On Sat, 14 Jul 2001 20:07:33 GMT, ShotByRaoul@hotmail.com (Raoul Lifschitz) wrote:

>>Then you have never used these cameras...
>>The AE (biased to taste) is excellent with the VX-2000
>>and PD-150, with no "drift", and it shifts smoothly with
>>changing light levels;

>Smooth as it may be, changing exposure settings during a shot -- or white
>balance, or audio settings -- is seldom done in a production environment. Most
>shooters seem to resist auto settings even in the run & gun environment of
>news, to the relief of editors everywhere.
>
>Ideally, your camcorder can do either with aplomb. But my method (and I
>suspect the favoured method) is to lock the settings before the shot begins: If
>conditions change (or a pan moves to a radically different shot), its probably
>time to rethink the shot & start again.

This all may be true for much scripted production work,
but it is inappropriate for event work, or any type of
quick "catch-as-catch-can" work. Even at an event where
all the people and cameras are "planted" and controls may
seem to be OK locked down (in manual...;-), what happens
when someone unexpectedly moves into different light, the
one window in the room suddenly passes a huge burst of
sunlight as the clouds move, or whatever...? The "neat"
thing about the VX-2000 is that its AF is accurate and
decisive 99% of the time, its AE is excellent and its
response time for changes makes it useable maybe 95%
of the time, the AGC is moderate and useable, the AWB
does a decent job in mixed lighting (there is often not
enough time in fast shooting work to even think of
manual WB...) - in other words, we finally have a camera
with excellent auto controls. Funny, though... Those in
certain kinds of production work often assume that video
begins and ends with planned shots, with the variables
well under control, and with plenty of time to set up.
For some of us, that is a bad joke....! ;-) Try covering
a wedding sometime, without spoiling the event with
lights, setups, etc. - shoot it all on the fly instead,
with conditions "as-found", but get it all... That is
FAR harder than you may think...;-) Back to the
VX-2000/PD150 - it would be IMPOSSIBLE to shoot
live-action events in manual mode without losing a lot
more of the footage due to technical error than you
would in auto mode (with the appropriate biases set,
where possible). This is not true for an experienced
cameraman using a camera with excellent manual controls
(but this does not describe the VX-2000/PD150). In a
controlled shooting situation, of course one would use
at least some manual controls with these cameras (and
some auto, also, where appropriate). One WOULD NOT,
however, adjust exposure manually during a take unless
the footage taken during the jump in exposure that
would occur is not needed... To beat the subject to
death: one uses the appropriate tools in the appropriate
ways, if possible, for the job to be done - BUT, jobs
vary considerably in type and scope, and so does the
appropriate gear, and how it is best used...