Use the memory stick
 

For your test, all you have to do is import an image to your memory stick from your pc, of the pink bottle on a blue background. Then use the chroma setting with the memory stick image to superimpose the pink bottle overlayed on your live footage. Choose a blue with the settings R=0, G=0, B=255.
Rick.

<<<-- Originally posted by Carl Russo : Thanks, Rob!

The Sony manual says:

"M. CHROM (Memory chromakey)
You can swap a blue area of a still image such as an illustration or a frame with a moving picture."

I'll try the local pro video store to see if they sell sheets of blue for this operation. Failing that, there's an art store in my neighborhood. -->>>

Thanks, fellas!

One of the links Rob included above led me to this page:

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/cinemasu...luscreens.html

Can't beat the price!

I set a up small blue screen studio. I purchased a 10' x30' roll of blue chroma key paper and hung it from my ceiling. It was $40 dollars.

I get the best results shooting in 15 fps progressive, and then using the Ultimatte plugin for After Effects. I suggest highly recomend using a more advanced plugin like Ultimatte instead of striaght chroma keying.

With this combination I don't have to work to hard to light my subject to get near perfect reluts.

memory stick for pd150
 

I need a memory stick for my pd150 and was wondering what is the maximum capacity in MB that the pd150 is compatible with? Does anyone know?

I searched this and other sites but could not find any answer.

Thank you.

I believe that only the original MemorySticks will work, not the new MemoryStick Pro or Pro Duo. The maximum capacity of the original sticks is 128 meg, although you can get 256 meg sticks that have a tiny little switch on them that switches between two 128 meg banks. The PD150 handles 128 meg (or the switchable 2x128 meg sticks) just fine.

www.memorystick.com

You can get at least 400 PD-150 still shots on a 128 meg stick. Depending on the complexity of the image and how much the JPEG image compression can "squish" them, you may be able to get perhaps 600+ PD-150 stills on a stick.

John

John, thank you for replying.

A 128MB stick should be enough for my needs, though it would be nice if the pd150 could accept the new 512MB Pro or the 1GB cards.

Memory Mix matte
 

Okay, I was wondering for the memory mix mode on the VX2000, I know that 16:9 mode on the VX2000 reduces resolution greatly. Sooo I made a matte for memory mix: 640x360 (1.78:1 or 16:9). Is this the correct dimensions for a 16:9 matte?

Thanks!
Josh

pd170 memory stick
 

I bought a Lexar 512mb memory stick pro for the Pd170 and all I can get is a "memory stick error" message. I can't use it, erase it or format it.
Is the stick incompatable, defective, or is 512 larger than the camera will accept?

Thanks, mike

I just tried the stick in a Panasonic that I bought to use as a capture deck and it works fine so I assume the stick is OK.
I guess I will try another brand in the pd170.
I hope it is not the camera (2 days old!)
Any ideas appreciated.

Oh Shoot^&^$*@#,

I went to Sears and bought a Sony Memory Stick Duo.
I am getting the same error message.
Is there a setting that I am missing???
I hate to think that a brand new pd170 (B&h) is defective.
I have not even put a tape in it yet.
I guess I'll try that.

mike (about to cry) Coco

Well, I'm back again.
Prior to using the memory stick to capture a still image (using it similiar to a digital camera) is it necessary to do any type of setup in the menu or do you just put in the stick, set the camera to memory and take a picture??

Am I misunderstanding the purpose of the memory stick? I assume that it lets me use the pd170 like I use my Nikon D70 to take a "snapshot".

As soon as I insert the stick and turn the camera on the memory position, I get the error message mentioned in my previous post.

mike

What does Sony say in the 170 manual about the proper style of stick to use?
My 150 only uses the original sticks as far as I know. No Pro, no large sticks (128 Mbytes works OK).

I guess the days are gone when they would include a stick with the camera.

The book says that both sticks I tried are compatable. The second, as I stated is a Sony.
I still think there is something I need to do, maybe a setting, to make it ready.
Am I correct that the pd170 can be used like a digital photo camera?

Are you putting the switch on the right rear of the camera into CAMERA>MEMORY mode? I do not believe you can take a still pic with the camera set in any other way.
Just asking the obvious.
Don

Thanks Don.
Yes, as soon as I put the switch in the memory position, the camera beeps and flashes "memory stick error" message.

Have you tried formatting the stick with the camera? It may just be that it requires formatting.

The camera should save stills to tape as well. Puts about 6 seconds of still image onto the tape if the 170 is like my 150.

Mike, I can't format the stick either. Attempting to format gives the error message as well.

Call Sony Pro Support on Monday.

Call B&H and tell them you want a replacement camera if Sony concludes that the camera is indeed faulty.

Don't wait, you only have 7 days with B&H to exchange. Otherwise you'll have to ship it to Sony and wait about 2 weeks to get it back.

Thanks Mike.
I am going to call B&H tomorrow. Some of the guys there seem very knowledgible on the pd170.
I wondered if the Sony pro line was available 24/7.

just to jump in this thread - has anyone tried using the insert logo feature from graphic on stick?

leslie

ps. have used a couple of different sticks in my 170, all seemed to work fine. other than the above, don't really see any use for 'em though. capture still to tape works fine for me....

Well, B&H says it's defective...send it back!!
Maybe it's just me but a $3000.00 camera defective out of the box does not set too well.
I paid for overnight shipping because I have zero patience, now I will probably be without a camera for at least 1 week, probably longer.
I hope this is not an indication of the quality Sony is putting into the pro line.

BTW- It must not be my week for cameras. I bought an open box camera from Sears to use as a deck and guess what. It is defective too!! I will not play a tape.

OK, I'm through venting now.

mike

But that is a whole lot better than the seller telling you to send it off to Sony. You will get another new camera, not a repaired camera. Nothing wrong with repairs but there is a chance they will break something as Sony did to my first 150.

The delay is the price you pay for paying less of a price. You could have purchased the camera from a local supplier and paid list price.

Doesn't lessen the frustration, though.

How will this end???
 

Well, here goes>
As I stated above, the memory stick error was a mystery to the tech at b&H. I told him I was trying both a Lexar 512 and a Sony 256. He had me try resets, turn-off, turn-on, etc.

He determined the camera to be defective and got me an RMA #.

This all happened Sunday.

I went ahead and called Sony on Monday.
The tech there was totally surprised that I was having this problem and he too took me through a series of tests. I told him what sticks I was using and he said "no problem there unless the sticks are defective and it is unlikely that both are".
He determined the camera to be defective and suggested it be returned.

I filmed about 30 seconds with the camera to see if that worked. It did.

Tuesday I called b&h and told them to bill me for another camera, send it to me, and issue a refund when they get the defective camera that I have returned. (other wise they said it would be over a week after they get the return before they could get me out a replacement). I also ordered a sony vc 32 to use as a deck, a camera bag and a rain cover, another 500.00 worth.

Today I got the new camera, put the memory stick in and guess what MEMORY STICK ERROR!!!~

I call sony and a pro camera tech has me try every trick in the book, nothing works and finally after at least 20 minutes he asks if I have a small memory stick. I went and bought a 128, put it in and it works!!

We can't find anywhere in the book that the size is limited to 128, the tech did not know it, b&h did not know it.

HERE IS THE QUESTION: Will B&H accept the return since the camera is not defective but it is now used? I called them and a customer service rep said "no problem" but I can't help but worry. I can't afford 2 cameras!! The "defective" camera is already on the way back so I guess I must just trust in the good will of B&H.

I believe that the B&H return policy in the first 7 days is 'no questions asked.' If they said they would do it, they will.

Thanks for this info.
I felt guilty. That's why I called them and told them what had happened and that the camera was not defective.
I could live with the charges easier than I could live with the thought that I took advantage of something.

curiosity....

what do you use the memory stick for? stills?

leslie

Sony 256 stick works for me...
 

I have a 256mb (128x2) sony mem stick--it works perfectly in my PD170, but a 256mb sony magic gate stick I recently picked up is incompatible with it. Go figure...
So it's not necessarily limited to 128mb, it's just that the PD170 is damned picky.
They really are fairly useless on the PD170...640x480 are the highest res stills you can take with the camera anyway.

This string has a happy ending for me.
B&H issued me a refund today!

Memory Mix
 

Is there a way to keep the memory mix setting after shutting down and restarting the camera?

I haven't found it. Wish there was, because I often use a letterbox matte, and you always have to reapply it after shut down.

Thanks chris, same problem.

Memory Mix problems
 

I have a scandisk media reader/writer. It reads/writes Memory Stick (all forms), Compact Flash, Xd cards, etc. I purchased a Sony 128mb Memory Stick (normal - and not too big). The camera reads the card but when I place a widescreen matte on the card from my computer and then try to view it on the cam, the camera says "no image." Anyone know anything about this? I've heard this is a tried and true method of shooting unsqeezed widescreen. If not via my writer, how am I supposed to put the matte on the stick? Help!
Thanks!

~~Dave

Are you using a Mac perhaps? I haven't used this feature on my VX-2000 in years, but I remember having the same problem. Someone pointed me to a fix using a shareware/freeware file converter. It seems that Photoshop puts JPEG files in a format which the VX-2000 doesn't like.

I don't remember the details, but I think the utility program I used was GraphicConverter: http://www.lemkesoft.de/en/graphcon.htm

(EDIT)

Here you go - does this help?

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=9649
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=6178

I am using a PC and the camera didn't come with any software. That link to the program is for Macs, right? Any other ideas?

Try this file out. It works on my VX2000:

http://www.makeyourfilm.net/downloads/DSC00027.jpg

It just won't read the images
 

The images I've placed on the memory stick are JPEGs, they are of the correct resolution and they are definitely on the stick but the camera still says "no file." On another note, my typical program that I use for downloading and uploading images doesn't recognize the drive so I copied and pasted the images into the drive that the memory stick was represented as. Does this make a difference?

Repost of previous Memory Mix problem that wasn't solved
 

I recently bought a Sony 128MB Memory Stick for use in my PD170. I use a Scandisk media reader/writer (works with compact flash, xd, memory stick, etc) and I'm having some issues. Firstly, I AM able to put the JPEGs on the stick, but only by dragging or copying and pasting into the stick's folder on the C:Drive (on a PC). My usual digital camera software doesn't recognize the stick, even though the computer reads it and assigns it a drive letter. For whatever reason, even though I can drag it and paste it in the folder, when I put the stick in the camera, it says "no file." I put it back in the computer and it's still there.
What's going on?

Hi Dave, sorry you haven't found a solution yet. I've merged this post with your existing thread so we can keep everything in the same place.

Have you tried doing all this using the little memory stick that came with the camera (my VX-2000 had something like a 4MB stick included)? I know there are several varieties of memory sticks, and am not sure whether the PD-170 can accept memory stick pro: http://www.memorystick.com/en/ms/variety.html

Evidently the memory stick pro doesn't work on the PDX-10 which is a similar generation Sony pro camcorder: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=10488

I also found this old thread, but the problem was related to a larger memory stick: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=63165

Do you have any other kind of device to test your memory stick on (still camera, VX-2000, a different computer, etc)? Seems like you need to verify that it isn't defective for starters.

For some reason, the 170 doesn't come with a memory stick or software that I've heard the 150 did have. I made sure with Sony that the memory stick I was going to buy was the correct type and size. The camera reads the stick and takes pictures on it, but it won't read the ones I put on the stick from my computer. I can't figure it out.
Just to reiterate, the stick is the right kind and size and does register in the camera and the camera will capture stills onto the stick. The images are JPEGs and are the correct resolution for what I want to do (put widescreen black bars over the captured video using the memory mix function). I'm using a PC.
Any thoughts?

the 170 does come with a memory stick, but perhaps, like me, you threw it out with the packing....

bought a sony 8mb memory stick - all ok.

leslie