DVX100_PAL_Strange_Focusing

DVX100 PAL - Strange Focusing Issue

Dear CMLâ€™ers,

For the past month I've been shooting a feature using the DVX100 PAL in progressive mode and today I encountered a very strange focusing problem...

We were shooting in bright sunlight at around F.8.

As usual, to set the focus, I zoomed in on the subject, opened the lens all the way and focused. When I zoomed back out the image got completely blurred and out of focus. I zoomed back in and it was sharp again and then immediately off- focus once I zoomed out. I tried this various times, switching into 50i mode to auto- focus and back into 25p- mode to focus manually but the problem wasn't solved.

In such cases of helplessness I tend to reset things- so I removed the battery and the issue was solved.

Can anyone share such experience, or suggest why/ how this might have happened? Could it be that the software in the camera didn't load up properly?

Hmm???

Thanks and best wishes

Daniel Loher
Director of Photography
London / Munich
www.dploher.com

I don't know this camera well enough, and don't have one in front of me, but I'll bet a macro setting was turned on. Then it reset to normal when you powered down.

Steven Bradford
Collins College
Phoenix Arizona

>I don't know this camera well enough, and don't have one in front of me, >but I'll bet a macro setting was turned on. Then it reset to normal when >you powered down.

---Macro, as in "macro-focus"? Hmmmmm.....I donâ€™t know that camera very well either. Is it possibly a menu driven item nowadays?

Jeffery Haas
freelance editor, camera operator
Dallas

>For the past month I've been shooting a feature using the DVX100 PAL >in progressive mode and today I encountered a very strange focusing >problem...

I hate to rain on anyone's parade but maybe it should be noted here that the DVX-100 is still a consumer grade camera. While everyone is getting it to perform way beyond what it was designed for I consider that we should not be expecting consistent pro results with a $3000 camera (and that includes the lens).

My two cents

Daniel Villeneuve, c.s.c.
Directeur-Photo/Director of Photography
MontrÃ©al, Canada

>we should not be expecting consistent pro results with a $3000 camera >(and that includes the lens).

The problem seems to be that some producers and directors are expecting consistent pro results from these cameras. So all too often many of us are forced to deal with the realities of the situation and simply make the best of it. Often these "prosumer" cameras do have hidden tricks which can make them easier to operate.

The situation all too often sucks for operators and DP's but, unfortunately, the lower end of the market is becoming immersed with this type of shooting.

Jim Sofranko
NY/DP

>we should not be expecting consistent pro results with a $3000 camera >(and that includes the lens).

Agreed, but I don't think expecting a $3000 camera to stay in focus is expecting too much.

Any chance you had it in auto focus?

Dan Coplan
Cinematographer / DIT
www.dancoplan.com

>While everyone is getting it to perform way beyond what it was designed >for I consider that we should not be expecting consistent pro results >with a $3000 camera (and that includes the lens).

I've had that camera for over a year now and shot mainly in the 25P mode. As the DVX100 doesn't have Auto- focus in 25P, I found the best way to focus is by zooming in, opening the lens and then adjusting the focus. This worked very fine for the past year so I was rather surprised by that "unique" artifact it came up with. I don't believe I'm expecting too much of this camera as the manual focus usually does work amazingly well.

Even for a $ 3000 camera.

All the best

Daniel Loher
Director of Photography
London / Munich

Sometimes these things get illogical and you have to power down / up.

Has happened to me with Betacam, Microwave oven, #$##@&& HP printers. Last week w/ Sony DV camera did not want to rewind & did not want to tell me why in plain English..

1. Walk upright
2. Get publicist
3. Engineer logic circuits

Sam Wells

Sam Wells writes:

> 1. Walk upright
> 2. Get publicist
> 3. Engineer logic circuits

4. Write instruction manuals.

Brian Heller
IA 600 DP

>> 1. Walk upright
>> 2. Get publicist
>> 3. Engineer logic circuits
> 4. Write instruction manuals.

5. Hire new publicist

Sam Wells

>I hate to rain on anyone's parade but maybe it should be noted here >that the DVX-100 is still a consumer grade camera.

Ummm-- before Jan jumps in, I'd like to point out that the DVX100A is not sold through consumer outlets, at least not normally, there is not a consumer version, as there is with Sony's miniDV models, and it was only designed for the pro-market. Which is why it has XLR connections on the body of the camera.

And, I can replicate the same focusing problem on an HDCAM or an SDX900, or pretty much any professional camera. So I don't see why this is a call for making a point about consumer versus professional gear. It's more likely a setting on the camera.

I don't like the move to using these little cameras for every purpose, but they are good for many purposes, and the DVX100 was obviously designed to give pros access to a small yet capable camera.

We forget, but 35mm still cameras were laughed at for years by Pro Photographers, as Miniature cameras not good enough for real work. Fine for snaps by amateurs.

Steven Bradford
Collins College
Phoenix Arizona

Steven Bradford writes:

>I'd like to point out that the DVX100A is not sold through consumer >outlets, at least not normally, there is not a consumer version.

Actually, there has been a more consumer-oriented version, the DVC-80 (which has no 24p), but I believe it's been discontinued and replaced with the more compact and even more consumer-oriented DVC-30.

Dan Drasin
Producer/DP
Marin County, CA