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Zebras where there were no zebras
I shot a DVCPRO HD project with the Redrock M2 adapter on the HVX200. I have been using the M2 since it came out, so I know highlights can blow out if you aren’t mindful of the issue. I was careful in the field to make sure the highlights came in under 100 IRE. When my client brought in the footage to FCP, some of the shots were blown out and pretty much unusable.
I have shot a bunch of projects including national and international spots with the M2/HVX combination and haven’t seen this before. I am wondering if there is a setting in FCP that could cause the footage IRE to be boosted somewhere in the ingestion/conversion process. This is a new client for me and I don’t know if her FCP system is set up differently than others.
Any ideas? Thanks.
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4 Replies
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Do you still have the raw P2 files so you can compare footage before and after being ingested. Without applying a filter, I have never seem this.
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My client made backups of all the footage. How can she look at it without taking it into FCP?
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it might be worth checking the manuals – i seem to remember reading in one of them that the zebra is set to appear at 90% – i may be wrong, but if your camera is set to zebra at a different value that could be the cause.
It would be much more accurate to use a waveform monitor/vectorscope to check your signal. The built in scope in FCP is ok, but if you have access to an external model even better.
adam
Editor/Mixer
Character Options Ltd
Oldham, UK -
Thanks Adam,
I checked the shots in question in the field with the zebras set to 80% and 100%. The 100% setting showed no zebras. These particular shots were outdoors with sunlight sifted through trees and striking the subjects face. I knew we were asking for problems with this lighting situation since it was run and gun without reflectors to lower the contrast or diffusion to soften the sunlight. But, it was a look the director wanted, so I tried to make sure we captured it as best we could.
This client doesn’t have a stand alone scope. She is relying on the one in FCP. I’ll ask her to check the zebra settings, but I think she already said they were at 100 IRE.
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