On the Road with the HVR-V1U Part 7

My book’s done (www.knowledge-download.com/V1-FX7) and it’s time to raise several topics that many will consider heresy -- using a V1 or FX7 in “automatic” mode. I know that that “pros” supposedly never use auto mode. In fact, you may have bought a camcorder like the V1 precisely because it offers full manual control.

What you -- and the pros -- may not realize is that current Sony camcorders are light-years more advanced in terms of auto control. OK -- you don’t believe me. I didn’t either, until I ran a series of tests. Here’s what I found.

 

The most challenging task in shooting HD is achieving and maintaining focus. The task is made more difficult by the inability of most HD cameras’ VF (or LCD) to come close to displaying a high-definition image. The V1’s 0.44-inch, 16:9 color viewfinder has only 252K pixels while the 3.5-inch flip-out, 16:9 LCD has only 211K pixels. Obviously, if you cannot see when the image is in focus, you cannot trust what you are shooting.

Read this sentence again before you reject AF. It means that even if you believe you want to control focus -- you cannot really be sure of what you see when you are adjusting focus.

 

The HVR-V1 has an image magnification feature that magnifies the center of the image. You can use it before you start shooting to achieve focus. Unfortunately, it turns off when you begin recording so you cannot use it to adjust focus while shooting. To quickly achieve focus, you can press the camcorder’s One-Push AF button.

 

To aid manual focusing, the camcorder also features a “peaking” function that places a colored outline on sharp edges that are in focus. You can define the peaking color as white, yellow, or red. This system has twin issues: soft edges like a close-up of a face may not be outlined while at other times everything is outlined. The latter indication, while seemingly unlikely, is quite valid because the small CMOS chips create a very deep DOF. Obviously, for those who need a minimum DOF for their work, this characteristic poses a serious challenge.

 

The V1 has a fast and accurate AF system. Of course, that does not mean you can simply turn on AF and shooting. First, you must enable AF Assist mode. Once enabled, when you see AF is not perfect, you can manually correct it via the focus-ring.

 

Second, you must know when to not use AF. Third, you need to understand the way AF works. At focal lengths up to 45mm, which is a more than adequate 12X zoom—the 35mm equivalent of a 400mm Tele—the V1 will maintain focus under most all conditions: if someone passes in front of the lens; as the subject moves within the frame; as the subject moves further or closer; and if you don't zoom-in at high-speed.

Moreover, as shown below, AF will handle slow or fast pans from one subject to another—even in low-light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The V1 has another automatic function you can use when needed—ATW (Auto Tracking White-balance). ATW keeps white balance correct as you move from one type of illumination to another. Below, I have entered a bathroom from a room lit with incandescent lighting. Because a window illuminates the bathroom, its color temperature is very high.

 

 

Within 5-seconds, white balance has smoothly adjusted to the new color temperature illumination.

 

 

Setting ATW to LOW warms fluorescent lighting, which means it is a good idea to always use this, for example, in offices. ATW, like all AWB systems, should not be used where scenes are lit by mixed spectrum lighting. (In these conditions, you should manual WB or use either of the fixed settings. Sony’s Outdoor preset has a great option—you can manually warm or cool the image.

 

In Report #8, we will see how much gain we can use without introducing noise.

 

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Steve Mullen owns Digital Video Consulting that offers eBooks on HD production. Currently, DVC (www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c) offers three eBooks: the Sony HVR-V1 and HDR-FX7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $2599) Handbook, the Sony HDV Handbook, and the JVC ProHD Handbook. In July, DVC will offer A Guide to Low Cost HD DVD Production.