jamming TC for HVX

[Noah Kadner]

There’s a firewire TC sync but it can be a little finicky. We just use the remote control trick:

Use free run timecode. Put all cameras on a counter and set them with the remote control all at the same time. You will get true sync on all cameras even when you turn them off and change batteries.

Noah

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[Dave Neyman]

Noah’s suggestion is the best way. I have found it best however to re-sync every time you turn of the camera or change the battery as there has been some drift. I also recommend checking them if the cameras are plugged in and on for more than 2 hours as I have also seen a little drift. It’s pretty easy to sync them up in post especially if you you a traditional clapper slate just in case.

[Nelson May]

Someone tried that before and it didn’t work. I didn’t know enough about the camera then. Here is another question. Since the 100B uses the same remote, can you start a 100B and HVX at the same time.

Here is something I ran into. I used a clap board on an HVX and 100B, but I couldn’t sync the sound on the 100B to the HVX for a multi cam edit. Are the tape transports in those cameras essentially the same? Just food for thought.

G5, 1.7, 4MB RAM, 30″cine, G4, 1.6 2MB RAM, Mbox, Neumann TLM-103, FCP HD 5. Pro Tools, Adobe Creative Suite, Reason 3.0, Macromedia Studio, ProAnimator, HVX200 with Firestore v4.0

[Dave Neyman]

I don’t know about syncing an HVX and a 100B but syncing two HVX’s does work. I do it all the time. Just to be clear you do not use the remote to start the cameras recording at the same time but rather to set the time code in free run at the same time so the time code generated by each camera independently is the same.

[Nelson May]

Just a question, when you have the TC set to Free Run, is it synced by the internal clock or do you still have to sync both cameras via FW initially. I am not too clear about the process.

Thanks.

G5, 1.7, 4MB RAM, 30″cine, G4, 1.6 2MB RAM, Mbox, Neumann TLM-103, FCP HD 5. Pro Tools, Adobe Creative Suite, Reason 3.0, Macromedia Studio, ProAnimator, HVX200 with Firestore v4.0

[Dave Neyman]

Here are the steps:

Menu Button – 5. Recording Setup – TC Preset / Yes – Set each camera to the same time – Menu – Preset OK? / move to yes but do not select – Then press the set (right arrow) button on the remote while pointing remote toward front of each camera.

If the front tally light is on it will blink and you are good to go. Just check the TC on each camera to make sure it is running and generating the same TC. You are good to go for a couple of hours. If you change batteries or shut down the camera it’s a good idea to reset it. I also reset every couple of hours just to be safe.

You can start/stop the cameras with the remote also but I usually don’t. I just start them about the same time. I do like to have at least a visual slate in the frame when I start the cameras so I can easily ID the shot in the thumbnail in FCP.

Best of luck!

[John Kereny]

I have a two camera shoot that’s filming a blues band for PBS. The band has two 90 min sets with an intermission between sets. Total run time with cameras on is 3 1/2 hours. Okay to leave the cameras running or should I reset TC before second set because of drift?

This tread was super helpful

JK