Matt Gottshalk]

Kick ass Barry....


Was that secured to your roof via the stickypod?

[Robert Lane]

OK, so how did you unlock these additional frame rates? Did you get a Beta firmware update at NAB or did you find some magical "easter-egg" key combination?

[Leonard Levy]

Are there also hidden shutter speeds? I would like to see slow shutter down to 1/4 sec.

[Barry Green]

Originally Posted by Matt Gottshalk

Was that secured to your roof via the stickypod?

No, I used the CineSaddle and strapped it down quite securely. It did drift just a little (you can see the roof of the car enter the lower left edge of the frame). Next time I'll have to strap it down tighter. I've used the cinesaddle for many car shots and always been very pleased with it, but this is the first time I've gone 70+ mph with it, so it's understandable that it might need to be strapped down a little tighter.

[Barry Green]

Originally Posted by Robert Lane

OK, so how did you unlock these additional frame rates? Did you get a Beta firmware update at NAB or did you find some magical "easter-egg" key combination?

No firmware updates -- more like the easter egg.

Every HVX ever manufactured has those additional frame rates available, waiting to be tapped into. The total frame rates available are:

2,3,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,23,24,26,27,28,30, 32,34,36,38,40,42,44,46,48,50,52,54,56,58, and 60 frames per second.

The thing is, Panasonic only had time and resources to certify and verify so many frame rates to make their shipping date. These other frame rates are, therefore, not certified. If you want to use them, you do so at your own risk. I don't know what ill effects they may cause; the only thing I've noticed is that I've had three "P2 Micon Error" messages come up when using some of these frame rates, so presumably that comes from them being untested.

I would also expect that as Panasonic has more time to certify and test them and verify that they're solid, then as time goes on they could release firmware updates that "unlock" more of these frame rates and make them officially available in the menus.

So: if you're comfortable with making your camera perform outside of its certified/warranteed parameters, you can access these frame rates, but you have to accept any risk that comes from doing so. If you're not comfortable stepping outside the certified/warranteed parameters, read no further!

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Here's the procedure:

1) Get a scene file text file on an SD card, usually by going into menu 8, CARD FUNCTIONS, and saving scene files to your SD card.

2) Open the scene file text file in the PRIVATE\MEIGROUP\PAVCN\SBG\P2SD directory, called SCENE1.TXT (or scene2.txt, scene3.txt, or scene4.txt) using a text editor like Windows Notepad

3) Look for the next-to-last item in the scene file. Here's what a sample scene file text file looks like:
00005000: 8 ; DETAIL LEVEL: 0
00005001: 8 ; V DETAIL LEVEL: 0
00005002: 8 ; DETAIL CORING : 0
00005003: 8 ; CHROMA LEVEL: 0
00005004: 8 ; CHROMA PHASE: 0
00005005: 8 ; COLOR TEMP: 0
00005006: 16 ; MASTER PED: 0
00005007: 8 ; A.IRIS LEVEL: 0
00005008: 1 ; NEWS GAMMA: OFF
00005009: 0 ; GAMMA : HD NORM
0000500A: 0 ; KNEE: AUTO
0000500B: 0 ; MATRIX: NORM
0000500C: 1 ; SKIN TONE DTL : OFF
0000500D: 0 ; V DETAIL FREQ : THIN
0000500E: 0 ; OPERATION TYPE: VIDEO CAM
0000500F: 0 ; FRAME RATE: DEFAULT
00005010: BE026801 ; SYNCRO SCAN :

That next-to-last item is:
0000500F: 0 ; FRAME RATE: DEFAULT

You can ignore everything after the semicolon; the semicolon indicates that it's a "comment" and will have no bearing on anything else (so, in this example, the part that says "; FRAME RATE: DEFAULT " is useless, it affects nothing, it's just there for human-readable description).

So the relevant part is:
0000500F: 0

The only thing you would want to change is that last number (in this case, "0"). To get different frame rates, use one of the following numbers:

0 = DEFAULT
1 = 2fps
2 = 3fps
3 =4fps
4 = 6fps
5 = 8fps
6 = 10fps
7 = 12fps
8 = 14fps
9 = 16fps
10 = 18fps
11 = 20fps
12 = 22fps
13 = 23fps
14 = 24fps
16 = 26fps
17 = 27fps
18 = 28fps
19 = 30fps
20 = 32fps
21 = 34fps
22 = 36fps
23 = 38fps
24 = 40fps
25 = 42fps
26 = 44fps
27 = 46fps
28 = 48fps
29 = 50fps
30 = 52fps
32 = 54fps
33 = 56fps
34 = 58fps
35 = 60fps
36+ = repeat of sequence from 50fps to 60fps

So, for example, if you wanted to get a frame rate of 2 FPS, your modified line would look like this:
0000500F: 1 ; FRAME RATE: DEFAULT

And if you wanted 44 fps, it would look like this:
0000500F: 26 ; FRAME RATE: DEFAULT

(don't try higher than 35; I tried 36 and it set it to 50fps, 37 set it to 52, so I think it just repeats 50-60 for all fields set higher than 36)

4) Save your modified text file back onto your SD card

5) Put the SD card back in the camera, go to CARD FUNCTIONS, and read the scene files into the camera.

Now, when you go to the appropriate scene file, you'll see the new frame rate there. But be aware, the only way to assign these "nonstandard" frame rates is through the SD card. If you use the menu to try to change the frame rate, you'll lose it -- it'll immediately jump to 60, and then only allow the normal rates to be selected. You'd have to re-load the scene file from the SD card in order to re-establish your "nonstandard" frame rate.

[Barry Green]

Originally Posted by Leonard Levy

Are there also hidden shutter speeds? I would like to see slow shutter down to 1/4 sec.

Don't know. Perhaps. I've gotten 1/2 second shutter speeds by setting it into 2fps mode and setting the shutter to 350 degrees, so if you set it to 4fps at 350 degrees, that would give you 1/4 sec.

But as far as a shutter speed in the menu saying "1/4", nobody's figured out how to do that yet, if it's even possible.

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Barry Green

I set the camera in the special two-frames-per-second mode with the shutter at 350 degrees to get some nice high-speed blur effects. At one point I had to adjust exposure, because the strip hotels were super-bright; it wasn't all that easy; had to hop out of the truck while stopped at a stoplight and clamber up on the roof to spin the iris wheel... must have looked a bit curious to all the other drivers. :)

Probably not. After all, this is Los Vegas we're talking about. Heck, they probably thought you were doing some location shots for CSI. ;-)

-gb-

[Peter Jefferson]

WOW... that looks absolutely amazing.. im very impressed with the low light performance of the unit as well... i didnt see much noize and what i could see is acceptable for my needs as a producer.. BUT...

from all the nigglies and the way the HVX has been progressing so far, im still considering waiting for an updated firmware or even better, an updated unit.. it really wouldnt surprise me if the next HVX is native MP4, as the 100a is considerably improved over the 100.. so this sort of trend "update behaviour" from panasonic is well known and proven, but of course MP4 on a HVX is a big speculation which i dont want to go into.
For what i do though, HD is not a necessity but these in cam facilities would be perfect for what i do...

its a tough one, but i think im going to wait until the quirks of the unit are ironed out and/or the firmware is tweaked a bit..

[Guy Bruner]

Pretty neat, Barry! Reminds me of NAB. What time was that? About midnight?

[Dylan Couper]

Nice work Barry. That was the most fun I've had stuck in traffic on the strip. :)

[Leonard Levy]

Barry, I don't want to speed up motion, just get the slow shutter effect that is so popular with the Sony cameras. Speed still remains normal. Clients ask for it.
I wonder if you could take the effect you're using. Say at 4fps or 8fps then in post slow the shot down to stretch it out to normal speed?

[Tim White]

On your frame rate lists Barry there is a glaring omission of 15 : 25fps - does it not exist or is it blocked for any technical or political reason do you know? Is there a similar omission with the PAL camera?