quick question?

[John Sharaf]

Dano,

Tell us what the context of your shoot is. For example, are you going from outside (daylight) to inside (fluorescent)?

That is what the auto tracking white balance is really designed for, although these are other and sometimes better methods.

If you’re goiong outside to inside, or visa versa the amount of light and the color of the light can both be issues, such that you might have to roll in/out a ND filter as well as color correction. It’s kind of like playing a musical instrument; you might have to change a filter and throw a switch. If you tell us the situation, we can write the musical score.

JS

[Chris Babbitt]

Good luck, Dano. I don’t know whether it is just my camera, but, no matter what I do with the settings, the ATW can take up to about 20 seconds to react to changes in color temperature. Sony got it right in previous cameras, such as my DSR-300s. I don’t know why they felt they had to mess with it.

[Dano Motley]

the shoot will be some fast indoor and outdoor changes. mostly it will be at a large room with incandesant light. part of the room will also be affected by sunlight through several large windows.

thanks,

dano

[John Sharaf]

Dano,

Just as I suspected; your big problem is first the quantity of light, you don’t want to or might not even be able to control the exposure outside without using ND filters and camera gain (not sure how mich minus gain is available on your EX, but my PDW700’s allow as much as -6Db). Then comes the color issue.

If it’s daytime, it’s likely the window spill will overwhelm the tungsten (if it’s coming from practical lighting not supplemental motion picture lighting – and if it is you should consider using daylight balanced mp lighting like HMI or blue tubes in Kinos). Mixed color temp can look good, as long as the overwhelming daylight is the principal color on the faces. It’ll be fine to let the tungsten burn warm on the wall right behind a lamp for example.

Another choice is to go entirely with the daylight and turn off the table lamps and practical overheads. I don’t recommend auto tracking white, and apparently it is a flawed feature on the EX. When you need continuous action, your best bet is to do it editorially, that is, shoot from the outside in and then move inside and shoot matching action in the other direction (out), then fix it with a cut. Otherwise the onlt alternative is to properly light the interior to be in the range of an iris pull.

Changing the iris, as long as there is proper exposure in and out can be done successfully with a little practice, being careful to notice exactly where it needs to be done. Like I said earlier it’s like playing a musical instrument or like pulling focus (which you might have to do too).

JS

[Michael Slowe]

Dano, I have just been filming in identical situations to yours and found that sticking with a daylight Kelvin (5600) was by far the best solution providing there is a modicum of daylight coming into the room.

Michael Slowe

[Rafael Amador]

I think Auto WB is very risky if you intend to make any CC.
Better deal with a wrong color dominant than with ever-changing one.
And some times the difference in WB it looks quite natural.
can’t you make a test on location before the event?
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Dano Motley]

yes. that was the key. i did exactly as you did and the footage looks stunning.

thanks to all,

Dano