A1 Low light MOD? at DVinfo.net

David McClave · March 26th, 2008, 03:15 PM

Wow - My A1U completely sucks in low light. Anybody aware of a MOD for it? I'm not afraid to tear it open and start tweaking, scratching or soldering....

Dave Blackhurst · March 26th, 2008, 04:23 PM

WELLLL... that's crazy talk about trying to open it up <wink>. BUT, you should be able to go to the shutter speed and drop it to 30 and see some improvement...

later Sony cams use "auto slow shutter" to make that change, and when I had the HC1 (A1U's consumer twin), doing it manually pulled a little more low light performance out of it...

Robert M Wright · March 26th, 2008, 05:48 PM

The way to physically MOD it, is to trade it in for a 3 chip camera.

David McClave · March 26th, 2008, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert M Wright

The way to physically MOD it, is to trade it in for a 3 chip camera.

True. Problem is that I got the A1U after a little research, and bought JUST before everyone realized how bad it is. I'm going to try to sell it on eBay and get a better one. What's consensus on best in low light with good audio inputs?

Andy Wilkinson · March 27th, 2008, 03:22 AM

Double post - see one below.

Andy Wilkinson · March 27th, 2008, 03:23 AM

Buy some lights? (or move to a sunny climate!) After all, that's what the real pros do, light their subjects.

Victor Wilcox · March 27th, 2008, 12:10 PM

Like the man said, use a light. Also use manual exposure so you can control you gain. Don't try to make the scene look brighter than reality.

I also found controlling black strech can help. Depends on the scene.

Dave Blackhurst · March 27th, 2008, 12:31 PM

A light IS worth considering depending on your situation, I've found it doesn't take much - the HVL-20DM or DMA, the bigger FM series battery, and a StoFen diffuser make for a decent little on cam setup.

Robert M Wright · March 28th, 2008, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David McClave

True. Problem is that I got the A1U after a little research, and bought JUST before everyone realized how bad it is. I'm going to try to sell it on eBay and get a better one. What's consensus on best in low light with good audio inputs?

I assume you mean XLR for "good" audio inputs. Under $10k, the EX1 is the best Sony HD cam in low light, followed by the Z7 and then Z1. All of them will perform much better than the A1U in low light. Canon's XH-A1 is pretty close to the Z1 for low light performance.

Tony Macasaet · March 30th, 2008, 03:49 PM

These are just suggestions, each with its own trade-off. Probably worth a try before getting the screwdriver and solder gun out.

I've used these individually or in combination with decent results in low, natural lighting:

*Of course, one can lower the shutter speed to ~ 1/15
*manually lower the 'exposure' to keep it below the 6th stop (keeps the gain to zero - less digital artifact)
*turn off all effects (I've noticed even black stretch causes more noise)
*turn sharpness down as far as tolerable
*turn color down as far as tolerable
*shoot w/o any added lenses, adapters.

Alternatively, if B&W or sepia are an option, shoot in night-mode then add your desired coloration, B&W or sepia, back in during post processing. You actually can get clear, noiseless night shots this way.

You can see some of the results in this little practice piece:
http://www.macastat.com/Video/Unplowed.mov

March 26th, 2008, 03:15 PM	#1
David McClave New Boot Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 8	A1 Low light MOD? Wow - My A1U completely sucks in low light. Anybody aware of a MOD for it? I'm not afraid to tear it open and start tweaking, scratching or soldering.... __________________ CASE42 Creative Media (509) 270-3500 davem@case42.com

March 27th, 2008, 03:22 AM	#5
Andy Wilkinson Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 2,853	Double post - see one below. __________________ Andy K Wilkinson - https://www.shootingimage.co.uk Cambridge (UK) Corporate Video Production Last edited by Andy Wilkinson; March 27th, 2008 at 06:01 AM.

March 27th, 2008, 03:23 AM	#6
Andy Wilkinson Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 2,853	Buy some lights? (or move to a sunny climate!) After all, that's what the real pros do, light their subjects. __________________ Andy K Wilkinson - https://www.shootingimage.co.uk Cambridge (UK) Corporate Video Production

March 27th, 2008, 12:10 PM	#7
Victor Wilcox Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Iron Horse Guest Ranch, Waller County, TX Posts: 340	Like the man said, use a light. Also use manual exposure so you can control you gain. Don't try to make the scene look brighter than reality. I also found controlling black strech can help. Depends on the scene. __________________ Vic Wilcox, http://wilcoxvideoproductions.com/Default.aspx Sony FDR-AX100, DJI Phantom 4 Pro, GoPro Hero 8 Blk, Vegas Pro 15, DaVinci Resolve 18

March 30th, 2008, 03:49 PM	#10
Tony Macasaet Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Viroqua, WI Posts: 49	Low Light Suggestions These are just suggestions, each with its own trade-off. Probably worth a try before getting the screwdriver and solder gun out. I've used these individually or in combination with decent results in low, natural lighting: Of course, one can lower the shutter speed to ~ 1/15 manually lower the 'exposure' to keep it below the 6th stop (keeps the gain to zero - less digital artifact) turn off all effects (I've noticed even black stretch causes more noise) turn sharpness down as far as tolerable turn color down as far as tolerable shoot w/o any added lenses, adapters. Alternatively, if B&W or sepia are an option, shoot in night-mode then add your desired coloration, B&W or sepia, back in during post processing. You actually can get clear, noiseless night shots this way. You can see some of the results in this little practice piece: http://www.macastat.com/Video/Unplowed.mov __________________ ~Dr. Tony Macasaet http://www.macastat.com

March 26th, 2008, 04:23 PM	#2
Dave Blackhurst Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Apple Valley CA Posts: 4,874	WELLLL... that's crazy talk about trying to open it up <wink>. BUT, you should be able to go to the shutter speed and drop it to 30 and see some improvement... later Sony cams use "auto slow shutter" to make that change, and when I had the HC1 (A1U's consumer twin), doing it manually pulled a little more low light performance out of it...

March 26th, 2008, 05:48 PM	#3
Robert M Wright Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Minnesota (USA) Posts: 2,171	The way to physically MOD it, is to trade it in for a 3 chip camera.

March 27th, 2008, 12:31 PM	#8
Dave Blackhurst Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Apple Valley CA Posts: 4,874	A light IS worth considering depending on your situation, I've found it doesn't take much - the HVL-20DM or DMA, the bigger FM series battery, and a StoFen diffuser make for a decent little on cam setup.