Blackmagic Forum

Hi folks,

I'm currently using a 5 camera setup that is based predominantly around the Sony HDR-CX115SE type cameras with a CX400SE thrown into the mix. The subject matter is all static "how-to" material focused on a workbench area so there's little need for any kind of on-the-move type shooting and one of the cameras is focused on me.

Now this works okay for most of the work but I'm noticing that I'm lacking control in some instances like close ups when my hand or other lighter coloured material results in all detail of key areas being lost to the auto-contrast. Additionally there's very little wiggle room for close-up in the editing portion without pixelation making things look blocky.

So, I'm pondering whether there's any mileage to upgrading one or more of the cameras, and if so what would be worth upgrading to on a sliding scale of "minimal-budget" to "worth saving up for".

Lastly are there any particular tricks I might be missing with DaVinci Studio that might offset some of these issues?

Thanks in advance..

Upgrading to cameras with better low-light performance and manual controls can help with close-ups and contrast issues. On a minimal budget, consider the Canon Vixia HF R800. For a more significant upgrade, look into the Panasonic Lumix GH5 or Sony a6400.

For DaVinci Resolve Studio, try adjusting exposure and contrast in the Color tab, and use the 'Super Scale' feature in the Deliver tab to upscale footage while minimizing pixelation.

Thanks David...

My other suggestion is invest in some lighting sets. On a budget, look at the Apurture or Smallrig brands of LED spots. For the close ups, you might want to add a 4K camera with mountable lens system. Having a 4K will give you the ability to crop in without pixelation (up to some extent). The GH5 recommended above is a good one. A Sony A7 will be a good low light with mountable lens system also that will allow for a Zoom and Macro lens options. But look at the lights, bounce cards, diffusers to help with lighting and balancing of contrast.

As for Resolve, hopefully you are able to shoot with those cameras in a codec that will allow you to have flexibility in Post, adjusting exposure, etc.

Ellory Yu wrote:My other suggestion is invest in some lighting sets. ...

Thanks for those suggestions. Lighting is something I've not really looked at properly but it does appear to be lacking so definitely on my list too.

Thanks for info

websnail wrote:Hi folks,

I'm currently using a 5 camera setup that is based predominantly around the Sony HDR-CX115SE type cameras with a CX400SE thrown into the mix. The subject matter is all static "how-to" material focused on a workbench area so there's little need for any kind of on-the-move type shooting and one of the cameras is focused on me.
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Now this works okay for most of the work but I'm noticing that I'm lacking control in some instances like close ups when my hand or other lighter coloured material results in all detail of key areas being lost to the auto-contrast. Additionally there's very little wiggle room for close-up in the editing portion without pixelation making things look blocky.

So, I'm pondering whether there's any mileage to upgrading one or more of the cameras, and if so what would be worth upgrading to on a sliding scale of "minimal-budget" to "worth saving up for".

Lastly are there any particular tricks I might be missing with DaVinci Studio that might offset some of these issues?

Thanks in advance..

Based on your description, it sounds like you may benefit from upgrading one or more of your cameras to better control the contrast and detail in close-up shots. There are a few factors to consider when choosing a camera for your specific needs and budget.

First, consider the resolution and image quality of the camera. A higher resolution will allow for more detail in close-up shots, and a camera with good low-light performance will help prevent the loss of detail due to auto-contrast in lighter areas.

Next, consider the lens and zoom capabilities of the camera. A camera with a higher quality lens and a zoom range that allows for both wide-angle and close-up shots will provide more versatility in your shooting.

Finally, consider any additional features that may be useful for your specific needs, such as image stabilization, external microphone input, or remote control capabilities.

In terms of specific camera recommendations, it's difficult to give a one-size-fits-all answer without knowing your specific budget and needs. However, some popular options for video production include the Canon EOS Rebel series, the Sony Alpha series, and the Panasonic Lumix GH series.

Regarding DaVinci Studio, there are a few features and techniques you may find helpful for your editing needs. One is the Color Match tool, which can help match the color and contrast of footage shot with different cameras. Additionally, using the Zoom and Position controls, you can adjust the size and position of clips to minimize the pixelation that may occur with close-up shots.

rafaelrobertson wrote:Based on your description, it sounds like you may benefit from upgrading one or more of your cameras to better control the contrast and detail in close-up shots. There are a few factors to consider when choosing a camera for your specific needs and budget.

Wow... First up, just wanted to say thanks for the detailed reply on this... I'll tackle each point for context.

rafaelrobertson wrote:First, consider the resolution and image quality of the camera. A higher resolution will allow for more detail in close-up shots, and a camera with good low-light performance will help prevent the loss of detail due to auto-contrast in lighter areas.

Next, consider the lens and zoom capabilities of the camera. A camera with a higher quality lens and a zoom range that allows for both wide-angle and close-up shots will provide more versatility in your shooting.

Finally, consider any additional features that may be useful for your specific needs, such as image stabilization, external microphone input, or remote control capabilities.

I'm leaning towards the Panasonic GH5 with a Sigma f1.8 16-35mm lens eventually, but starting off with a Panasonic 12-35 f2.8 to start with, based on the various reviews that seem to be out there. I did take a look at the Sony 6400 but it seems like it might be eclipsed slightly by the Alpha ZV-E10 as a more current model and the issue with Sony firmware has somewhat put me off that avenue.

I do already have a decent lapel mic via a Tascam R-10L so I'm less worried about audio input via a camera but anything that can make up for the times the lapel mic gets into clothing folds or similar would be a useful backup.

rafaelrobertson wrote:In terms of specific camera recommendations, it's difficult to give a one-size-fits-all answer without knowing your specific budget and needs. However, some popular options for video production include the Canon EOS Rebel series, the Sony Alpha series, and the Panasonic Lumix GH series.

Budget is about 1,500 GBP although I'd prefer to keep it at or below 1K where possible.

As to needs, the primary usage is going to be instructions like this:

This video is a more extreme example of the kind of challenges I have, such as low/poor lighting coupled with high contrast. There's a fair amount of zooming in to get a detailed view of what's going on, as well as broader shots to provide wider context and make things easier to see/understand.

Should note that I'm also intending to use the camera to do more generalised marketing material in the vein of so many "How to improve your videos" guides with some more "traditional" (if that's the right word) YouTube content that's outside in better lighting conditions, etc..

Just as a side note, I can already see that improving the lighting setup is one area I need to address better such as replacing the tubes in the background with 6400K type as well as potentially lighting myself and the subject better, hence the possible 1K camera + £500 lighting budget.

EDIT: Completely forgot to add that I'd also be using the camera for product photography as well. Ideally I'd like to trade in my basic DSLR camera and lenses that I use at present.

Regarding DaVinci Studio, there are a few features and techniques you may find helpful for your editing needs. One is the Color Match tool, which can help match the color and contrast of footage shot with different cameras. Additionally, using the Zoom and Position controls, you can adjust the size and position of clips to minimize the pixelation that may occur with close-up shots.

Thanks... I'm looking for tutorial content to help explain and teach the colour and colour matching aspect of things so any recommended links would be most welcome there.

websnail wrote:Hi folks,

I'm currently using a 5 camera setup that is based predominantly around the Sony HDR-CX115SE type cameras with a CX400SE thrown into the mix. The subject matter is all static "how-to" material focused on a workbench area so there's little need for any kind of on-the-move type shooting and one of the cameras is focused on me.

Now this works okay for most of the work but I'm noticing that I'm lacking control in some instances like close ups when my hand or other lighter coloured material results in all detail of key areas being lost to the auto-contrast. Additionally there's very little wiggle room for close-up in the editing portion without pixelation making things look blocky.

So, I'm pondering whether there's any mileage to upgrading one or more of the cameras, and if so what would be worth upgrading to on a sliding scale of "minimal-budget" to "worth saving up for".
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Lastly are there any particular tricks I might be missing with DaVinci Studio that might offset some of these issues?

Thanks in advance..

It sounds like you're experiencing some limitations with your current camera setup, particularly in terms of control over contrast and close-up detail. Upgrading one or more of your cameras could potentially address these issues, but the specific model you choose will depend on your budget and desired features.

If you're on a minimal budget, you might consider upgrading to a newer model in the same line as your current cameras, such as the Sony HDR-CX440 or CX675. These cameras offer improved image quality and manual control over settings like exposure and white balance, which could help with your contrast and detail issues.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you're willing to save up for a higher-end camera, you might consider something like the Sony PXW-Z90V, which offers even more advanced features like 4K resolution, interchangeable lenses, and dual XLR inputs for professional-level audio.

In terms of tricks in DaVinci Studio, you might try experimenting with color grading tools to adjust the contrast and brightness of your footage, as well as sharpening filters to enhance detail in close-up shots. You could also try shooting at a higher resolution and downsampling in post-production, which can sometimes result in better image quality and detail.

In case anyone is watching along on this and/or wants to comment on current findings.

I've spent a lot of time reading and watching reviews, guides, etc.. on a slew of cameras based around the recommendations on this thread (thanks Ellory, David, Rafael) and I've come up with something of a shortlist.

• Panasonic Lumix GH5 with a mix of potential lenses but mostly centred around the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 and the standard Lumix G X Vario 12-35 f2.8. The Sigma using an adapter or speedbooster.
  The GH5 with a Sigma lens is going to heavy but, as a tripod is the default shooting mode, that's not so much of an issue, however the extra cost of the lens and speedbooster is currently a bit of a hurdle to get over.
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• Sony ZV E10 again with the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 (no adapter/speedbooster required)
  This seems to have edged out ahead of the Alpha 6400 due to the cost and condition of most of the second hand units out in the wild and some of the reviews.
  The Sony is losing out somewhat however due to the numerous reported issues with Sony and firmware, specifically the whole "Nah, we don't update, you upgrade!" attitude that Sony seems wedded to. At the same time, the E10 would be quite a bit cheaper so I'm still undecided. The 30fps limit on 4K feels like it could limit some of the potential for the future.
  EDIT: Just found out that there's a MkII with 60fps @ 4K planned for release Q3 or 4 of 2023.
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• Panasonic camcorders GX43, GX53 and even the HC-VX1, GX100 and GX700.
  Not something that was suggested but I did find myself drawn to these for simplicity and familiarity. I belatedly realised that the video format options on these could well be the sticking point though as the compression on the VX1 in particular is quite high so detail might be a bit degraded on footage. The latter GX100 and GX700 are pretty expensive too so they tend to rule themselves out as/when the GH5 becomes a comparable cost or cheaper.

So, on balance I'm still somewhat on the fence on which camera to go for but I suspect I may swing towards the ZV-10 as an initial unit, learn the ropes and keep my eyes open for a good GH5 in a year or so's time as I've learned how to make better use of the 4K. Ultimately selling off most of the existing CX-115's and my current DSLR would help meet some of the costs of a second unit, or at least a decent lens so we'll see.

As a footnote, I'm also looking at the lighting and layout of the room I use as that seems to be a pretty key area that needs improvement too. That and I need to lose some weight and pluck a few hairs so I look more svelt for the camera... small steps?

Anyway, quite the rabbit hole but thanks for the comments to date and if anyone has any insight on the shortlist please do share, it's very much a work in progress.