"Hughy" <antispam@spamkiller.net> wrote in message news:WuBPa.6111$oN.259425@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...

 

> Using a VX-2000 at ballet/jazz ballet concerts:

>

> Has anyone found a way to shoot stage lit concerts (on full manual iris),

> without getting substantial brightness jumps (which are very time consuming

> to smooth out in post) whenever you change the iris?

>

> We used to shoot concerts on spotlight mode, zebras at 70 (not 100), with

> the custom preset menu displayed - whilst we rode the custom preset exposure

> adjustment.  That worked well for a while - until we hit the first concert

> with a black stage background.  The custom preset just doesn't reduce

> exposure enough to stop burnout and we were forced to go to full manual

> iris.  But with this regime, any VX-2000 iris change is a full f stop and a

> sudden brightness jump is the inevitable result.

>

> These days we've moved to zebras at 100 IRE (remaining on full manual iris,

> so custom preset not available to give small changes to exposure level).  I

> try to "guesstimate" what the highest light level will be, and set f stop

> for that initially, however if stage lighting drops too low I'm still forced

> to open up with consequent big brightness jump to deal with in post. That is

> *very* time consuming to hide in post (especially if you're trying to hide

> it completely and there are many of them).

>

> I'm tempted to "set and forget" the iris for highest light level - for

> example, typically around f 6.8, but as soon as the lighting drops down to

> "mood" level, we either must open iris at least a full f stop (or more) or

> we're stuck with some very noisy footage as gain is applied in post - bad

> normally but even worse for DVD production.  I've got a nasty feeling that

> some of Sony's more expensive cameras (eg. DSR-300 upwards) may be the only

> way to deal with this properly - by producing a usable image down to lower

> light levels, hence not triggering an aperture change ...

>

> My wife (shooting with XL1) doesn't have the same problem - using "E-lock"

> on auto, she can change her aperture in 1/3 of an f stop increments ...

> giving beautifully smooth aperture changes.

>

> Anyone have a workable solution (other than a live mix) that doesn't

> increase editing time? A full pro camera isn't currrently an option.

 

The VX2000, in common with most (all?) at its level, adjusts the

exposure in manual mode in 1/2 stop increments, which is far too

gross for riding the exposure during recording. Alternatively, I prefer

(as you mentioned) to use AE with adjustment of the bias in the

custom controls, but this does not help much with shifting light

levels unless the exposure relationships remain fairly constant.

Cameras with "real" lenses provide better (as in, continuously

variable) aperture control, without the "jumps", and this may be the

only viable solution for shooting in this unusual situation (most

others can be handled well by using AE + bias or lock [and shifting

when not actually recording...]). If you can come up with a

continuously variable-density filter (crossed polarizers work, but

this robs too much light at minimum density for theater work - and

a long smoothly-varying-density filter, moved in front of the lens

for optimum filtering may be rather cumbersome...;-). If you use

only long FLs and wide stops, a variable diaphragm mounted

in front of the lens may work, but would likely darken the edges

more than the center...

--

 David Ruether

 d_ruether@hotmail.com

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

 Hey, take a gander at www.visitithaca.com, too...!