What you see is what you get on viewfinder?

[Whipsmack]

Not so, it looked so bright and warm on LCD, but after capturing the footage it was extremely dark and unusable. I'm wondering how far should I turn brightness down on LCD to get a more accurate representation of the picture? So crazy, I had my apeture the lowest to let in the most light. When I was capturing looking on the LCD I was worried it was going to bleed out there was so much light, but now like I said it's terrible terrible, no idea the low light was this bad when theres no gain. Heck we even lit things with flood lights

[funnychicken11]

try tilting the lcd screen at a different angle

[Bif]

You might try to "calibrate" the brightness of your LCD screen by trying the following:

Shoot several minutes of footage outdoors in typical daylight, then hook your camcorder up to a "reference" TV, usually the TV you will use to watch the end result on the most.

Then playing back the footage on the TV, adjust the brightness of your LCD until it comes as close as possible to the "reference" TV image.

Shoot some indoor footage and repeat the compare with TV process above.

I've found with most of my camcorders the LCD is most accurate tilted just ever so slightly up.

[Shadow_7]

Could it be that the brightness on your monitoring device is OFF, and not the recording? Have you tried burning a DVD or Blueray of the video to play on a device that you might be more familiar with? Does it have the same traits when going that route?

I've had a few camcorders that took dark pictures. But if you turn up the brightness / contrast of the image, it looks just fine. My laptop(s) seem to suffer from lack of colors / brightness / contrast. Which only gets worse with age. CRTs seems to have more dynamic colors and clarity. LCDs, not so much. Without at least 1000:1 contrast ratios they look foggy, relatively speaking. And look completely different if you're looking up at them, or down to them.

Looking up at an LCD and it's almost too dark to view. Down and it's more like it's supposed to be. I actually have my current 1680x1050 LCD on a phone stand so it angles down. Otherwise it's too dark, even though it's technically at eye level. Not to say that that's your issue. But just some feedback that you may or may not be aware of.

[2Bdecided]

Though the camcorder LCD changes dramatically with viewing angle (let's be honest - it's a really poor LCD!) my experience is that it's too dark - unless you power it from AC, the shadow detail is lost on the LCD - but it's all there on the recording.

As for highlights - I use zebras to know where they are, and just back them off from clipping unless clipping is the lesser of several evils.

So, as Shadow 7 said - watch your footage on a real TV, not your PC.

Cheers,
David.

[avtovis]

Hi there. I have my brand new hv30 in my hands and i have to say that im totally in love with her : ) But i think that something missing from this beauty. I found very usefull the markers but it would be great if there was a safe frame option too. So, my question is: How can i be sure that my main subject is in the action area when i shoot?

[d1rockwild]

i know a small portion of the frame is clipped off by the lcd screen, top and bottom. Left and right sides, i think the lcd is accurate. so, if your subject is on the lcd, don't fret, its in the "action area." what exactly do u mean by that anyway? action area....

[avtovis]

If you burn your footage in a dvd you will see that your tv cuts a percentage of your frame. The action area is the area that your tv will show.

Another example: import your footage into premiere or other editing software and check the option that shows you the safe margins in the monitor window. Then you will see that there is an action area and a text area. The percentage of your footage that is out of the action area will not be visible on your tv.

Im not sure if my examples helped you to understand what the action area is. My native language is greek.. And my english needs more practice : )

I still havent found an answer to my question

[CycleWriter]

As was said, the LCD does clip a small amount of the border on each side, top and bottom. So long as your subject is in the area displayed by the LCD, it will be in the frame. If you allow any important part of your scene to come too close to the edge of what's shown on the LCD, you'll be taking the risk of cutting it off with the finished frame. This will only be visible once you transfer to computer. Almost all consumer cameras operate this way. Only broadcast cameras can show you an actual safe frame in the viewfinder or LCD. Either get used to it and adjust accordingly or move up to a pro-level camera.

[Dr. Benway]

Use a magic marker to draw some ref. lines on some mylar or other stiff transparent material and place that over your LCD using Blu-Tak, or whatever else you have to hand.

[avtovis]

Use a magic marker to draw some ref. lines on some mylar or other stiff transparent material and place that over your LCD using Blu-Tak, or whatever else you have to hand.

Great idea! Thank you very much!

[maximus01701]

I did a search, but i wasn't really sure as to what to search for... so... If it has already been address.... sorry....

Ok, well I am still kinda new the the HV30 and i noticed when i was recording i had something JUST OFF the viewfinder (It was the conner of a rug i did not want in the shot). But when i brought it in to FC you can just see the conner or the rug..... What am i missing/what did i do? Why does it record more then what was on the viewfinder...

I mean sure, i can go in and edit it out... but that would cause more work; and even loose quality.....

-Thanks for the help!

-Cheers

[CycleWriter]

Most cameras, both still and video, have a lesser percentage of their actual recorded area screened off in their viewfinders. It ususally ranges around 95-96%, but I've seen some as much as 92%. The HV is no different as there is about 5% of the recorded image cut off in the LCD. You just have to learn how to work with it and keep unwanted things well out of view.

[mrgreed202]

Use a magic marker to draw some ref. lines on some mylar or other stiff transparent material and place that over your LCD using Blu-Tak, or whatever else you have to hand.

I cut small strips of electrical tape and use them as guides. Works great, and no clean up necessary, just pull it off.

[maximus01701]

^^^ ahah thanks! PERFECTO!

-Cheers

[2Bdecided]

But, as has been said several times now, the LCD is already showing you something like the "safe area" - masking it by 10% is going to give you something far far too small. I'm not convinced you need to mask it at all TBH.

Cheers,
David.

[CycleWriter]

I agree, if you can see it on the LCD you know it will be in the frame. The problem is that since there is about a 5% band on the top, bottom and sides that you don't see you can easily end up with something unwanted in the frame that you didn't see in the LCD while shooting. Masking the frame won't help this. You'll just have to be more careful about your scene composition or use an external monitor that gives you 100% view.

[mrgreed202]

Oh, well I just use it for a 2.40:1 aspect ratio guide.

[jp575]

Is it just me or does the Lcd screen on the hv30 project a much brighter image than you actually get once you import and view the footage on a monitor or tv?

When im changing my exposure on teh hv30, What looks very overexposed on the lcd is almost perfect on a monitor.

[koolpenguin89]

Try turning the brightness down?

Dylan

[CycleWriter]

This is why we ask members to search and post to an existing thread when possible instead of starting a new one.

[mashimarojm]

i had this problem too! so annoying when you think you're getting amazing footage until you take it to post and realize how dark and grainy your footage is... i think Bif gave a good answer; i began tilting it ever-so slightly and that worked for me.

[m80116]

My opinion is that the HV monitor does blow too much highlights, and oversaturates significantly. In fact it triggered me to use a lot less exposure then the camera suggested, causing strong underexposure in most of my first two tapes.

When I first saw (reviewed) the video footage on the HV monitor it was AWFUL ! Every highlight seemed way blown out, so I kept using manual exposure correcting "-" on the strong side, and now I just figured out I was WRONG !

I know there are Zebras and now I also know they were right, but I didn't believe them in the first place. And there was a good reason for that. Being mostly outdoor I used the display at its brightest setting (long press DISP) as it enhances the luminosity but it does show even more the blowing highlights problem and oversaturates as well. It seems a hardware only mod that brighten without taking care of the gamma displayed. So you have the impression that's blowing out everything shifting midtones to highlights, but in fact it's all (almost) properly exposed, as the Zebras 100% would confirm showing only sporadically in the picture.

I will continue to use the brightest setting for outdoor but will rely on Zebras entirely for exposure, even bacause as long as you don't blow highlights you get more details the more you expose the picture for later editing (and usually more pleasant to the eye, brighter image)

So far I've found a good balance between my monitor (HP w2207) and the HV30 at normal brightness, using some -1.5 notch on the brightness toggle to conform the low lights at similar levels, although some highlight still blow out on the HV monitor.

Some example here:
http://share.ovi.com/media/m80116.public/m80116.10044
http://share.ovi.com/media/m80116.public/m80116.10043

Has anybody else found a solution to get deadly precise exposure ? Zebras are usefull to find the limit on the high side, but how can I put the midtones in the midrange of the graph? Do you think is possibile any comparison with the Still Image Recording image luminosity graph ?

[Rumpelgeist]

The LCD is made for use in bright day, it is not a reference monitor, it just shows what you are shooting.

> I will continue to use the brightest setting for outdoor
> but will rely on Zebras entirely for exposure

Right, this is what you should do.

> Zebras are usefull to find the limit on the high side,
> but how can I put the midtones in the midrange of the graph?

Why do you need to do that? Just use 100% zebra and shoot it one notch below blowup. This ensures maximum latitude. You can move your midtones later in an NLE with levels and gamma.

[m80116]

Why do you need to do that? Just use 100% zebra and shoot it one notch below blowup. This ensures maximum latitude. You can move your midtones later in an NLE with levels and gamma.

I'd like the most accurate exposure to limit the editing touch-up, while keeping the HL from blowing, having the midtones in the midrage or where I decided them to be for my purpose, and keep the low lights from being out of dynamic range.

The problems that I fear the most is JPEG like blockiness and colour shift if you touch-up the image with levels. I mainly film NATURE, so even if I have real filters having a proper exposure is essential.