OPERATIONS MANUAL FOR SONY PDX

Transcription

Page University of Minnesota
School of Journalism & Mass Communication
OPERATIONS MANUAL FOR SONY PDX-10 DVCAM CAMCORDERS
DRAFT
9.14.05
©2005 by the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
Page Video camera package: basic componenets
Questions?
A
Be sure to check the DMS website at
http://murphy.sjmc.umn.edu/dms
and go to the Available Equipment
Page. That page will link you to
manuals and other instructional materials for the equipment we use.
D
B
C
Before leaving the lab, it is your responsibility to “opcheck” your camera package to see if it is complete and
operational.
Before leaving the scene of your shoot, you should again
inspect your equipment and be sure you have all components. Learn to do the “idiot” walk, one last walk around
the site to be sure you have left nothing behind.
F
E
G
H
A: Video camera body
B: Camera battery
C: Microphone (mounts to top of camera and connects to XLR adaptor box)
D: XLR adaptor box
E: Wireless mic transmitter (mounts to top of camera)
F: Wireless mic receiver (mounts to top of camera or
XLR adaptor box), includes lapel clip
G: Lavaliere microphone (stereo male mini plug)
H: Cable to connect wireless receiver to XLR adaptor
box (stereo male mini-to-XLR male cable)
Not shown: camera bag should also include AC power cord
and adapter for plugging camera into wall outlet, spare
AA batteries for the wireless mic and a 25’ XLR extension
cable for microphone.
The person under whose name equipment is checked
out is responsible for the care and return of all camera
package components, whether or not those components
were used during the checkout period!
Page DVCAM vs MINI-DV
The Sony PDX-10 camcorder provided by the School
of Journalism can record using either mini-DV or
DVCAM tapes. Both utilize the “DV” digital video
format which uses a 5:1 compression and is capable
of being transferred over firewire cables and ports.
Mini-DV is considered a “consumer” or at best “prosumer” format made by Sony while DVCAM is Sony’s
professional version of the DV format.
Panasonic’s DVC-Pro 25 format (not available at the
SJMC but widely used in newsrooms,) uses the same
method of digitally encoding information, but DVCPro tape is a different size and is not playable on
mini-DV or DVCAM equipment. Most DVC-Pro decks
are able to play Mini-DV or DVCAM tapes with a cassette adaptor.
A number of other digital tape formats exist and
more will soon appear. They include: Digital Betacam, Beta SX, DVC-Pro 50 and HDV. As of this
writing, many news facilities still use the reliable
analog Beta-SP format. (Note: do not confuse tape
formats with “Beta” in the name with “Betamax”
which was an early alternative to VHS tape)
While analog and digital video devices both use
tape, it is used in very different ways. For digital
video and audio, tape just happens to be one of
many options for storing data. Tape is not actually
necessary for recording digital video or audio. New
drive devices are reaching the market that eliminate
the use of tape entirely by recording to hard drives
or optical media attached to the camera. When
DV tape is used, the digital data will generally be
transferred from tape to computer drives in order to
manipulate and edit recorded material.
A great deal could be said in comparing various
analog and digital tape formats, but that is beyond
the scope of this document. In short, the variety
of formats in use reflect different needs and uses.
Mini-DV cameras are small, portable and relatively
inexpensive. Mini-DV is a good format on which to
learn the craft of shooting video, and in the hands of
the right person with the right mini-DV equipment,
images and sound can be quite beautiful. DVCAM
can also be quite small but is typically shot with
larger, more expensive cameras. In either case,
the 5-to-1 compression that facilitates the relatively
easy setup of DV production systems results in image compromises that would not be acceptable for
most high-end television production. DV formats
throw out a lot of subtle color and shadow information. On the other hand, high-end systems that utilize uncompressed standard or high-definition video
require a lot of specialized hardware, especially for
storage.
Many broadcast networks will not accept footage
shot on mini-DV tape because it lacks qualities and
features that are important for post production and
the rigors of the broadcast world. The preference is
for either DVCAM or DVC-Pro if the DV format is to
be used.
WHY DO BROADCASTERS PREFER DVCAM OVER
MINI-DV?
Compared to mini-DV, DVCAM has several features
that make it superior to mini-DV from the standpoint
of broadcast engineering:
• DVCAM is thicker tape and therefore stronger and
better able to hold up to repeated use.
• DVCAM travels at a faster speed when recording or playing back. This means data is written
across a larger surface, making the signal less
prone to “dropout” which occurs when small magnetic particles become unglued and drop off of
the tape.
• DVCAM supports true SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) timecode,
a standard used by a wide variety of decks and
deck control devices. Mini-DV records timecode
encoded somewhat differently and is sometimes
not read frame-accurately.
• DVCAM locks audio and video portions in a true
frame-to-frame relationship. Mini-DV is more
prone to sync drift between picture and sound.
• Because DVCAM is aimed at the professional market, DVCAM cameras usually have superior optics
and electronics (especially larger CCDs or chips).
In spite of these differences, mini-DV does afford an
economical way to begin building a portfolio of quality demo material when used properly.
Page SECTION 1
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CAMERA
CAMERA SETUP AND BASIC FUNCTIONS
Default camera settings for the SJMC’s PDX-10 cameras:
Image: Automatic Mode
1. exposure
2. focus
3. white balance
DVCAM mode (Can also use DV SP for Mini-DV)
Audio: 2 tracks @ 48kHz 16 bit digital
When you pick up a camera from the DMS, the camera should be in full auto mode. The camera’s optic
and electronic system automatically focus, set exposure (shutter speed and aperture or lens opening) and
adjust for white balance. While convenient in certain situations, automatic settings are easily fooled and
constantly adjust to changes in front of the camera which can result in “pumping,” frequent changes in
focus, brightness and overall color of the image.
The camera allows you to override the auto functions. These overrides are done either by means of a
menu which can be called up on screen or by using control buttons and wheels on the body of the camera,
depending on the model.
You will need to become familiar with judging situations that demand the use of manual controls. We will
review basic functions through demonstration, but take some time with the camera manual to become
more familiar with how to use the camera to full advantage fluidly and easily. Most importantly, you must
learn to plan and anticipate.
The PDX-10 can be locked in to automatic mode, thereby ignoring any manual settings. It can also lock in
manual settings you have set and store preset customized configurations.
Following is a basic tour of the camera, its connections and its controls. Later, we will look at how these
controls can be utilized.
Page Before proceeding, there are some technical terms and procedures with which you will have
to become familiar, especially if you have any goals of being a photojournalist or videogtrapher.
VIDEO GLOSSARY NO. 1
Timecode
Along with sound and picture, many tape formats - including mini-DV
- include a track for timecode, an electronic signal that identifies each
frame of a video in a format of hours, minutes, seconds and frames
expressed in the format HH:MM:SS:FF. Mini-DV automatically begins
by recording at a value of 0, thus, the first frame recorded is identified as 00:00:00:01.
DVCAM typically allows the user to preset a starting timecode. A
common convention is to start each tape with a different hour value in
the timecode; for instance, tape 1 would start at 01:00:00:00, tape 2
would start at 02:00:00:00, etc.
Timecode is absolutely essential for effective editing and management
of post-production. You MUST learn to make proper use of timecode.
White Balance
White balancing refers to the ability of the camera circuitry to interpret the color temperature of a lighting source and adjust its response
so that colors of the subject are accurately recorded. This is achieved
by choosing daylight or indoor (tungsten) settings which are preset
by the manufacturer; or by manually directing the camera to analyze
the light falling on a white subject such as a piece of paper or a white
shirt and adjust its response characteristics
Light sources emit light in varying intensities across the spectrum
from infrared to ultraviolet. The overall “color” of light refers to the
part of the spectrum that is dominant from the light source. This
quality of a light source is referred to as its color temperature and is
described in terms of degrees Kelvin or “(number)ºK”. Broadly, we
talk about light in terms of “outdoor” (5600ºK) and “indoor” (3200ºK)
lighting, though this really means predominantly blue (daylight) or
predominantly red-orange (indoor) light frequencies are emitted by
the light source.
In fact, artificial lighting exists to emulate daylight. However, daylight
color temperature varies widely depending on atmospheric conditions. Daylight’s nominal value of 5600ºK is the color temperature of
light on a sunny day at noon with no clouds. Light in many outdoor
situations is much bluer than 5600ºK, such as on cloudy days or in
shade. In these settings, even with “daylight” chosen from the factory
presets, skin tones can end up with a slightly ghoulish blue tinge. At
the end of the day, daylight is the same as “indoor” light (3200ºK)
because of the denser ultraviolet-filtering effects of the atmosphere
when sunlight travels obliquely from a lower point on the horizon.
Photographers love using the light about an hour before sunset when
the light is beautifully warm and refer to this as the “golden hour.”
Some industrial lighting sources such as fluorescent lights have
unusual spikes of light in particular parts of the spectrum or may be
missing broad ranges of the visible light spectrum. Fluorescent lights,
for example, have spikes in the green range of the spectrum while
street lights used at night (sodium vapor) are almost exclusively in
the yellow range.
Manual white balancing is an important procedure because few situations are pure “daylight” or “indoor” light environments as defined for
the factory presets.
Basic DV Camcorder Camera Connections and Settings
Page AV cable connection for mini plug end of
custom cable used to dub to or from VHS
and other analog tape or video sources.
(You will not use this very often)
Headphone jack (stereo mini plug)
4-pin firewire connection
for digital input/output
used when capturing or
outputting material when
editing.
The basic external mic input is
behind a small gray cap at the
front of the camera, just below
the lens and and to the left as
you face the lens. This input is
for a mini type plug.
NOTE: By using an external mic, you will override the
built-in camera mic positioned immediately below the
lens
The camera can run off of an InfoLITHIUM battery or be plugged in to a
standard wall outlet using the AC power adapter provided with the camera.
When using a battery for power, slide the battery into the slot
on the back of the camera until it clicks into place. The arrow
on the battery should point downward. To release the battery,
you must first press the catch release button just above the
battery compartment.
The DC in jack for the power adapter is located at the back of
the camera beneath a gray lid.
This is how you can use the camera as a battery charger:
with the camera plugged in, install a battery on the camcorder. The battery will automatically re-charge.
NOTE: You do not have to turn the camera on for re-charging
to occur.
Page An important feature of the PDX-10 is the audio adapter which accepts professional grade XLR connectors (three-pin
connectors) through two channels. This allows the use of two separate microphones or other audio sources (such as
sound mixes in auditoriums or theatres).
Be sure to check your audio when using the XLR adapter box to ensure that all connections are properly made as described below..
FRONT OF CAMERA
Mic inputs are on the right side of the
adapter box.
FRONT OF CAMERA
On the left side of the adapter box, you can choose
channel assignments: input 1 can be assigned to
both channels 1 and 2 of the recording, or input 1
and 2 can be split to separate channels. (Note: only
input 1 can be assigned to both channels)
If using a microphone, input levels will most commonly be set to MIC. If you are getting a feed from an
audio board or other auxiliary source, you may need
to adjust the input level to LINE setting. Wireless mic
sets will sometimes require the MIC ATT setting to
avoid distortion.
For most mics, including the mic provided with the
camera, the +48V switch should be in the ON position. This provides power to phantom powered microphones.
To connect the XLR adapter box,
mount the box to “accessory
shoe” toward the front at the top
of the camera. The power supply
must be slid into the “intelligent
accessory shoe” securely to make
the power and audio signal connection. You should feel the hot
shoe make a secure connection by
clicking into place.
ACCESSORY
SHOE
INTELLIGENT
ACCESSORY SHOE
(provides power and
audio feed to camera)
Wireless Microphone Setup
Page Some general notes about the wireless mic sets:
• Each camera package has a receiver and transmitter preset to a matched specific frequency.
• DO NOT mix receiver and transmitter units from different
packages.
• DO NOT change frequencies. They are preset so that
units from the SJMC do not interfere with each other.
• To match audio levels, microphone output has been preset to an attenuated value of -6dB. Be sure to monitor
audio levels and quality from the camera.
[If audio sounds distorted, check the side of the XLR
adaptor box and switch the INPUT LEVEL to MIC ATT
position for the input channel receiving the wireless mic
signal. If sound
levels seem
abnormally low,
check to be sure
that you have not
accidentally activated the ATT (attenuate) switch.]
The wireless mic receiver can be mounted either to the top of the
camera or the top of the XLR adaptor box. The mini plug end of the
connecting cable goes into the OUTPUT jack of the receiver. The
XLR end of the cable goes into either of the channels of the XLR
adaptor box.
The MONITOR jack of the receiver is for headphones.
REMEMBER: all final audio monitoring should be done from the camera’s headphone jack to verify that the signal is
reaching the camera and is of acceptable quality.
Page If anything screws up a video shoot, odds are it will have something to do with audio. Distortion, noise, hum: all are nuisances with which you will have encounters. The following
definitions might help explain why these occur and how they can be remedied or avoided.
VIDEO GLOSSARY NO. 2 (the audio hardware nightmare)
+48V (Phantom) Power
Microphones require power. Some microphones require batteries to
operate, but when power travels through the same wires as the audio
signal itself, the process is referred to as “phantom power”. Phantom
power is generally at a specified voltage ranging from 12 volts to 48
volts. In the case of the PDX-10, the manufacturer-provided microphone operates at 48 volts phantom power.
Balanced /
Unbalanced
line
Avoiding cumbersome engineering definitions and issues, the principle concern to understand is that “balanced” connectors are wired
in a way that helps prevent unwanted interference from surrounding
electrical fields which can result in noise or hum in the audio signal.
Balanced line cables can run over longer distances and will typically
end in 1/4” or XLR type connectors.
Unbalanced lines are subject to interference, should be restricted in
length and will typically be RCA or mini-type connectors.
In short, balanced connections are more reliable overall and are often
identified as “professional” audio devices.
Mic and Line
input
Not all audio devices output audio at exactly the same level of voltage. This is a fairly complex engineering issue that has to do with
considerations for inherent noise and distortion in using electrical
currents. Match the recording device and the source device with respect to these input levels, most commonly identified as either “line”
or “mic”. [On rare occasions, you could encounter a third standard
sometimes used for electronic musical instruments. This is most easily corrected by passing the instrument signal through a sound mixing
board. Operations of music mixing equipment is beyond the scope of
this document.]
Commonly, non-microphone sources such as mixers or consumer devices will be at “line-level”. Improper matching of mic and line input
devices results in either low audio levels — which may be fixable — or
overdriven input levels that are distorted and cannot be fixed. If you
are unsure, leave enough time to fully test and monitor the sound
with headphones from the camera’s headphone jack.
Do not overestimate the ability to correct audio problems acceptably
in post-production without resorting to expensive and time-consuming
processes.
Insert a Mini-DV or DVCAM mini-cassette.
Page 10
Press and slide the OPEN/EJECT button on the top of the camera.
Gently open the side lid. The cassette compartment will pop out
when the lid is fully open.
Gently, insert the tape with the writing on the face of the tape
facing away from the camera and down.
Finally, gently push the cassette compartment by pushing PUSH
on the side of the cassette compartment. Once the cassette
compartment goes down completely, push the lid closed until it
clicks.
CHOOSING TAPE FOR THE PDX-10
The PDX-10 accepts either Mini-DV or small cassette DVCAM format tapes. The default setup for the
camera is to record in DVCAM mode.
In DVCAM mode, the tape travels faster, providing more reliability in the recorded data. However, this
means that a Mini-DV tape that indicates it is a 60-minute tape will record only about 40 minutes in of
video.
DVCAM tapes come in two different cassette sizes, large and small. The PDX-10 uses only the small
DVCAM cassettes. High-end DVCAM cameras accept the larger cassette size which can record up to
184 minutes on a single cassette.
One of the key advantages of the DVCAM mode is that it records industry-standard SMPTE timecode.
This allows greater flexibility in setting and using timecode.
Compared to Mini-DV tape, DVCAM tape is a little more expensive, but it is manufactured better and
holds up better over time. You can also record over DVCAM tape more reliably than Mini-DV tape.
Page 11
Viewing Options
The PDX-10 has a color LCD screen that flips out from the
side of the camera as well as a black-and-white viewfinder.
The LCD screen displays information as well as the
recorded image. There are also several functions that
Power and Recording Control
Power the camera on and set it to video recording (CAMERA)
mode by pushing the small green button and turning the switch
until the small white indicator lines up with CAMERA. If properly powered, the camera is now ON but in “standby” mode.
To begin recording, press the red record button. To end recording, press the red record button again.
(HINT: Just to the right of the POWER label there is
a small black stop that will keep you from accidentally going to MEMORY mode when you power on
the camera. This is activated using a slider switch
above the main switch)
Page 12
SECTION 2
OPERATING AND CONTROLLING THE
CAMERA
Accessing and Controlling the Camera Menu
Page 13
The PDX-10 has many options for operator control of the camera’s setting. These controls allow for exacting control of
image and sound.
You will have to learn to make decisions about relying on automatic features of the camera. The best way to ensure
great pictures and sound is to use manual settings whenever possible. This does not mean that automatic white balance, exposure, focus and audio levels will always be wrong, it’s just that they represent subjective judgements made
by the manufacturer for average situations. Unfortunately, not all situations are average.
Your first decision should involve whether you want to be able to manually override the camera’s circuitry.
At the back of the camera on the left side is a switch which allows you three options for automatic functions controlled
through the internal menu: AUTO LOCK locks the camera into auto mode; the middle position allows you to activate
manual settings; and the HOLD position locks in any manual settings you have created so
that they are not accidentally changed while you shoot.
CALLING UP THE MENU
To access the camera menu, flip the LCD screen open and press the MENU button on the
side panel of the camera. By pressing on the MENU button again on the side of the camera, the menu is toggled off. This can be done at any time.
The menu will appear in the LCD display as an overlay over the camera image. There are
several main menu items, each with its own submenus and individual choice options. The
active item is highlighted in yellow.
Menu choices are activated/selected by first pushing in on the
SEL/PUSH EXEC wheel on the back of the camera (think of
this as clicking on a mouse), and then turning the wheel to
scroll through the menu (equivalent to using the wheel on a PC
mouse).
In examining the use of manual adjustments, we will follow a BBC concept known by the acronym SWEFF.
SWEFF represents a good order for checking camera settings and stands for:
Sound
Focus
White balance
Exposure
Framing
Manually Setting Camera Features: SOUND
Page 14
Sound recording can be one of the most frustrating technical skills to master. You must consciously avoid the tendency of many aspiring video makers to think of sound as a secondary concern. It is not. Sound and picture are equally
powerful in communicating. And by “sound” we do not mean just words.
Quality sound tracks demand consideration of location acoustics, microphone types and sound design.
Because the PDX-10 is equipped with an XLR adapter box, audio setups are quite flexible. Your camera package provides your with three distinct audio options:
The camera’s built-in nose mic
The camera-mounted mic
The wireless mic set
IMPORTANT NOTE: Before attempting to manually adjust sound on the PDX-10, check all of your
audio connections as described earlier in this manual. Anytime you connect a mic to the mini connection at the front of the camera or to the accessory hot shoe, you override the camera’s internal
mic, whether you properly power on or adjust any other setting related to proper configuration of the
external microphone. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR AUDIO SIGNAL AT THE CAMERA WITH HEADPHONES TO
BE SURE THAT AN AUDIO SIGNAL IS COMING INTO THE CAMERA!!
MANUAL VS. AUTOMATIC SOUND
By default, the PDX-10 will be set up to recording audio levels automatically. Opinions vary on using automatic level
settings. When using automatic, the camera’s internal circuitry is attempting to record audio at an optimum level
determined by the camera manufacturer. It does this by supressing sudden loud levels and boosting quiet sections.
In theory, automatic levels ideally compensate for the natural fluctuations of volume in everyday life, especially in human speech. The problem with automatic circuitry, is that it works best when audio source levels are fairly constant.
When the sound you want to record is punctuated by silence (for instance, when those awkward silences occur following an uncomfortably piercing and insightful interview question) the camera’s audio circuitry boosts the audio level of
the empty room (air conditioning, traffic outside, etc.). The result - as with all automatic circuitry - is often described
as “pumping” or in the case of audio what sounds like sudden rushes of air during what should be silence.
Professional audio engineers prefer never to use automatic levels.
To manually adjust levels, you will have to access the XLR SET menu. Press the MENU button on the side of the camera. Use the wheel on the back of the camera to select and activate the XLR SET.
You will then have to decide whether you want both channels of audio adjusted
together or separately.
To activate manual control, choose MAN GAIN from the XLR SET menu. Choose
either SEPARATE or LINKED from the MAN GAIN submenu. If you choose LINKED,
your manual audio adjustments will apply to both channels.
If your input on both channels is from the same mic, you may be fine leaving the
channels linked. Many camera operators like to adjust channels separately, even
if the same mic is feeding both channels. This allows you to record one
channel slightly hotter - or louder - than the other. If part of your recording is too soft or loud on one channel, the other channel may be fine. This
approach is useful when recording people who are not trained on vocal
recording techniques.
If you do not linke channels 1 and 2, you will have to choose whether you
Page 15
want each of the two channels to use automatic or manual levels.
mode is for both channels to use auto gain.
The default
Choose either AUTO or MANUAL channels 1 and channel 2 individually if you do
not have channels linked.
Press the MENU button on the side of the camera to clear the
display in the LCD screen.
To adjust audio levels manually
Press the AUDIO LEVEL button on the back of the camera. Sound meters will appear in the LCD
screen. that respond to sound coming in to the camera. Aim for an average target of around -12
dB. This level will be adequate and safe for both analog and digital audio applications. DO NOT let
you audio levels peak at 0dB, as this almost guarantees some sound is distorting. Audio levels are
adjusted by turning the wheel at the back of the camera, just below the AUDIO LEVEL button.
Your adjustments to audio levels are represented by a level scale bar just below the level meters. If
the channels are linked, a single level scale bar will appear for both channels. If If this bar is excessively high or low, you should check especially carefully for distortion (level scale is
far to the left) or poor, noisy sound quality (level scale is far to the right).
USE HEADPHONES!!! Be sure to monitor sound for quality. Even though your audio
levels appear to be safe, some mics or devices may distort at the input (the Sony
wireless mics provided with your kit have this potential). The solution if you hear
distortion even though levels appear to be okay is to attenuate the mic signal. Our normal standard is to attenuate the
wireless mics by 6dB, and your wireless set should already
be set to this standard.
The other approach is
to switch to the MIC
ATT position for the
channel on the side of
the XLR adaptor box. If
audio levels are abnormally low, you may
have the mic attenuation activated and need to switch back
to just the MIC position for the channel input level.
Headphones plug into the green socket on the front side of the camera. Headphone
volume control is located on the left side of the camera on the panel behind the LCD
screen
Manually Setting Camera Features: White Balance and Exposure
Page 16
Settings related to picture are controlled by means of a set of buttons on the back of the camera in conjunction with
the control wheel just below them. The location of the buttons is pictured below.
PROGRAM AE (Auto Exposure) mode: generally avoid these settings, they are pretty much for consumer application
SHUTTER SPEED: can be set to vary from 1/4 to 1/1000 of a
second
WHITE BALANCE: can be set to indoor, outdoor or manually balanced to specific lighting situations
EXPOSURE: used to lighten or darken image by adjusting aperture opening (F-stop) and gain (electronic boosting)
AUDIO LEVEL: provides manual control options of audio levels
individually or separately
White Balance
White balance needs to be considered whenever lighting situations change. This does not mean simply going from indoors to outdoors but also includes changes in cloud cover or types of artificial lighting. Cameras are objective in their
response to lighting and will seem to amplify changes in color casts when light changes. Failure to white balance can
result in unpleasant color that may not be fixable in post production.
The PDX-10 is capable of auto white balancing and also uses three manual options, two are factory presets and the
other is user-controlled.
Auto White Balance
Auto white balance is active when the camera is in “auto lock” mode. By pressing the WHITE BALANCE button on
the back of the camera, you toggle between manual and auto mode. Auto white balance frequently works quite well,
though you can have trouble in mixed lighting situations or if sudden changes in color composition of the picture
changes (for instance, the color of an arm moving in and out of frame when someone gestures can cause fluctuations
in white balance. Because the white balance is relatively slow to adjust, your may not notice changes until you try to
cut together shots in the edit.)
Presets
Press the white balance button and turn the wheel until you see either a sun symbol (daylight) or a light bulb symbol
(artificial). The daylight setting adds orange to compensate for the ultraviolet content of daylight while the indoor setting adds blue to compensate for the warmth of most artificial light. These presets are based on fixed standards that
may not be reliable. “Indoor” standard is based on professional studio lights. “Outdoor” is generally based on the
color of light at noon on a cloudless day with no atmospheric haze.
Manual White Balance
Manual white balance provides the best overall results when properly used, especially when lighting sources are
mixed. White balance must be done in the location where you will be shooting.
Be sure you are in auto-exposure mode when you white balance. Press the white balance button and turn the wheel
until you see the icon that is a black square balanced between two isoceles triangles (it’s fairly universal, but don’t
ask me what it represents). Point the camera at a white object such as a piece of paper held in front of your subject.
Press the control wheel in. The white balance icon will start to flash while it balances. When the icon stops flashing,
your white balance is set.
Page 17
To obtain the truest white balance, there are commercially available cards for doing this. Such cards are not even
necessarily white. For true white balance, the target just needs to be color-neutral, so photographic 18% gray cards
work very well. In a real pinch, you can sometimes get away with balancing to concrete on a sidewalk. There are
also “warm” white cards which are designed to force the camera to balance a little to the warm (red-orange) side.
The purpose of these “warm” cards is to add warmth (think of it as a slight suntan) to skin tones.
You should be aware that “white” is rarely objectively white. Most white papers and paints are slightly biased with one
color or another in a truly objective sense. What matters in most cases is that if you would perceive it as white, the
camera should read it as white.
Exposure
Exposure is made up of three components: aperture or iris, shutter speed and gain. Of these, iris is the most important. Shutter speed is useful for video in limited situations. Gain is sometimes useful but rarely desirable.
Manually adjusting iris
The size of the iris affects the amount of light entering the camera. The iris (or aperture) is expressed in ‘F” numbers
or f-stops and will range from F2 to F16 on the PDX-10. At F2 the iris is open wide, and at F16 it is most closed.
To adjust the iris, press the EXPOSURE button on the back of the camera. A vertical bar appears in the top left of the
LCD screen along with an F-stop or gain indication below. By turning the wheel on the back of the camera, you will be
able to adjust the exposure.
When F2 does not provide a bright enough picture, gain can be added and is expressed in terms of dBs. Gain electronically amplifies the video signal. As you adjust gain to a higher number, you will begin to see noise or “grain” in
the picture. When light levels are so low that adjustments to gain are necessary, the picture will also be relatively flat.
Video in the DV format is so heavily compressed that it offers little latitude for adjusting brightness levels in the edit,
so it is important to get exposure right. The traditional rule of thumb has always been that it is better to underexpose
slightly rather than overexpose; however, DV is not especially forgiving with underexposure because so much detail is
thrown out in the shadows, resulting in flat images if
Manually adjusting shutter speed
The default shutter speed for NTSC video used in the United States and Japan is 1/60 of a second which corresponds
to the number of fields in the video frame. The longer the shutter is open, the more light enters. Shutter speed can
be adjusted but is rarely done except in special circumstances. Adjusting shutter speed can eliminate the rolling black
bar that sometimes appears when shooting computer screens.
Using Zebra
When manually setting exposure, a useful tool is the “zebra” pattern which is activated by a switch under the LCD
screen. The zebra is a pattern of diagonal stripes that appear in the viewfinder to alert you when video brightness
hax exceeded a particular level. The zebra pattern is NOT recorded to tape. It is visible only in the viewfinder or LCD
screen.
Zebra has two settings: 70 or 100. 70 indicates luminance levels at or over 70% of broadcast legal limits, 100 indicates levels at or over 100% of broadcast legal limits (overexposed relative to broadcast acceptable levels).
When set at 100, zebra lets you know that the video image is brighter than can be broadcast over the public airwaves.
Video limits over that 100 level are typically clipped automatically through signal processors when broadcast. In rare
cases, especially sensitive monitors may go black or distort when video levels are too high. Most cameras allow you
to record to 109% of this broadcast level to leave room for adjustments in editing.
When set at 70, zebra identifies brightness levels that are at 70% of the broadcast allowable video level. This is most
commonly used for judging exposure of human skin tones. Highlights of average Caucasian skin should be placed at
70, thus, zebra stripes should just appear in skin highlights when adjusting exposure. Very light or dark skin tones
can be compensated for by adjusting the iris up or down after you have referenced to the 70% zebra pattern.
Page 18
VIDEO GLOSSARY NO. 3
Depth of Field
When one focuses a camera on a particular point, objects a certain
distance in front of and behind that object will also be in focus. The
range of focus behind and in front of that focal point is the “depth of
field.” Depth of field is primarily influenced by three factors: the focal
length (wide angle or telephoto) of the lens; the size of the iris (or
aperture, generally expressed as F-stops); the distance between the
camera and the subject.
Depth of field decreases when: the iris is more open (lower F-stop
number); the lens is longer (telephoto, zoomed in); you are closer to
the subject.
Depth of field increases when: the iris is closed down (higher Fstop number); the lens is shorter (wide angle, zoomed out); you are
further from the subject.
Balanced /
Unbalanced
line
Mic and Line
input
Manually Setting Camera Features: Focus
Page 19
There are three modes for focus:
MANUAL: When in MANUAL mode, focus is adjusted by manual turning the focus ring on the lens.Of these
three, MANUAL provide for the greatest operator control. When in MANUAL mode, automatic
focus can be quickly used to set focus by holding down the PUSH AUTO button. This uses the
automatic capability of the camera to set focus using the automatic sensors. Releasing the
PUSH AUTO button locks focus in at the point set by the auto sensors.
AUTO:
The camera’s autofocus mode concentrates on objects in the middle of the frame. Autofocus is
easily misled by motion within the frame, low contrast, horizontal stripes and by a concentration
of objects in the center of the frame that are at different distances from the camera.
INFINITY: Infinity focuses at maximum distance. Infinity works well when using extreme wide angle lens
settings.
FOCUS RING: when focus mode is set to
MANUAL, turn this ring to adjust focus
FOCUS MODE SELECTION: when you pick
up your camera, this will normally be set to
AUTO, meaning that the camera’s circuitry will
attempt to focus based on pre-programmed
parameters.
The PUSH AUTO button can be pressed to
temporarily utilize the auto focus function of
the camera when the mode is set to MANUAL,
thereby using the camera circuitry to set the
manual focus rather than using the focus ring.
Page 20
Recommended basic menu settings (in menu
order, not priority)
Turn Digital Zoom off. Digital zoom simply enlarges the image, resulting in
lower overall image quality.
TC (Time Code) Set [Only when in DVCAM
mode]
TC PRESET should be selected and set to 01:00:00:00 as a
default. Press in the wheel on the back of the camera to move
through the menus and values, turning the wheel to set specific
values.
NOTE: if TC/UB SET options are grayed out, you must first go
to the TAPE SET menu and set REC MODE
to DVCAM. Mini-DV mode does not support
variations in time code.
Set timecode format to DF for “drop-frame”
TC RUN should be set to REC RUN
TC MAKE should be set to PRESET
Page 21
M (Manual) Set
AUTO SHTR should be set to the ON position.
SETUP should be at 7.5%. This sets black levels to the minimum black
level for the NTSC broadcast standard. If SETUP is at 0%, shadow details will be cut off and appear as solid black on a television monitor.
(Tape) Set
Record Mode should be set to DVCAM (our default) or DV SP (standard
play). DVCAM mode records fewer minutes on the tape but is more
reliable and allows for greater flexibility in using timecode features. In
DVCAM mode, a Mini-DV 60 minute tape will record about 40 minutes.
AUDIO MODE should be set to FS 48k. This is the digital sampling frequency for digital video. We do not use the 32k option.
MIC LEVEL can generally be left to the AUTO setting for beginning
photojournalists. You will eventually want to become more sophisticated with audio, using more than one mic source. The TRV900 and
similar camcorders require a special add-on box to allow for recording of separate left and right channels with an assortment of professional microphones
Page 22
A good professional practice is to begin each new tape with ten to sixty seconds
of color bars for reference. Your tapes may not always be edited digitally and
a reference from the camera is needed. This also ensures that when you begin
recording your actual content, you will not have problems that can arise from
recording too close to the beginning of the tape.
Additional advanced functions can be accessed through the touch panel controls
by pressing the FN icon in the lower right of the LCD screen. One useful function allows you to touch the screen to identify the focus target
Page 23
SUMMARY OF DEFAULT SETTINGS FOR THE PDX-10
These settings should be set when the camera is picked up from the DMS lab. They all can be over-riddenand
should be under the right circumstances. These defaults are considered safest for...
1. XLR BOX
a. INPUT 1
i. REC CH SELECT should be set to CH1•CH2
ii. INPUT LEVEL should be set to MIC
iii. +48V set to ON
b. INPUT 2
i. INPUT LEVEL should be set to MIC
ii. +48V set to ON
2. FOCUS should be set to AUTO
3. Switch by AUTO LOCK on side of camera should be set to AUTO LOCK
4. MENU SETTINGS
a. TC (Timecode) [Note: if timecode settings are grayed out, you must first set REC MODE to DVCAM
in the Tape Set, item d. below.]
i. TC PRESET to 01:00:00:00
ii. TC FORMAT to DF (drop-frame)
iii. TC RUN to REC RUN
iv. TC MAKE to PRESET
b. M (Manual Set)
i. D ZOOM off
ii. 16:9 off
iii. STEADYSHOT on
iv. FRAME REC off
v. INT. REC off
c. C (Camera Set)

OPERATIONS MANUAL FOR SONY PDX

Transcription

Similar documents

ximea mq022

Remotec Andros TM F6

HERE - CREC Schools

Remotec Andros HD TM

The Wish List

Instruction Manual - Harbor Freight Tools

Kiosks And photo Labs. With The METAZA

Configuraciones de cámara HD para ganar latitud ENG

photographic accessories

Untitled - oceanside photographers