hdx900 edit system

[Ernie Santella]

John,

Shooting 60p vs. 24p is a creative choice. 24p (with half shutter) will blur similar to film. But, with fast motion, it might not be the best choice for sports. If you are looking for that film-matic look, then great. The other thing to consider with 60p is the excellent slo-mo you can get in post that you don’t get with 24p. You might also consider using the shutter even at 60p to add even more crispness to the slow-mo.

As far as focus, HD is extremely demanding on focus. You really can’t just set a ‘hyperfocal distance’ and shoot. (Now, there’s a word I haven’t used in a long time.) The short explanation is, the setting on the lens where you set a certain zoom setting, focus and f/stop and get everything in focus. (Note: that only works with a fixed zoom setting) It would also depend on your lens, but with most video lens, it might not be possible. I would just set the f/stop as closed as possible using the ND filters. That will give you the max focus and the least focus adjustment. But, I would definitely adjust as you go.

Ernie Santella
Santella Productions Inc.
http://www.santellaproductions.com

[John Rosson]

Ernie,
I’m so new to this camera I’m figuring it out as I go. The clarity of image is what is most important to me in the sports shoot — so 60p is the way i’ll shoot (I hadn’t thought about the slo-mo — that’s a nice benefit in post).
How do I set the shutter ‘as closed as possible’ using the ND filters (the wheel correct?) to get that wide depth of field you’re talking about?
An aside that relates to this — I shot some video the other day of people walking single file from a distance of about six feet (I was backpedaling). The first person in line was in perfect focus. But the second less so — third, even more out of focus etc. To be adequate, that shot needed all of them in focus.
Thank you for your help,
JR

[Ernie Santella]

Shooting 60p will give you the clearest images. For maximum focus you need to have the lens closed or iris’d down are far as possible. (That depends on your lens, it could be f16, f22 etc) To achieve that, you will need to find a compromise between filter setting, shutter and available light to get there. Most likely, you will not be able to use the highest/fastest setting on the shutter.

Start with the lens iris’d down as far as you can. Just be careful and not go all the way to extreme closed end of the iris as most lens get a bit funky. You can see what happens when you do. Back off a little which will also give you a little adjustment range while shooting. Then, set the camera’s ND filter to 1 (Clear, no filter), Switch on the Shutter and switch it until you get a nice exposure. Depending on light, you may have to adjust the iris a tiny bit to get a prefect exposure. That’s the way to get to the max depth-of-field.

Now, saying that, using the shutter at 60p is also a creative decision. The image will look a tiny bit stroby when on. I personally don’t like that and only use the shutter for slo-mo scenes and when shooting at 24p or 30p. So, that is your call.

Ernie Santella
Santella Productions Inc.
http://www.santellaproductions.com