black and white on the GL2
 

so it looks like you can't shoot in black and white with the GL2 while it's in frame mode...so if i want to have something shot in the frame mode be in b & w, does that mean i just have to take the color out in post? is that the only way of doing it? also, is that a difficult thing to do (that is, take the color out)? i don't have any experience w/ editing systems...

thanks

Are you sure you can't? I could have sworn that I did this once using frame mode and teh B&W effect. Is this in the manual?

Tom

I'll have to go try it tonight, although I could see it going either way I guess, depending on how they designed the processor in the GL2 and how many spare cycles it has when doing frame mode.

Meanwhile, most NLE's will have a B&W filter plugin. On Vegas for instance, you can just add the Black and White plugin to a track or your main video output, and go.

Just verified this on mine:

Camera must be in (P)rogram Mode

This tripped me up the first few times I tried to get it to work too. Where I was making my mistake was in the selection of the B&W effect and actually locking it in.

D.EFFECT/BARS SELECT button ->
Scroll using rear selector wheel to EFFECTS, push wheel in, Scroll to select B&W, push wheel in, then press D.EFFECT/BARS SELECT button to lock it in. (it was this step that I was flubbing)
The on-screen will show B&W flashing, then use the D.EFFECT/BARS ON/OFF button to turn the effect on or off.

It works in frame mode just fine.

This can also be set via the IR Remote using the same procedures substituting the rear selector wheel with the ^,v, and SET buttons.

pg 62 lists the restrictions that cannot be used in Frame mode (and also slower shutter speeds). pg 64 outlines the steps to actually get it selected, just substitue B&W for the Wipe/Overlap example shown.

Hope this helps.

I just looked at the online manual (at work right now) and it doesn't have any footnotes about the effects not working in frame mode.

I remember that it was a pain to get them turned on, but I'm almost sure that I got it to work since I rarely shoot in normal mode.

Tom

In my printed version it lists Wipe, Overlap, Strobe, and Trail as not being selectable in Frame or if the shutter speed is (1/8, 1/15, or 1/30).

thanks to everyone...i got it figured out. you can definitely use b&w in frame mode. for some reason i thought that all of the digital effects were not available in the frame mode. it is kind of tricky to get the digital effects to work, but i finally figured it out. it's kind of strange because it never says "digital effects ON"...but, like i said i got it.

Personally I prefer to shoot color any do B&W in post, why? Because
I can manipulate how the B&W will look a lot more:

1. I can make it not color and not B&W but just inbetween
2. I can use color when everything is black & white if I want
(have a totally B&W scene where a girls sweater is red for example)
3. If I don't like the B&W look afterall I don't have to go back
and reshoot it, to get it color (or muted color for example)

etc.... this is just me ofcourse

perhaps you could also drop the Setup Level a couple of notches and crush the blacks a bit

- don