View Full Version : Matching the GL2 (XM2) with the Sony PD-150


Federico Dib
July 29th, 2003, 11:52 AM
Hi
In a few weeks we would be shooting a short movie...
The short is going to be shot mainly with a Sony Pd-150 but the director wants to to shoot the fight scenes (it has some) with two cameras...
the other camera being my canon XM2..

Any suggestions? Experiences? trying to match colors?.. anything else that I should be aware of?

(this post is also on the PD-150 forum... I didn´t know where to put it??)

Ken Tanaka
July 29th, 2003, 11:59 AM
Hello Federico,
This question comes up quite often. Here's one recent thread (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5707) that may offer you some guidance. Barry Goyette's lengthy comparison (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3018) of the GL2, PD-150 and XL1s might also give you good insight.

Search on "match" in this section of the forum and you'll turn up several others.

Federico Dib
July 29th, 2003, 12:44 PM
Hi.. I´ve read some of the forums.. actually Barry Goyette´s compairson was one of the guides I used to make my mind to buy the XM2...
Still in the threads I see in some specific points what seems to be contradictions... Or maybe I just don´t understand right what is being told..
for example:

This is from Ken Tanaka...
The GL2's color may have to be cooled-down just a bit (more blue) to match the PD150's cooler image.

I´ve read in very different places that Sony is cooler than Canon.. but then you could read this in extensive Goyette´s compairson...
The PD150 produced what I thought was the most pleasing skintone, with the gl2 slightly less warm.

So maybe this "contradiction" is because of indoor and sunlight...?
If it is of any help we will be shooting outdoors.. very sunny.. so how would they perform..
I know there has to be a lot of testing to do this... but

1) I don´t know the other cameraman and how much time is he willing to spend on matching...
2) I do know the director.. and there is going to be a lot stress involved in the shooting..

So i would like te be a little prepared in case that I have not much time to test and correct..

And yes.. I can always tell Mr. Director to fix the images with his Editor... But I´d like to try to do my best.. mainly for my own experience..

thanx

Ken Tanaka
July 29th, 2003, 01:05 PM
Indeed, short of analyzing identical footage from each camera with a vectorscope or waveform display the "eyes" have it. Sony's out-of-box image really does tend to be cooler than Canon's. If at all possible I'd recommend shooting some tests of each camera to judge the required adjustments for your particular situation.

Good luck!

Marc Martin
July 29th, 2003, 05:13 PM
If you do white balance with the GL2, it's tend to be a little too blue. If you use the preset (indoor or outdoor), the color is more neutral.

So if you use the preset on both camera, try increase the color phase to red in the custom preset of the GL2 (one or two bumps)

If you use manual white balance, you can try both color phase and warm card (to white balance).