"Daniel Hollister" <daniel@insomniacdm.com> wrote in message news:409182a4.0309081349.3153ba77@posting.google.com...

> first thing, if you see a similar post to this, i am sorry, but it

> didnt look like the post worked last time i tried it...

>

> anyway...

>

> i'm having some problems while filming with my gl2... i am hoping

> someone can help me out.

>

> i have been made aware of the fact that using the 30p frame mode on

> the gl2 reduces quality by cutting into the available resolution. i do

> like my movies to look as much like film as possible, so i usually

> leave the gl2 in a shutter speed of 1/30, so it still has the

> semi-choppy, film feel to it, without that loss of resolution. i also

> usually leave the iris open at 4 or less as to have total control over

> the focus.

>

> basically i have recently gotten myself a gl2, and didn't realize

> until just a couple days ago that it is not terribly great in bright

> light. i need to film a project outside that is basically in direct

> sunlight. and even with the ND filter on, it is still far too bright,

> unless i either raise the shutter speed above 1/30, and/or close the

> iris. but when i raise the shutter speed, it no longer looks filmish,

> and if i close the iris, i dont have control over focus... i need

> these things. so i figured going out and buying a few ND filters might

> do the trick, but the lens is so exposed on the settings i have, and

> the sun is so bright during these days that it doesnt really matter. i

> have the on camera ND on and 2 other ND filters on top of one another

> and it still really doesnt do a whole lot.

>

> so basically heres my questions:

>

> 1) is there a way to get rid of this light, with a different filter

> or something else, without having to drastically change my exposure

> settings?

>

> 2) if i must change my exposure settings, will putting the camera in

> frame mode be recommended, or will it lose quality?

>

> 3) i find that if i put frame mode on and put the shutter to 1/60,

> it's fine. but how does this 1/60 look in frame mode? how does the

> look of the 1/60 differ from, say, 1/720 in frame mode? how is it even

> possible to have something like 1/720 if i am supposedly in 30p?

Shooting at 1/30th and below *will* reduce resolution and

increase stair-stepping effects (at least in Sony cameras...) since

one field is dropped. The image is unacceptable except for

emergency use in very low light, to reduce gain effects. If you

must throw away the advantages of interlacing in video for

standard interlaced TVs (a mystery to me why anyone would

want to, except for video displayed ONLY on computer

monitors...), then the 30p mode would be the way to go.

"30p" refers only to the display mode, not the shutter speed,

BTW. You can get very strong ND filters, if needed (using

a high shutter speed can result in "strobing", especially in

"frame mode", which strobes even at 1/60th...).

--

David Ruether

d_ruether@hotmail.com

http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com