Canon XL2+Sony A1U+Panny PV-GS39=progressive or interlaced?

kene555 · Post by **kene555** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:29 pm

I am filming this Saturday, and for lack of similar equipment will be shooting with these 3 cameras. Now I know its silly to use a cheap Panny with the amazing Canon and Sony, but that's another story...

My question: The Sony has the ability to shot 1080i. However, we will be using the DV option instead of HDV. Therefore, in DV, does the Sony shoot progressive or interlaced? Same question for the Panny - does it shoot in interlaced mode?

As a result of that, should I set the XL2 to 30p or 60i, to best match the others?

Thanks

Gyro · Post by **Gyro** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:49 pm

Why not just shoot on one camera...?

kene555 · Post by **kene555** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:03 am

Why not just shoot on one camera...?

Normally I would, but we've got limited time, and we have to finish the scene on that day, with 3 hours. So naturally, it speeds up filming if there are multiple camera angles - therefore we don't have to shoot the same clip time and time again, each with a different angle - we can just get it in 1 go.

slimdog55 · Post by **slimdog55** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:17 am

Why don't you shoot in HDV with the Sony and then just down convert the footage to DV in post? I'm pretty sure it would look better if you did that than shooting it straight DV.

maj_barnes · Post by **maj_barnes** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:59 am

slimdog55 wrote:Why don't you shoot in HDV with the Sony and then just down convert the footage to DV in post? I'm pretty sure it would look better if you did that than shooting it straight DV.

But you want your cuts to be fluid, instead of jarring the audience from each camera's different quality.

Ornsack · Post by **Ornsack** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 3:07 pm

Yeah I'd say don't do anything unless all three cameras do the same. Cus if you shoot interlaced with one and progressive with another, it's gonna look odd (even if you deinterlace the progressive shots)

kene555 · Post by **kene555** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 3:15 pm

Yeah. I've been doing extensive research, and it looks as if the Sony and Panny shoot in interlaced form. So I'll just set the Canon to 60i, and voila! Problem solved.

Zacatac927 · Post by **Zacatac927** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 3:17 pm

cut together some test footage for us, so we can contrastive criticize

kene555 · Post by **kene555** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 3:22 pm

Will Do! Footage will be up in an hour of this post.

kene555 · Post by **kene555** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 4:03 pm

Ok. Here's some test footage of each of the cameras.

The Panny
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S3k01n-xj_Y"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S3k01n-xj_Y" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Sony A1U, in DV mode
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3fWUIoxpjrs"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3fWUIoxpjrs" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Canon XL2 set at 60i
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lShvkv8iFTs"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lShvkv8iFTs" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Canon XL2 set at 30p
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mmyjNukOUrk"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mmyjNukOUrk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Ornsack · Post by **Ornsack** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 5:10 pm

Sony A1U looked the nicest to me!

kene555 · Post by **kene555** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:15 pm

Sony A1U looked the nicest to me!

Yeah, I like it's image quality, but I love the XL2's depth of field. I will be using both for my main cameras...and the Panny for scenes in the water for my project...anyone know if using interlaced for the Canon will match up the fields for the others?

Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:57 am

Field matching won't be an issue, I would shoot interlaced on all the cams, then in post convert to progressive. Did you look at the sony in HDV downconverted? I've always liked Sony's images over Canons ( ducking for cover from all the Canon fans ) The canon glass is great, but the imagers always seem to soften the looks up to me too much.

kene555 · Post by **kene555** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:38 pm

Well, apparently both the Sony and Panasonic shot in interlaced, so I just set the Canon to 60i, and no problems!

Lawriejaffa · Post by **Lawriejaffa** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:52 pm

The Sony probably looked a little bit better there simply cos it wasn't blowing out the skies so much, otherwise its interlace looked pretty icky on that moving ball.

The XL2 i think was the best at 30p however, when you have a hard light like that bearing down Kene learn to use your neutral density and iris...

What Pannie was that btw!?! lol

kene555 · Post by **kene555** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:01 pm

What Pannie was that btw!?! lol

Heh...it was the PV-GS39, which is a palmcorder that is now roughly 120 pounds.

when you have a hard light like that bearing down Kene learn to use your neutral density and iris...

That was just for a test regarding progressive versus interlaced scanning modes on the cameras.

When I actually film, I open the iris all the way and slide the ND filter on, of course to take advantage of the depth of field.

Lawriejaffa · Post by **Lawriejaffa** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:03 pm

thats my boy

But still there is no competition for interlace vs progressive though - interlace only exists for the sake of traditional televisions - nothing else so i can't imagine why else you would shoot interlace unless it was going through a pretty unfiltered process straight to tv.

kene555 · Post by **kene555** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:07 pm

Yeah, for this thread I just wanted to find out the best way to match the Canon to the others - the Canon has the option of shooting interlaced or progressive, while the others can only do interlaced. So I was both trying to learn if there would be any problems if some cameras where on progressive, while others were interlaced.

If it was up to me, I'd shoot progressive all the time - it's just that the majority of the cameras I have access to can only use interlaced, or have no options to change scan rate.

Lawriejaffa · Post by **Lawriejaffa** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:16 pm

Yeah im very surprised though about your multicam shoots - even big budget films often use 1 camera systems now, with multis for big effects shots etc etc, your better sticking to 1 progressive (native 16:9 xl2) than swapping between all these models. In the end of the day its not about time saved (arguable with multi shoots unless you have talented units operating them all!!!) over the 'quality' of one decent set up

kene555 · Post by **kene555** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:25 pm

Yeah, I agree that it would be better to use one camera, but I only have use of all this great stuff for another week, then it has to go back to school.

I did use some guys who know how to make a good shot, so I was able to pull off, say, an attack scene by doing it 2 times, which with 3 cameras makes 6 angles. That way, if someone had a bad shot or messed up, I have other angles to use. Generally I'm too busy coordinating stuff to take the time to redo a scene 6 times to get 6 angles. My camera guys can then set up for a shot that they believe will look good, which gives me time to set up my own camera for the master shot, and prep actors, audio guys, etc.

I will be working on a short film for a video contest in the next few months. I'll just use the XL2 then, since I will have much more time to work with.

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Canon XL2+Sony A1U+Panny PV-GS39=progressive or interlaced?

Canon XL2+Sony A1U+Panny PV-GS39=progressive or interlaced?

RE: Canon XL2+Sony A1U+Panny PV-GS39=progressive or interlac