Brendan, you're right - I've had experiences of both - poor and good mixes from sound boards, and I have also where I've been able to or allowed set up my own mics. (for a string quartet where they dont use a PA you'd have no choice but to)

Choices:
1. Set up your own multi-mics
2. Take a feed from mixer
3. Do both 1&2 and clean up in DAW
4. Use good quality stereo cardoid on camera hotshoe
...
99. Use on-board camera mic as last resort :-(

http://www.screentopia.com/pictures/clients/hothead/

Shot with HV20's and 30's and 35mm adapter (so light was being lost to adapter.)

Regarding sound...be careful using the mix from the board. Many times, particularly in smaller venues, the drums may not be mic'd. (Sometimes if the monitors are big enough, the guitars might not even be.)

Wow, very impressive Joseph! Was there any trick besides good lighting you used to make the image so clean?

Hi Joseph,

Have to agree with Fernando, very impressive work indeed.

I'm still learning with our new HV30; can you tell us what settings you used?

And which 35mm adapter?

Thanks!

There was most definitely not "good lighting". ;-) The lighting kinda sucked, but we did the best with what was on hand.

I shoot everything in 24p, 1/48th shutter, Tv mode, with the exposure "locked" so as to avoid any gain. All of the PQ settings are at 0 or -1. The adapter is the Cinevate Brevis MP. Canon FD mount. Basically, I try to shoot a digital "negative" that gives me the most latitude to grade in post.

I think that what you'll find, more than anything, is that downres'ing to DVD hides a great many flaws in HDV PQ.

You clean up the image in post if it is a little too grainy/noisy:

HV30 low light footage / clean up on Vimeo

Hi Randy,

I shot this in a very dimly lit tent with an HV30.

~ R o S H a m B o ~

I intentionally added some grain and film effects to give it a gritty look. The audio recording was over-modulated so I ended up using an old recording from their myspace page. Below is what the original footage looked like before and after CC and film effects:

http://www.dvinfo.net//conf/attachme...1&d=1221880573

Its a wonderful little camera.