[Rennie Klymyk]

This is all in the camera menu.

For B&W Levels:
Camera- Scene File –
– Master Pedestal
– Iris Level

For Color Matching:
Camera- Scene File –
– Chroma Level
– Chroma Phase
– Color temp

I haven’t used an HPX-500 so I’m not too familiar with them. I see you can get a camera remote for them but haven’t looked at those. Some of the pricier switchers give you these adjustments. The 2 cameras should be ok to mix from what I’ve read providing there is good light like has been said. A good monitor is essential as this is more an artist’s touch at this point.

“everything is broken” ……1st. coined by Esther Philips I believe.

[Rennie Klymyk]

[Nate Stephens] “I think component in on the switcher is an o”

This is correct and it is the one hesitation I had when purchasing my hvx200, no hdsdi. You can weigh the costs of adding AJA HDsdi converters to the HVX200’s against buying the analog HD input cards for the switcher ( this will allow you to run cheaper cables instead of running component cables) This new switcher is probably worth the extra $3000.00 just for the multiview function that enables you to split screen an HD monitor for all the input previews. For-a nother option google “For-a HVS-500″. Once you get into the $15,000.00 range you get color bias -gamma settings per channel for color correction/matching. I think you lose the multicam feature though. Edirol has a $10,000.00 HD switcher out too which is HD analog and up/down conversion but since you already have the HPX-500 this would be a step backwards. Focus Enhancements (was Videonics) now has an HD switcher, the ” Focus HX-1″ and they also have an interesting converter, the “MCSDI-1” which converts analog HD, component SD, HDMI to HDSDI and they are only $700.00. Pricewise the Panny still wins but the converters look good for the price.

[Nate Stephens] ” On our new 200 I have noticed that the zoom range is limited, so you have to be close”

Yes the HVX200 wasn’t aimed at live event shooting but you can add century 1.6 or x2 tele converters (not zoom through though) Still, with one HPX-500 you should get by.

The HPX-500 was built for live switching with HDSDI, TC and Genlock connections. The HVX200 was not. To make it work you need:
> a switcher with frame synchronizers for each cam (like the one you’re looking at), and
> either AJA HD10__ or MCSDI analog to HDSDI converters @$700.00 – $1000.00 each (side benefit of one cable for video to switcher) or
> the analog HD input cards for the switcher @ $2000.00 ea. (side disadvantage of requiring more expensive component cabling).

I would consider leasing a second HPX-500 and purchasing the HVX200 as a third cam until you can eventually replace it with a 3rd HPX-500.

Typically in a real world situation you will be more concerned with “mis”adjusting the cameras to match as the lighting and color balance won’t be the same.

Typical scenario:

Cam1 – aimed NorthEast CU (close up)
Cam2 – aimed N. Wide Shot
Cam3 – aimed North West 1/2 shot

All cameras have different backgrounds
All cameras have different light/contrast ratios
All cameras have different color balance (unless you have one flat (dead) lit studio with white walls and furniture)

Gamma, Knee and matrix should all be the same on all cams as should be frame rates and recording formats of coarse. This data can be saved as a scene file onto the sd card and reloaded to other cameras. Timing of these cams (usually the biggest issue) will be looked after by the frame synchronizer in the switcher.

Light the set and put something black and something white in the picture. Turn on cam1 and adjust your lighting, then iris level, gain or pedestal to set white and black levels on a waveform mon. Do the same with cam2 and cam3. For color use a stand-in and start with cam1 and 2 using a horizontal split screen on the program monitor through the switcher. Top is cam 1 and bottom is cam 2. Adjust the cam2 chroma level, phase and color temp to match the top and bottom pictures. Now swap out cam2 for cam3 and match cam 3 to cam1 the same way.

“everything is broken” ……1st. coined by Esther Philips I believe.

[Rennie Klymyk]

same as video, select it; control-J and check the reverse box.

“everything is broken” ……1st. coined by Esther Philips I believe.

[Rennie Klymyk]

Thanks for posting. It does look like the resolution chart is off axis a bit. The Panny has the top right in focus while the Sony has top and maybe bottom left in focus. If the chart was set up with a linear mirror on axis all 4 corners should come into focus together.

“everything is broken” ……1st. coined by Esther Philips I believe.

[Rennie Klymyk]

[walter biscardi] “If you “NEED” it now, then buy it now. Don’t complain that Apple isn’t servicing your needs when a solution is available”

Good advice Walter, I guess I may have sounded a tad over zealous. I wasn’t so much complaining as just wanting to go on record as saying “I want it” as a few have indicated they have other priorities other than blu-ray support. I haven’t had much demand for Blu-ray but I’ve been anxiously awaiting word for DSP support for BluRay so I can be up and ready when opportunity knocks. I’m still on FCS-1 and would love to tie in DSP-5 HD into my next upgrade. Which makes me wonder, is all this sw bundling cutting back on Apple’s R&D piggy bank? We used to pay for each app but now it’s one price for a lot of tools. I’m keeping my fingers crossed till MWSF.

“everything is broken” ……1st. coined by Esther Philips I believe.

[Rennie Klymyk]

I’m with Winston on this, Mac users desperately need BluRay authoring in the tradition that DSP has been for sd for the past 5-6 years. The time is OVER-RIPE for a decent reasonably priced app to author HD to BluRay. Something between Sonic Scenarist HD or Sony’s BluPrint and Adobe’s Encore HD. We need DSP 5-HD NOW! When we can all author feature rich HD content in 5 up; 10 up; 50 up or 200 up quantities in our own studios the price of blank discs will plummet and the public will embrace the format with the added inspiration of local content. Many folks I talk to have an HD monitor but few have an HD-DVD or BluRay player. Many of them don’t even subscribe to HD content so view sd on their sets. The bulk of my finished product in the last 5 years has been DVD for local corporate and live event work. It should be mostly hi def NOW.

“everything is broken” ……1st. coined by Esther Philips I believe.

[Rennie Klymyk]

Did you format the card?

“everything is broken” ……1st. coined by Esther Philips I believe.

[Rennie Klymyk]

[Lars Wikstrom] “I wonder if they will ever make ProRes decks? “

ProRes is like Apple’s version of AVC which is in the BluRay spec. While an HDV style (cheap) deck that writes PoRes or AVC-I would be awesome, putting ProRes to tape would be a step backwards. Highly efficient compression standards of ProRes and AVC suit disc based media for faster access and interactivity.

Sony seems to be intent on keeping BluRay for exclusive distribution of Sony Pictures Releases with licensing to protect copyrights for the movie industry. In the mean time there are hoards of us smaller independent content producers waiting for such a vehicle for our own archiving and distribution needs. I don’t understand what is taking so long for affordable HD authoring solutions to become available. The market is right for some efficient archiving and distribution medium for the masses.

Our needs are right up Apple’s alley, serving the masses (read: selling in quantity to the masses). Perhaps Apple will release “TruRay” at Mac World, (large capacity discs authorable in DSP and payable on BluRay players but priced for the rest of us.) LOL …..I’ll settle for DSP 5 for bluray authoring.

“everything is broken” ……1st. coined by Esther Philips I believe.

[Rennie Klymyk]

Most “stock” mics have the cable permanently attached so you just have one XLR to attach to the camera whereas non stock mics need a separate cable to join the camera and mic. No question, the stock mic is neater when on board the camera as it is not as long physically, the cable is the exact length, and there are less XLR fittings. Everything is neatly tucked near the camera.

I’ve been using a Sennheiser K6 system which is a power module with different ends, ME-64; 65; 66; 67 etc so you can change ends for different pick-up patterns. These types are typically longer than a stock mic but that is handy for hand holding during interviews etc. I have a custom made cable with right angle connectors so the cable isn’t all over the place. I carry a 5′ cable for spot interviews where the cam is on a tripod and myself or an assistant can hand hold the mic.

Since on camera mic-ing of audio is rarely ideal I think I’m going back to a cleaner “stock” mic. Even with the custom XLR cable I have for my Sennheiser it still makes for some cluttering and crowding around the lens where matte boxes, filters and adapters are being dealt with on a higher priority. On camera mic-ing is more backup audio or for run & gun. Serious audio should be handled separately and cabled to the camera anyway. Even with a stock mic I can still use the Sennheiser for interviews etc. on the other channel and it will probably be faster to remove it from a bag than to have to unscrew it from the camera quick releasemount.

“everything is broken” ……1st. coined by Esther Philips I believe.

[Rennie Klymyk]

You can also create a dvd with end jump set to track 1.

Any 1st play dvd can be set to loop via most dvd player controls.

“everything is broken” ……1st. coined by Esther Philips I believe.