Good tutorial? at DVinfo.net

Sheryl Smith · April 18th, 2009, 07:05 PM

Does anyone know of a good video tutorial I could use for a Sony HVR-V1U, especially one that focuses on the technical aspect of good picture quality?

Thanks from Sheryl

Leslie Wand · April 18th, 2009, 08:01 PM

i've read that vasst does some good video tuts, especially those by dse....

and a quick google for sony tuts gives +150k - though there's probably about 5 that are of any use ;-)

however, as i tell my students, the best exercise is using the camera, and watching tv! then combining both so you can mimic what you see, eg, lighting for interviews etc.,

oh, and i don't think video's are necessarily the best guides for camerawork - a sound grounding in light / lens / composition theory is a better jumping off point, though vid tuts for software do help, that is, if they're not treating the viewer like an imbecile....

Hugh Mobley · April 18th, 2009, 08:16 PM

the forum here is going to give you invaluable info, read every post, read the manual over and over, knowing the camera and what each function should and will do is most important, overall I have found, after trying many many presets, etc, I usually shoot 30p, mostly manual, using the sony default picture profile, but like to check what fully auto says, and use magic bullet along with vegas 8.

Leslie Wand · April 19th, 2009, 12:14 AM

tend to agree with hugh - use default settings on camera, then play with material in vegas (or an other nle). however, i shoot 50i, if i want progressive i can always spit it out from my nle.

Hugh Mobley · April 19th, 2009, 06:46 PM

absolutely one way to go, shoot interlaced, edit and render progressive, however, the one really nice thing about the V1 is you can hook it up to your hd tv via hdmi, you will see by doing this nothing much is needed in post, most of the time, we are close to shooting a TV show and we will probably go back to basics, shoot interlaced, edit and then back to tape, has to be interlaced, then on to a post production house to convert and finish everything. what one does in editing definitely is controlled on which media the final product will be viewed. Its real difficult comparing what is seen on the edit monitor and what will be on TV

Sheryl Smith · April 20th, 2009, 06:49 PM

Thanks for the help. Overwhelmed at the moment but will check out suggestions.\\

Sheryl

D.J. Ammons · May 2nd, 2009, 01:49 PM

I am in a similar situation of needing to learn how to use the many manual settings possilbe on the V1 in my new Wedding Videography biz.

I have many years experience as a director producer using broadcast quality gear but always in a studio setting and with an engineer tweaking and riding the cameras which had CCU's.

I understand the basics and have gotten good looking footage just doing simple things like locking the gain so that it goes no higher than 9db (12 in extreme situations). I have also used the picture presets to get a more film like look and made some other settings recommened on forums.

Right now where I am week is understanding the relationship between iris ,shutter and gain settings. I know what each do but I don't know how to translate that practically into what iris / shutter / gain choices I should make in various lighting situations for weddings and receptions. Currently I am putting the camera on automatic to see where it sets all of that for my particular lighting situation and then I take it to manual and preserve those settings except for the gain.

The Mullen ebook is a great resource but it doesn't really give specific suggestions of what these settings should be for various situations except for gain in low light.

Hugh Mobley · May 2nd, 2009, 10:06 PM

When you are using manual controls its easy to run thru any adjustment and gauge what your doing with your histogram, your histogram will tell you if your under or over exposed. I usually always see what the auto says and then adjust from there. I use iris only, 6 gain, and rely heavily on my histogram, check with full auto, then adjust and lock it

D.J. Ammons · May 2nd, 2009, 11:29 PM

Hugh,

I am having trouble understanding how to read the histogram even though I have read a little about what it does. Can you explain how it works, what I should look for, etc?

Also I am in the same situation with the zebra settings. I know that the 70 setting is for skintone and I beleive the 100 setting for white to show when it is blown out? I don't really know how to use that completely.

Ethan Cooper · May 3rd, 2009, 08:44 AM

Guys, it sounds to me like a lot of you aren't needing a book or DVD series on how to tweak this particular camera but classes on basic camera operation period. Just because you learn the menus and settings of this particular camera doesn't mean that you'll understand exposure, framing, focal length, aesthetic choices or anything else involved in videography. While you're at it, a basic lighting course would be more than helpful as well.

If you want to set your work apart, learn your craft first then you'll be able to drop into just about any camera system with a basic understanding of how to control the settings to achieve what you want because you'll understand how each function impacts your final outcome.

Leslie Wand · May 3rd, 2009, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ethan Cooper

....If you want to set your work apart, learn your craft first then you'll be able to drop into just about any camera system with a basic understanding of how to control the settings to achieve what you want because you'll understand how each function impacts your final outcome.

how true....

until a few years ago the only controls you had on a pro camera were the basics; iris, shutter speed, gain, w/b. you (as a camera person) were expected to know how these interacted, and how to use lighting to make up, or enhance what they lacked.

i look at my v1p and laugh at the plethora of controls and presets. yes, i have played with them, but at the end of the day, i shoot 'clean', correctly exposed footage with NO 'enhancement' that can then (if necessary) be manipulated in post by any nle.

as ethan points out - learn the craft, don't waste your time on the technology because in a couple of months it'll change and the 'cinema gamma' setting will be different in every camera you pick up anyway....

leslie

D.J. Ammons · May 4th, 2009, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ethan Cooper

Guys, it sounds to me like a lot of you aren't needing a book or DVD series on how to tweak this particular camera but classes on basic camera operation period. Just because you learn the menus and settings of this particular camera doesn't mean that you'll understand exposure, framing, focal length, aesthetic choices or anything else involved in videography. While you're at it, a basic lighting course would be more than helpful as well.

If you want to set your work apart, learn your craft first then you'll be able to drop into just about any camera system with a basic understanding of how to control the settings to achieve what you want because you'll understand how each function impacts your final outcome.

Ethan,

I basicly agree with what you are saying. I do know and understand lighting, framing, asthetics, etc. There are other specific technical aspects of the videography that I understand the overall concepts of but not the execution. I know theoretically what the histogram does but still can't grasp how to read it and use it. Same thing with the zebra functions.

I am admittedly one of those "old dogs" who sometimes finds learning new tricks difficult now. What is frustrating thoug is that sometimes I feel like if I had a pro standing right beside me who I could have work with for one hour I would have all of my questions answereed. Ok, maybe most of them anyway!

Hugh Mobley · May 4th, 2009, 04:57 PM

here is an aid to histograms, also, as mentioned herein one needs to develop an "eye" for the shot, some have it, some don't, me, I'm working on it

Digital Photography Tips - Camera Histogram Information

D.J. Ammons · May 5th, 2009, 01:34 PM

Thanks Hugh. I just printed that out and will be reading it this evening.

Seth Bloombaum · May 5th, 2009, 02:12 PM

And, a little more about zebra stripes (gleaned by searching video zebra stripes on google):
Zebra Stripes, your new best friend | News Videographer

Seems like a good overview. Caucasian facial highlights should read 70, anything else in the scene that is above 100 is very suspect. In my experience, better to slightly underexpose so only the true white highlights are showing 100.

Together, zebras and histogram are very helpful. Histogram will show you if you are crushing blacks or blowing out whites, zebras will indicate what area of the scene is responsible.

April 18th, 2009, 07:05 PM	#1
Sheryl Smith New Boot Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 7	Good tutorial? Does anyone know of a good video tutorial I could use for a Sony HVR-V1U, especially one that focuses on the technical aspect of good picture quality? Thanks from Sheryl

April 18th, 2009, 08:16 PM	#3
Hugh Mobley Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Placentia, Calif Posts: 549	the forum here is going to give you invaluable info, read every post, read the manual over and over, knowing the camera and what each function should and will do is most important, overall I have found, after trying many many presets, etc, I usually shoot 30p, mostly manual, using the sony default picture profile, but like to check what fully auto says, and use magic bullet along with vegas 8. __________________ Hugh Mobley www.petplanetvideos.com http://exposureroom.com/members/hmobley.aspx/

April 19th, 2009, 06:46 PM	#5
Hugh Mobley Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Placentia, Calif Posts: 549	absolutely one way to go, shoot interlaced, edit and render progressive, however, the one really nice thing about the V1 is you can hook it up to your hd tv via hdmi, you will see by doing this nothing much is needed in post, most of the time, we are close to shooting a TV show and we will probably go back to basics, shoot interlaced, edit and then back to tape, has to be interlaced, then on to a post production house to convert and finish everything. what one does in editing definitely is controlled on which media the final product will be viewed. Its real difficult comparing what is seen on the edit monitor and what will be on TV __________________ Hugh Mobley www.petplanetvideos.com http://exposureroom.com/members/hmobley.aspx/

May 2nd, 2009, 10:06 PM	#8
Hugh Mobley Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Placentia, Calif Posts: 549	When you are using manual controls its easy to run thru any adjustment and gauge what your doing with your histogram, your histogram will tell you if your under or over exposed. I usually always see what the auto says and then adjust from there. I use iris only, 6 gain, and rely heavily on my histogram, check with full auto, then adjust and lock it __________________ Hugh Mobley www.petplanetvideos.com http://exposureroom.com/members/hmobley.aspx/

May 3rd, 2009, 08:44 AM	#10
Ethan Cooper Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 1,400 Images: 5	A different opinion Guys, it sounds to me like a lot of you aren't needing a book or DVD series on how to tweak this particular camera but classes on basic camera operation period. Just because you learn the menus and settings of this particular camera doesn't mean that you'll understand exposure, framing, focal length, aesthetic choices or anything else involved in videography. While you're at it, a basic lighting course would be more than helpful as well. If you want to set your work apart, learn your craft first then you'll be able to drop into just about any camera system with a basic understanding of how to control the settings to achieve what you want because you'll understand how each function impacts your final outcome. __________________ ∅ -Ethan Cooper

April 18th, 2009, 08:01 PM	#2
Leslie Wand Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: upper hunter, australia Posts: 1,410	i've read that vasst does some good video tuts, especially those by dse.... and a quick google for sony tuts gives +150k - though there's probably about 5 that are of any use ;-) however, as i tell my students, the best exercise is using the camera, and watching tv! then combining both so you can mimic what you see, eg, lighting for interviews etc., oh, and i don't think video's are necessarily the best guides for camerawork - a sound grounding in light / lens / composition theory is a better jumping off point, though vid tuts for software do help, that is, if they're not treating the viewer like an imbecile....

April 19th, 2009, 12:14 AM	#4
Leslie Wand Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: upper hunter, australia Posts: 1,410	tend to agree with hugh - use default settings on camera, then play with material in vegas (or an other nle). however, i shoot 50i, if i want progressive i can always spit it out from my nle.

April 20th, 2009, 06:49 PM	#6
Sheryl Smith New Boot Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 7	Thanks for the help. Overwhelmed at the moment but will check out suggestions.\\ Sheryl

May 2nd, 2009, 01:49 PM	#7
D.J. Ammons Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 506	I am in a similar situation of needing to learn how to use the many manual settings possilbe on the V1 in my new Wedding Videography biz. I have many years experience as a director producer using broadcast quality gear but always in a studio setting and with an engineer tweaking and riding the cameras which had CCU's. I understand the basics and have gotten good looking footage just doing simple things like locking the gain so that it goes no higher than 9db (12 in extreme situations). I have also used the picture presets to get a more film like look and made some other settings recommened on forums. Right now where I am week is understanding the relationship between iris ,shutter and gain settings. I know what each do but I don't know how to translate that practically into what iris / shutter / gain choices I should make in various lighting situations for weddings and receptions. Currently I am putting the camera on automatic to see where it sets all of that for my particular lighting situation and then I take it to manual and preserve those settings except for the gain. The Mullen ebook is a great resource but it doesn't really give specific suggestions of what these settings should be for various situations except for gain in low light.

May 2nd, 2009, 11:29 PM	#9
D.J. Ammons Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 506	Hugh, I am having trouble understanding how to read the histogram even though I have read a little about what it does. Can you explain how it works, what I should look for, etc? Also I am in the same situation with the zebra settings. I know that the 70 setting is for skintone and I beleive the 100 setting for white to show when it is blown out? I don't really know how to use that completely.

May 4th, 2009, 04:57 PM	#13
Hugh Mobley Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Placentia, Calif Posts: 549	here is an aid to histograms, also, as mentioned herein one needs to develop an "eye" for the shot, some have it, some don't, me, I'm working on it Digital Photography Tips - Camera Histogram Information __________________ Hugh Mobley www.petplanetvideos.com http://exposureroom.com/members/hmobley.aspx/

May 5th, 2009, 01:34 PM	#14
D.J. Ammons Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 506	Thanks Hugh. I just printed that out and will be reading it this evening.

May 5th, 2009, 02:12 PM	#15
Seth Bloombaum Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,420	And, a little more about zebra stripes (gleaned by searching video zebra stripes on google): Zebra Stripes, your new best friend \| News Videographer Seems like a good overview. Caucasian facial highlights should read 70, anything else in the scene that is above 100 is very suspect. In my experience, better to slightly underexpose so only the true white highlights are showing 100. Together, zebras and histogram are very helpful. Histogram will show you if you are crushing blacks or blowing out whites, zebras will indicate what area of the scene is responsible. __________________ 30 years of pro media production. Vegas user since 1.0. Webcaster since 1997. Freelancer since 2000. College instructor since 2001.