VX2100 help
 

hello everyone, i am new to DVinfo. i might sound like a newbie asking this and i cant seem to find the answer for my questions, even after looking over all the posts.

1. I cant seem to get 100% quality out of my vx2100
2. shooting in normal mode the footage looks home movie style like a non 3-chip camera. and progressive scan is too shaky/choppy
3. I want to find a setting where the footage is more like 24p style
4. What program converts vx2100 footage to 24p?
5. whats the difference between a vx2100 and a pd170?

Any help will be greatly appreciated

Hi Chris and welcome to DVinfo!

1. Sorry, but a little practice will go a long way. Learn to use the manual controls.

2. Forget the 15fps progressive unless you want it for a special purpose. One use is shooting time lapse scene which you'll speed up in post anyway.

3. The VX-2100 doesn't do that unfortunately. You might try shooting at 1/30 shutter speed as an experiment. You will unfortunately reduce the vertical resolution since the camera does "field doubling" at that speed, but it looks a little more like film motion.

4. What kind of computer and editing software do you have? I've heard Vegas does a good job of this on the PC, but no personal experience. On the Mac see Graeme's Film Effects: http://nattress.com/filmEffects.htm, or for both platforms see DVfilm Maker http://www.dvfilm.com/maker/

5. The PD-170 has the same chips, lens and electronics but gives you a bit more manual control. It has a nicer viewfinder, it's black, and it has pro audio features including XLR inputs, more control over them and a mono mike.

i have an older dell dimension 4100, pentium 3, and i have adobe premiere 6.5 i tried using DVfilm, their demo version, but the end product doesnt seem to have any change to the original. should i buy DVfilm? or keep experimenting with the demo version before i buy. thanks

Make sure you're following all the directions. You need to be sure shutter speed is locked at 1/60 sec. If you're sure that you're doing everything right then maybe 24p isn't something you really need?

Vegas Video
 

I have the VX2000. Sony Vegas does a great job of converting to 24p if that is your thing. You can get a great set of basic Sony editing programs in the Platinum Movie Studio +DVD. It has, though not full featured Vegas, it has most things you need. Also has DVD architect which is great, and has Acid XMC, for some sound editing. I got it for about $ 100.00 and it had a rebate.

Chris Barcellos

Chris,

The first step in making any camera look more film-like is in how you use the camera itself. You need to watch exposure and make sure you aren't using too much gain. I would say that overexposure of the highlights is the biggest problem with the VX2000 looking like video. Also, if you go into the Custom Program settings, you might want to turn down sharpness one notch.

Step two that you must conquer is how to move the camera. Don't just sit it on a tripod and zoom and pan all over the place. Get or make a dolly and/or a stabilizer. If you have a steady hand, a monopod helps with moving shots. Use a counterweight to make it more stable.

Step three is lighting. Learning good lighting technique is the best way to make your work look good, but it is step three since bad camera technique is easier and will still ruin good lighting. The "look" is mostly in the lighting. Take advantage of the VX2000's light sensitivity and shoot in some fairly dim light with the iris wide open. You will need to watch your focus more and keep the gain from going high, but it will look better than any consumer 1-ccd camera in low light. Try shooting in firelight or strong candlelight and you will see what I mean.

Or you could consider paying for a day's training. Folk will happily spend mini-fortunes on kit, then struggle for weeks to learn the program, the menus, the tricks 'n' tips. And still not use it efficiently.

When I learnt Premiere years ago I paid to attend class - it was four days well spent and I've never regretted it. Same with your camcorder. Looking here can help:
http://urbanfox.tv
but it's never as good as 1:1 with a knowledgeable person with the same kit. Going that route will do a time travel for you - you'll leap forward maybe two years overnight.

tom.