[Gigi Harris]

Hi Ki Ki,

Listen, it is never trouble helping a fellow videographer. I too am self taught. I count on these forums for help, and love creative cow. I am by no means an expert but have been around and done tons of jobs and made my share of mistakes. But when we are putting out the kind of money we have to for equipment in this business, you want to be thorough and do it right the first time. In regard to the camera flash issue, never once in the 200 weddings I have shot since I got the Z5U have I ever ever got a complaint. And I have not gotten a rolling shutter on the dance floor. At the start of the reception I am on wheels a pretty conservative shooting, but by the middle, the music pumps up, the floor is full and I go hand held and do some creative moves, including swish pans and no issues with rolling shutter. Thats where I would expect it. I use the Cannon A1A sometimes (3 chip not CMOS) and am always disappointed the the overall look. Side by side I would pick the sony each time. Again, If you want to move into tapeless, (although you can with the Z5U M2T files, I would go with the HXRNX5U.

I use the on camera flolight microbeam LED https://www.flolight.com/microbeam-128.html?ctt_id=2934045&ctt_adnw=Google&ctt_kw=LED%20camera%20lighting&ctt_ch=ps&ctt_entity=tc&ctt_adid=6189394032&ctt_nwtype=search&ctt_cli=12x10786x58314x659914&gclid=COaRsJLLgKcCFYa7KgodgXJBeg I love it. I can use a sony rechargeable (770 or 970) and it last pretty much the whole night. Photographers love my light. It give a very even light. I use their line for indoor as well . I also love light panels LEDs. Once you have gone LED, You never go back. They are dimable as well.

gigih7

[Gigi Harris]

Hi Kiki,

I really haven’t had a lot of problems with the rolling shutter wobble. When I shoot 30P or 24P a little more noticeable, but very minute if ever. I used to do a lot more hand held music video shoots, and those I was using the panasonic AG100 which was 3chip not CMOS. Perhaps if I was shooting HD Music videos with the Z5U I would notice more. But the sony has been great. Now, flashed are a problem for any CMOS camera. It seems like the camera flashes going on during a wedding shoot, on the video footage, there is a noticeable horizontal line down the middle. If you were to freeze frame, you would totally know what I mean. At first it made me go bananas because I had never seen this and couldn’t do anything about it. As I watch more and more wedding videos online I am realizing most weddings are being shot with 3 chip CMOS because that is what is being sold pretty much these days. Its like my eyes have accepted it and I think so have most people. Sad, but true. Now the wonderful trade off for the CMOS issues is the fabulous low light capability. My Z5U shoots as good as my Sony 2010 did 5 years ago and thats shooting HDV which requires more light. I have not been disappointed, considering the low light situations we are forced to shoot in as wedding videographers. Now I have shot with the Z7U and I prefer the Z5U because of the 20X versus 12X lens. It also goes wider as well if I remember.

I don’t know a whole lot about the the two JVC cameras you mentioned, although I know they both shoot native uncompressed quicktime files for FCP. the Z5U and Z7U are taped based but the nice thing about both is they have the capability to also shoot file based. Even both at the same time for backup archiving. For those who like tape, you have the best of both worlds. I shoot for other wedding companies as well as my own, so when I shoot for them, I have to send in tapes. I shoot over 55 weddings a year for others so tape is the only choice I have. When I shoot commercial or my own weddings, I go file based, for quick transfer and then edit in FCP Pro Res 422 codec. Never ever ever edit HDV as HDV. Impossible and unbearable render and conforming times. Pro Res is a breeze with HDV. So, I guess for you it really comes down to preferences. I myself am having no issues with CMOS rolling shutter, but others may. If you like options, I think the Sony line is the way to go. I am a sony fan. Hope this helps

gigih7

[Gigi Harris]

Thank so much for you’re reply. And yes to answer your question, I for sure shot 1080 30P native on my Z5U. I saw it when I played it back again in the Cam. I think I figured out what happened. I always stipe the camera with black before the shoot, and realized I had stripped the tape black at 1080 6i. I let 5 seconds pre role before I started shooting then the rest was shot 1080 30P Today I passed over the black and started recapturing that portion of the tape that registered 60i in FCP and low and behold now it says the correct 30P. Strange on capture now before, that it just did this to the clip following the black 60i. I don’t know if this is a FCP Bug or if I should never capture now with clips on one tape of different frame rates.

And in regards to HDV, I wish I had HD camera. Unfortunately, I shoot about 50 weddings a year from other companies that require the raw tapes sent. Not economical to send capture cards. These companies are out of town. Someday, hopefully these cards will come down in price like tapes, and are lives will all be easier. I am buying more Hard drives, and for my own projects, I will capture to pro res 422. I have just started doing that and life is so much easier. This wedding was already shot and pretty much edited by the time I got to this clip. I am Rendering as prores 422 and that is a great help.

Thanks for your time. I am not a good troubleshooter but was pretty proud of myself for figuring this one out. There is hope for me!!!!

gigih7

[Gigi Harris]

I too am having the same exact problem with the capture display flashing red and then triangles and too am happy that the capture file is fine but this is very un nerving. I installed snow leopard and FCP 7 and now this. I have never ever experienced this. I have an 8 core mac pro with 4 gigs of ram. I am only capturing DV. I was surfing the net, but have always been to do that even working on a complex HD timeline in FCP 6. Does anyone know whats up with this. Is this a bug or does this have something to do with the fact that I am now (with snow leopard) utilizing all 64 bits. I am just capturing via firewire your basic standard capture.

gigih7

[Gigi Harris]

Thanks,

I’ll do that. I was concerned after reading Mr. La Ronde’s post about my HVR-Z5U not shooting native 30P or 24P but progressive scan. this really threw me for a loop because that is one of the reasons I bought the camera. I have a number of clients that want me to shoot 24 Native Progressive especially interviews for documentaries. Nobody has complained to date so I went to the sony site and found this information stated about the two cameras
“Native progressive” vs. “Progressive scan”
Another significant difference between the FX1000 and the Z5U is the latter’s ability to record native progressive 1080p video, as opposed to the former’s “progressive scan” mode.

So my FX 1000 shoots progressive scan (which I did not know) and my Z5U shoots both progressive scan and native. Thats where my confusion lies for editing both together on the same timeline. Do I still change the field dominance to none in the prores sequence settings knowing this information. I have tried both and can’t notice a difference when editing. As I said before, when I was in FCP 6, I didn’t have to render the footage on the timeline but FCP7 I do (even when it was on an HDV timeline). This seems very very strange. Do you have any idea what may have changed?

would I have been better off capturing the FX 1000 30 progressive scan footage as 1080 60i rather than 1080 30P since it is in a 60i wrapper. am I loosing resolution on that footage by capturing as 30P.

gigih7

[Gigi Harris]

Thanks,

I’ll do that. I was concerned after reading Mr. La Ronde’s post about my HVR-Z5U not shooting native 30P or 24P but progressive scan. this really threw me for a loop because that is one of the reasons I bought the camera. I have a number of clients that want me to shoot 24 Native Progressive especially interviews for documentaries. Nobody has complained to date so I went to the sony site and found this information stated about the two cameras
“Native progressive” vs. “Progressive scan”
Another significant difference between the FX1000 and the Z5U is the latter’s ability to record native progressive 1080p video, as opposed to the former’s “progressive scan” mode.

So my FX 1000 shoots progressive scan (which I did not know) and my Z5U shoots both progressive scan and native. Thats where my confusion lies for editing both together on the same timeline. Do I still change the field dominance to none in the prores sequence settings knowing this information. I have tried both and can’t notice a difference when editing. As I said before, when I was in FCP 6, I didn’t have to render the footage on the timeline but FCP7 I do (even when it was on an HDV timeline). This seems very very strange. Do you have any idea what may have changed?

gigih7

[Gigi Harris]

thank you so much for this great information. I would love to recapture to prores, the problem is I am almost done editing the wedding. And you are right, it does choke. That’s why I was wondering if it would be possible to copy the timeline over to a new sequence with render settings to Prores 422. Thats one of the places needed to know what to set the field order. If I can do this, I would like to know the proper sequence settings. I haven’t added all the effects yet or done color correction or slow mo, which I know will choke things even more if I continue to edit HDV timeline. I have never edited an HDV timeline as prores render, so this is a new game for me. You’re the best. I am so grateful to have such talented editors giving me such sound advise. Angels on my shoulders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gigih7

[Gigi Harris]

thank you so much for this great information. I would love to recapture to prores, the problem is I am almost done editing the wedding. And you are right, it does choke. That’s why I was wondering if it would be possible to copy the timeline over to a new sequence with render settings to Prores 422. Thats one of the places needed to know what to set the field order. If I can do this, I would like to know the proper sequence settings. I haven’t added all the effects yet or done color correction or slow mo, which I know will choke things even more if I continue to edit HDV timeline. I have never edited an HDV timeline as prores render, so this is a new game for me. You’re the best. I am so grateful to have such talented editors giving me such sound advise. Angels on my shoulders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gigih7

[Gigi Harris]

I am not sure if this is where I post this, but it seems like this thread is addressing my issues. I shot a wedding using two cameras, a Sony HVR-Z5U and a Sony FX1000. I had them both set to 30P but didn’t realize until importing that I had set the Z5U to shoot native 30P and the FX1000 shoots 30P Progressive scan. I captured as HDV30P and all seemed fine in FCP 6. But after my Drive crash and reinstall of operating system and upgrade to FCP7, the timeline calls for rendering now. I checked the info on the clips and thats when I realized that I have both types of 30P. So now I have decided to render as prores 422 to save time with this monster HDV footage. I know I should have captured as ProRes 422 but didn’t know about it at the time and now I have 13 hours captured and I don’t want to re capture. I am not sure of what sequence settings I should use. What are the general settings for this situation and the render settings. field dominance for native 30P I thought was none but 30 progressive scan says 1080 60i in the info so that is either upper or lower. I get so confused by all of this. I hope I have not been too confusing in my questions. If anyone has any advise, this old dog learning new tricks would really appreciate it.

gigih7

[Gigi Harris]

I just clean instal of FCP 7 and I for the life of me can not find the snapping key. It is not above the timeline on the right anymore. Or a least not on my installed FCP7. Is there some hidden place I am missing. A button that at least makes it show up. I have been searching the net and every demo or screen shot I see, has it there. Need this feature bad!!! Any ideas would be appreciated

gigih7