XL2 footage
 

Ok, since there is not too much footage around here (at least i haven't found it) i'll post two things i've done. The first file is from yesterday, a run-and-gun thing to test the camera in city street lights situation (and for car interior); the second is from a week ago.

On thing i noticed on the xl2, is a bit hard to focus on wide shots. I guess that just question of pratice.

Each file is over 2 min, 35-37 mb.

http://www.fileshack.us/v/5459306/xl2_test_03.mpg.html

For now is only that. I'm uploading the other but it take time...

Here is:

http://www.fileshack.us/v/9105006/xl2_test_02a.mpg.html

But the compression don't do justice at the cat's fur detail.

Hi Michele,

I didn't download the files, so I can't comment them.

Well, this is because wide shots have a very large DOF even with the aperture wide open. Therefor it is difficult to focus exactly with every camera, not just the XL2. The way to focus properly is to zoom in, set the focus, zoom out again, provided the backfocus of the lens is correctly adjusted. But you probably know all this.

Having said that, the stock color viewfinder that comes with the XL2 is not very good for focusing. The awfully expensive FU-1000 B/W CRT viewfinder is much better. It let's you focus easily and exactly. However, there was, perhaps still is, an issue with blown main fuses when using the FU-1000 (search the XL2 section for "blown fuse" or similar).

Hi Michele,

I viewed you XL2 footage. I was especially observant of the low light footage. How did you have the XL2 set up for the night footage? What mode were you running in?

Todd

I was in 25p, shutter 1/25 (with 1/50 it was more dark and to me the diffrence is not too much), gain at +3 (i'm not going more because of the noise) with a custom preset to avoid dark noise (even at loss of some light) and with a low saturation.
Low saturation (respecto to default settings) and withe balance to indoor because i find that with most of the streetlights here, the image result too much reddish, as opposed to the real yellowish/orange to the eye. Yet, sometimes the outdoor balance works right (see the last shot before the guy in the car, that war outdoor white balance). Sure it can be tweaked to match the real color by using a slightly colored paper instead of white one, but as i said it was a fast shooting just for test.

Ok, here is the preset i used:

Gamma Normal
Knee Middle
Black Press
Color matrix Normal
Color gain -3
Color phase 0
Red gain -6
Green gain 0
Blue gain 0
V detail normal
Sharpness 0
Coring 0
Setup level -4
Master ped -4
NR off

Cool Thanks. I think I'll give these settings a try just to see what I get.

Let me see I understand the intent of some of these settings...

Knee Middle - Don't do anything with the highlights

Black Press - Take shades of black and push them together. This removes detail in the dark grays and blacks? Why do this? To make the darks go black for a richer look?

Color gain -3 - This is to desaturate? Why? To remove unnatural or reduce the color so white balacing becomes less significant?

Red gain -6 - I'm guessing this was to get that redish tint that seems to show up often in low light footage?

I have trouble with these next two.

Setup level -4 - Is this sort of like brightness? Where moving it down by -4 with push the blacks together and open up room for the brights? How is this not like "gain"?

Master ped -4 - This I have no idea what it is. I know I read about it in the manual once, but I've never used it.

I'll try and put these settings into my XL2 and shoot some video for posting. I'm curious to see if I endup with similar looking footage.

Thanks!!!

Todd

Todd, from what i learned here (and if i'm not wrong) is one parameter in conjunction with another that makes the diffrence. Plus, you need to see the changes on an external monitor or tv, since the viewfinder did'nt show them very well.

From the manual:

Setup Level adjust the brightness of the shadowy zones, and means that - is a more darker image, and + is less dark in shadows.

Master pedestal - to darken more the dark zones and augment contrast, + to do the contrary.

However, for ex. you need to adjust those two parameters toghether to see the true diffrences.

Here is another thing we have improvised yesterday. No additional lights, of course. Looks filmic (acting apart)? I used 25p, gain +3 and a shutter speed of 1/25. In fact there are some sequences that don't look so much filmic to me (in terms of motion), maybe is the shutter speed that is not at 1/50.

I was thinking that the shot on the other video at the gas station was good (if it was in focus), sure, the sky in the other was better.

http://www.fileshack.us/v/7071221/xl...5_low.mpg.html

Michele,

I'm quite impressed with your footage. I've regained some faith with keeping my camera for a year or so. I had an awful time with the low light while filming awhile back. It was very grainy.

I couldn't help but notice you exported such a crisp 2 minute file in 38 megs. May I ask under which preferences you exported your finished segment with?

Thanks.

Peter, i did'nt remember exactly every parameter; anyway it was an MPEG2 320x240, but it's better if i post a pic of the settings. I use Premiere Elements 1 (sometimes Premiere Pro, but Elements for this videos)

Peter, i apologize for not posting the settings; however i've been busy those days that i forgot to do. Anyway, the strange things is that sometimes i get not the same quality using very similar parameters. In fact, yesterday i was exporting a video in 720x480 16:9; and i realized it was smaller (i.e. even played on full screen in win media player did'nt play really at full screen. Than i tried exporting, with the same settings, the only diffrence was that i selected 4:3; and it was more bigger.

It's fine, Michele. Truth be told I forgot as well.

It's all a matter of experimenting and what works right for you ;)