Sony XDCAM HD -- various topics

[Richard Gillespie]

I am posting here as well just in case an F330 or F350 owner has had to do this. I am doing a 2 camera shoot with my F330 and a hired EX1. I have looked through the posts on the EX1 Scene files but can't find an answer. I am a great fan of the Sony LBEACHC scene file on the F330. Can I match an EX1 to this scene file? What would someone who has done a 2 camera shoot using this combo recommend? Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Matjaz Fajdiga]

I am working for a national broadcaster and we have recently bought few pieces of 355 ans 335 camcorders. We noticed that when Low Noise Mode is switched on, something like BLACK compress is visible in the picture (the level of BLACK is lower and also the contrast in lower part of the signal is smaller). We do not like this at normal light conditions, because it reduces visibility of details in dark areas of a picture and also reduces overall resolution of a picture (a little bit). The best solution is when you switch on GAIN (3 dB or more) that Low Noise Mode is switched on automatically. Does anybody know how to set up a camcorder to get such a functionality? It is also possible to change M. BLACK level and BLACK GAMMA to get back details in dark area of a picture with switched on the Low Noise Mode, but with much less noise. It will be intertesting to store all this (including Low Noise Mode) under one set up of the camera (like sceen file). Does anybody know how to do that? And second question: Is sensitivity F9 (XDCAM HD camcorders) against F11 (IMX camcorders) rally such a big limitations of a XDCAM camcorder that it is difficult to use it for documetaries (up to now most of documentaries were shot with IMX camcorders)?

[Hornady Setiawan]

if u suspect any problem in the blacks, do an ABB first then recheck the problem.

i've encountered times seeing black over-crunched or even a little greenish, etc. Even at all default settings.

Solved after a ABB.

[Dan Brazda]

We have 3 PDW-F350's all with the same menu setups. Our most common setup is shooting at 24p with 1/48th shutter. 1 of the three has an issue whereby the Zebra pattern in the viewfinder, LCD or outboard HD-SDI monitor will not work when the shutter is at 1/48th or faster. It works with the shutter off and with the shutter at 1/32nd but not 1/48th or faster. Any ideas?

[Eugene Kosarovich]

My background is purely 60i, where I normally use 1/60 shutter for most of my work.

I want to explore working with 30p and 24p, but especially 30p, since film out isn't my objective.

I notice with my F335, as expected, the default shutter with 60i is 1/60, and when you turn the shutter switch on, the first speed higher is 1/100.

When I switch to 30p, the default shutter appears to be 1/30, and that gives me identical exposure to 60i at 1/60 shutter. The first speed higher from the shutter switch is 1/40.

When I switch to 24p, the default shutter appears to be 1/32, based on my exposure not changing at all when I turn on the shutter switch, and its first setting being 1/32. I guess a default of 1/24 is just too slow to be useful. Anyway, the 24p with the default 1/32 shutter looks to be about 1/3 stop brighter than the 60i-1/60 or 30p-1/30 setting.

So my question is, what shutter speeds does one normally use with the 30p and 24p progressive modes? I thought I'd read somewhere that for 24p, you shouldn't use a shutter slower than 1/48. And that for 30p you would still want to use a 1/60 shutter.

So, is this correct, and therefore shooting in 30p mode with a 1/60 shutter is one stop slower than in 60i mode with a 1/60 shutter?

Thanks.

[Greg Boston]

Keep in mind, that with the shutter switch in the off position, your frame rate is essentially your shutter speed.

When shooting 24P, you often want to use 1/48, mainly to emulate the motion blur characteristic of film shot at 24fps with a 180 degree shutter (each frame is exposed twice at double whatever the frame rate is). When film is projected in the theater, a shutter shows each frame twice at 1/48 second.

In 30P, shutter off, you essentially have 1/30 second shutter. I personally feel that 1/30 could give more motion blur than I want, and will often switch to 1/60. This gives me cleaner frame grabs.

In 60i, shutter off, you have a 1/60 shutter, but that's for each field of the frame. If you add the two fields together, you'd have a total of 2/60 of shutter time per blended frame. Those frames occur at roughly 30 fps. And 2/60 reduces to 1/30. That's why your exposure is equal between 60i and 30p with the default shutter.

I think in the not too distant future, when 60P becomes viable, interlaced scanning will take its place in history with the CRT.

-gb-

[Jeremy Doyle]

Never mind. I just read the post below.

[Keith Rollinson]

Thought to 1st put a shout out here -- we've got a shoot in Urbana on 05.15-16.08. We'll bring x1 F350 w/ us, but need a 2nd one for interviews on the 16th. Anyone in the area/interested? For both days we will need a grip/gaffer + 3-4 pt. lighting + tripod; on the 15th we'll also need a small dolly + PA. On the 16th we'll need the 2nd XDCAM HD + shooter + 2nd tripod and a sound recordist.

If anyone's in the Urbana hood and interested please contact privately....infoATsector550DOTcom. Thanks.

[Mark Ciesinski]

Hi all,

We just started using an XDCAM 335 and a PDW U1 optical disc drive. Our old workflow with tape was for the producer to create an Avid log and we would batch capture from that. We would like to continue to work this way. Our problem is, although the producer can subclip the XDCAM files and create an Avid log, how do we bring in the files and retain this info. We have saved the clip info to the disc and I can import the Avid log with subclip in/out info, I can see the subclip titles but when I batch import the XDCAM files they come into my bin with different clip titles so that they do not match the Avid log the producer created Basically we do not understand the workflow at all. Right now I basically stare at his Avid log and try to match it up with the clips I imported. This gets the work done but is not efficient by any means. Any and all help is welcome, thanks in advance.

[Steve Phillipps]

Am I right in thinking that the EX3 mount is totally new, and not used on any other camera? I ask because if I got one I'd want to get an adapter for using stills and/or PL lenses, and ideally would get one made up now, but if the camera engineers don't have access to the camera's mount or at least it's dimensions and FFD they can't make an adapter.
Steve

[Greg Boston]

It is different, but they include an adapter with the camera to allow mounting the standard 1/2 XDCAM HD lenses. I know, that's not what you are looking to mount on the camera. But yes, it's different.

-gb-

[Keith Rollinson]

Taken care of, though surprisingly little response from the list here.

[Eric Emerick]

Looking at a follow focus add on, anyone know the gear pitch for a Canon KH21ex5.7? I've looked in the manual and all over the web, can't find it.

[Charles Papert]

Canon lenses are designated .50m.

[Gerson Becker]

Hi,
Anyone using a F70 to do slow motion in a linear setup?
Or can anyone tell me if I can do slow motion with a F70?
Thanks in advance,

Gérson Becker