HVX200 tips for a student at DVinfo.net

Jacob Eichert · February 22nd, 2008, 12:12 AM

Hi all I've been lurking for a while and have some questions.

I'm a film student and our film department just purchased our first HD cameras, the HVX200. We're all excited to play with them and learn everything we can. However as students we don't have the opportunity to spend large amounts of time testing, evaluating, and retesting. I get my first chance to really test it out and figure it out in a day or two and I only get 2 hours to spend with it. There is so much to learn about this camera it's a little overwhelming to start into.

Anyway my general question is what kind of tips can you provide to a film student that I can take into the field and feel like I'm a leg up and not swimming against the current. Anything you can tell me will help, even if you think it's super basic. Everyone in the department is learning these cameras at the same time so even the professors and grad students don't know much.

Thanks in advance.
Jake

R. L. Appling · February 22nd, 2008, 12:58 AM

THE ELECTRONIC FOCUS ASSIST - USE IT EVERY TIME.

1. Find the target.
2. Zoom in.
3. Hit the focus assist button. - A window appears on the LCD that super magnifies the POV.
4. Adjust your focus manually to get as sharp an image as possible.
5. Hit the Assist button again (or wait 5 seconds) and the box goes away.
6. Zoom back out to the framing you desire.

DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FOCUS RING AGAIN.

DO THIS EVERY TIME.

Take it from someone who learned this the hard way...

(What the? Awwwww Man!)

Keep runnnin' n' gunnin' & Good luck!

TingSern Wong · February 22nd, 2008, 10:30 AM

Do you have a copy of Barry Green's HVX200 book? That's the best thing you ever going to read for that camera. Tells you everything about the camera that is NOT in the instruction manual. Highly recommended.

Jacob Eichert · February 22nd, 2008, 11:06 AM

I don't have a copy of that book. Where can I get it?

David Saraceno · February 22nd, 2008, 11:58 AM

B&HPhotoVideo sells it.

Or you can google: "Barry Green's HVX book"

:)

Jacob Eichert · February 22nd, 2008, 02:12 PM

Oh wow that's an expensive book. At least for a full time student it is. :-) Maybe I can talk the department into buying some for reference.

I did my first test shoot today and learned a little bit about the different scene file settings and played around with some custom settings. Does anyone have a good custom scene file setup that I could try out and work with?

I was trying to figure out the white balance settings and read in the manual about black balance. The manual doesn't have much about ABB and I wonder if it is something I need to think about. Does it work in conjunction with AWB or completely separate?

TingSern Wong · February 23rd, 2008, 12:01 PM

About the Barry Green's book - there is NO better book around :-). Not kidding.

Put the camera into MANUAL mode. Switch the White Balance to either A or B (not PRST). Stick a white piece of paper in the same lighting condition as you would film ... zoom into the white paper so that it fills the entire frame. Press the AWB button for at least 5 seconds (until the unit says "I got it"). It is that simple to get a good white (and black) balance.

Alaa Ghuniem · February 28th, 2008, 10:44 AM

1- the ND filter
2- did you try the vari method test it it is so nice

February 22nd, 2008, 12:12 AM	#1
Jacob Eichert New Boot Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 7	HVX200 tips for a student Hi all I've been lurking for a while and have some questions. I'm a film student and our film department just purchased our first HD cameras, the HVX200. We're all excited to play with them and learn everything we can. However as students we don't have the opportunity to spend large amounts of time testing, evaluating, and retesting. I get my first chance to really test it out and figure it out in a day or two and I only get 2 hours to spend with it. There is so much to learn about this camera it's a little overwhelming to start into. Anyway my general question is what kind of tips can you provide to a film student that I can take into the field and feel like I'm a leg up and not swimming against the current. Anything you can tell me will help, even if you think it's super basic. Everyone in the department is learning these cameras at the same time so even the professors and grad students don't know much. Thanks in advance. Jake

February 28th, 2008, 10:44 AM	#8
Alaa Ghuniem New Boot Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Syria Posts: 15	Try the ND filter 1- the ND filter 2- did you try the vari method test it it is so nice

February 22nd, 2008, 12:58 AM	#2
R. L. Appling Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Tehachapi, California Posts: 72	THE ELECTRONIC FOCUS ASSIST - USE IT EVERY TIME. 1. Find the target. 2. Zoom in. 3. Hit the focus assist button. - A window appears on the LCD that super magnifies the POV. 4. Adjust your focus manually to get as sharp an image as possible. 5. Hit the Assist button again (or wait 5 seconds) and the box goes away. 6. Zoom back out to the framing you desire. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FOCUS RING AGAIN. DO THIS EVERY TIME. Take it from someone who learned this the hard way... (What the? Awwwww Man!) Keep runnnin' n' gunnin' & Good luck!

February 22nd, 2008, 10:30 AM	#3
TingSern Wong Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Singapore, Rep of SINGAPORE Posts: 749	Do you have a copy of Barry Green's HVX200 book? That's the best thing you ever going to read for that camera. Tells you everything about the camera that is NOT in the instruction manual. Highly recommended.

February 22nd, 2008, 11:06 AM	#4
Jacob Eichert New Boot Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 7	I don't have a copy of that book. Where can I get it?

February 22nd, 2008, 11:58 AM	#5
David Saraceno Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Inland Northwest Posts: 490	B&HPhotoVideo sells it. Or you can google: "Barry Green's HVX book" :)

February 22nd, 2008, 02:12 PM	#6
Jacob Eichert New Boot Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 7	Oh wow that's an expensive book. At least for a full time student it is. :-) Maybe I can talk the department into buying some for reference. I did my first test shoot today and learned a little bit about the different scene file settings and played around with some custom settings. Does anyone have a good custom scene file setup that I could try out and work with? I was trying to figure out the white balance settings and read in the manual about black balance. The manual doesn't have much about ABB and I wonder if it is something I need to think about. Does it work in conjunction with AWB or completely separate?

February 23rd, 2008, 12:01 PM	#7
TingSern Wong Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Singapore, Rep of SINGAPORE Posts: 749	About the Barry Green's book - there is NO better book around :-). Not kidding. Put the camera into MANUAL mode. Switch the White Balance to either A or B (not PRST). Stick a white piece of paper in the same lighting condition as you would film ... zoom into the white paper so that it fills the entire frame. Press the AWB button for at least 5 seconds (until the unit says "I got it"). It is that simple to get a good white (and black) balance.