[Stephen May]

In my experience, it is effective to do the following in order to conform your 60fps media for slow motion. First, Cinema Tools is the app that I use to prepare anything that I shoot into slow motion. To do that with EX1 footage, I first have to save the quicktime VBR clip (variable bit rate) to a CBR clip (constant bit rate). That can be done in quicktime pro, or in compressor. Once that’s done, each of your EX1 converted clips can be opened in Cinema Tools and conformed to either 24 fps – extremely slow motion, or 30 fps – smooth slow motion.

Otherwise, you will see what you mentioned early on in this thread, that it all looks like it’s in real-time, albeit smooth. The rest of the deal about why mix frame rates, or the idea that it all depends on what your goal is – that’s the thing; I can think of many reasons that I’ll shoot different frame rates for a single project. FCP is really good about that, and you grow when you’re thinking outside of the box, or outside of “that’s what everybody else does…” type constraints. If your work looks good, you know it, and so will everyone else.

-Stephen (it’s late, I got carried away…)

Stephen May
Keystone Media Productions
Freelance Videographer

[Stephen May]

I think this is probably old enough of a post that you’ve gotten to the bottom of your question, but if not, then I’d say that Steve is talking about the the switch on the back of the EX1 that assigns the ch.1 INPUT and Ch. 2 INPUT to INT (internal on-board mic) versus EXT (external input at side of camera).

Once you plug a lavaliere into the side XLR input, you must move the switch on that channel to EXT so the camera listens to the XLR input to that channel and not it’s internal on-board mic. Further, you must set the input for that external XLR input to the proper level; LINE, MIC or MIC w/Phantom (condenser microphones require voltage to power the element, unless the condenser mic has on-board batteries, such as a shotgun mic, sometimes referred to as a ‘stick’ mic. The selector for the input level is below each XLR input channel on the side of the camera next to the external shotgun mic mount.

Again, you probably know all of this, but I’m just giving you the basic run-down. It’s easy to miss a single aspect and not get good results. Watch your levels on the meters on the side of the EX1, and they will read your true levels, and they’re a great way to make sure you’ve selected the correct inputs. I always make my selections and then snap my finger in front of the on-board mic while watching the side meters to see if they respond to my snap. I usually have the wireless lavaliere patched into CH.1, and I hold that transmitter in my right hand very low to my side when I snap my fingers to make sure that the reading isn’t getting my snap. If it is, then somethings wrong. If I’m accidentally still set to the onboard mic, that snap will clip my level on Ch. 1.

Next, I’ll clip myself quickly and speak normally and make my level adjustment on Ch. 1. before I lav my subject. I generally use Ch. 2 as a shotgun, or NAT sound channel. Same thing there, check the level on Ch.2 by spinning the shotgun away from yourself and speaking normally, and then again by spinning it back to your mouth and quietly speaking again. Levels should react accordingly.

Finally, be careful when using AUTO LEVEL. If you select AUTO LEVEL, you will certainly not peak, however, the resul is that your background levels will rise when the source is not speaking, and then when your subject speaks, the level will automatically lower to compensate for the signal presence.

The best way to go is to adjust your levels on each channel to the source volume, for example setting your input level to manual, and adjusting it to never exceed -6 db maximum peak when your person is speaking at the loudest volume. If any of this sounds acceptable to you, then make sure you always capture or ingest your clips as two separate mono channels, and not as a stereo pair, so you will be easily able to mix them according to your needs later in the editing sequence. There are simple and effective methods for getting lost volume back to healthy strong signals, but there is not real way to repair a hot peaking clip. If you’re interested to know more on that just write to me. Suffice to say that NORMALIZE is not the way to go.

I hope any of the basic direction is not offensive, and I hope you get great audio out there in the field!

-Stephen May

Stephen May
Keystone Media Productions
Freelance Videographer

[Stephen May]

Thanks Don – I’ll look into it. Presently, my EX1 is still in LA at Sony Repair. My initial reaction to learning about the Sony Chromatic Aberration Correction (CAC) kicking in upon zooms, was a little unsettling. Blue sky is not to have your image digitally altered, but if it corrects Chromatic Aberration, great.

Most of what I read at this forum on the EX1 is centered around image issues that are associated with the Long GOP, and slanted and/or soft images during a pan or quick movement of the subject, etc. I have not really witnessed that to a degree that has my attention like the issue that I am trying to explain and get to the bottom of. I’d be interested to know what the factory default is for CAC; on or off? Thank you for replying to this post. -s