GS400 'soft skin' feature... at DVinfo.net

Jeremy Rank · January 26th, 2005, 03:49 PM

I've got a wedding coming up and would like to know about the GS400's 'soft skin' feature. Does it make the skin look softer and more radiant and sort of blend away any blemishes? would you use it in a wedding montage?

Bogdan Vaglarov · January 27th, 2005, 06:50 PM

Yes, it's supposed to do exactly what you say.
How usefull is it you can decide by taking some test shots.

Tommy Haupfear · January 27th, 2005, 08:31 PM

Jeremy, an indoor or outdoor wedding?

Jeremy Rank · January 27th, 2005, 11:21 PM

It's an indoor wedding. My concerns are that any advantages with soft skin would be that the skin tones would come out with a bit of noise from the blurring and subsequent encoding to mpg2.

Tommy Haupfear · January 27th, 2005, 11:30 PM

I would be more concerned with light levels during the cermony. Have you tried a test run? Your footage may be so dark that the skin tone feature has little to no effect.

I say this because I shot an indoor wedding last year with a PDX10 (also 1/4.7" 3CCD) and the footage was useless and I was lucky to have a VX2000 (1/3" 3CCD) as the primary cam. The bride's mother would not let me raise the lighting by even one candle. :)

Jeremy Rank · January 27th, 2005, 11:51 PM

Actually, the use of 'soft skin' will be used for a vignette. The actual wedding will be shot with the camera on it's normal function.

Guy Bruner · January 28th, 2005, 08:08 AM

It might be better to use a mist or softening filter if you like that look...or you can do it in post. I'd shoot with all the resolution I could get, then soften it in post. That way, if you don't like the look, you can go back to the full resolution image. I also agree with Bogdan...shoot some first with soft skin before using it for real.

Patricia Kim · February 5th, 2005, 09:41 PM

Definitely agree with doing it in post, especially if shooting in a low light situation. Many more choices re getting the look you want when you start off with a decent image and good software. (Says she who screwed up one scene by misadjusting the filter.)

January 26th, 2005, 03:49 PM	#1
Jeremy Rank Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Visalia, CA Posts: 66	GS400 'soft skin' feature... I've got a wedding coming up and would like to know about the GS400's 'soft skin' feature. Does it make the skin look softer and more radiant and sort of blend away any blemishes? would you use it in a wedding montage?

January 27th, 2005, 11:21 PM	#4
Jeremy Rank Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Visalia, CA Posts: 66	It's indoors.. It's an indoor wedding. My concerns are that any advantages with soft skin would be that the skin tones would come out with a bit of noise from the blurring and subsequent encoding to mpg2.

January 27th, 2005, 06:50 PM	#2
Bogdan Vaglarov Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Yokohama, Japan Posts: 366	Yes, it's supposed to do exactly what you say. How usefull is it you can decide by taking some test shots.

January 27th, 2005, 08:31 PM	#3
Tommy Haupfear Wrangler Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 1,415	Jeremy, an indoor or outdoor wedding?

January 27th, 2005, 11:30 PM	#5
Tommy Haupfear Wrangler Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 1,415	I would be more concerned with light levels during the cermony. Have you tried a test run? Your footage may be so dark that the skin tone feature has little to no effect. I say this because I shot an indoor wedding last year with a PDX10 (also 1/4.7" 3CCD) and the footage was useless and I was lucky to have a VX2000 (1/3" 3CCD) as the primary cam. The bride's mother would not let me raise the lighting by even one candle. :)

January 27th, 2005, 11:51 PM	#6
Jeremy Rank Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Visalia, CA Posts: 66	Actually, the use of 'soft skin' will be used for a vignette. The actual wedding will be shot with the camera on it's normal function.

January 28th, 2005, 08:08 AM	#7
Guy Bruner Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Ashford, AL Posts: 937	It might be better to use a mist or softening filter if you like that look...or you can do it in post. I'd shoot with all the resolution I could get, then soften it in post. That way, if you don't like the look, you can go back to the full resolution image. I also agree with Bogdan...shoot some first with soft skin before using it for real.

February 5th, 2005, 09:41 PM	#8
Patricia Kim Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Honolulu, Hawaii Posts: 453	Definitely agree with doing it in post, especially if shooting in a low light situation. Many more choices re getting the look you want when you start off with a decent image and good software. (Says she who screwed up one scene by misadjusting the filter.)