Good "set and forget" recital / opera camera

[Dave Blackhurst]

HXR-NX100... thread is in the DVinfo Industry News fora...

If indeed the camera shares "guts" with the other 1" class sensor Sony cams, it might produce some very nice HD, but if I were shelling out that much on a camera, I'd think VERY hard about the lack of 4K... at some point I think you have to actually see the output on a 4k TV/Monitor/system to appreciate it, but once you have, it's a little hard going back to HD...

[Noa Put]

That's the one, I think for Ben's needs this camera is perfect, it has all the bells and whistles you would expect from a real videocamera, including xlr, I"m sure he wouldn't miss 4K, I see it's listed at 1700 dollar on b & h which considering what you are getting in return is actually pretty cheap. I mean just look at the specs, it even has dual SD memory card slots
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1156385-REG/sony_hxr_nx100.html

[Ron Evans]

If the NX100 still has all the touch features ( like touch focus in particular ) it would be great but for me a set it and leave it camera needs good quick set features and AE shift function. I am sure the internals are from the family of CX900/AX100 with a new lens and bigger batteries ( which I would like too ) . I have the AX100 too but only shoot 1080P 60 as for me unless it recorders in QFHD 60P I am not interested. I use my NX30U as an unattended camera these days on my theatre shoots using touch focus to set a point on the stage after I have framed and AE shift at - 0.2 or -0.5 depending how light the stage is for the play. Other setting are shutter at 1/60 and preset internal WB.

I have used my FDR-AX1 also as a fixed unattended camera in the same way shooting QFHD 60P set much the same way but focusing in QFHD is very critical ( the AX1 does not have touch focus ) and I normally set the AX1 with autofocus if left unattended. Lights mess it up of course so use the NX30U as backup to it for lights going down and back up !!!

Ron Evans

[Steve Burkett]

NX100 is a lovely little camera; marred by no 4K and lack on constant aperture in the zoom. Never can understand why variable aperture has to be such the norm for a fixed lens camera - I suppose cost, but for the sake of a couple more hundred quid...

[Dave Blackhurst]

The NX30 is the "pro" version of the PJ760 I mentioned, which is nice if he needed XLR, but with the Zoom handling the audio... probably a feature that isn't a "need".

I too wish for 4K/60p... but realistically the computer/monitor I put together to do 4K on the cheap can't even do 60hz... still looks quite good! Once I started using lower shutter speeds, I'm actually pretty happy with the 30p, early results weren't pretty (shimmer/stutter), but with the AX100 using manual settings and keeping the shutter speed down (introducing a bit of motion blur to counteract the super sharpness of the 4K) has done the trick for me.

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Steve Burkett

NX100 is a lovely little camera; marred by no 4K and lack on constant aperture in the zoom. Never can understand why variable aperture has to be such the norm for a fixed lens camera - I suppose cost, but for the sake of a couple more hundred quid...

Constant aperture zoom lenses with a focal length range of 10x or more are rare as hens teeth no matter what sensor size. The RX10 10x F/2.8 may even be unique. Every other motor zoom lens that I know of on a camcorder has variable aperture. DSLR lenses may be constant aperture but mostly aren't par-focal & in any case are rarely more than 3x or 4x plus of course they are manual not power.

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

Constant aperture zoom lenses with a focal length range of 10x or more are rare as hens teeth no matter what sensor size. The RX10 10x F/2.8 may even be unique. Every other motor zoom lens that I know of on a camcorder has variable aperture. DSLR lenses may be constant aperture but mostly aren't par-focal & in any case are rarely more than 3x or 4x plus of course they are manual not power.

The RX10 proves its possible, so I'm still at a loss why other cameras don't attempt it given the obvious low light advantages. Its the big reason why I prefer to stick with interchangeable lenses for Corporate work even though something like the Panasonic DVX200 with its fixed lens would be a better choice.

[Ben Kazez]

Hi all, thank you so much for all these helpful replies. The NX100 sounds great and I think it would be lovely to start out with a low-end pro camera rather than a high-end consumer one, but I need my camera before the NX100 comes out. I am also feeling more and more that 4K would be useful so I can set a wider frame for some buffer (since the camera will be unmanned) and then crop in post to perfectly highlight the ensemble (which in some cases will just be two musicians). This might also help me get around the 12x zoom, which I worry might be on the short side of what I need with a camera at the back of an auditorium.

Am I also correct in assuming that a consumer camera will make it harder to screw up manual settings? I love working with technology but since I'll be the one performing....

The XLR inputs aren't a concern since my audio setup will be mics fed into a Zoom.

Thanks again for helping me evaluate what is needed!

Ben

[Ron Evans]

If you are shooting from the back of a hall there will be a delay in the audio getting to the back of the hall so when you sync with the Zoom audio you may have to move the audio sync up a frame or two to get good lip sync. In other words move the Zoom audio ahead of the camera audio on the timeline. The AX100 will give you 30P QFHD that you could shoot a little wide and then crop in post. For all my indoor shoots I set shutter at 1/60, indoor preset for WB and if things do not move much on stage a spot focus on where you will be and AE shift at -0.2 or -0.5 should work fine.

Ron Evans

[Ben Kazez]

Oh -- the audio setup will be on stage! Mics on a stand and such, with a setup based on help from the lovely GearSlutz folks. So I don't think there should be any sound delay to contend with. Thanks for your setup advice!

[Ron Evans]

No the sound delay will be to the camcorder mics at the back of the hall if that is where it will be. You will need the camcorder audio to sync with the Zoom so where the camcorder is relative to the stage is important for the delay. If it is 150 feet away the delay will be close to 2 frames. If it is close to the stage almost nothing but then you will need a wide angle lens to get the performers in the shot. I was referring to how in editing you get the audio from the Zoom in sync with the video. If you are going to run the audio out of the Zoom realtime with a long cable to the camcorder then of course there will be no delay. The delay is just the speed of sound through air compared to light. I normally get a feed from the board ( no delay ) taken to one channel and a mic on the camcorder for audience response which will have the delay so I need to re sync the camcorder audio to lip sync with the board output otherwise there will be a reverb/echo.

Ron Evans

[Ben Kazez]

Oh, got it! I didn't realize how pros do audio sync -- what I've done in the past was very frustrating trial and error with iMovie, but hopefully moving up to FCP will make that easier....

[Steve Burkett]

Audio sync I tend to use the waveform you see in the editing software to line up; using something like the audience clapping and certain dialogue to get a rough match then listen and adjust manually until the audio matches right with as little echo as possible. In some cases, even with continuous recording, the audio can drift apart over time, especially when using different devices. So it can be lined up at the start but not at the end. In those cases, I tend to shift one line of audio during a quiet moment or often during the clapping when the shift isn't so noticeable. Takes practise.

[Ron Evans]

I do my audio sync in Vegas as then I can stretch and squeeze the audio to match the time for the camera audio since an external recorder will not have clock sync with the camcorder. This difference in clock sync will result in variations in waveform on the timeline because when both files are played on the computer they sync with the computer clock. In an hour they can be off by quite a way. My Zoom recorder is also not stable over an hour so I tend to cut sections to sync. Like Steve do this reset at a time that is not noticeable. That is why I try and record both my mic and house feed to the same camcorder that way it is only an offset and easy to just shift into sync. It is of course just mono tracks now with a stereo mix not real stereo.

Ron Evans

[Ben Kazez]

Thanks for sharing your techniques, Ron.

Last night I ordered my AX100 + FV100 battery + 128GB card. Thanks again for all the help! I'm pretty sure this will be a great camera for my needs. Now it's time to choose between FCP and Adobe Premiere.

Ben