Major problem with HVX Footage

[Dale Hildebrand]

Any one ever experience this?

Just finishing a series and both of my HVX's worked great. Then yesterday my shooter (same guy who shot 90% of the amazing footage on this camera to date) and intermittently bizarre lines appeared in the shots. Lines are different colours on different shots. Smear from top of frame to bottom. Some shots have them through entire take, then some shots are beautiful with no problems at all.

Thanks for any info,
Dale

[John Bosco Jr.]

Originally Posted by Dale Hildebrand

Any one ever experience this?

Just finishing a series and both of my HVX's worked great. Then yesterday my shooter (same guy who shot 90% of the amazing footage on this camera to date) and intermittently bizarre lines appeared in the shots. Lines are different colours on different shots. Smear from top of frame to bottom. Some shots have them through entire take, then some shots are beautiful with no problems at all.

Thanks for any info,
Dale

Well, we probably need more information, like recording device. Was it on P2 or a hard drive like firestore? I assume the videographer did not notice the bands while recording, which indicates that the problem most likely exists with the recording. It could be anything. If you're using P2 cards, the card could be damaged or defective. There also may be a problem in the camera's electronics, like a resister going bad. If recording with a hard drive, a lot a variables could effect the image, like shooting climate/environment or even issues with your firewire. Are you transfering the footage via firewire? If that's the case and you have a P2 reader, you might want to check the footage there to see if it's with the recorded image or the external output process.

Intermittent problems are the hardest to determine. After you troubleshoot a bit, your next best avenue is to contact an authorized Panasonic service technician.

[Robert Lane]

Ditto; there needs to be a lot more detail about how this was shot; format/P2/tape/Firestore etc.

I have several guesses but here's a quick test: shoot some test footage @ 720P30PN (which can only go to P2) then shoot DV to tape. If the problem only appears on the DV side then it's a tape transport issue. If you recorded externally then you'll need to test that device.

If these segments can't be re-shot a post house should be able to clean up these images for you, but at a premium.

[Dean Sensui]

The lines don't look typical of a bad tape drive or digital dropouts. They look like some sort of analog-related defect because of the soft edges of the lines and the variability of the lines' intensities.

Someone menitoned seeing interference lines appear when the component cable's connector was jiggled while shooting.

If you were shooting with an external monitor that might be another possible contributing cause.

[Dale Hildebrand]

Thank you for the responses.

Here is how it was shot and device used:

Camera - 720P/24P

Firestore - Firmware version 3, DVCPROHD (HDD Mode), P2 (DV FORMATS)

NOTE: Would have set camera at 720/24PN and firestore to P2 PN or quicktime PN, but previous shots and workflow was like above before Firestore firmware upgrade and didn't want to mess with things.

Also, no monitor was used during these shots. We are very careful with external monitor use, for during one shoot in the past we were shooting in a gym with a rubber floor, cabled out to a marshall and from the marshall cabled to a client monitor. During long dolly shots the cable to the client monitor would rub along the floor creating static buildup. The result, zapping images and sound. Not good.

Anyways, any more thoughts are appreciated.

Cheers,
Dale

[Thomas Hartz-Olsson]

Did you only have issues on the recorded image? And what result does a tape and/or P2 test give you?

[Dale Hildebrand]

Originally Posted by Thomas Hartz-Olsson

Did you only have issues on the recorded image? And what result does a tape and/or P2 test give you?

Update: Just talked to the shooter and I would like to make a correction - He did use my Marchall monitor, however I have seen what it looks like when there are issues with cabling to the monitor and this does not look the same at all. Also, many of the shots with the image problems were done without the monitor. So in my books it sort of rules out the monitor being the culprit.

Additionally, it was an extremely bright day so the shooter did not notice some of the lighter colour shifts (due to brightness), however he did see the big black line going across the screen.

Now, regarding the black line (which happened much later in the sequence of shooting), I noticed the camera pan over to a building with windows that reflected the sun - the width of that bright reflection matched the width of the black line. Could this have burned out the chip from a simple pan-by. Yet, if it did burn out the chip (obviously not tubes any more), you would think that problem would stay and not be intermittent. You would also think it would not change in form from a black line to narrow purple stripes without big black line, to thinner black line in other side of frame with a series of thin blue stripes.

There seemed to be no problem with the firewire cable and even when we have had firewire issues in the past, nothing like this has ever happened.

We will conduct more tests today, however tests last night had no problems.

Cheers,
Dale

[Dale Hildebrand]

Just did a camera test with all the same settings and nothing is wrong with the footage at all. What the heck? I'm glad it's working now, but the camera is off to Africa next month and I certainly can't afford for this to happen again, never mind in remote/extreme conditions.

I know that on my DVX, 2 times (at the most inappropriate moment - of course) the screen went completely black. Found out later it had something to to with the infamous "clicking sound" in the lens and the iris was completely closing and not openning up. Panasonic did some sort of software upgrade to the camera and it worked fine after that. Also found out that if I shut down the camera, then removed the battery, things reset and it supposedly works after that. Wondering if something similar is happening with the HVX?

[Dale Hildebrand]

Got a resonse from Andrew at Spec-Comm:

"I can check with the rest of the engineers but I don't think that I've seen that with the HVX. We have seen similar lines on other camers but they are usualy horizontal. They look like bad ribbon connections or bad solder joints. Most likely bad connections though. Depending on how your camera has been used some corrosion may have formed which would expain why it so intermittent."

The camera has only been on about 5 shoots (one was about a week long others only 1 day shoots). All controlled environments (other then outdoor clear sky), it's kept in a sealed pelican case etc, so find it hard to think that moisture and corosion could be the reason. Perhaps some loose connection, but just not sure.

[Dale Hildebrand]

Update: Brought the camera in to Panasonic Canada and Chris took care of me nicely - great service and incredibly prompt.

Like Spec-Comm they suspected a loose connection around the CCD. They dismantled the camera, checked all connections and applied grease to connectors. Camera is in immaculate condition and cleanliness, but they also cleaned, tested all functions and upgraded software. Seems good to go.

[Thomas Hartz-Olsson]

That's good to hear, Dale!

So everything is working like it should now?

[Dale Hildebrand]

It seems to. Knock on wood.