Joe B Jowers

Are there charts or formulas for determing what lens length to use when taping a performance on stage. I'll be shooting an awards show and I've been on several of these shoots before but never had to determine what lens to use. One the scout I'll be able to measure the distance from the camera position to the stage. How then do I know if I'll need a 40x 50x or 75x. Thank you.

I shoot video and have attempted to determine the working speed rating for my DVX100a [i dare not say ISO or ASA] without the use of a waveform. I've found a few different methods but have not been able to come to a definitive number or guide. I read that using a light meter for video work is impractical because video sensors respond to light differently at various apertures. I took this to mean that at f4 my camera sensitivity would be 320 and say at f 5.6 it could be 800 or greater. If my testing methods have been correct I've experienced similar results. I've tried to eliminate ND filters and gain switches as variables. More to the point, I want to know how to go about determining how much light I will need for any given shot. Lets say I go on a scout with my video camera [not always practical] and find that wide open the exposure is adequate but I want to shoot at f5.6... What tools do I bring? Often I can bring or rent only enough to get by because of budget constraints. Do I need to think in terms of foot candles and fixture output? I'm sure there must be a systematic way to go about knowing that I need a 575 and a 200w joker or a 1200w HMI or that I can get by with a couple of 650w and softboxes. Determining what to bring to accentuate lighting in bright rooms with flat existing light is sometimes challenging for me also. I apologize for the awkwardness of the question. Any help would be appreciated. Joe Jowers

Hello All, Please respond if you own or use the AJD 900. Some feedback on how it compares with Betacam and any other formats with regard to resolutions, useable frame rates and (I need some education here) color space: 4:2:2, 4:1:1 etc. Does it hold together when shooting wide shots with lots of detail? AT 25bps, at 50 bps?How does it look when projected, on DVD, on VHS-- obviously there are a thousand varibles. Do you like the camera? Thanks, Joe J.