Noise Reduction Firmware Upgrade?

[Toke]

Hmmm, wasn’t hvx200’s firmware on non-upgradeble?
https://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/new_read_post.cgi?forumid=193&postid=855891

[Jan Crittenden livingston]

Sorry, to my knowledge of the architecture of the camera this could not be added.

Sorry,

Jan

Jan Crittenden Livingston
Product Manager, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50, AG-DVX100
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems

[Thefilmaddict]

Jan,
I love the way this camera performs outdoors on a bright day. It’s very film like. The variable frame rates are incredible! The camera is well built overall. I am however frustrated by how this camera performs in lit indoor shots (Kenn described the noise perfectly). I’m giving the camera plenty of light, but still see the noise in the not quite black areas (sometimes the noise is big and crawls). Color Correction can sometimes make it look worse in post. What am I doing wrong (this is not my first camera — I’ve been an operator for years).
In my opinion, the noise is distracting because it only attacks certain parts of the image. It’s unlike any noise I’ve ever seen from a camera and I’m not using gain.
Do I have bad camera? What’s your take on this problem? I would love to know how to reduce or eliminate the noise. Lots of HVX200 owners are now starting to report this problem on other sites.
I would really appreciate your help. You’ve always been super helpful in the past. I’m so close to really loving this camera.
Thanks!

[Jan Crittenden livingston]

Hi,

Since I cannot see your pictures it is really impossible for me to say. Did you buy it from a local dealer and they can help you evaluate it? What are you monitoring it on? Some LCD monitors add noise that folks are attributing to the camera and that isn’t real.

What are your settings in detail and coring? Which gamma are you using?

Best,

jan

Jan Crittenden Livingston
Product Manager, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50, AG-DVX100
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems

[Thefilmaddict]

Jan,

Thanks for the quick response. I posted .tif files of my noise test at:

http://www.morrisbrothersfilms.net

The file named Noise Test Still 4a, best shows what I am talking about.

I USED THE FOLLOWING SETTINGS:
Detail Level -3
Detail Coring +7
Master Ped -2
Gamma Cinelike D
Matrix Norm
V Detail Freq Thin

NOTE ABOUT CINELIKE D:
I’ve been told that Cinelike D is a noisy setting, but I disagree. Sure, the noise is there, but I think that some of the other settings (the ones that crush the blacks and increase contrast even more) do have less noise, but the noise that is there, is much louder. The Cinelike D setting is smoother. I am willing to try other settings.

I’ve seen the noise on my Samsung 23″ LCD HDTV Monitor (LNR238W) and my 50″ Sony Grand WEGA LCD Rear Projection HDTV.

I purchased the camera in December (pre order) from B&H Photo in NYC. They are not near me. I bought the 2 8GB package. I’m still waiting for the cards, but I couldn’t wait, so I purchased a 4GB card to get me started.

I hope this answers your questions. Thanks!

————–

HERE ARE SOME QUOTES FROM DVXUSER MEMBERS WHO ARE REPORTING WHAT I AM SEEING:

The noise was less with the minus -6 MP, but still there. Daytime exteriors are gorgeous and virtually noise free. But even with us “melting” the interior set, enough to warrant using an ND indoors for better DOF, there’s still noise in the fall off. And like others have said, it’s not uniform noise. This looks nothing like grain. –ARKHAMEFILMS

It’s not subtle, “grain-like” noise we’re used to but rather big blotchy dancing blocks of artifacting. — HAAKON

Noise in the image has noting to do with bad lighting. I personally often use strong side light and very little (or non) fill so by definition you end up with very sculptural faces with strong one side (but not over exposed) and dark other side. It has worked beautifully with many cameras but with HVX is “funky.” –PATRYK_REBISZ

I did a test shoot on this second matter and want to share the result – so that we can do something about it hopefully. –SARU

SARU also captured the noise nicely at:
https://www22.tok2.com/home/hvx200/

[Toke]

Saru made a really nice second round of tests ( https://www22.tok2.com/home/hvx200/index02.html ), that show that this “banding blockiness” is really bad with b-press and cine-v, but it is quite non-existent with cine-d. Cine-d has only normal (great looking, at this point) video noise in the underexposured area.

Jan, do you have a comment on this test?
Why there are these blocks, which clearly aren’t just video noise, with some gamma settings?
Is there something wrong with these settings?
Or some of them you just can’t use when you have dark areas in your frame?

[Brian]

will it noise issue get fixed?

[Thefilmaddict]

Good question.