Mitch Gross
Forum Replies Created
-
If you can find a way to extract the tc out of Firewire that’s great, but I don’t know any portable field device to do it. And it would likely be a a bit delayed, consistently by perhaps a frame or two. But for what you’re describing it seems to me that if you just set the camera in Free Run timecode then you’ll only need to find the offset at the head of the first shot and then check it every half hour or so in case of drift. This system is fairly common and very reliable and it doesn’t require constant checking or every take syncing–no more Moviola days! (God do I remember them…)
Mitch
-
I recall at the Hands-On seminar Jan gave at Abel Cine Tech in NYC, the 200 can jam sync but only with other 200 cameras. I believe it was through the USB port. No standard TC in/out port.
Mitch
-
I assume you don’t need more than a waist-up shot if you’re shooting in hotel rooms. You can buy a pop-up reversable green/blue screen that folds away like a flexfill. They come at around 6’x7′ and can hang from a lightstand with a couple of spring clamps. You want to light it completely evenly at about a stop below key and you want to get the screen as far from the talent as possible. Here’s what I use for my setup. A Lowel V-light (500w) for the background. A Lowel Rifa 55 (500w) for the talent’s key light and a Lowel Pro light (250w) with diffusion for fill. It all can work on a single 15amp circuit with room left to power a monitor.
This is the gear I use because I already have it on hand. If you want to shoot under cooler temperatures then you should consider Kinos.
Mitch
-
Of course there is a DVCPROHD codec! What nonsense. It is also known as DVCPRO100, perhaps that is what is confusing some.
Mitch
-
I don’t think it will work. A 7.2v battery will top out at about 7.8v, and a 9v in item will likely cut off around 8v, so if it does juice it it won’t for very long.
I know the little citizen and frankly it’s not that great. I’d suggest bumping up to the 7″ Panasonic screen, which is vastly superior. If that’s too expensive, perhaps the cheapest way to go is some rechargeable LiIon AA batteries and a charger. I assume it takes 4 cells at a time and that will likely run you a couple of hours of continuous use, so get a set of 16 cells and an 8-slot charger and you’ll be good to go. Probably less than $50 at Best Buy.
Mitch
-
Nebtek.com makes an adapter to let you do this. Also Markertek.com has one.
-
You can set the cameras to free-run tc, but they will never have exactly matching timecode. The offsets may remain constant, but offset they will be. Not a big deal but people should be aware of it.
Mitch
-
Two choices:
1- Run a master clock with a TC out and either feed it to each camera on one of the audio tracks or when you hit record point each camera at the master clock’s timecode display.
2- Turn on each camera and clap a film-style slate in view of each one.
Mitch
-
That’s good for nothing but framing, and perhaps not so good even for that. The picture is far inferior to Panasonic’s 7″ screen (I’ve used both). It also suffers from overscan much more than the Panasonic.
Some portable DVD players will allow for an A/V input and have adjustable screen ratios. Perhaps that’s more useful for not much more money.
Mitch
-
Switch off the 48v phantom when using the wireless mikes. Some of them do not react well to phantom power running through the line.
Mitch