Manual Exposure/Shutter Speed
 

I've found that I can't adjust the shutter speed when I'm using manual exposure, however I can switch exposure to auto, manually adjust my shutter speed and then manually adjust my exposure. Is there any reason why I can't adjust my shutter speed and exposure manually at the same time?

If you are referring to the PD170 you can control shutter, iris and gain manually. It sounds like in your menu you need to switch the Auto Shutter to OFF. I control my shutter with the scroll wheel after oushing the Shutter Speed button on the back, and the iris by the scroll whell on the side of the camera which you already know BUT if the AUTO SHUTTER is ON in the menu it won't work.

Don

You can't do that because Sony designed those features poorly. I can think of no other reason except for a design overlook/flaw. Fortunately, you shouldn't need to adjust the shutter often.

What ? On VX2000 you slide Auto lock to middle position. Then select shutter on back panel, select shutter speed you want. The adjust your Iris exposure by pushing that button and turning wheel on front. I think you do have to be sure Auto shutter is turned off.

Sorry, referring to the VX2100...But then I have to take off manual exposure in order to adjust the shutter.

Aviv has correctly described the shutter speed adjustment on the VX series. Whenever you change shutter speed the camera will automatically reset the iris to whatever it "thinks" it should be - even in full manual mode. But after changing shutter speed you can then go back to manual iris mode and control it as desired. The PD-150/170 are different however and let you change shutter speed without affecting the iris.

But unlike Marcus, I suspect this was something Sony did intentionally to differentiate the VX and PD series. They have done similar things to "cripple" their consumer cameras in firmware as compared to the pro models (FX1 vs Z1, TRV-950 vs PDX-10).

FWIW, my PDX-10 has the same annoying shutter speed behavior as the VX-2000.

And this doesn't relate to AUTO SHUTTER setting in the menu.

So if I wan't to adjust shutter speed on the VX2100 I have to:

1) Take off Manual Exposure
2) Select and Adjust Shutter
3) Turn on Manual Exposure and set it to what I want, seeing as the camera will automatically select which exposure it thinks I'll want?

What is this difference between this and the Program AE Shutter Speed Priority setting? (What do these actually do? That and the Aperuture priority settings? They both don't really seem to make a different).

Also, what does that automatic shutter option do?

The difference is that the AE modes allow YOU to control one thing and the camera adjusts the other.

Example:

AE - Aperture Priority - you select the desired aperture - the camera will select the shutter speed

AE - Shutter Speed Priority - you select the shutter speed - the camera will select the aperture

When using manual exposure and setting the shutter speed manually YOU are controlling both and the camera is not making any automatic adjustments at all (and, as Andre De Clercq says, AUTO SHUTTER in the menu has no bearing on any of these adjustments. The setting of AUTO SHUTTER is ONLY used when the AUTO LOCK position is selected).

And a word of warning:

It is very easy to overexpose when using manual exposure and setting the shutter speed manually. On the VX - when this happens - the CCD's (or something) get themselves into a twist and do not seem to recover until you push the reset button. You will know if you have overexposed because the whole image becomes blurred and out of focus and no matter what you do from there - unless you reset - the camera stays in this state. Admittedly I am talking about EXTREME overexposure but it only takes a split second for this to happen and then you have to reset. It is pretty easy to do though - if you set your shutter speed manually (slow) and select manual exposure (wide aperture) with the lens hood closed and go outside and open the lens hood facing a bright object - you'll quickly see what I mean!

When you say reset, do you mean hitting the exposure button? I've found thaet I don't get overexposure when using the manual shutter because I have to swtich the exposure to auto (by hitting the exposure button) anyway.

This isn't real difficult. You set the camera to manual (on VX2000 that is slider on back of camera, the middle selection under auto lock.) Then you make sure the exposure button is off (by the iris/gain adjustment wheel. Then you select your shutter speed by pressing shutter speed (on back of VX2000, I'm sure the same on 2100), and then rotating selector wheel to get the speed you want. In most situation I select 60 (1/60th). Then you press the exposure button, and you just adjust your exposure from there using the exposure wheel next to the exposure button. Have your zebra pattern on to be sure you aren't burning out highlights, unless you really want to, and you are off and running.

Now if you press the exposure button again, then it resets to exposure it thinks you may want, so just don't repress the exposure button.

You'll find the 'reset button' where all the other buttons are (beneath the LCD i.e. when the LCD is open) although it is more of a little round hole with a 'button' beneath it. You need a pen or other (not too sharp) thin object to depress it and this resets the camera to its factory default settings. I always do this before a shoot just to make sure everything is in order.

The reason that I made you aware of possible overexposure is because YOU were asking about manully controlling the shutter speed AND aperture in your thread (unless I read it wrong).

If you are only controlling the shutter speed then the camera will compensate by adjusting the aperture

Regards,

Dale.

If you push the reset button though, the camera defaults to the lower-fi setting of 12 bit audio. And you lose any custom presets you might've stored. I stay well clear.

tom.

Is there no way of adjusting the shutter without having to first turn off the exposure button?

Not on the VX2000 or VX2100 Aviv. The camera is a shutter priority automatic with manual control, which is by far the best way to operate a movie camera.

Just follow Chris Barcellos' advice to the letter and you'll be working the camera at its best in the way it was designed.

tom.