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Set-up – basics and work habits
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How’s the audio?
OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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Thanks for the input, John and Rick…
We had really been considering the Sony, and for quite a while I figured it would be next in line here… all the while hoping that Canon put finally get off the dime and put their big sensor in a proper video camera. We’re still weighing both, but I haven’t found many downsides to the C300.
I can see where the lack of automation would really be a hurdle for some people, and will likely be a dealbreaker for many. Personally for me though it doesn’t matter. It’s probably been several years since I’ve had any camera in any sort of auto mode at all… I just always shoot full manual everything and am used to doing that. Maybe every now and then I’ll think “This is one of those cases where autofocus would be nice,” but it’s not often. I remember shooting just some backyard stuff with a friend’s camcorder a while back… I kept reaching out for the follow-focus wheel (which wasn’t there, of course) just out of habit.
As my bones and body seem to be inexplicably getting older, smaller and lighter is our goal this year… my current “A” camera rig is built around the XLH1 body which isn’t huge, but all rigged out it weighs in at 23lbs. The C300 body weighs less than the battery hanging on the back of my present camera.
As for adapters, Craig… yes they work, but aren’t always the easiest or most elegant solution, and some things work better than others. Putting a PL mount lens on an EF mount camera takes a pretty special adapter… it’s not just a metal ring with the right connections on each end. Because many/most PL mount lenses have a “flange depth” (basically the ass-end of the lens) that’s too deep for tolerance, the PL-lens-to-EF-camera adapter is a pretty cumbersome gadget, and it has optical elements in it as well to account for that flange depth. It’s also about $2500, just for the adapter.
Well, now we’ve really sidetracked the thread. Sorry, Craig… probably just should have started my own thread when Rick mentioned the camera.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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No problem, Todd. Being a teacher, I’m a generalist so all this stuff is relevant. It’s interesting that all the lighting designers here are now videographers. This also plays a part when we are setting up lights. How far are you zooming in, camera angle and placement, F stop, focus.
Our flags are on order so they have not really been part of the solution yet. I often just change the camera position or angle or zoom to cut out the boom shadow. Still if the boom pole operator had a small monitor they could keep an eye on it to watch if it was creeping into the shot.
Speaking of which, the c300, doesn’t even have a push focus? I’m starting to learn this is true of a lot of the high end modular systems. I think this just might be the nature of very high resolution, large sensors, and narrow depth of field. Where in the image would the autofocus focus? Right in the center would not conform to rule of thirds for example. Still cams will auto focus dead center then you hold position and adjust from there. Maybe not so effective with video cams? Movie cameras did not have auto focus. To me it means there is still a place for the more run and gun friendly camcorders. Considering we are delivering in no more than 1080p they still have their place. Granted, even in 1080 p the higher end cams produce better images.
Do the large sensor cams like the c300 have focus assist features like a graph or bar or magnifying a portion of the image?
OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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As noted above, the c300 has a peaking function which outlines areas that are in focus in red. It also has a magnification button that allows the operator to push in on the image to set/adjust focus. Neither is recorded so both can be activated during a shot, though the magnification button screws up your framing quickly. I avoided it except when my finger hit it by mistake.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Sorry Rick. You did mention this. On the Panasonic AG-HPX170 which has been our main camera (the 250 on order) they have a focus assist button which brings up either a graph or a bar or both and a magnified image “Magnifies the center portion of the image and displays the frequency distribution graph..” All of these are very helpful. The Sony Z7U has a focus helper function (expanded focus). Works great. But these are both in the traditional camcorder form factor and by the time you are done maybe a third the price or less depending on your choice of lens.
I wish the manufacturers would agree to call similiar functions by the same name.
On the Panasonic, for example, what they are calling AWB (auto white balance) is manual white balance on Sony and Canon and every other cam I have used.
How does the framing get screwed up? I really hope next year’s budget will let me buy one of these large sensor cam’s. Whenever I apply for funding I have to make sure i order a complete package and everything works together. It’s not like i am sitting on a budget I can draw from. So I start my research early, keeping an eye on end user experiences.
One more question: how long can you hand-hold the Canon steady enough when recording. I find the tighter the shot and the higher the resolution the more noticeable any unwanted camera movement becomes. Same with focus. Focus is much more critical. When I got to play with the red camera, I was thinking man this baby is a brick. I was also thinking how much i wanted one.
MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Panasonic AG-HPX170, Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.
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One more question: how long can you hand-hold the Canon steady enough when recording. I find the tighter the shot and the higher the resolution the more noticeable any unwanted camera movement becomes.
The Canon lens we had, a 17-55, has a built-in steady-shot, which helps. Further, shooting that wide also helps reduce shake. And the ultimate post weapon is Mercali DeShake. Length of time I can hold steady? Not sure, but a while. Holding that camera does require one to have some decent upper-body strength. I work out with 8# dumbells, sitting upright and holding them vertical and lifting them up and down, then side ways and up and down, then flip the wrists over and up and down; then work on the wrists by holding the weights with my arms resting on my knees and repeat motion in every possible way, then start over with the arms, etc. The camera is not truly light, just lighter than many others….
I did try a shoulder brace, but I’ve never liked them. On the other hand, for long hand-held work I’d recommend something like the Turtle X or XS from Easy Rig. Here’s a delightful demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl7LHTGT46c)
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
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In regards to the Canon C300.
“Not so good: no histogram or waveform”
The C300 does have a waveform. It is only viewable on the LCD flip up and not the evf. The focus enhance feature uses the waveform, so you can’t see them both at the same time.
mike gluckman
dp – orlando -
You are so correct! My error. See p. 88 of the manual…. However, since using the waveform seems to turn off the peaking function, there’s still a bit of a problem unless there’s time to set up properly — which while shooting doco style there seldom is…. Back to zebras.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com
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