Z1 low light condition

Tom Hardwick · February 6th, 2008, 02:25 AM

Marcelo - I mount my 20-DW2 video light horizontally off a cold shoe I've attached to the vertical bracket I've got on my Z1 - shown here:

http://www.camcorderuser.net/cpg/dis...at=10075&pos=2

I'll try and find time to put up a picture of the light in place.

tom/

Marcelo Costa · February 6th, 2008, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Shaw

Try shutter = 1/30 for additional low-light response. This may result in some blurred motion but usually not too bad; you can even go to 1/15 if you don't mind a noticeably blurry look. Push the gain to at least +12 or even let it go all the way to +18. That may look grainy to you but chances are most wedding customers won't notice as much as they'd notice dark footage.

thanks , I will try.

Regards

Ervin Farkas · February 6th, 2008, 07:17 AM

Marcelo, what exactly is you are trying to accomplish? I have shot wedding receptions where the ONLY light was candles on the tables and it looks fantastic with 9-12 dB gain even in HD (perfect down-converted to SD).

It doesn't look like you're a beginner, but I will still mention this - please don't feel offended: are you trying to make that footage look like it was shot in a normally lit place?

To call the Z1/FX1 "terrible" in low light is simply unimaginable to me... in the price category they have by far the best low light capability!

Marcelo Costa · February 6th, 2008, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ervin Farkas

Marcelo, what exactly is you are trying to accomplish? I have shot wedding receptions where the ONLY light was candles on the tables and it looks fantastic with 9-12 dB gain even in HD (perfect down-converted to SD).

It doesn't look like you're a beginner, but I will still mention this - please don't feel offended: are you trying to make that footage look like it was shot in a normally lit place?

To call the Z1/FX1 "terrible" in low light is simply unimaginable to me... in the price category they have by far the best low light capability!

Hi Ervin, thanks for your attention, don't worry, I don't feel offended, I'm new with HDV...

I think that I wrote it badly, my problem is not really under low light condition, it under disco environment, in a disco floor, where the lights change a lot and very fast... So I'm getting a lot of square blocking as you can see on the pictures, the 1st one is ok, but the next frame, when the light changed brutally, I got this bad looking, check it:

http://www.mnproducoes.com/square/1st_frame_ok.jpg

http://www.mnproducoes.com/square/ne..._toosquare.jpg

This problem I did not have when I was shooting with DV using my PD and VX (I believe if I shoot in DV mode using Z1, I won't get these squares)... So another pros on this thread explained that it is a HDV problem, because it uses MPEG compression, so, I need to live with it, use some soft light to minimize the problem, do not push gain too much (+9db at maximum), record with shuttle like 60 maybe 30...

Thanks a lot for your attention, best regards

Marcelo

Marcelo Costa · February 6th, 2008, 08:14 PM

Thanks Tom. Here in Brazil we have a Disney's character that we call Professor Pardal, he is a bird that has a little robot lamp as his helper, he creates a lot of cool stuffs... Your are Professor Pardal...

We have something in common... I'm a huge fan of VX2000 too...

I saw a lot of interesting things, but one called my attention... The 20-DW2 with 2 balls joints that gives flexibility to the light... Do you have something like it that I can attach to Z1's shoe? This way I could have a a flexible light on the top of my Z1...

If yes, where can I buy it? Could you please send me the link?

Thanks, best regards.

Marcelo

Tom Hardwick · February 7th, 2008, 03:10 AM

Professor Pardal in auto-reply mode ...

Yes, to make your 20-DW2 lamp more 'aimable' why not fit it to one of those little hot-shoe extenders that SLR owners fit between their top mounted electronic flash guns and the camera? These you can lock in all sorts of positions to aim the light up, down or even (if you fit it in the Sony shoe at 90 degrees) sideways.

The other way is to buy a dedicated LED lamp that has pivot points in the arms that attach the little lamp housing to the battery base. I'm testing one right now. Go to
http://tnpbroadcast.co.uk/equipment.php?row=9&new=1
and look for the PRO-X XD-L32S for a look-see.

PP

Marcelo Costa · February 7th, 2008, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Hardwick

Professor Pardal in auto-reply mode ...

Yes, to make your 20-DW2 lamp more 'aimable' why not fit it to one of those little hot-shoe extenders that SLR owners fit between their top mounted electronic flash guns and the camera? These you can lock in all sorts of positions to aim the light up, down or even (if you fit it in the Sony shoe at 90 degrees) sideways.

The other way is to buy a dedicated LED lamp that has pivot points in the arms that attach the little lamp housing to the battery base. I'm testing one right now. Go to
http://tnpbroadcast.co.uk/equipment.php?row=9&new=1
and look for the PRO-X XD-L32S for a look-see.

PP

Tom, thank you so much for your attention... Very cool your new light, but I just bought two 20-DW2... If I buy another light probably my wife is gonna kill me...

I found 2 hot shoes as you said at BH, do you think that it is going to fit on the cam and on the light? Please, if possible check the links:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...e_Mount_1.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...lash_Shoe.html

thanks a lot

Regards

Marcelo

Tom Hardwick · February 7th, 2008, 05:59 AM

Exactly right Marcelo, and I have both those shoe adapters and both work OK. You don't need the hot one - the cold one will do. Only downer is they're not 'lock-down' shoes and simply rely on friction between foot and shoe. Look for a locking one.

And don't worry - your 20-DW2 lamps are excellent at the price - much better than the LED I'm testing.

Marcelo Costa · February 7th, 2008, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Hardwick

Exactly right Marcelo, and I have both those shoe adapters and both work OK. You don't need the hot one - the cold one will do. Only downer is they're not 'lock-down' shoes and simply rely on friction between foot and shoe. Look for a locking one.

And don't worry - your 20-DW2 lamps are excellent at the price - much better than the LED I'm testing.

Thanks Tom.

I just do not understand what you mean by cold and hot... In your opinion, which one is the best? Hama or Kaiser (both have the same price) ?

I tried to look for a shoe with locking, but I did not find it at BH... My brother is in USA, so he will bring it to me on March...

Thanks again

Marcelo

Ervin Farkas · February 7th, 2008, 07:19 AM

A hot shoe has electrical contacts, a cold one does not.

February 6th, 2008, 07:17 AM	#33
Ervin Farkas Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Atlanta/USA Posts: 2,515	Marcelo, what exactly is you are trying to accomplish? I have shot wedding receptions where the ONLY light was candles on the tables and it looks fantastic with 9-12 dB gain even in HD (perfect down-converted to SD). It doesn't look like you're a beginner, but I will still mention this - please don't feel offended: are you trying to make that footage look like it was shot in a normally lit place? To call the Z1/FX1 "terrible" in low light is simply unimaginable to me... in the price category they have by far the best low light capability! __________________ Ervin Farkas www.AtlantaLegalVideo.com

February 7th, 2008, 07:19 AM	#40
Ervin Farkas Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Atlanta/USA Posts: 2,515	A hot shoe has electrical contacts, a cold one does not. __________________ Ervin Farkas www.AtlantaLegalVideo.com

February 6th, 2008, 02:25 AM	#31
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Marcelo - I mount my 20-DW2 video light horizontally off a cold shoe I've attached to the vertical bracket I've got on my Z1 - shown here: http://www.camcorderuser.net/cpg/dis...at=10075&pos=2 I'll try and find time to put up a picture of the light in place. tom/

February 6th, 2008, 08:14 PM	#35
Marcelo Costa Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Brazil Posts: 32	Thanks Tom. Here in Brazil we have a Disney's character that we call Professor Pardal, he is a bird that has a little robot lamp as his helper, he creates a lot of cool stuffs... Your are Professor Pardal... We have something in common... I'm a huge fan of VX2000 too... I saw a lot of interesting things, but one called my attention... The 20-DW2 with 2 balls joints that gives flexibility to the light... Do you have something like it that I can attach to Z1's shoe? This way I could have a a flexible light on the top of my Z1... If yes, where can I buy it? Could you please send me the link? Thanks, best regards. Marcelo

February 7th, 2008, 03:10 AM	#36
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Professor Pardal in auto-reply mode ... Yes, to make your 20-DW2 lamp more 'aimable' why not fit it to one of those little hot-shoe extenders that SLR owners fit between their top mounted electronic flash guns and the camera? These you can lock in all sorts of positions to aim the light up, down or even (if you fit it in the Sony shoe at 90 degrees) sideways. The other way is to buy a dedicated LED lamp that has pivot points in the arms that attach the little lamp housing to the battery base. I'm testing one right now. Go to http://tnpbroadcast.co.uk/equipment.php?row=9&new=1 and look for the PRO-X XD-L32S for a look-see. PP

February 7th, 2008, 05:59 AM	#38
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Exactly right Marcelo, and I have both those shoe adapters and both work OK. You don't need the hot one - the cold one will do. Only downer is they're not 'lock-down' shoes and simply rely on friction between foot and shoe. Look for a locking one. And don't worry - your 20-DW2 lamps are excellent at the price - much better than the LED I'm testing.