[Trevor Ward]

First question:

Does it look like this when you watch the clip on a TV monitor, played back from your camera from the source tape? if it’s good there, then we can rule out a bad recording. miniDV is bad but it’s not THAT bad.

-trevor ward
Red Eye Film Co.
http://www.redeyefilmco.com
orlando, fl

[Trevor Ward]

Can you post the results when you’re done?

-trevor ward
Red Eye Film Co.
http://www.redeyefilmco.com
orlando, fl

[Trevor Ward]

Hey Scott,

Do you ever check your camera in in pelican cases? I use smaller cameras and have always carried them on. I’ve been afraid to check them in. Especially if I’m traveling internationally.

-trevor ward
Red Eye Film Co.
http://www.redeyefilmco.com
orlando, fl

[Trevor Ward]

Yeah, white background is tough. I would suggest 2 different things.

1. White isn’t the issue. Exposure is. More light on the background to blow it out. Less light on the foreground to underexpose it.
2. Use a very strategically placed colored light to shine on the string. Perhaps an red or blue or green backlight that would only hit the string.

-trevor ward
Red Eye Film Co.
http://www.redeyefilmco.com
orlando, fl

[Trevor Ward]

I’m curious to see responses here too. I’ll be going to India this summer and later this winter. I’ve shoot a bunch with the DVX100. But to take a laptop is a little bothersome since I’ll be very mobile and would like to save the weight of the laptop. I can get a CalDigit mini or G-RAID mini 2 for RAID 1 offloading and backup. But still a lot of extra stuff to carry.

-trevor ward
Red Eye Film Co.
http://www.redeyefilmco.com
orlando, fl

[Trevor Ward]

I’ve traveled with my camera and laptop in a large LowePro backpack. It’s a tight fit but it works. The tripod can be hand carried or checked in.

HOWEVER, if you check the tripod in, not only will most airlines charge you for it, but if it breaks or gets damaged, they won’t cover it. The exception is if it’s in a hard case. Then they’ll cover it.

One thing you can do is take the head off the tripod and put the head in your luggage with your clothes. Then your tripod is much smaller and easier to carry on. I’ve even attached the tripod to the backpack (most camera backpacks have a way to do this), then it’s not considered a separate item.

-trevor ward
Red Eye Film Co.
http://www.redeyefilmco.com
orlando, fl

[Trevor Ward]

Noah,

I downloaded a few of these files. They are .mts files. I tried a log and transfer from within FCP and it says “test contains unsupported media or has an invalid directory structure.”

I put the files in a folder called test so they’d be the only thing in the folder.

-trevor ward
Red Eye Film Co.
http://www.redeyefilmco.com
orlando, fl

[Trevor Ward]

I shoot on a DVX100a in 24pA all the time and I’m not having problems. I put stuff on the web and on DVD’s. Everything looks great. My first question is:
1. You use words like soft but that’s completely subjective. What does the footage look like in the camera monitor when you play it back? Or use the RCA cables and connect to a TV. Does the footage look good or bad? Now, you can compare THAT image to the image that FCP captured and then determine if you did something wrong.
2. If you notice a big difference between the two images, then you have a setting messed up. I use the easy setups and I don’t upconvert and then downconvert. Seems like a waste. A miniDV image is highly compressed and that’s just the way it is. Using any other codec other than the one in which it was shot is useless (unless you’re talking about high end color correcting and adding graphics or effects. In which case, that’s a bigger question).

Look at the settings of the sequence and the settings of the capture.

-trevor ward
Red Eye Film Co.
http://www.redeyefilmco.com
orlando, fl

[Trevor Ward]

I use the Lowe Pro Pro Trekker AW. It fits my camera, batteries, charger, wide angle lens, about 10 tapes, wireless mic system and batteries, shotgun mic and softie, shock mount, head phones, 20′ XLR cable, filters paper and a stick of gum. Plus, I can put it on my back and my hands are free to open doors, carry my lights, etc. totally worth every dime I paid.

-trevor ward
Red Eye Film Co.
http://www.redeyefilmco.com
orlando, fl

[Trevor Ward]

Or, you can probably find one that’s fallen off the roof onto the ground that’s a little smashed up. If you don’t mind the broken body, I’m sure they’ll sell it for $2500.

If that’s your price point, if you’re patient, you can get an HVX on ebay for about that. They are a bit heavier than the 170 because of the tape drive. And it’s got a slightly older chip. But they are very similar cameras.

-trevor ward
Red Eye Film Co.
http://www.redeyefilmco.com
orlando, fl