How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

Tomorrow evening I may be doing some filming at an event launch party.

I will be filming both outside as well as inside where I will be doing interviews. I'm assuming it will be low/bad light.

Any tips and suggestions on camera settings?

Thanks

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

If you don't need to shoot in 1080p, switch to 720p as it gives you a bit more light.

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

Some are saying that this camera's 4:2:2 codec stands a good bit of post manipulation. It could be that if you shoot as bright as you can in the normal way, without too much gain, you can brighten it up afterwards. Do some tests with dim footage and see how you get on. I'd be interested to know how it works out.

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

If you don't own a post denoiser app you can always use the internal noise reduction in the camera! It is quite powerful.

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

Thanks guys.

It was my first evening/dark shoot and it was just one big problem.

In the end I added gain which I later found out when looking at footage, made it very grainy so will use Neat de-ioniser for that. Also used a rotolight which helped considerably.

It's just one looooong learning curve!!

:)

Thanks again.

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

Here's the finished video

YouTube - Concours D'Elegance 2011 Launch Party

The intro shot outside the venue came out quite nice. Inside it was awful.

I made a big rookie mistake. Had a rotolight attached to the camera but didn't use it until halfway. Works quite well with it.

Learnt a lot from that shoot and doing the editing/post stuff.

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

Hey its not too bad (inside shots) at all. I was expecting a lot worse from your description - just scanned through some sections of it on a quick break (up to my neck with client edit deadlines!) but it seems to capture the atmosphere of the event well (which is all 99% of your clients intended audience will be interested in, I imagine, not low light performance of a XF300). Nice cars! One or two focus errors and some of your taking head cutaways were not ideal (but having done the odd live event as a sole cameraman I know how tricky these things can be!). Things often unfold fast and you just have to capture the magical bits as best you can and hope to hide/remove any glitches in edit.

Sure, you've learnt something to do better next time. The day the complex world of is video production gets totally predictable and I stop learning something new is the day I'll probably loose interest anyway. Most important thing, is the client happy?

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

No client. All video work that I'm doing is for an online channel that I set up recently.

The original length was double, but I decided to edit it down. As I'm continuously moving, I tend to keep it on auto focus. Everything else is on manual settings.

but... I really want an Af101

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

Sayeed,if u still r out there,nice job on this. While some small flaws, they didn't seem horrible.it worked fine for what it was. That kind of shoot is low value, don't you wish you were here kind of coverage.

As to wanting an af100,while I too would love to play with one, what would you have done differently if you had one? The event is a wide angle, high DOF event, run &gun. Not likely the right scenario for AF100 style shooting. Or was there some reason you wanted one?

In your network, do you need 'broadcast quality? Your network is web based? the reason I ask is that if it's not b.q. Then just shoot with a 7d or 5mkII? Or are u hoping for stringer work out of this?

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

Hi Alf,

It was a quick job and ideally I would have liked to have spent more time on it, but it's mainly news/event stuff and I've seen much worse on TV.

I wouldn't have used the Af100 for that shoot, but for the documentary type stuff I'm doing later. I also have an XHA1 and that and the XF300 are perfect for run and gun stuff.

I've played around with the AF100 and really like, but at the moment it's way down on my list of things to purchase.

You're correct, I don't really need broadcast quality as most if not all of the footage is for the internet. I used to shoot with an XHA1 and decided to get the XF300. The XHA1 is a great camera, but I prefer using the XF. Used the XHA1 for two days of shooting as the XF was in for repair and I really missed the XF.

I'm considering the 5mkII as the B camera though.

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

Nice video clip. Slightly too long for me, and 3.38 (which I consider to be the money shot) much too short.

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

If I can ask, why was the XF in for repair? What broke? Was it operator error (G) or an actual flaw?

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

Unfortunately, the only long clip I had was done in daylight. I forgot to do it at the time.

I connected a V Lock battery to it and it blew a fuse. I was told it would work, but evidently it didn't.

Canon Service Centre fixed it in a couple of days and even gave me a free viewfinder cap.

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

Syeed,
Did you take your camera in personally to the Canon Service Centre in Elstree?
I need to get mine in to replace the EVF (burn on!) and I'd rather take it there myself if possible.

Re: How do I do low light filming with the XF300
 

Yes. You just drop it off at reception and they give you a receipt for it.

Then email you a confirmation and once ready, send you an email that it's ready for collection.

I've been a few times and never booked it, just turn up and hand it in.