HDX 900 tips?

C

Capt. Slo-mo

Well-known member
I've got my first shoot with a rental HDX900 coming up next week. I've been a Sony guy my whole career. Any operating oddities/things to be aware of with this camera?

We're shooting 24p...and I notice in 1080i there are two flavors: 24p and 24PA. Is there a distinction there that makes one better than the other?

Thanks!
 
B

Berkeley Shooter

Active member
I love the look of the camera! Only use 24pa if your doing a film out. Other wise use regular 24p.

You should make sure you have a user manual with you. Many settings are confusing and not like Sony's. When I started using the HDX900 I found it hard to do things like configuring the outputs for things like framelines. Also make sure you know how to put on the half shutter. It should be an option on the shutter speed on/off switch like turning on 1/1000 shutter speed. If it's not there you have to make it a shutter speed option in the shutter speed menu. The down convert is accessible on the monitor out connector & turned on by setting the sdi switch next to the time code set switch on the side of the camera to vbs. Below that is a Character switch that allows the monitor out to be either clean or have info overlaid like your viewfinder.

Hope that helps.

Robin

link for manual:
ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/Drivers/PBTS/manuals/OM_AJ-HDX900.pdf
 
C

Capt. Slo-mo

Well-known member
Robin:

Thanks! I hadn't yet been able to find an explanation of the 24p/24PA difference in the Ops manual. All 132 pages of it.

Since this is a direct to DVD project (with a fair amount of movement and high-paced editing), is there a compelling reason to use the "half" shutter, over just the basic default shutter?

How well does this camera handle exposures on skin tones? In HDCam land we back off the highlights a bit, and watch the peaks on the audio carefully. Same for the HDX900, or is it fairly tolerant?
 
B

Berkeley Shooter

Active member
Capt., I almost always use half shutter, it reduces any motion blur. As you discribe your project as having "a fair amount of movement", I'd shoot at 30p to be safe. Again a bit shorter exposure to reduce blur, but still keeping the progressive shutter to not look like 60i video.

I would still shoot as you are used to by keeping highlights backed off a bit. Always seems like richer tonal range that way. As far as audio levels - seems like the safe way to run it, but not really in my realm.

Robin
 
b-roll

b-roll

Administrator
Staff member
I forget which is which - but when it comes to 24P/24PA one actually shoots 24 frames per second (better for film output) the other does a pulldown (or is it pullup) and puts it on a 30 fps file (better for NLE).

Please correct me if I screwed that up...

kev
 
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