Realizing I hadn't done any low-light shooting yet, I decided to hit Hollywood Blvd. at sunset on my way home tonight:

http://homepage.mac.com/nweaver/.Movies/HollywoodBlvd1.m2t
http://homepage.mac.com/nweaver/.Movies/HollywoodBlvd2.m2t
http://homepage.mac.com/nweaver/.Movies/HollywoodBlvd3.m2t

You all know the drill. Download VLC to view, yadda yadda yadda.

Right now I'm trying to figure out if my new gamma, knee, and black level have truly gotten me some latitude, or just the illusion thereof. Regardless of how it turns out to be, I know these clips look amazing on the Sony 14" HD monitor and I'm having trouble finding issue with how the blacks go to black and how the highlights blow out.

What gain level Nate? Did you use the standard gamma at max as well?
Shutter speed 1/48th?

Did you have Motion Smoothing turned on? It looks like it at the end of clip#2. Notice the weird outline shape in the sky of the tower?

Definitely no motion smoothing, 0db gain, 48th shutter. Cine gamma, min setting. I'm a meat & potatoes kinda shooter, ifyaknowwhuddimean. Kidding.

Realize that parts of Hollywood Blvd are lit up about a stop brighter than your average metropolitan street...almost as bright as Vegas strip at night.

Ooo, I just found that outline you're talking about. Took me a while, because it only happens as I was juggling the camera. I agree, it looks like what motion smoothing does...but no, I didn't have it on. Chalk it up to MPEG2, I guess. It is a pretty drastic change between frames there.

Hmmm. That ghost artifact is weird. I haven't seen it in my extreme motion pans. 24P right?
Did you capture with DVHSCap, LumiereHD, or HDVxDV?

Tim

Wow -- MAJOR vertical smears on clip #3, all over the place. That's not good...

... but this footage sure does look like high-def! Especially #1.

Although that ghost artifact on the tower in clip #2 is weird weird weird. You're absolutely sure motion smoothing was off? I have no doubt that it was off, but I haven't seen an MPEG artifact like that -- the ghost persists for at least 15 frames... it would seem like if it was a GOP issue it should have cleared up after six. So that's odd... wonder what that was...

Clip #2 had direct headlights and direct streetlights, but nowhere near the level of vertical smear that clip #3 had. Did you have the lens stopped down a bit more for clip 3?

On clip #2 I bet those are not real... :)

The vertical smear is nowhere near as bad as the HD1, but I guess you can't totally get rid of it if you want bright night footage.

It's strange that Nate's footage has not split-screen or dead pixels. So much for all the moaning other people do.

Good Stuff Nate, you sure know your stuff!

Anhar