Captured Image Too Dark

[Jeff Brown]

How are you capturing?

[Eric Naylor]

Through firewrie. I hit file, then capture, then record. I’ve never used HD before so it is possible that I may be doing something wrong. Although, I captured footage from a minidv the other day and even that came up dark, but no where near as dark as this footage. And I’ve imported that minidv footage before while I was using Premiere Pro 2.0. This is the first time I’m using CS3 and the first time I’m using any editing software since reformatting my computer.

[Vince Becquiot]

A digital signal cannot be altered through Premiere’s digital capture.

My guess is that you don’t have a properly calibrated monitor either on the camera or with Premiere. That, unless there is a problem with Premiere itself. What is your overall range when switching the preview to YC waveform?

In fact a capture from that window would be helpful.

What does the footage look like when played in say Windows Media Player?

Are you using any preview harware such as Aja, Decklink?

Vince

[Eric Naylor]

I’m at work right now, but I will send you a screen shot of the YC waveform. The footage looks the same when the premiere file is played through windows media player. However, I downloaded HDV-split and captured through there and the footage looks a little brighter when played through windows media player but dark again when imported into premiere.(still didn’t look how it looked on the cameras LCD, my HDtv, or how it did through premiere’s capture screen on the day of the shoot). I don’t have any preview hardware. I’m going to try another computer, but it’s weird, it seems to get dark after the capture. Could not having the proper codecs, plugins, wrong video card driver, etc. contribute to this? I have not downloaded any codecs or plug ins, but I did install the 24p preset in premiere.

[Vince Becquiot]

If the 2 captures really have a different brightness, that could be a Premiere or OS issue.

Try posting the waveforms of those 2 separate captures or send them to me vince (at) kaptis.com and I’ll post them.

Most camera viewfinders aren’t accurate, and often boosted to be viewable outdoors. Using the zebras pattern is the only reliable way to gauge brightness other than using an external monitor.

HDTVs are also boosted in brightess so that they look brighter in the store. Computer LCDs usually are less prone to that issue, CRT aren’t usually either.

Vince

[Eric Naylor]

Here’s a link to two images:

https://www.hv20.com/showthread.php?t=14898

The first one is the dark image taken after capture.

The second one is the image adjusted after levels, but it depicts the HDtv image fairly accuarately. Sorry to be a pain in the ass, but I just want to get to the bottom of this. I fear it may be the footage. As I said, I’m still learning this program, but I’ve used 2.0 plenty of times and without much of an issue.

Could the image change that drastically between monitors?

[Vince Becquiot]

Sure. Again, neither is likely to be the accurate in brightness / color, unless it has been calibrated, and you will need a more accurate way to monitor your footage with a broadcast monitor if you plan on selling your services.

In the meantime, check your TV menu and set the image brightness to “normal” or “natural”. That should get you close to what it “should” look like.

There are usually other settings such as standard, and vivid / graphic (most likely the default setting) which are boosted to make it look like your old plasma is worthless 🙂

Vince

[Eric Naylor]

Okay. You’ve been helpful and I appreciate the input. One last question and I’ll send you the YC waveforms later on tonight. Well two questions:

On the day of the shoot I used Premiere to preview the footage and it didn’t look no where near as dark as it did after I captured it. Can that happen?

And for my future shoots, can you recommend a broadcast monitor to get an accurate preview image? I think I’ll save up some extra money and just hire a cinematographer =(.

I’m also pretty sure my television has been adjusted for brightness. I remember when I first bought it, the levels were way too high and it was set under vivid or extreme or some other superlative and I set it to my more comfortable normal or regular.

[Eric Naylor]

I should have pointed this out too:

There are 2 sections of the captured footage that appear fine. The first is at the beginning of the tape and lasts until the camera is moved to another shot. The second occurs about 30 minutes into the tape and is sandwhiched between two darker cuts of the same shot. . .This is the piece of evidence that leads me to believe its the footage and we did something wrong with the camera inbetween shots. Is it possible the tape has some kind of copy protection or if I had an inferior computer this could cause this….And again the image didn’t look like this when previewing through the same Adobe premiere capture screen.

[Vince Becquiot]

It should look the same. Was it previewed on the same machine? It is the same footage or was it possibly before an aperture / shutter change on the camera?

The waverform will tell you the truth there.

As HD monitors goes, Marshall probably makes the most affordable, altough you have to watch out for their native resolution; you want at least 1280×720 for critical focus, that’s especially important for HD, and rather important with a redrock adapter given the narrower depth of field. Onboard LCDs just don’t cut it. Alternatively, you can use the trusted tape measure…

JVC is also a bit cheaper and they are good units. Ideally you want something you can use both on the field and in your edit suite. I find 17″ to be a good size, though you won’t be able to mount it on the camera…

All of this doesn’t rule out an issue with the way Premiere previews or captures the footage, but I would want to rule out all the other obvious possibilities first.

Vince