Color correction help at DVinfo.net

Stan Harkleroad · February 20th, 2009, 07:57 AM

I've noticed a couple shoots recently with a Panasonic PV-GS300 and GS320 that in auto white balance both cameras are taking on a brown tone part of the way though the video. The last couple times it happened I used Color Balance and pulled down the red and green and got a mostly normal look. I have a pageant I shot a couple weeks ago and about 1/4 way though it the GS320 went brown and my wife who was filming didn't notice. About 1/2 way through the GS300 I was using did it also. I put it into manual balance and it corrected it.

So if this happens again can someone give me some advice on more advanced color correction in Vegas. I'm linking a 10 second clip in DV-AVI below if anyone would be willing to take a look at it and see what you can do with it. I appreciated lending me your proverbial ears and and advice.

http://www.mbbchurch.com/mbbcmedia/CChelp.avi

Perrone Ford · February 20th, 2009, 08:22 AM

The best advice I can offer is to stop using auto-white balance. It makes a royal mess of things and can make it nearly impossible to clean up things in post. A consistently wrong color balance is trivial to fix. A color balance that is wrong but moving constantly is hours and hours of work.

Leave the auto-white balance off.

Stan Harkleroad · February 20th, 2009, 08:26 AM

I all depends on what I'm shooting. For something like this I've got 3 different cameras hooked to AC power in different parts of the room. I can't set them in one spot and balance together and if I balance them in different parts of the room I might still have problems. Normally if I'm shooting a short event and using battery power I balance them together and don't have this problem.

Edward Troxel · February 20th, 2009, 08:36 AM

Why not white balance from where the cameras are? Then they'd all be white balanced on WHAT THEY SEE, not what the center camera sees.

If you insist on them all being white balanced from the center, can't you use a battery to set the white balance and then carry them back to the AC positions? They should keep the white balance settings as you transfer from battery to AC.

Stan Harkleroad · February 20th, 2009, 09:10 AM

Good advice. I just had bad experiences when I was first learning what white balance meant and I balanced cameras in different parts of the same building. I have not actually tried using battery and then transferring to AC to see if it keeps the settings. I will try it when I am able this weekend. I suppose you're advice about blanacing them them where they stand is a good idea anyway. At least if the color is off a little from each angle it shouldn't be drastic and more easily corrected than this problem.

This issue just worries me because it's something that has been happening recently. I've used these cameras for a couple years and haven't seen this. I intend to upgrade this year when I can afford it.

February 20th, 2009, 07:57 AM	#1
Stan Harkleroad Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Gautier, MS Posts: 175	Color correction help I've noticed a couple shoots recently with a Panasonic PV-GS300 and GS320 that in auto white balance both cameras are taking on a brown tone part of the way though the video. The last couple times it happened I used Color Balance and pulled down the red and green and got a mostly normal look. I have a pageant I shot a couple weeks ago and about 1/4 way though it the GS320 went brown and my wife who was filming didn't notice. About 1/2 way through the GS300 I was using did it also. I put it into manual balance and it corrected it. So if this happens again can someone give me some advice on more advanced color correction in Vegas. I'm linking a 10 second clip in DV-AVI below if anyone would be willing to take a look at it and see what you can do with it. I appreciated lending me your proverbial ears and and advice. http://www.mbbchurch.com/mbbcmedia/CChelp.avi

February 20th, 2009, 08:22 AM	#2
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	The best advice I can offer is to stop using auto-white balance. It makes a royal mess of things and can make it nearly impossible to clean up things in post. A consistently wrong color balance is trivial to fix. A color balance that is wrong but moving constantly is hours and hours of work. Leave the auto-white balance off. __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

February 20th, 2009, 08:36 AM	#4
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	Why not white balance from where the cameras are? Then they'd all be white balanced on WHAT THEY SEE, not what the center camera sees. If you insist on them all being white balanced from the center, can't you use a battery to set the white balance and then carry them back to the AC positions? They should keep the white balance settings as you transfer from battery to AC. __________________ Edward Troxel [SCVU] JETDV Scripts/Scripting Tutorials/Excalibur/Montage Magic/Newsletters

February 20th, 2009, 08:26 AM	#3
Stan Harkleroad Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Gautier, MS Posts: 175	I all depends on what I'm shooting. For something like this I've got 3 different cameras hooked to AC power in different parts of the room. I can't set them in one spot and balance together and if I balance them in different parts of the room I might still have problems. Normally if I'm shooting a short event and using battery power I balance them together and don't have this problem.

February 20th, 2009, 09:10 AM	#5
Stan Harkleroad Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Gautier, MS Posts: 175	Good advice. I just had bad experiences when I was first learning what white balance meant and I balanced cameras in different parts of the same building. I have not actually tried using battery and then transferring to AC to see if it keeps the settings. I will try it when I am able this weekend. I suppose you're advice about blanacing them them where they stand is a good idea anyway. At least if the color is off a little from each angle it shouldn't be drastic and more easily corrected than this problem. This issue just worries me because it's something that has been happening recently. I've used these cameras for a couple years and haven't seen this. I intend to upgrade this year when I can afford it.