Is this OK? for PD170
 

Is this set up OK on the PD170 for wedding?

Custom Preset:
Gain 12 db, rest default

Auto/manual setup on camera

Gain Auto
Shutter speed 1/60
AE 0
Iris manual
Zebra 70 %

Will use the Iris to adjust the Zebra level when necessary.
Is suggestion?

Thanks,

Ted

Why do you need all that gain? Yes by all means if the church is dark but outside you will burn all your footage out unless you up the shutter speed and use the ND filters.

There's no set ways you have to adjust the camera, you have set the camera to the lighting conditions that you encounter and practice makes perfect.

I think he means he's set the AGC limit to 12dB in custom preset. This should only affect how much gain the camera will automatically apply when shooting in one of the auto modes. He appears to be shooting in manual mode, so gain would not be added unless he intentionally does so after the iris is fully open.

Custom preset
 

Ian,

How does the custom preset gain works?
If you use the CP and setup the gain in CP at 6 db does the camera gain have 6 db gain all the time or it will move between 0 to 6 db whatever gain the camera require?

Thanks,

Ted

It limits the amount of gain the camera will add in a dark scene while shooting in auto mode. It will not add any gain unless it can't get proper exposure with the iris fully open. If you set AGC LIMIT to 6dB, then in a dark scene the camera will add a maximum of 6dB gain if it's needed. In a bright scene no gain will be added.

However when you shoot in manual mode, as you describe above by adjusting the iris with the wheel, the AGC LIMIT custom preset has no effect. You can manually add up to 18dB of gain if you want, or you can use none at all.

CP setting
 

Thanks for the explanation.

The AGC limiter on the 150/170 is great.. I wish my 950 had this feature (as its a half step between true gain control and the camera automatically boosting to +18db)

Definitely useful for me when I'm shooting in venues with lighting rigs that vary, so some shots will need more/less gain than others.. limiting to 6 or 12 (depending on the venue) means I don't have to fiddle with gain whilst filming, and it won't go thru the roof. Also I don't trust the LCD for brightness/colour reproduction, and I still don't have the eye to judge for myself. Zebra bars are handy tho!