Noise problem
 

I have been noticing noise in my footage with the A1 even when I change settings completely. Right now I am using Vivid Grab preset and 30f shutter is 1/60on the Manual setting and -3 gain. Also what level zebra should I use for outdoors. I am using 100 right now. Does anybody have any suggestions

Are you sure that the auto gain is turned off?

Jon

yes I made sure that the auto gain was turned off, but I still see a little noise and the picture doesnt look as crisp as it should be.

Sounds strange, do you have a screen grab? I use Zebra on 70 all the time, whether that is correct or not.
Was is moving shot or static and what were the lighting conditions like... what I am trying to get at is do you think that it is a gain issue or something else.

I was filming surfing so it was moving. The gain is at -3 so I dont think it is the gain. Im not so sure if it is noise but it seems that the resolution of my footage isnt as clear as it should be or as clear as all the peoples footage using A1s on vimeo and stuff.

For fast moving action I always shoot 50i (60i in NTSC world), I use 25f for more landscape, non fast moving stuff, all pans must be slow in frame mode too.

Also are you just viewing the footage on through the viewfinder or on a monitor.. in frame mode it always funny through the viewfinder but great on screen.

I upload the footage to my Mac. When I shot surfing in 30f though there were no skipping frames or any weird jitters.

Noise
 

From your description it would seem that you may be on auto focus or the gain is on auto. What shutter speed are you using? And are you certain you are not using auto focus. Incientally I keep my zebra on 85 all the time. This zebra setting is a personal thing, what a person gets used to.

Ditto what the others have said, but watch out that your aperture F-stop opening isn't too small, or you'll lose resolution and contrast to diffraction.

Adjust shutter speed, gain, and ND to get the lens working into the sweet spot of the range, F3.7 - F4.4 at the wide end of the zoom, and F4.0 - F4.8 at the long end of the zoom.

The XH-A1 exposure metering is a little too bright at times as well. Try reducing exposure slightly, to saturate the color and improve contrast.

I used both auto focus and manual focus but the viefinders and lcd are so small that I cant really tell when it is perfectly focused. So I ended up using auto focus. Do you think that if I used manual focus but pushed af at the begginning of a shot to focus then leave it on manual itwould be better then always using AF.

Phil I was shooting at 1/60 shutter speed at 30f.

John, since the viewfinder is so small, I take advantage of the "peaking" function when on location w/ no monitor. That helps me see focused lines better (it makes the viewfinder overly sharp, but not the actual recorded picture). I seldom switch it over to AF. Instant auto-focus spazes out frequently, and it's not perfect anyway.

And I agree with Jonathan... shooting 60i helps with faster subjects. If you like the stuttery-ness (not sure what word to use there) of 30F, then try increasing the shutter speed (if you can afford losing some light) to avoid too much motion blur. Try 1/120 or 1/300.

It's hard to offer advice when we can't see the problem, post a frame grab and we can have a look.

Noise
 

I just won't use auto focus unless it's a stationary shot and even then I don't like to use it. I suppose it's ok if you are shooting something quick without having the time to manually focus. I have had too many "vertigo" footages because of auto focus so I just don't use it. As far as your shutter speed is concerned I would shoot at 1/300 or so. You will get blurring at slower shutter speeds in shots involving movement such as surfing. I shoot mostly outdoor video and I try to keep exposure f stops at 5.6 or higher. In the outdoors f 11 is great as most of the time you are looking for great depth of field. Back to manual focus, or manual everything, if I were you I would force myself to shoot in manual mode. It won't take long to become one with your camera. You will become a better videographer in time if you do. Once you get used to shooting in manual it will become second nature to you and the chances of shooting lousy video will be reduced dramatically. Then if you have to you can occasionally go to auto something but you won't feel good about it.

I will try and put up the clips I have gotten so far onto vimeo.. Does anybody know what the best exposure to set to get the best quality. Ive been hearing around 4 to 5.8 is good am I correct?

Thats what I aim for...