Kybar

I'm just getting started with my XH-A1 and I'm a little confused about frame rates. I've been shooting in 60i, but should I be using 30F or 24F in certain situations? Is one rate better in low light? What if I want to use my footage for a TV show...do different networks prefer different rates? I tried reading a bunch of material online that explained the 2:3 pulldown, but I'm still not sure why I would use one rate vs the other. Thanks in advance! [/align]

The Wildlife

If the footage is for T.V. shoot 60i The rest is for film like look and it is no good for for showing slow motion shots.

lungbuster12point06

Shoot 60i.............unless you want to shoot interviews and such to make them look film like, do not use the progressive frame rates, low light is horrible in progressive mode as well as it creates alot of artifacts when moving the camera at anything other than a snails pace.

READ YOUR OWNERS MANUAL! You need to get intimately familiar with your camera and all it's functions , if you want to produce good footage.

FarNorth

I've had good results using progressive mode with my DVX 100B. I use manual focus and iris. One thing I haven't done is to switch between 24pa and 60i to see how much different it is in low light.
lungbuster, can you explain what you mean by it creates a lot of artifacts?

lungbuster12point06

Yes when moving the camera such as panning swiftly in progressive mode it creates jutter or artifacts in the footage, almost like if you were to slow the shutter speed down to say 15 or 20 to try to get more light in the camera (a strobe effect if you will, but not entirely) Hard to explain, but if you use progressive mode alot you should get the gist of what I am saying..........I just can never get the footage to look good in progressive mode when shooting action shots, interlaced has always produced much sharper cleaner images.

I do know that your DVX100b has a gain up in progressive, whereas my DVX100 does not, but it seems that even when shooting normally lit scenes progressive is much darker when comparing the same iris settings and shutter speeds.

What shutter speeds are you shooting in progresive Farnorth?

FarNorth

I try to shoot 1/48th sec. as much as possible when shooting 24pa. Naturally that doesn't always happen. I have been trying to keep camera movements slow regardless if I'm in 24pa or not.
One of the reasons I got my camera last year was for the progressive mode. I've seen some real nice looking footage from that camera. I only have 36 hours on the heads, so I'm still learning.
I get to take it on a moose and grizzly hunt in a few days, so hopefully I'll some big brown critters on tape to show off.

Ken

lungbuster12point06

If you can pull it off more power to you. Like I said i tried shooting in progressive when I first bought my camera and quickly realized it just wasn't practical for hunting....................Good luck with the bear and moose, would love to see some clips from the hunts when you get back.

skin_dog1

I'll be filming for a new show on Vs. which is due to air next fall and all our field producers will be shooting in 24p. It's a requirement set on us by the production company and they insisted. I can't wait to see the finished product. I was pretty intimidated at first, but they reassured us that we would be happy with the outcome if we give it a shot. The recomendation was to SLOW DOWN!!! Panning shots have to be REAL slow as well as zooming, most of the zooming will be edited out anyway.

pm69442

Here's a quick video lesson: true HD and HDV are 2 different formats. 24 fps HDV & 23.97 HD are 2 different formats. These formats and frames rates have different compression and motion artifacts than 30p, 60i, & 59.97 and must be converted to the frame rate the station/production company you are shooting for broadcasts in.
In most cameras-HDV & true HD--when you change your frame rate, you also activate OTHER MENUS allowing you to brighten/darken/color/skin tone/blacks/gammas! These menus are not accessible when shooting standard broadcast frame rates.
These frame rates are also NOT BROADCAST standards and hence must be then again CONVERTED so they can be. Digital or not, every time you do a conversion, COLOR & MOTION ARTIFACTS are more easily noticeable because of the conversion.
In my opinion, shooting 24 for the outdoors is wasted effort. You tell me how you're going to slow your pan down for a running animal? How are you going to slow your pan/tilt for flying ducks or geese?
Have your production superiors given you guidelines for color enhancement? Which when shooting in 24 are better noticeable under enhanced lighting anyway?
30p & 60i are broadcast standards for fast motion sports and any derivative away from that is IMO, a poor decision.
I think the growth area for archery/hunting shows is enormous anyway and to me this just helps solidify my judgement of some of the poor management of outdoor production in the first place.
Have a good season. And I hope you do get some good footage......I know it ain't easy. and be careful too.