Matching EX1's with white balance only? at DVinfo.net

Dustin Moore · June 5th, 2011, 04:53 PM

I have two PMW-EX1 camcorders. One was built a year later than the other so it
has a slightly glossier finish than the other. Both have a Tiffen T1 IR cut filter
and both have exactly the same settings (recalled from card) in all the
menus and the zoom, focus and aperture are all the same.

If I white balance to a card under studio lighting, one will white balance to 4700K
while the other goes to 5200K. If I do the same result with noon-day sun light outside
after stopping down and adjusting the shutter, I get roughly the same effect. One
camera balances somewhat bluer than the other.

The resulting video from the cameras doesn't quite match in terms of the whites.

Is there a recourse to get these cameras to match exactly or do they just
have fundamentally different sensors that I'm going to have to match using
PP or post production? Thanks,

Dave Sperling · June 5th, 2011, 07:19 PM

I'm assuming you're A-B'ing with a good monitor, or doing a split-screen in your NLE to check the cameras. Don't make judgements based on the built-in LCD screens.
Same Firmware on both cameras?
You have both cameras set to same picture profile?
Everything in manual?
Does preset match, or is that bluer on one camera than the other?
When you white balance, what IRE is the white card?

Under most circumstances, if a basic white balance doesn't do the trick, a few minutes adjusting the picture profiles with a decent monitor that has waveform/vectorscope should get you extremely close.

Dustin Moore · June 5th, 2011, 07:41 PM

I looked at both cameras on a my NLE's LCD screen and on a sony
HD CRT that has exceptional color reliability.

I just loaded firmware 1.25 on to both cameras before I synched all
of their settings with a store and recall on an SxS card.

Everything is in manual. Same zoom, same aperture. I tried futzing
with the aperture to see if that would bias the color but it didn't over
the reasonable apertures.

I did not try using the preset white balance since I have the T1 filters
on and that would yield a green picture but that
is a good idea since it isn't dependent on my white balance.

I'll try to get my vectorscope out so I can A/B in realtime. I was
recording everything and checking it on the NLE. Thanks!

Philip Howells · June 5th, 2011, 07:58 PM

Dustin, I'm unfamiliar with IR filters but I'd not try and WB or make any colour adjustments with anything that has such a dramatic effect stuck on the lens.

Dave Sperling · June 5th, 2011, 08:02 PM

Sounds like you're moving in a properdirection.
At some point you might want to try a reset of settings (after you've stored your camera data from both cameras on cards.) Just to see if things are closer in their 'factory' state.
I'm also wondering how the cameras match without the filters on?
I do a fair amount of multi-camera stuff, and though a little tweaking is normal from one to the next, my experience has usually been that they are pretty close, even old EX1's and new Ex3's, (though we have to manually set the picture profiles) so it's unusual within my experience to have that much of a differential.
Sorry not to be of more help...

June 5th, 2011, 04:53 PM	#1
Dustin Moore Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Rochester NY Posts: 104	Matching EX1's with white balance only? I have two PMW-EX1 camcorders. One was built a year later than the other so it has a slightly glossier finish than the other. Both have a Tiffen T1 IR cut filter and both have exactly the same settings (recalled from card) in all the menus and the zoom, focus and aperture are all the same. If I white balance to a card under studio lighting, one will white balance to 4700K while the other goes to 5200K. If I do the same result with noon-day sun light outside after stopping down and adjusting the shutter, I get roughly the same effect. One camera balances somewhat bluer than the other. The resulting video from the cameras doesn't quite match in terms of the whites. Is there a recourse to get these cameras to match exactly or do they just have fundamentally different sensors that I'm going to have to match using PP or post production? Thanks,

June 5th, 2011, 07:19 PM	#2
Dave Sperling Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Tinton Falls, NJ Posts: 780	Re: Matching EX1's with white balance only? I'm assuming you're A-B'ing with a good monitor, or doing a split-screen in your NLE to check the cameras. Don't make judgements based on the built-in LCD screens. Same Firmware on both cameras? You have both cameras set to same picture profile? Everything in manual? Does preset match, or is that bluer on one camera than the other? When you white balance, what IRE is the white card? Under most circumstances, if a basic white balance doesn't do the trick, a few minutes adjusting the picture profiles with a decent monitor that has waveform/vectorscope should get you extremely close.

June 5th, 2011, 07:41 PM	#3
Dustin Moore Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Rochester NY Posts: 104	Re: Matching EX1's with white balance only? I looked at both cameras on a my NLE's LCD screen and on a sony HD CRT that has exceptional color reliability. I just loaded firmware 1.25 on to both cameras before I synched all of their settings with a store and recall on an SxS card. Everything is in manual. Same zoom, same aperture. I tried futzing with the aperture to see if that would bias the color but it didn't over the reasonable apertures. I did not try using the preset white balance since I have the T1 filters on and that would yield a green picture but that is a good idea since it isn't dependent on my white balance. I'll try to get my vectorscope out so I can A/B in realtime. I was recording everything and checking it on the NLE. Thanks!

June 5th, 2011, 07:58 PM	#4
Philip Howells Trustee Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 1,212	Re: Matching EX1's with white balance only? Dustin, I'm unfamiliar with IR filters but I'd not try and WB or make any colour adjustments with anything that has such a dramatic effect stuck on the lens.

June 5th, 2011, 08:02 PM	#5
Dave Sperling Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Tinton Falls, NJ Posts: 780	Re: Matching EX1's with white balance only? Sounds like you're moving in a properdirection. At some point you might want to try a reset of settings (after you've stored your camera data from both cameras on cards.) Just to see if things are closer in their 'factory' state. I'm also wondering how the cameras match without the filters on? I do a fair amount of multi-camera stuff, and though a little tweaking is normal from one to the next, my experience has usually been that they are pretty close, even old EX1's and new Ex3's, (though we have to manually set the picture profiles) so it's unusual within my experience to have that much of a differential. Sorry not to be of more help...