Best Settings

[Nathaniel Brunt]

Hi, I am shooting a short film next weekend using the AG-DVX102A. It is a film school assignment for a 5 minute drama. It is also the first time I will be using it and they really haven't taught us anything about it.

 

Can someone let me know the important feature to set up. I've been able to take a look at it and have a bit of a play, but would really appreciate some help on it. Probably the main thing I am thinking about is features that will give it the ol' "film look" (of course)

 

I tried to change it in the scene mode, to 25P but then it seems to add a very slight strobe type effect, and I can't focus very well at all, the subject has to be quite close to get him in focus. And it also makes it quite a bit darker, could someone explain that to me as well.

 

Thanks.

[Daniel Carruthers]

Hi, I am shooting a short film next weekend using the AG-DVX102A. It is a film school assignment for a 5 minute drama. It is also the first time I will be using it and they really haven't taught us anything about it.

 

Can someone let me know the important feature to set up. I've been able to take a look at it and have a bit of a play, but would really appreciate some help on it. Probably the main thing I am thinking about is features that will give it the ol' "film look" (of course)

 

I tried to change it in the scene mode, to 25P but then it seems to add a very slight strobe type effect, and I can't focus very well at all, the subject has to be quite close to get him in focus. And it also makes it quite a bit darker, could someone explain that to me as well.

 

Thanks.

the strobing is normal, thats what film looks like. you can hide the strobing effect by panning with the actors in the forgound, the higher the focal length the more it will strobe, so you should move the camera slower.

you lose light cause its 24p or 25p as compared to 60i which is always open.

[Frank Barrera]

I tried to change it in the scene mode, to 25P but then it seems to add a very slight strobe type effect

This is normal. Welcome to progressive image capture.

and I can't focus very well at all, the subject has to be quite close to get him in focus.

This is not normal. The ability to focus is not effected by whether you shoot in interlaced mode or progressive mode. There certainly is a softening effect that occurs when switching from the former to the latter. Perhaps you just need to get used to it but unless there is something wrong with the lens...

And it also makes it quite a bit darker, could someone explain that to me as well.

In interlaced (normal) mode you are exposing two frames as apposed to one in progressive mode. So, less light is getting through to the CCD.

 

As far as "film look" you can choose a CINE GAMMA setting; take out some of the color for a more desaturated feel in CHROMA PHASE; go a couple of clicks down on the MASTER PED to create a more crushed black level; SKIN DETAIL off; MATRIX normal; DETAIL LEVEL a click or two down. In CAMERA SET UP go with a 16X9 ASPECT RATIO; SET UP at 0%.

 

Of course, if you ask 10 people to give you some settings you will get 10 different answers. You should have the camera hooked up to a properly calibrated monitor to judge how all of this effects the image and experiment with all of these settings.

 

You also need to become familar with the heads over at www.dvxuser.com