Fluxo de trabalho da Sony HVR-Z1

A guide to the various shooting formats, workflows and other Z1 shooting tips.
by Nigel Cooper

Shooting in the Past, the Present and the Future
This short tutorial is aimed at those who are used to shooting in standard definition DV or DVCAM on the Sony VX2100 and PD170 camcorders; but who have recently bought a Sony HVR-Z1E HDV camcorder. This guide is designed to introduce newcomers to the Z1, how to use the camera in standard DV, DVCAM and HDV modes and how your SD and HDV workflow will be affected - now and in the future. At the end I’ve added some shooting tips and other things to watch out for.

There is a very good reason that Sony has three shooting modes on the Z1. I suspect the most relevant one is that at the time of writing this tutorial, Blu-ray DVD players and HD TV sets are rare amongst general UK households. It is going to be a good few years before we start seeing HD DVD players in domestic households that can actually play back DVDs that have been authored from a native HDV 1080i project. In fact, I don’t think the first HD DVD player has even landed in the shops yet. So, what you have to decide is how you are going to use your Sony Z1 as a shooting acquisition format in the immediate future. Lucky for us the Z1 is backward compatible as well as future proof.

There are three options open to you with the Z1.

Option 1 - Shoot, Edit & Author DVD in Standard Def:
This first workflow involves shooting in standard def (DV or DVCAM), editing in standard def and authoring your DVD in standard def; this could be in either DV or DVCAM shooting mode. The advantage with this workflow is that you are used to it and everybody can watch your finished DVD on their current standard definition DVD players and TV sets. However, the disadvantage is that you will be stuck with a standard definition project as your original footage was shot in SD mode, hence it will not be future proof.

Option 2 - Shoot HDV, Edit & Author DVD in Standard Def:
The second workflow involves shooting in HDV, then down-converting to standard def from the Z1 as you import the footage into your NLE computer system, then editing in standard def and authoring your DVD in standard def; this could be either DV or DVCAM. The advantage with this workflow is that you can edit in a way that you are used to and everybody can watch your DVD on their current standard def DVD players and TV sets. Although your finished DVD will be standard def, you will have the option of re-importing your HDV footage in the future when more people own HD DVD players and HD TV sets. When that time comes, you will import your native HDV footage with no down-conversion from the Z1. You can then edit in native HDV, providing you have a NLE computer system and software package that can handle HDV. Then finally you can author your DVD in native HDV and burn a HD DVD ready for playback on domestic HD equipment.

Another advantage to shooting in HDV and then down-converting to SD from the Z1 and editing and authoring an SD DVD is that the picture quality is said to be an improvement over shooting in standard def to start with; why is this? By shooting in HDV you are effectively recording a lot more information; 1440x1080 pixels as opposed to the 720x576 pixels of standard def. Because you have more information on tape to start with, when you carry out the down-conversion to SD from the Z1 you end up with more information in your final standard def edited programme. DVD's that have been created from HDV footage are superior in image quality than DVD's originating from standard definition video as HDV provides more pixel data to work with, so there is less reduction in quality in the MPEG-3 transcoding process. You will find that DVD's produced from HDV originated footage look stunning.

Option 3 - Shoot, Edit & Author DVD in HDV:
The third workflow involves shooting in HDV, editing in HDV and authoring your DVD in HDV. This option has the advantage of maintaining the highest possible image quality throughout the entire production process from shooting, through editing and finally authoring and burning off your DVD. It is an easy workflow to get used to and is not much different from what you are used to in a standard def environment. Some advantages include: taking still images from the timeline of your HDV productions during editing to use as photos on say the DVD cover will be superior due to the larger pixel count, and if you have a high def computer monitor there is nothing quite like editing in HDV – the quality is simply stunning. However, you will need to upgrade your NLE computer editing system to accommodate HDV, this will mean a lot more RAM, faster processing power and possibly new or updated software. The only major concern with the total HDV workflow is that your client and the viewing public will not be able to view your HDV-made DVDs until HD DVD players and HD TV sets are more commonplace; unless of course they own an Apple Macintosh computer with a DVD drive, in which case they can view your HD DVD using Apples built in DVD player software.
Setting up the various shooting modes on the Z1


Shooting in the Past, the Present and the Future

1: Standard Def 720x576 PAL 50i DV shooting mode.
The first option we will look at is for shooting in standard definition 720x576 PAL in regular DV mode. This is relatively straightforward and your workflow won’t be any different to what you are used to with your Sony VX2100 (or other Mini-DV camcorder).

To shoot in standard DV mode on the Z1 press the ‘MENU’ button on the rear of the camera, then scroll down to the ‘IN/OUT REC’ menu and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to select it. With ‘REC FORMAT’ highlighted press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to enter its sub-menu, then using the scroll wheel select ‘DV’ and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to enter that setting. You will now be returned to the previous screen. Scroll down to ‘REC MODE’, select it and choose ‘DV SP’ from the menu then press the SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button again to enter the setting. Then exit the menu.

2: Standard Def 720x576 PAL 50i DVCAM shooting mode.
The second shooting option is standard def DVCAM mode. The advantage of DVCAM over standard DV is basically down to tape speed and ‘track pitch’. It’s worth noting that if you use a standard 60-minute Mini-DV cassette in DVCAM mode, it will only give you 40 minutes of recording time, this is because the tape transport speed of the DVCAM format is 1/3rd faster than Mini-DV, which brings us to the next major difference between Mini-DV and DVCAM, ‘track pitch’. The DVCAM format has a track pitch of 15 microns whilst Mini-DV has a track pitch of just 10 microns. To give you an idea of how wide a micron is, a human hair is approximately 60 microns thick, so as you can imagine these tracks on the tape are incredibly small.

Basically track pitch is the width of recorded information on the tape. Because the tape transport speed is faster DVCAM mode the track pitch is wider, this yields a more durable tape system, for example in the edit suite footage shot in DVCAM mode will be able to withstand being thrashed back and forth in a deck as you shuttle around looking for specific clips on your tapes or whilst you mark all the in and out points ready for a batch capture, there’s also less chance of dropped frames, 50% fewer visual dropouts and artefacts. If you are used to using a Sony PD170 (or other Sony DVCAM camcorder) then your workflow will be no different.

To shoot in DVCAM mode on the Z1 press the ‘MENU’ button on the rear of the camera, then scroll down to the ‘IN/OUT REC’ menu and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to select it. With ‘REC FORMAT’ highlighted press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to enter its sub-menu, then scroll down to ‘DVCAM’ and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ to enter that setting. You will now be returned to the previous screen. Now scroll down to ‘REC MODE’, select it and choose ‘DVCAM’ from the menu then press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button again to enter the setting. Then exit the menu.

3: High Def 1440x1080 PAL 1080i HDV shooting mode.
The third shooting option is the high def HDV 1080i shooting mode. If you are used to using a standard Mini-DV camcorder such as the VX2100 or any Sony DVCAM camcorder then your workflow is about to change slightly.

To shoot in HDV mode on the Z1 press the ‘MENU’ button on the rear of the camera, then scroll down to the ‘IN/OUT REC’ menu and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to select it. With ‘REC FORMAT’ highlighted press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to enter its sub-menu, then scroll to ‘HDV1080i and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ to enter that setting. Then exit the menu.

To shoot in HDV 1080i mode it’s not actually that much more complicated; well not at the shooting stage anyway. When it comes to editing, things are a little different; you will have to refer to your NLE software instructions for this part and you might have to upgrade your hardware and/or software to a later version that can handle native HDV 1080i footage.

Down-converting to SD from HDV:
If you have shot footage in HDV mode and intend editing in standard def then you will need to down-convert your HDV footage to standard def as you import it into your NLE computer system. To do this you will have to make a few tiny adjustments in the Z1’s menu.

Press the ‘MENU’ button on the rear of your Z1, scroll down to the ‘IN/OUT REC’ option and select it by pressing the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’. Then scroll down to ‘i LINK CONV’ and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to enter into the menu. With ‘HDV-DV CONV’ selected press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ to enter the menu and select the ‘ON’ option then press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ again to save this setting. You will now be returned to the previous menu. Scroll down to the ‘DOWN CONVERT’ option and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to enter the menu and choose ‘SQUEEZE’ if you want to down-convert for editing in native 16:9 widescreen mode for final viewing on a widescreen TV set. Choose ‘LETTER BOX’ for editing for final output to 4:3 TV sets with letter-boxing appearing at the top and bottom of your 4:3 TV screen, but retaining the 16:9 widescreen format across the central part of the screen. Choose ‘EDGE CROP’ for editing for final output to 4:3 TV sets, but with the right and left hand edges cut off to fit 4:3 TV screens.

Z1 shooting tips and things to watch out for!

There are a few things that you will need to be aware of with the Z1. If you are new to the Z1 and are not aware of them your footage might not be as good as it could be; read on.

Zebra Setting:
The first thing I would recommend doing is going into the Z1’s menus and changing the ‘Zebra’ setting from its default 100, otherwise it will be difficult to spot ‘burn’ on the Z1’s LCD screen when trying to judge exposure. This needs to be set to something more workable and realistic. I would recommend setting this to 70, or 85 if you are used to a Sony DSR500/570/400 camcorder.

Date Record:
In the menu there is a setting called ‘DATE REC’. By default it should be set to the ‘OFF’ position, but you should check to make sure it is ‘OFF’. If this menu setting gets inadvertently changed to the ‘ON’ position the time and date will be permanently burnt into your footage, rendering it unusable for anything more serious than holiday footage.

Auto Mode:
Use this mode only when image quality is not important, such as the recce of a potential shooting location or covert shooting. Otherwise, for the best quality footage set the ‘AUTO LOCK’ switch on the left-side of the Z1 to the middle position. Which brings me nicely onto the next VERY IMPORTANT part, ‘Exposure’. Read on.

Exposure:
The Z1’s exposure system causes a great deal of confusion for many. In very bright or very dark shooting environments it can adversely affect the quality of the footage. The camera will not allow you to adjust the exposure manually by adjusting the chrome iris control dial on the front-left of the camera; instead it will fight against you by using the electronic shutter, or worse still, the electronic gain.

Here is how you prevent this from happening and maintain superior quality footage. First, you must manually set the Z1’s gain to 0dB and the shutter speed to 50. To do this, press the ‘GAIN’ button on the left-side of the camera to switch the gain into manual mode, then move the little chrome gain lever to the ‘low’ (L) position. 0dB will be displayed on the LCD screen. Next press the ‘SHUTTER SPEED’ button on the left-side of the camera and set it to 50 (the default for UK PAL) using the scroll wheel on the back of the camera. The shutter speed of 50 and the gain of 0dB will be displayed on the LCD screen. It is very important to keep both these settings displayed on the LCD screen AT ALL TIMES. If you don’t, you won’t be able to make any manual adjustments to the exposure using the chrome iris wheel. If you try to make any manual iris adjustments when the shutter and gain are not displayed on the LCD screen the camera will simply compensate for your so-called manual adjustments by changing the shutter speed and/or increasing the gain electronically, which will lead to either unsightly grainy images or an annoying strobe-like flickering effect.

Focus:
For the best results it is ALWAYS best to set the ‘FOCUS’ control on the left-side of the camera to ‘MAN’ (manual), then when you need to focus press the ‘PUSH AUTO’ button just underneath it. This will totally eliminate any ‘focus hunt’ problems as the camera tries to automatically focus on a moving object that is in the same frame as your actual subject.


Expanded Focus:
To further aid you with focusing you can also use the ‘EXPANDED FOCUS’ button next to the zoom rocker switch on the lens. When you press this button the central part of the image will be greatly enlarged on the LCD screen for 5 seconds, before the camera returns the display to normal; this is more than enough time to check your focus.

White Balance:
A quick tip for the white balance settings on the Z1 is to set the A and B memories for the indoor and outdoor environment of your particular shooting location. Doing this will speed up your daily shooting schedule as you switch from A to B as you move from indoors to outdoors or vice versa. But remember, when shooting outdoors the colour temperature will change as the sun gets lower in the sky so you might need to take another white balance reading every couple of hours or so.

Fonte: DVUSER