12-Hour Reset to Full Auto at DVinfo.net

Chris McMahon · July 23rd, 2009, 11:21 AM

Does anyone know of any methods of bypassing/disabling this? I find that it's extremely annoying to have to deal with, especially since most settings are managed by buttons, rather than switches. Not that it's hard to deal with, but a lot of the filming I do requires a very quick setup, film, and breakdown (as in 1-2 minutes from start to finish)...

Adam Gold · July 23rd, 2009, 12:32 PM

Depends on which settings you mean. Simple exposure stuff, just slide the AUTO LOCK/HOLD switch to HOLD and those variables should remain where you set them forever. Much other stuff you can put into a Picture Profile or a Camera Profile, so a couple of button presses and you're always there. But a few other settings will always default back to factory values.

But they way I have my FX7s set up, no matter how long it's been between uses, they fire up just as I left them.

Chris McMahon · July 23rd, 2009, 01:48 PM

It's more the autofocus turning on, steadyshot being re-enabled, white balance going from a custom preset to auto, and shutterspeed reverting back to 60 that are the issues. I'll try that bit about the Camera Profile, though. Maybe that'll do it.

Adam Gold · July 23rd, 2009, 06:46 PM

I just powered up one of my FX7s, which has been sitting idle for a few weeks. Steadyshot has remained off, PP1 is still in effect, peaking is still on, audio is still in manual, AGC limit still at the same level as before, AT iris limit still the same. WB did indeed revert back to AUTO.

Shutter speed should always be on 60 anyway unless you are doing something really specialized, but if you have it set manually and the switch is on HOLD it should stay where you set it.

Are you storing your cam with batt on or at least plugged in (or both)?

I have steadyshot on one of the ASSIGN buttons so it's a quick push. I also have a checklist for my shooters showing what icons should be in the LCD/VF so it's a quick 30 seconds and they are ready to go, and most importantly are all the same.

Chris McMahon · July 23rd, 2009, 07:15 PM

I film action sports mainly, so having a fast shutterspeed is a must.

I keep a battery in at all times.

I also have steadyshot on a preset (along with markers); my main issues are that I'm used to my old VX1000, where steadyshot and manual focus were both controlled by switches. Oh well.

Adam Gold · July 23rd, 2009, 07:19 PM

I shoot a lot of action sports as well, and I'd never shoot at anything other than 1/60th. Otherwise it has that odd stroby stuttery look. I assumed a faster shutter would make my videos better at first too, and I shot my first few tapes that way and hated it.

Oh well, I guess to each his own.

Greg Laves · July 23rd, 2009, 07:35 PM

I don't have my V-1 any more but mine never auto reset my settings after any period of time. Neither does my Z7.

Chris McMahon · July 23rd, 2009, 08:07 PM

This an FX7, not a V1U. My mistake in not stating that earlier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Gold

I shoot a lot of action sports as well, and I'd never shoot at anything other than 1/60th. Otherwise it has that odd stroby stuttery look. I assumed a faster shutter would make my videos better at first too, and I shot my first few tapes that way and hated it.

Oh well, I guess to each his own.

*shrugs* I don't really think that it looks stroby or stuttery. Here's my first test edit with the cam (excuse the 2 blurry clips and the headchops - filming fish 16:9 is totally different from shooting fish 4:3): http://vimeo.com/5650662

Mike Beckett · July 24th, 2009, 01:51 AM

I think I might know what this is.

My V1E reset itself after being stored with the battery removed for over 2 months (I was off travelling), and it kept resetting itself. The internal battery needed to be recharged, this is mentioned in the manual, page 125:

"Connect your camcorder to a wall outlet using the supplied AC Adaptor, and leave it with the POWER switch set to OFF (CHG) for more than 24 hours."

The FX7 isn't that different to the V1 (XLR and software differences only), so it is probably the same procedure.

Luckily I backed up my camera profile to memory stick, so it was easy to restore. Not sure if this is an option with the FX7. I've not put the cam in storage since (been using it more often), and the problem hasn't recurred - so I presume that the internal battery is getting charged from normal camera usage with the on-board batteries.

Stephan Stryhanyn · July 24th, 2009, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris McMahon

Here's my first test edit with the cam (excuse the 2 blurry clips and the headchops - filming fish 16:9 is totally different from shooting fish 4:3): Morgan Hill on Vimeo

Motion looks nice enough to me here! Although wandering a bit off topic (your thread ;-), would you mind sharing the exact format & encoding settings you used to upload to Vimeo? Meaning resolution, frame rate, interlacing, codec, and bit rate. I've had the most absurd difficulties trying to obtain reasonably smooth FX7 videos on Vimeo (with a free account and the added difficulty of shooting 50i though), which weren't even remotely comparable to your bike video.

Chris McMahon · July 24th, 2009, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephan Stryhanyn

Motion looks nice enough to me here! Although wandering a bit off topic (your thread ;-), would you mind sharing the exact format & encoding settings you used to upload to Vimeo? Meaning resolution, frame rate, interlacing, codec, and bit rate. I've had the most absurd difficulties trying to obtain reasonably smooth FX7 videos on Vimeo (with a free account and the added difficulty of shooting 50i though), which weren't even remotely comparable to your bike video.

Thanks.

I export a progressive (that is to say, deinterlaced) HDV .m2t through Media Encoder in Premiere Pro 2.0, and then run that through Handbrake using these settings (http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/images/handbrake.png).

July 23rd, 2009, 11:21 AM	#1
Chris McMahon Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Jose, CA,, USA Posts: 144	12-Hour Reset to Full Auto Does anyone know of any methods of bypassing/disabling this? I find that it's extremely annoying to have to deal with, especially since most settings are managed by buttons, rather than switches. Not that it's hard to deal with, but a lot of the filming I do requires a very quick setup, film, and breakdown (as in 1-2 minutes from start to finish)...

July 24th, 2009, 01:51 AM	#9
Mike Beckett Trustee Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Antrim, Northern Ireland Posts: 1,569	I think I might know what this is. My V1E reset itself after being stored with the battery removed for over 2 months (I was off travelling), and it kept resetting itself. The internal battery needed to be recharged, this is mentioned in the manual, page 125: "Connect your camcorder to a wall outlet using the supplied AC Adaptor, and leave it with the POWER switch set to OFF (CHG) for more than 24 hours." The FX7 isn't that different to the V1 (XLR and software differences only), so it is probably the same procedure. Luckily I backed up my camera profile to memory stick, so it was easy to restore. Not sure if this is an option with the FX7. I've not put the cam in storage since (been using it more often), and the problem hasn't recurred - so I presume that the internal battery is getting charged from normal camera usage with the on-board batteries. __________________ Irish Railway Videos on Youtube

July 23rd, 2009, 12:32 PM	#2
Adam Gold Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Woodinville, WA USA Posts: 3,467	Depends on which settings you mean. Simple exposure stuff, just slide the AUTO LOCK/HOLD switch to HOLD and those variables should remain where you set them forever. Much other stuff you can put into a Picture Profile or a Camera Profile, so a couple of button presses and you're always there. But a few other settings will always default back to factory values. But they way I have my FX7s set up, no matter how long it's been between uses, they fire up just as I left them.

July 23rd, 2009, 01:48 PM	#3
Chris McMahon Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Jose, CA,, USA Posts: 144	It's more the autofocus turning on, steadyshot being re-enabled, white balance going from a custom preset to auto, and shutterspeed reverting back to 60 that are the issues. I'll try that bit about the Camera Profile, though. Maybe that'll do it.

July 23rd, 2009, 06:46 PM	#4
Adam Gold Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Woodinville, WA USA Posts: 3,467	I just powered up one of my FX7s, which has been sitting idle for a few weeks. Steadyshot has remained off, PP1 is still in effect, peaking is still on, audio is still in manual, AGC limit still at the same level as before, AT iris limit still the same. WB did indeed revert back to AUTO. Shutter speed should always be on 60 anyway unless you are doing something really specialized, but if you have it set manually and the switch is on HOLD it should stay where you set it. Are you storing your cam with batt on or at least plugged in (or both)? I have steadyshot on one of the ASSIGN buttons so it's a quick push. I also have a checklist for my shooters showing what icons should be in the LCD/VF so it's a quick 30 seconds and they are ready to go, and most importantly are all the same.

July 23rd, 2009, 07:15 PM	#5
Chris McMahon Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Jose, CA,, USA Posts: 144	I film action sports mainly, so having a fast shutterspeed is a must. I keep a battery in at all times. I also have steadyshot on a preset (along with markers); my main issues are that I'm used to my old VX1000, where steadyshot and manual focus were both controlled by switches. Oh well.

July 23rd, 2009, 07:19 PM	#6
Adam Gold Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Woodinville, WA USA Posts: 3,467	I shoot a lot of action sports as well, and I'd never shoot at anything other than 1/60th. Otherwise it has that odd stroby stuttery look. I assumed a faster shutter would make my videos better at first too, and I shot my first few tapes that way and hated it. Oh well, I guess to each his own.

July 23rd, 2009, 07:35 PM	#7
Greg Laves Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Corpus Christi, TX Posts: 640	I don't have my V-1 any more but mine never auto reset my settings after any period of time. Neither does my Z7.