Is the EXZ1 suitable for Auto Racing?

[Oliver Heuft]

Hi,
i have a problem which should be the same as here described. I tried to freeze fast tennis motion with the EX3. I set the shutter mode to speed and to 1/2000. But the camera doesn´t react in the way it should (darker). And the video result is horrible: blurry! The same result with all formats (interlaced, progressive, s+q motion). There must be a mistake with my settings. Every 1000-dollar-camera is able to freeze motion.

Can you help?

Kind regards. Oliver (Sorry for my german english ;))

[Don Greening]

You’re welcome. You can tell right away if you’re in 720p 30 mode with under/overcranking enabled because there will be a red circle and slash right over top of the audio meters in the viewfinder. 720p 60 mode allows audio to be recorded, so there’s no such red circle.

Playing back under/overcranking clips in-camera will show the immediate results of that mode because the camera will play back everything @ 30fps. Just hit the “last clip” review button on the top of the hand grip, that way you don’t have to turn the camera off and then on again to enter media mode.

– Don

[Don Greening]

[Oliver Heuft] “Kind regards. Oliver (Sorry for my german english ;))”

Hi Oliver,

I’ll bet you a million Euros that your English is a lot better than my German 🙂

To answer your question I suggest you follow the developing thread at the link below. I’m sure that you’ll find something helpful to solve your issue.

https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/142/860504

– Don

[Bob Jackson]

Thanks for your advice Don.
Seems like we must be neighbors, I live just across Georgia Straight on Vancouver Island.
I have gone out several times and have used 1080i-60 and seem to get the results i like with shutter speeds 1/250 and above. Similar with 720-60.
I am using the standard 180º shutter.
Thanks again
Bob

vidiot

[Don Greening]

[Bob Jackson] “Seems like we must be neighbors, I live just across Georgia Straight on Vancouver Island.”

I noticed that the other day when I checked your profile. The BC government said they’ll be dropping the fuel surcharge soon on the ferry tickets so it won’t be quite so pricey to commute. I had to go to the Sunshine Coast on a gig a couple of weeks ago and was quite surprised at the cost.

Good luck with your car racing coverage. Is Cobble Hill still open?

– Don

[Bob Jackson]

Thanks Don
I will have unrestricted access, so i should be able to get very close to the action. Done it lots before, so we shall see….
I don’t think Cobble Hill has been operating for years.
Went to Thunder in the Valley in Port Alberni in August and tried camera there for first time.
Put it on youtube under my alias pitrow66.
Also has some of my 1990 racing footage. And some railway stuff from 2001.
I was surprised how complicated setting up this camera was. Perhaps too many quality settings.
Bob

vidiot

[Don Greening]

[Bob Jackson] “Put it on youtube under my alias pitrow66.”

I’ll check it out. Years ago I had an SCCA license and used to race a Camaro at Westwood in the GT1 class. Got really expensive so my partner and I got out before we lost our shirts. Peter Baljet used to race with us and now he’s got a Chevy store in Nanaimo ( I think).

Anyway, getting way off topic here. The EX series cameras are certainly not a run and gun camera like the HDV 1/3rd inch HDV ones are, although that’s how I’ve been using mine lately. There’s much more setup involved but the results speak for themselves. I always shoot progressive because the picture always looks so much better on today’s LCD and plasma TV’s.

– Don

[Bob Jackson]

The camera video at the track was awesome.
I was very surprised how great they were.
The audio was not so great when using a wireless mic setup.
I set the levels to -20 to -10 for the interview.
I did not monitor the audio thru headphone. Probably my big mistake……
There was a terrible 60 hz hum which really overrode the talking , will try and fix in post.
Unfortunatly everything was in a hurry.
The screenshots from the video were amazing using snap pro z.

vidiot

[Don Greening]

[Bob Jackson] “I did not monitor the audio thru headphone. Probably my big mistake……”

Yep. Unless you’ve got a sound guy doing the audio with a separate system, always monitor your audio with headphones. Glad you were happy with your moving pictures. Even now the EX quality still surprises me, too.

– Don