hot video

indyphotog

Member
I'm a new photog...I shoot with a Sony PDW-530 xdcam..but i edit onto beta sp...deck to deck...i know.....i'm having a problem with my video being a little hot....My zebra looks good...my external reference monitor looks good...but when i get into an edit bay..my video looks washed or just plain hot...

I look at other photogs work and their colors are bright and clean....mine look faded...

i'm pretty confidant on my filter settings...and i've tried to iris down from what i normally use..i've even used the quick auto iris button..but still too inconsistent.

Inside shots look great..it's outside that i'm having problems....

what can i do?
 

canuckcam

Well-known member
What are your zebras set to? There's a few threads in the history here if you search you should find some good discussions and personal preferences about zebras.

If the zebras are set to 100%, anything the zebras show will be blown out.

Assuming your picture is perfect....
Record bars on your disc and play them back out your camera to a vectorscope and waveform monitor. Make sure they're at spec. Theres lots to get into on how to read the scopes and how to use the different features on them - see if you can get an engineer to take you through some of the basics. Then, take that same disc and put it into your edit suite, playback and watch the scopes in there (direct from playback deck to the scopes, not through other equipment!) to make sure they're good, whites aren't blown and blacks aren't crushed. I've seen many-a-times playback decks are outta whack. If you're using BVW Beta machines, pull out the control panel to reveal some basic picture control pots and make sure all of them are at normal/unity (you'll feel an indent). Same with your record machine now, make sure all the pots are reset to normal. Sometimes the editor will fiddle with these basic controls to boost blacks in a dark picture or crush down the whites... and "forget" to reset them afterwards.

... and don't worry, scopes are just as important (if not even more, actually) in a digital world so don't think the NLE guys get a break either! :)
 
Also check to see if there is a video level control on the front of your deck, this should be separate from the internal one mentioned already. I have seen these left in the cranked position causing this kind of distortion.

Have you had this same problem on multiple edit bays if so it is coming from the camera end.
 

acton

Well-known member
Just wondering if you use the same edit machines as your colleagues as the previous poster mentioned. It could the video signal is not terminated properly or any number of things.

Check out another suite and then you can narrow it down to camera or editing.
 

focusthis

Well-known member
My zebra looks good...my external reference monitor looks good...but when i get into an edit bay..my video looks washed or just plain hot...
It looks good on the LCD panel on the camera?
In the edit bay, do both monitors display your video as looking the same way?
How does it look on air?
The other photogs... are you looking at their raw video, BetaSP, off air....?
 

indyphotog

Member
it looks good on the lcd...
both monitors in the edit bay(s) are calibrated...
on air i'm either too hot or a bit dark...i keep experimenting to try to figure it out..whether its my viewfinder or the lcd monitor that could be off...i reference both. so i'm usually adjusting my iris..to try and compensate...

there are times when i use another photogs disc for either their b-roll or an interview and thats when i notice a big difference in color...like i stated earlier, my colors look faded...
 
it looks good on the lcd...
both monitors in the edit bay(s) are calibrated...
on air i'm either too hot or a bit dark...i keep experimenting to try to figure it out..whether its my viewfinder or the lcd monitor that could be off...i reference both. so i'm usually adjusting my iris..to try and compensate...

there are times when i use another photogs disc for either their b-roll or an interview and thats when i notice a big difference in color...like i stated earlier, my colors look faded...
Are you shooting with your zebras turned on?

If so what are they set to should be one of 70 ,80 ,90 100 etc?

Have you pulled up your color bars and calibrated the moniters to them?

If so is it possible that you or somebody else has fiddled with the brightness or contrast settings on the camera since then.

Also in addition to the camera stuff if your record deck has pots for contrast they could do it as well.
 

netnews

Active member
Just because the color bars playout correctly doesn't mean the camera is setup properly. Sounds as if someone may have playing in the menus. Try performing a reset to the factory preset scene file.
 

canuckcam

Well-known member
Good point...

I was thinking colour bars as I half-assumed that the shooter was exposing correctly and that it would be something in the chain causing the problems.

eew, the look of factory scene files. :)
 

netnews

Active member
I agree canuckcam, the factory setting may not be aesthetically the best but they should establish a good baseline for exposure, especially if someone with little or limited knowledge has been in there tweaking.

Actually, as bad as Sony's factory settings were on the analog cameras, we were actually pleased with the factory preset on our PDW700. That said, we have also established additional scene files to provide a variety of "looks".

I have seen a number of scene settings on Varicams, HDX900's, PDW300's and F900's that I would be very reluctant to use. Just setting things to a non-reference display monitor without a scope can prove deadly and bad enough that you can't even start to fix in post.
 

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
Something doesn't sound right...If your indoor shots look good, but your outside shots are hot, it sounds it maybe the operator? To be honest, all the video should look good or bad. Like many have posted, what are the settings for the zebras? Do you share your camera? Have you looked or downloaded the manual for the camera? Your best friend at a station is the engineer. He is the person that will set you right. If it is you or the camera, or even the edit bay that you use.

How do you set the video level for your camera? Are you using the zebras? The LCD on the side is not the best to use...Good to check color, but not for video levels. After all, it could be a bad camera.... I used a camera that would not white balance all the time....I would shot once in awhile blue video....Everyone said that I wasn't white balancing...It happen to the CP....The camera was replaced....
 

indyphotog

Member
of course operator error is a part of it...I'm a new photog. Thats why i'm here asking for advice. Zebra's are at 70% I'm not the only photog that uses this camera...there are times that i get it and have to change the shutter settings, often times after the first shoot of the day. Im using the ECS 60 (? not in the shop at this posting) and my colors look great. The sky is incredibly blue, leaves and grass bright green...skin tones beautiful. Although i thought that the ECS settings were more for shooting computer screens? is that correct?
 

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
Thanks for not biting my head off. But you should know how to use and set zebras. You should download a manual. I even have a copy of the manual. Never have used the camera, but it did come in use with your ESC question. Yes, it is mostly used for shooting computer screens.

If I was you, I would change my zebra settings to 100%. This way, you see the overall video level of the picture. 70% is used to expose skin color. I should say set one set of zebras to 100%. the second set to 70%. Use the 100% all the time. The only use that I have used the 70% setting is for formal sit down interviews. But even then, I have a monitor to look at the picture.

Speaking of monitor, only use the camera LCD for color balance. Not good enough to check focus or lighting.

If you are shoot too hot, colors do wash out. But just change the shutter speed shouldn't make that much of a difference. Sound like the zebras are set to 100%.

I think the user before you is changing the settings on the camera. If you have found the shutter speed changed, I would wonder. Most news shooter don't play with shutter speeds....As a sport shooter, I do go to 1/100 for slow motion action, but I shoot 1/60 most of the time.

I had to share a camera. My solution was to set one of the user's setting for my settings. First thing I did was set my settings....At the end of my shift, I would set it back to the other user. That way, my settings were not changed.....I downloaded the manual and found out have to create an user's setting.

Buy a stick, and save your settings...Every day load your setting, and that way you know that the camera is set up your way.

I would take some time and sit down with one of the engineers and walk you through the settings of the camera. First, it will show engineering that you care about your equipment, and two, you will better knowledge how to adjust you camera.
 

indyphotog

Member
I spoke with the guys in engineering. They are looking over the camera today. I changed my zebras as suggested, my stuff looked great, well as good as you can make a city council meeting look.

I do change the shutter for certain occasions. Being in West Texas we get alot of brush fires that spread quickly...and air support is needed. That is when i change the shutter, it makes the helicopter propellers much more dramatic. There is another guy in our shop who uses my gear on my off days...he is a well seasoned, incredible photog, When i come back i always have to change the shutter.

I'll look into getting a memory stick...

thanks again for all of your advice!
 

Canonman

Well-known member
indy,

As was mentioned, ECS is extended clear scan. You should not have that shutter setting in use unless you are shooting a computer or other display with an oddball refresh rate.

In fact, for most of your news shooting, the shutter should be in the OFF position, effectively making it 1/60 of a second (shooting 60i).

For faces, try to expose so that the 70% zebras are just barely showing on the facial highlights.

IMHO, helicopter or other propeller blades look very unnatural with a fast shutter because they start to strobe.

Necktie is absolutely right in his advice for getting a memory stick of your own. Get the camera set up the way you like with the buttons assigned to your preferences, etc. and then save a USER file to the memory stick. Pop it in and load the file at the beginning of your shift to instantly put the camera back to the way you like it.

cm
 

indyphotog

Member
Really? See i thought i was being creative with the strobe effect on the helicopter blades, I do that on large brush/grass fires too, The effect on the water as it comes out of the hose...i see your point though....

I have many more questions only i'll start another post for those...

Thanks guys!
 
Fire, yes use the shutter, water yes, use the shutter, helicopter no shutter or little shutter or just filter 4 for some Neutral Density. Just remember don't over use the shutter and what I mean by that is don't crank it to 1/2,000 everytime. Read up on how shutter works online, you can just type that into google how the shutter works. Learn that and learn about Kelvin that is color temp know where to used what filter 1 is 3200 and so on. Also a good term I used to remember when I was starting was this
a b c d
a is automatic any thing you can turn on
b is bright for a bright day
c is cloudy but can also be used inside when shooting with some outside light window etc
d is daylight
you might know this already if so no harm ment

My point with the two learned you have unlocked the combination and you can't go wrong.
you can dial in just what you need that way anyone messes with the settings you can figure it out.
 
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