7/18/2002 9:10:04 AM

Mini-DV Cameras: The Inside Track

On Jan. 15, 2002, the CSC presented a forum at Wallace Studios in Toronto called “The Inside Track on Small Mini-DV Cameras.” CSC vice-president Richard Stringer csc (Gemini winner for his mini-DV work on the series Exhibit A: The Secrets of Forensic Science) moderated a panel of videographers with extensive experience using small, semi-automatic mini DV cameras, such as the Sony VX1000, PD100, PD150, and the Canon XL1 and XL1S. Discussion focused on user experiences in the field, with hints and feedback on how to deal with these cameras’ specialized operation. Panel members were Henry Less csc (who has followed mini-cams since Canon’s Hi8 products and is visual designer on Exhibit A), Bongo (who worked on Breakthrough’s Class Act), Bill Metcalfe (who owns a PD150), Moe Belli (who owns a Canon XL1 and runs Cyber Film School), and Sony rep Brian Young and Canon rep Brian Fairbrother.

By Richard Stringer csc

Overview

Whether or not it was the original intention of the manufacturers, these cameras are playing a growing role in professional production today. They are clustered under the umbrella of a word overused and abused by producers - that word is “digital” - which could mean any number of tape formats and even more models of cameras, differing in quality, all the way up to HDTV! The popularity of mini-DV was especially helped by digital editing and firewire transmission (mini-DV formats have more generation quality loss from tape to tape analog). Videographers are being asked to use these cameras more and more. But these prosumer cameras, although very portable and unobtrusive, can be more complicated to operate than standard video cameras. If you want to learn how to use these cameras, my advice is read the manual and practise, practise, practise. But by the time you get the hang of it, someone will hand you a totally different or updated model and you have to start over again!

What’s the big deal with these cameras?

THE PROS:
- low cost!!
- portable size / mobility - shoot in cars with ease etc. - speed in getting around - easy to get high or low angles
- portability enhanced with flip out viewfinders and lens stabilizers (both not standard on bigger cameras)
- unobtrusiveness - investigative - get into events and through customs
- softer look
- digital features like slow shutter speed (not on bigger cameras)
- colour viewfinders (LCD) and playback
- lower cost longer playing tapes


THE CONS:
- difficult controls especially focus and iris - manual lenses on Betacams have consistent focus and iris controls - these little cameras not only have these fundamental controls in different places, but they are not under direct manual control - there are no footage marks for focus as the focus ring has no stops
- sometimes buttons get bumped accidentally
- ergonomics - believe it or not, the small size can be difficult to hold still for long periods!
- resolution not as good as Betacam equipment
- high contrast image
- too much depth of field (which can even show dirt on lens etc.)
- too much info in viewfinder display
- viewfinder contrast changes with angle of view
- everybody thinks they can shoot! (including your producer or director!)
- no discipline with too much material shot

Examples of production use

One of the first realty shows on the TV marketplace was Trauma - they used Panasonic’s EZ1 camera. Now mini-DV primetime includes: Exhibit A, Little Miracles, Family Dance, Tall Ship Chronicles, Life’s Weddings, Birth Stories, Moving Stories, Class Act, Loving Spoonful - and about every second show on the Life Channel!

These camcorders are used for second camera in many reality shows and situations like action coverage inside rally cars. High-end single-chip cameras the size of a cigarette pack are very popular for mount shots. Now we’re getting news pictures from Afghanistan from videophones!

The website www.nextwavefilms.com lists many noteworthy films shot on prosumer - all transferred to film. For instance: Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, The Blair Witch Project, Buena Vista Social Club, The Celebration, and The Cruise. Recently, there was a story in Playback about Toronto’s Jesse Rosensweet shooting It Happens Incredibly Fast, a feature shot here in Toronto with the Canon XL1. These productions use a wide variety of NTSC + PAL cameras - from Hi8, to Sony’s VX1000, PC70, PD100, TRV900, Panasonic’s EZ1, and Canon’s Optura. Since manufacturers update these cameras often, they prefer not to emphasize that customers are hanging on to the older versions for many years.

Many award-winning docs have been shot by filmmakers on their own - and videographers say the way they use the camera (on automatic) is unprofessional - but filmmakers will argue that these cameras allow them to get deeper into their subjects than ever before. Regardless – love‘em or hate ‘em - these type of cameras are here to stay, and that’s why we had the meeting - to help demystify the situation.

The cameras
We focused on the major players - the 3CCD cameras that are used the most - the Sony PD150 (previously VX1000) and the Canon XL1. We also had an update on the new Canon XL1S. There is a new lower cost Panasonic model - the AG-DVC15P - which has been out for a few months but is mainly being used in training at many tech schools in the city. It is larger than the above cameras. Panasonic has smaller 3CCD models in their consumer line and even though they might be competitive with Sony and Canon, they have no presence in this market.

JVC has a brand new product - the DY-GV300. I had an early look at this camera after the meeting. It offers very competitive features compared to the PD150 - resolution and sensitivity are right up there and the contrast has been substantially improved. It’s similar in size and weight to the PD150 and offers more picture control, better manual iris control, clear scan, NTSC colour bars, white balance memories, settable time code on mini-DV tape, colour flip out and eye viewfinders, and XLR audio inputs. This JVC model offers the world’s first MPEG-4 streaming option on a camcorder. You can create Windows ASF files directly off the camcorder and stream them to the web for viewing anywhere in the world. The KA-DV300U web adapter can also create up to 4 1/2 hours of MPEG-4 ASF recordings onto a 1GB compact flash card.

We did not discuss cameras with manual lenses like the DSR500, although it must be noted that the popularity of these mid-sized DVCAM cameras is making that tape format more viable.

The discussion

We had a good crowd of over 150 which shows the interest in these cameras. The audience included CSC and CICA members, videographers, filmmakers, sound recordists, manufacturers and producers. The manufacturers were there to show their latest cameras and many new gadgets that supposedly make them work better.

One major debate was regarding mini-DV versus mini-DVCAM tape formats. Sony
tries to define the mini-DV tapes as consumer quality - not as well made as DVCAM. Sony claims there would be a chance for more dropouts with mini-DV. The DVCAM cassettes are of professional standard, have better case construction and handle more data info to suit editing requirements. DVCAM has STMPE time code capability (on the PD150). The mini-DV speed results in 60 min. on a tape while the DVCAM faster speed gives 40 min. per tape. The audience felt that the majority of producers favour the lower cost of mini-DV and there was no one in the group complaining of dropouts or other problems. This made the Sony rep’s pitch for DVCAM a little difficult. (By the way, on Exhibit A, I have noticed when we re-use mini-DV tapes there are dropout problems.)

Panasonic cameras now have DV tape capability and have cassette adapters that make them work on DVCPRO gear.

Some hints

Many hints and suggestions came out in the meeting. I will just touch on a few comments and criticisms from my experience with the cameras. Sorry, not much on sound operation or not a lot of detail on the menus! I have no field experience with the Canon XL1S so all comments are for the XL1. Even though it seems like a lot of complaints, I feel these cameras, with amazing portability and reasonably good quality image, are very useful and I hope they become more professional friendly.

General:
- Note that all comments are for cameras in manual mode - full auto is only for the lawyers who can afford this camera for their holiday videos!
- PAL versions give best resolution for transfer to film - 16:9 settings can result in loss of resolution and should be tested beforehand - or use anamorphic adapter.
- Chip size might not be principal resolution criteria - pixel count plays a large part - best to use test chart to compare resolution.
- Filters - diffusion filters are tricky as glass patterns might show if you close down the iris (depth of field issue) - I use Series 9 filters to good advantage (close up, polarizer, star, and ND) with adapters for the different sizes - Canon XL1 72mm - VX1000 52mm - PD150 58mm - watch
for UV filters that might come with camera - they can show double reflections on highlights.
- Turn steadishot off when on a tripod or image will drift - use a good sized tripod!
- If you have to hook up a BNC adapter (as with a video feed out) it is best to use a flexible RCA line before the BNC hookup because otherwise there is a lot of stress on the plug - also try to use velcro straps or the Sony handle to create a stress relief in case something pulls at the sound or video cables.
- Not good to break timecode - read up on how to maintain ongoing timecode if removing or playing back tapes.
- Lens focal lengths are about 1/6th what 35mm SLR lenses deliver, depending on chip size.
- If you find you do not use zoom ring on lens, tape it down as you might move it accidentally.
- It is difficult to judge exposure on LCDs - use zebra stripes!
- Number your batteries to keep track of performance.
- Label all gear as it might be used with other cameras.
- Vertical smear (white line from bright light source) is a problem on all these cameras.
- There is no back focus adjustment.
- Auto white balance will take time to shift - this will cause an editing problem as the colour will change over a scene.
- I like 1/30 sec for a film-like effect - with the slow shutter speeds you gain more sensitivity - the only way to eliminate bars on computers is to go to 1/8 or 1/4 on insert close-up shots - Panasonic and JVC cameras do not have slow shutter speeds.
- These cameras are more contrasty - be careful when lighting - can be a problem in bright sunshine.
- There are no manual focus and iris controls as we know on regular lenses - it’s all unconnected rings and dials - Henry Less has a remote focus control from Kingsway which he says works well on both cameras - it actually has distance reference numbers in the viewfinder!

Sony PD150:
- Manual iris jumps in substantial exposure values when adjusting - try to use temporary auto through a change then lock on again - on this camera, the effect of going in and out of temporary auto is fairly smooth.
- Rotation on the manual iris dial is opposite to Betacam zooms - if you’re in a hurry you might go into auto pilot and find yourself going the wrong way!
- Manual focus is not too bad - temporary auto is very quick and handy to use beacause your hand does not have to leave its job of supporting the body, but you have to centre your subject in the frame.
- If you separate the two sound tracks in the menu and this is not working as it should - press the reset button (which defaults all settings) and redo your menu settings and it should fix the problem - this has happened to me twice - this might apply to other mysterious malfunctions.
- There are basic custom settings you have some control of - colour intensity and hue, sharpness.
- A major advantage of this camera is video input with composite RCA plug - use as recorder for external sources like pencil cam - you can get good quality material off cable TV (when you can’t get that Betacam for your demo tape from the producer!) - I have even used this input when the Beta SP camera I had on location was acting strangely - I fed
video to PD150 and had an instant back up recording deck - the format is very high quality - up there with Beta SP (it’s just the cameras which have limited image quality and contrast range).
- Wide eye adapter essential but front heavy.
- You lose 1/2 stop on end of zoom.
- Memory chip still store is useful option for surveys, storyboards and maintaining continuity on drama lighting.
- Cameras are not shielded - I have had sound disruptions and walkie talkies have effected steadishot on PD150 and iris on VX1000.
- Colour bars available in menu - they do not have the grey pluge signal for brightness setting (are not NTSC) - on the VX1000 they were available through a “secret” button sequence - I have NTSC bars on a mini-DV tape to check monitors but I’m not sure how technically correct
that is!
- The large battery lasts much longer than any others from the past - like all day!
- PD150 has black and white eye viewfinder (with colour LCD flip out) - reasoning is that focus is easier but I’m not convinced because it is not a proper CRT image - VX2000 (lower cost consumer version) has colour eye viewfinder but has no DVCAM capability and limited audio choices.
- Black level control (under SETUP in the menu) best at 7.5 unless you want the “crushed black” look at 0.
- Very good resolution - BTW, PD100 has smaller chip and does not have as good resolution (similar to VX1000).
- The VCR / Cam switch also has a memory mode position which is for still capture - be sure to use the lock to avoid going into that mode if you don’t want to.
- If you are used to the VX1000 - one big difference with the PD150 is to make sure your gain, shutter speed and white balance symbols are set and showing in the viewfinder - if not, they will not be locked and will have a mind of their own!
- Remote control can be great tool for start stop, zoom etc.
- If you use flip-out finder you lose the eye viewfinder - but not if you lock flip-out all the way around to the camera facing out!

Canon XL1:
- If you use handheld with hand strap you are fighting weight to the side and front - better to cradle camera from bottom - the Canon is much larger than PD150 especially with rear sound adapter.
- Manual iris jumps in exposures when adjusting - not quite as noticeable as PD150 and lags if you go too quickly - cannot instantly go to temporary auto - instead they have a line in the viewfinder showing “normal” in the middle.
- Manual iris dial rotates opposite to Betacam zooms like all these cameras.
- Regular zoom (that comes with camera) is not easy to manual focus - temporary auto focus is slow - I have had problems with back focus (and it is not adjustable) - use a good monitor if possible to check focus - wide zoom seems easier, probably because it has more depth of field -
originally Canon’s Hi8 pro cameras had regular manual lenses with focus
and zoom.
- Standby button useful to save power yet not lose digital settings.
- Turn camera off when changing lenses.
- Must remember to push in internal tape container when loading - then the external cover.
- Users suggest the light colour of the Canon body is a disadvantage as it attracts attention.
- Wide zoom is good to have - it is lighter, gives you wide coverage, but does not go very tight and has no stabilizer - it is more expensive than a wide adapter.
- Only way of clearing display on video out is through remote control.
- No control over tally light in menu - have to tape up.
- Canon offers an adapter for their still lenses - disadvantages are - very tele effect from even widest SLR lens - no stabilizer - only f2.5.
- focus marks are there but on very tight scale - high cost of adapter.
- Now there is PL adapter for better depth of field control but is very expensive, loses two stops and is bulky - very specialized use.
- Canon offered a totally manual lens but it costs more, there was no power zoom and no stabilizer - it does not seem to be a popular accessory. A new version has power zoom.
- No flip out viewfinder - Canon has setting on the eye viewfinder which makes it easier to see from a distance - a proper B+W finder is available but costs big bucks.
- The Canon not as sensitive as the PD150 - over a stop difference.
- You lose 1 1/2 stops on end of regular zoom.
- Toggle zoom can start to speed up when you don’t want it to.
- Big jump in ND - 4 stops!
- Non NTSC colour bars available through a “secret” button sequence.

Some features on Canon XL1S that are not on XL1:
Has composite video in
Basic custom settings - colour, sharpness, black setup
Better zoom speed control
Supposed to have higher resolution and better low light performance
Higher gain choices
Shooting 16:9 without squeezed image to deal with in viewfinder
Lower power consumption

Some features on Canon XL1S also not on PD150:
Can defeat auto shut down
Better Invalometer
NTSC color bars - no secret trick!
More auto white balance memory settings
Clear scan
Custom keys and presets
“Good take” marker
More zebra choices (0, 85, 90, 95 or 100 IRE)
You now have the option of turning off all or some display information
Option of turning off the color in the viewfinder, converting it into a
black and white LCD display


Web links from www.nextwave films.com

Sony VX2000 (replaces the popular MiniDV VX1000)
http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer/ss5/home/digitalvideo/minidvcamcorders/dcr-vx2000.shtml

Sony DSR-PD150 (MiniDV & DVCAM)
http://bpgprod.sel.sony.com/nab2000/site/1/02080530/index.html

Sony DSR-PD100 (DVCAM)
http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/corpcomm/news/bppg/342.html

Sony TRV-900 (MiniDV )
http://www.best.com/~beale/trv900/

Canon XL1S, XL1, GL1 (MiniDV )
http://canondv.com

XL-1 Watchdog site with information and comparisons.
http://www.mediadesign.net/canon

Panasonic AG-EZ30 (mini-DV)
http://www.profeel.com/agez30.htm

JVC DV500 (mini-DV)
http://www.jvc.com/pro/dv/home.htm

Sony VX1000
Sony VX1000 Resources website at:
http://ironman.linkport.com/~mediablitz/

Sony VX1000E (PAL)
http://www.sony-europe.com/camcorders

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