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Need help on a serious problem during video shooting
  • monks19monks19

    Hello people. I recently noticed a filming problem that I had during a shooting of a dance show. I don't know if the lens was badly focused (I checked it earlyer, seemed to be ok and in focus on the cam's screen), or if the adapter was badly adjusted (it's a RJ adapter, Nikon to M4/3) or if the aperture was way too opened (at f2.8). The lens used (on all 3 cams) was a Sigma 28-70mm (Nikon mount) and the cameras were 2 Gh2 and a G6. Any ideas on what went wrong and how I can avoid this kind of troubles next time ? Thanks to answer. PS: here's a video sample:

  • 4 Replies sorted by
  • htinlahtinla

    It's overexposed. Close the aperture a bit to bring some detail back to the highlights. Stopping down should make things sharper in terms of aberrations and increasing depth of field. Midtones might seem dark if you stop down, so you'll have to adjust brightness /contrast in post. If you have any say about it, suggest that performers not wear white or any combination of overly contrasty clothing.

  • DouglasHornDouglasHorn

    Yep, it's overexposure. These kinds of shows are hard to shoot because there's so much at the dark and light ends of the exposure curve and not much in the middle. The histogram looks like a U. The bright lights just blast white or light costumes, but everything else is dark. Also, stages are unevenly lit, so the dancers disappear in some areas. I've shot these in the past and the best way to go is to keep everything from over-exposure, but just barely. Otherwise the dark areas get too muddy. Also, shooting at F/5.6 or F/8 will probably be better than f/2.8 because at this stop a lot of lenses bloom highlights, which it looks like is also a problem here that's exacerbating the overexposure. Further, at 2.8 you get focus problems from the front row to back. At F/8 you'll be able to get everyone in. Of course, then you'll have to balance out graininess from the higher ISO.

  • htinlahtinla

    I shot a similarly lit stage show on the GH2 using an ISO of 1250 with acceptable noise/grain levels that usually get smoothed out if you're producing standard definition dvds.

  • joetheprojoethepro

    Yes youll have to drop exposure and then either use curves or qualifiers to boost just the shadows to even out exposure. Or just leave it a bit underexposed, probably better than the original anyway.

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