Xh-A1 User/ First Time HV30 Shooter
 

This is my first video with my new HV30.

Gun Test WARNING! Audio Loud! on Vimeo

Since I am new to the camera I am still mess with all the settings.

My current settings are HDV24/ AV Mode/ EXP @ -2/ Manual White Balance

What are some of your guys' settings to get the best video?

Hi Patrick,

Welcome to dvinfo! (Nice place you live in at Sierra Madre. We used to live "down the street" from you in Monrovia, and still have family in the Pasadena area.)

Just checked out you Vimeo video. Nice "shots" of your shooter! Good rack focus on the bullets; and good cinema verite style shooting too. Was that an HK MP5 he was using?

Did you interlace your footage? Noticed the jaggies. But overall a nice short piece.

As for the settings on the HV30, I mainly shoot 30f, but on occassion have shot 24f (but I did read somewhere on here that shooting 24f gives you less noise/grain issue than when shooting 30f). Biggest reason is that we still shoot with the XL2, and I find that shooting 30f with the HV30 (all at neutral settings), the footage from both matches fairly well.

And just recently bought a manual focus controller from here: :: Irv Design :: MFR ::
(The focus controller really helps so I don't have to fumble with the HV30's tiny focus wheel.)

Best,

Yeah, thats MP5. Good eye.

The footage is interlaced. Forgot to deinterlace it before putting it up.

I've been reading a lot about Irv Design focus assist thing. Looks good but they seem to have been sold out for a while now.

Overall, like the HV30 camera but my biggest complaint is that it's menus are aimed towards the know-nothing consumer. But at a $600 price point, you can't really complain. Image quality greatly exceeds the JVC's Everio series.

The shooting range I shot at was not brightly lit so it performed very well in a low light setting. I am very happy with that.

Question:
Is the EXP control = Gain settings?

Hi Patrick,

The MP5 looked familiar, as I've actually shot with it once at an indoor shooting range in Vegas.

Irv's focus wheel does tend to sell out, I had to wait months to buy mine; but when I did it's been great.

I actually think the menus on the HV30 tend to be overcomplicated and often confusing :) Compared to our XL2 (and probably your XHA1 as well), the feature set of the HV30 is severely lacking; that's why it's a $600 camera. But you're also right that it produces some real fantastic images.

As for your question, does EXP control = Gain settings? The simple quick answer is yes. Aperture and shutter play into it, as does your shooting mode (60i, 30f, or 24f). You've probably seen Barry Green's wonderful article about controlling exposure on the HV20/30, but if not here's the link Controlling Exposure on the HV20: Walkthroughs and Tutorials. - DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking

Best,

Thanks. I am gunna check that article out.