Skin tones

[John Sharaf]

Kevin,

The ability of any two cameras, even on the same model, to match is totally subjective; dependent on the baseline setup of the cameras and then the particular matrix and other settings overlaid.

The best way to match two cameras in production is to have a skilled video controller with the necessary tools to preform camera setup; namely a DSC chart, waveform/vectorscope, remote controllers and a high quality master monitor.

The next best method would be to have the two cameras setup to match before the shoot in an engineering lab environment.

The least best method would be to turn the matrix off in both cameras, AWB, ABB, and shoot, leaving final matching to post.

Off course the detail settings are difficult if not impossible to alter in post (short of applying filter effects), so it is important to try and ballpark in the detail level when shooting.

Matching the numbers is not really sufficient, as variances in the baseline setup and lenses have an effect, so the best course is to put the two cameras side by side aiming at a target with fine detail (like the trumpets on a DSC chart or even the fine newsprint from the morning paper) and subjectively make your match.

Of course making a detail level adjustment without a waveform is to risk setting the enhancement too high and increasing the noise level, so proceed with caution.

Finally you must also consider the monitor you’re looking at. Is it native 720? And you must consider the horizontal downsampling that takes place in the recording, such that the observed picture is actually sharper than that which is being recorded.

Hope this helps,

JS

[Chris Bell]

Sounds like a poorly set-up Varicam. The HVX makes a nice picture, but properly dialed-in Varicam will be superior in every way.

Ever since I got my DSC chart, my Varicams make really nice pictures.

Chris Bell

[Leo Ticheli]

Was this VariCam your personal camera or was it a rental? If it’s a rental, you should have discussed the settings with the rental house in advance and developed the look you were after prior to the shoot. I can’t imagine any legitimate rental house refusing to do this.

If this is your personal camera, you need to get the assistance of a qualified camera engineer with the proper equipment, charts and scopes, to set the camera up to your liking.

Setting up a VariCam is not for the faint of heart, certainly not for a layman using advice from a forum! It’s a complicated, interconnected, and lengthy process. You can’t just frame a test shot and tweak until you think it looks right because those settings may make other scenes look terrible. You must set up to a professional chart using waveform and vector scopes.

I can’t over emphasize how difficult this actually is! Moving one parameter setting affects other settings, so it’s adjust, check, adjust, check, and so on until everything is as close as possible.

Of course once you’ve set up your VariCam parameters, you can save them to the SD card and port them to any VariCam you care to use. Note that the V and H models are different and you can’t directly use the setting from one to the other.

There is an alternative to all this; you can simply download the setting from a variety of sources and check to see if they are pleasing to you for the job at hand. Your Panasonic rep can help you with this.

Matching two very different cameras is an entirely more complicated matter; as John Sharaf suggested to you, you’ll need a camera engineer to help with this, or shoot both cameras as flat (not the lighting!) as possible and try to match in post.

I hope this is helpful.

Good shooting and best regards,

Leo

[Bob Hayes]

Buying a DSC chart the 24 color model with added flesh tones is an amazing tool. You will need a waveform and a vector scope. It takes a while to pick up how to use these tools but the effort is worth it. It will tell you exactly how your cameras are behaving.