More WB problems for the HC1

I second the thanks, Peter.

Still five clicks. OK.

What are your thoughts on this and other threads suggesting that setting to Outdoor WB is good enough? Your previous message indicated you didn't see a great loss of light when WBing like others experienced.

I second the thanks, Peter.

 

Still five clicks.  OK.

 

What are your thoughts on this and other threads suggesting that setting to Outdoor WB is good enough?  Your previous message indicated you didn't see a great loss of light when WBing like others experienced.

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Outdoor WB is a fixed balance which I don't think would be ideal for varying depths. My prefered method is MWB with either a Magic or UR Pro filter. When I get my new housing up and running (and when I can get in the water!) I'll be able to help some more.

Best wishes

Peter

Understood, Peter.

Looking forward to your observations.

Interesting and informative website, by the way.

Maybe this might be of help to some. Here's a screenshot of video I recently shoot with a Sony HDR-HC1. This shot is filter, no lights around 50 feet depth.

You forgot to attach the shot!

Manual WB can actually be set with three clicks if you already have the one push feature activated. Push Pmenu, WB, Calibrate. A fourth click to press OK to get out of the menu or keep clicking the Calibrate button to do it again and again. Seems like you get to depth, Calibrate and then film. WB wouldn't be necessary before every shot.

The auto WB is pretty good too I think. For me, contrast was a bigger issue. Though easily fixed in post, nobody has mentioned it.

Thanks, Lars.

Waiting for the Sony announcements from CES to see whether anything is worth waiting for...

Hey Lars,

what's the issue with the contrast and how did you fix it? Would be helpful for everyone to know...

Thanks!

Well it was always an issue with stills too. You just get that hazy fog on top of the image that had to be leveled out with photoshop. Fortunately most video edting software has the same feature to adjust contrast. The auto contrast functions operate frame by frame so if something dramatic changes in the lighting of the image the Auto Contrast can get confused and you end up with what looks like a 1920's film. Manual contrast works well on the tougher stuff.

I've also been messing with down conversion to DVD quite a bit. I found that keeping the bit rate above 7Mbps, rendering for progressive and de interlacing produces a really good DVD that you have to inspect a bit to see that it isn't HD.

Thanks Peter. I have an HC1 and am wading through a quagmire of options for housings. The Top Dawg you modified is really a Light and Motion Stingray right? Would it be possible for you to post a pic of the modifications you made to it? If I could modify a Light and Motion Bluefin HC1 to do manual white balance via touch screen then the choice might be made (phew!)...

Thanks, Jason.

Lars,

which software are you using for this and how fast ie processor,ram should the PC be?

Quote: I've also been messing with down conversion to DVD quite a bit. I found that keeping the bit rate above 7Mbps, rendering for progressive and de interlacing produces a really good DVD that you have to inspect a bit to see that it isn't HD.

Mostly Premiere. A 3ghz HT machine with 512MB works fine and can just do playback with a decent video card. Editing is no problem. Capturing I can even do with a 1.2ghz Celeron though I've not tried that with Premiere just CAPDVHS.

Though I currently use a 3ghz dual core P4s with 2 SATA 550gigs total and two DL burners and a 19" 1920x1440 display. It's basically a $1100 Gateway 840GM machine with addon's and a monitor I already had. What a deal for a super fast machine.