How to tune the best colour on XHA1

[BMPhoto]

Hi to all the XHA1 users out there

I need help. I have the Canon XHA1 and had tried a few Custom Presets, but found that the colours of these are still rather flat. Could anyone advise what is the best method to tune up the colours? Is it Gama setting or Colour matrix or combination of both?

Thanks in advance for your advise.

Regards

 

[samvision]

Hi to all the XHA1 users out there

I need help. I have the Canon XHA1 and had tried a few Custom Presets, but found that the colours of these are still rather flat. Could anyone advise what is the best method to tune up the colours? Is it Gama setting or Colour matrix or combination of both?

Thanks in advance for your advise.

Regards

i think you should try the gamma setting. after trying the xh a1 i realised that the color on the lcd does not justify for the actual video captured from the tape. Some how the color and resolution turn out better. Believe that the problem is due to the resolution of the LCD .

 

[jaegersing]

It is a good idea to spend a bit of time with the camera hooked up to a video monitor. Then you can really see the difference when you adjust the various parameters. It is also worthwhile adjusting the LCD panel to get as close as possible to what you see on the monitor. Then you will have more confidence when you go out shooting that what you see when you get back home is not going to be very much different.

 

[BMPhoto]

It is a good idea to spend a bit of time with the camera hooked up to a video monitor. Then you can really see the difference when you adjust the various parameters. It is also worthwhile adjusting the LCD panel to get as close as possible to what you see on the monitor. Then you will have more confidence when you go out shooting that what you see when you get back home is not going to be very much different.

Thanks for the comment. Will try to run the fine-tuning as suggested.

i think you should try the gamma setting. after trying the xh a1 i realised that the color on the lcd does not justify for the actual video captured from the tape. Some how the color and resolution turn out better. Believe that the problem is due to the resolution of the LCD .

Thanks for the advise.

By the way, found some useful info in the DVinfo forum on XHA1. One of the sticky track contains the the XHA1 custom Presets which may be useful to XHA1 users out there. I have downloaded them and now trying out a few. Try this:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=81071

However downloading and installing these presets is just a short cut to achieve some of the effect with this machine, I would prefer to truely understand the effect of each of these settings and tune something out that is aligned with my shooting ideas.

Have anyone purchase Vasst's "Inside XHA1/XHG1" Training DVD? Found this rather interesting. But seems that it could only be purchased via Amazon. Does anyone knows when I could purchase it in Singapore. Presumably it should help me understand the machine better. Thanks.

 

[jaegersing]

Have anyone purchase Vasst's "Inside XHA1/XHG1" Training DVD? Found this rather interesting. But seems that it could only be purchased via Amazon. Does anyone knows when I could purchase it in Singapore. Presumably it should help me understand the machine better. Thanks.

I recommend you go out and shoot and play with the camera for a while, before deciding if you want to buy the book. Reading about it is no substitute for doing it, IMO.

 

[DXNMedia]

becareful when tweaking the gamma settings. A wrong tweak may result in a complete footage rejection for broadcast usage.... but then again, there's no standards regulation nowadays....and moreover, most HDV footage aren't really accepted for broadcast use....not when the stations know the actual video source.

When tweaking, better watch your black levels and color levels especially in the primary colors....if you crush the video information too much in the camera settings, it is very difficult to get the details back in post production.

Best is to have a vectorscope or waveform monitor for such calibration work because one mistake many people make is having no proper reference...every monitors need to be properly calibrated too and how can you be sure that the monitor you've calibrated on is right? Using your eyes to judge is not to be trusted unless you're very experienced.

I personally prefer to shoot neutral, then color grade in post. :thumbsup:

 

[jaegersing]

I personally prefer to shoot neutral, then color grade in post. :thumbsup:

Same here. I also find this helps when the lighting is difficult. The neutral setting doesn't give you an impressive image, but it allows you to capture more details which can then be tweaked in post and give you any look you want. If you don't capture the details to begin with (blown highlights or crushed blacks) there is a limit what you can do with it.

 

[BMPhoto]

becareful when tweaking the gamma settings. A wrong tweak may result in a complete footage rejection for broadcast usage.... but then again, there's no standards regulation nowadays....and moreover, most HDV footage aren't really accepted for broadcast use....not when the stations know the actual video source.

When tweaking, better watch your black levels and color levels especially in the primary colors....if you crush the video information too much in the camera settings, it is very difficult to get the details back in post production.

Best is to have a vectorscope or waveform monitor for such calibration work because one mistake many people make is having no proper reference...every monitors need to be properly calibrated too and how can you be sure that the monitor you've calibrated on is right? Using your eyes to judge is not to be trusted unless you're very experienced.

I personally prefer to shoot neutral, then color grade in post. :thumbsup:

Same here. I also find this helps when the lighting is difficult. The neutral setting doesn't give you an impressive image, but it allows you to capture more details which can then be tweaked in post and give you any look you want. If you don't capture the details to begin with (blown highlights or crushed blacks) there is a limit what you can do with it.

Thanks both for the comment and information. I'm still a newbies in videography and am now trying to pick up as much as possible. Having started out from DSLR world, I just can't bear with the little control with a typical consumer videocam, that's why I went ahead to XHA1 after reviewing positive comment on the cost and control capabilities (and some weaknesses) of this cam, hoping to grab as much control where possible in shooting. Guess I will need to work harder to bring my skill up soonest possible to capitalize the capability of this cam. Thanks and look forward to learn from all of you expert out there.