Mark Mcfarlane
Forum Replies Created
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Thanks Andy, I’ll give these a try tonight.
Mark McFarlane
Video Novice -
If you’re shooting in low light, you are gonna get grain no matter what the gain setting is. Its a function of the semsitivity of the CCDs. There are some settings in the XH A1 that may make the grain less visible, and some things to do on the computer later to help minimize the grain. Serach this and the final cut pro forum for “grain” and also for “low light presets XHA1”. The XH A1 is not a great performer in low light, its good but not great.
Mark McFarlane
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a shot in the dark, but…
if the camera has an image stabilzation feature, try turing it off when you put the camera on a tripod.
Mark McFarlane
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You might also check out the Rodes VideoMic, or slightly over your budget the Rodes NTG-2. Rodes has a reputation for excellent value in their mics. I own a few for (recording) studio use and they compare favorably to mics costing more than twice the amount.
I recently bought an NTG-2 shotgun but haven’t adequately tested it yet.
Mark McFarlane
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It would be helpful if you give a maximum budget for your camera and other accessories (tripod, mic, …).
Also, you didn’t say what kind of external mic. A good condensor mic will easily exceed the cost of an HF-100.
Are the concerts usally in low light? Low light performance is an area where cameras can differ greatly in quality.
Do you already own a microphone? If so, what make and model? Do you have a decent preamp for the mic? (Sub $2000 cameras typically have limited facillities for connecting good mics without using an external preamp).
Do you need to record in stereo?
Recording good audio is as expensive as recording good video.
Do you already have a steady tripod? Will the camera be panned on the tripod or just set up and left alone for the concert?
Mark McFarlane
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What is the native format of the HF100?
Mark McFarlane
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One caveat to the above, if you get any of the first 3 wrong, you can seriously damage your camera and have an expensive repair bill.
For $30, if you aren’t in a big hurry, order the Canon one 🙂
Mark McFarlane
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There are 5 important criteria for power ‘adaptors’:
1) Is the output AC or DC voltage? (most are DC but some are actually AC)
2) What is the voltage?
3) What is the polarity of the connector (is the center the + or -)?
4) What is the size and shape of the connector?
5) What is the maximum amperage the adaptor can deliver (usually measured in milliamps)?If you match the first 4, and make sure the new adaptor can output current greater than or equal to the original adaptor, you should be fine. If you take your power adaptor specs into a Radio Shack along with your camera they should be able to match something for you and guarantee it will work correctly.
Mark McFarlane
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Thanks Todd.
Mark McFarlane
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My understanding is you need a circular polarizer for any auto focus lens, so circular is the right choice.
Canon sells a good 3-piece filter set, polarizer, skylight, and ND filter. The price may seem a tad high, and I can’t verify that it is exactly worth the money valuewise, but remember it doesn’t make sense to put a cheap filter in front of a great lens.
The filter quality needs to be as good or better than the lens to preserve the lens’ capabilities, including both the glass and the coatings.
I learned decades ago in still photography, don’t go cheap on filters.
Mark McFarlane