Well, you COULD have a technician re-order the filters. But when you’re out of practice on the old tools (no color LCD?) they will invariably strive to NOT help you do your job right.

Posted by IEBA  on  02/07  at  01:10 PM

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Well, I suppose I could have an engineer flip the filters around…but remember:  These three cameras are shared by six shooters (several of which have also had this little surprise.)  If it didn’t match the label on the side of the camera, it would make a bad situation worse. 

But really, I think the question is this:  Why is there a star filter on a color-correction wheel?  If I take the camera into the hockey arena on campus, which is lit with HMIs at daylight, theoretically I couldn’t use the stars.  And THAT is where I can actually see using a star filter.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  02/07  at  01:32 PM

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I’ve always wondered about the star filter. I’d just as soon not have it. Never used it, never will.

I seem to recall star in A being the norm on the Panny’s I’ve used, but haven’t used the Sony’s much.

Posted by Charles Angus  on  02/07  at  11:21 PM

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Good cautionary tale, though.

Posted by Charles Angus  on  02/07  at  11:21 PM

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I can certainly see how it’s limited use might be an annoying feature on the CC wheel for an event where it’s not needed.

I shoot indoor sports/events however, and I LOVE using my star filter. My director likes it too. It’s only for the med-wide shots yes, but during timeouts at basketball games when I need to shoot cheerleaders or the fans– the stars filter rocks and I’m glad it’s immediately accessible. I like it on the CC knob because I can get control it without taking my eye out of the viewfinder. But I have shot before with it on and not know– but that’s my fault for not checking it beforehand.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  02/08  at  07:09 AM

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“pro cameras do not (usually) have color viewfinders” ... Bruce I think you have an old view of the world of pro cameras. The Red, Arri Alexa and top of the line Sony Broadcast cameras all come with coloured viewfinders. I own and operate both the Red One and Sony PDW F800 cameras with coloured viewfinders and now would not ever go back to a black and white VF.

Posted by timb  on  02/08  at  01:27 PM

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Cross-star filters were standard equipment in the tube days; I am told that tube burns from in-shot practicals were much less apparent with cross-stars than with unadorned pinpoints of light—the cross-stars both spread the energy a bit and also mask it to some extent.

Thus having a built-in cross-star (at 3200K WB) was a very, very useful thing on something like a BVP-30. On a modern CCD or CMOS camera it does seem a bit odd and, I am always a bit surprised every time I see it on a modern, big-iron HDCAM camcorder.

And yes, like you, I find it all too easy to get bollixed up by the independent white balances for each filter position. Yes, it’s incredibly flexible to have all those possibilities, but how on earth is any shooter supposed to keep track of ‘em all? And when you’re day-playing with a communal camera? Nothing for it but to go hit the master reset for the memories… and then either spend five minutes pre-storing all 12 white balances, or never change the filter wheel, or dutifully reset the WB every time you spin the filter… just what you want to do in the middle of a live gig, right?

Posted by Adam Wilt  on  02/08  at  07:06 PM

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@TimB:  I can tell we aren’t working in the same business.  Maybe in your world you see Reds and Alexas and such, but I can guarantee you 100% that you won’t be seeing any of those in a press scrum.  And the cameras I do see in the press are quite similar to mine…some P2’s, some XDCam (disc) cameras, but none of the indie-darling cameras. And while some of the cameras *might* have a color LCD screen on the side, none of them have color main viewfinders.  No matter how cool the Reds and Alexas and such may look, you’ll never see them in my environment - for one thing, they have to be operable (and totable) by one person, they have to record great audio easily, they have to put out an image you can air RIGHT NOW without post-production, and they have to be tough. The indie-film cams aren’t the right tool for this job.

@Adam - I have operated many, many tube cameras in the last 30 years, including the RCA TK76, Thomson Microcam, several Hitachi POS’es, Sony Betacams, the odd Panasonic, and lots and lots of Ikegami HL-79’s.  Not *one* had a star filter in the wheel.  Perhaps you are referring to the really old, turret-lensed studio cameras with the image-orthicon tubes, which would burn if you lit up a nightlight.  <g>

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  02/08  at  08:30 PM

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Oh yeah, one more thing about the HDW-790 - you can store your personal likes on a Memory Stick and load them up every time you use the camera…but:

You can *only* use a first-gen Memory Stick.  The Memory Stick Pro will NOT work.  Guess what you can’t buy anymore?  First-gen Memory Sticks.  Arrrrrgh.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  02/08  at  08:34 PM

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The newer cameras are computers with a lens in front of them.  I work in a rental house.  With a camera like the Sony PDW700, I’ve set them up in the menus so that on Filter 1 the preset is 3200, and on filters 2, 3 and 4 the preset is 5600.  This means freelancers can pick it up and treat it like a Betacam.  Now if I could just figure out why Sony has included a menu option where the camera will shut off the rear XLR inputs if it doesn’t detect a signal….....that’s been a source of consternation for a few clients!

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  02/08  at  11:07 PM

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