Research Guides: Use the video studio at The Workshop: 3. Camera

Pre-Camera

1

Before turning on the camera

1	Check for three cables plugged into camera: Power cable, plugged into the wall HDMI cable, plugged into monitor on desk Audio cable, plugged into sound board
2	Turn on external monitor on computer desk.

Check for three cables plugged into camera:

Power cable, plugged into the wall
HDMI cable, plugged into monitor on desk
Audio cable, plugged into sound board

Turn on external monitor on computer desk.

Positions for camera inputs.

Camera Settings

2

Turning on the camera

1	Power on camera by pushing the power switch on the lower area of the left side of the camera to the front
2	Insert memory card by opening the media cover release and gently inserting the memory card at an angle. Check out memory cards from the Workshop front desk.

Power switch

Insert memory card by opening media cover release and gently inserting memory card at an angle

3

Setting resolution, frame rate and color space

Set resolution, frame rate, and color settings using the camera's menu system.

1	Use the Menu button, with the scroll button to scroll and select, for next steps.
2	Go to Menu > User > Base Setting, check that Shooting Mode is set to Custom. Shooting mode controls fundamentally how the camera functions. Most users will want Custom. Change the shooting mode to Cine EI if you’re planning on doing color grading as a post-production step.
3	Go to Menu > User > Rec Format > Video Format to set the resolution and frame rate. 1920 24P (1920x1080 23.98P) is a good place to start. Resolution is how big (how many pixels) the video is. 1920x1080 is standard high definition. Frame rate is how many still images there are in each second of video. 24 frames per second (fps) (24 = 23.98, it’s an old convention) and 30 (29.97) fps are standard
4	Go to Menu > File > Scene File > Recall Internal Memory > 01 Interviews > Execute to recall a preset for the color settings within the camera. The camera has presets that control several important settings, including the color information and shutter speed. Unless you’re going to manipulate the color settings yourself, you should reset the camera to these presets each time.

Menu button

Make sure shooting mode set to custom

Set resolution and frame rate in Rec Format

Scene Files are presets for color settings

4

Setting focus, zoom and aperture

Set the focal length, frame the image and set the amount of light using dials on the lens.

Zoom

1	Use the middle ring on the lens to zoom in or out to frame your shot

Focus

2	Use the biggest, outer ring on the lens to focus on your subject.
3	Use peaking to fine-tune: Looking in the small camera monitor, twist the focus ring until you see red lines around the part of the image you want to be focused on (peaking does not show up on the large monitor on the desk) Fine-tune focus even more by pressing the (1) button on the camera to zoom in. Press the button again to zoom even more, and then again to exit the zoom. If it looks in focus but you don’t see any red lines, press the peaking button on the side of the small camera monitor to turn the tool on and off

Use the biggest, outer ring on the lens to focus on your subject.

Use peaking to fine-tune:

Looking in the small camera monitor, twist the focus ring until you see red lines around the part of the image you want to be focused on (peaking does not show up on the large monitor on the desk)
Fine-tune focus even more by pressing the (1) button on the camera to zoom in. Press the button again to zoom even more, and then again to exit the zoom.
If it looks in focus but you don’t see any red lines, press the peaking button on the side of the small camera monitor to turn the tool on and off

Aperture

4	Use the inner, smallest ring to adjust aperture (how much light is being let into your lens). Twisting the iris dial clockwise lets in less light to the lens, making the image darker. Twisting counterclockwise lets in more light. Watch the f-number in the top left corner of the viewfinder screen. The appropriate F-number depends on how much light you’re using, but f/6.3 or f/7.1 works well for the green screen using the submaster #1 preset on the lighting board.

Use the inner, smallest ring to adjust aperture (how much light is being let into your lens).

Twisting the iris dial clockwise lets in less light to the lens, making the image darker.

Twisting counterclockwise lets in more light.

Watch the f-number in the top left corner of the viewfinder screen. The appropriate F-number depends on how much light you’re using, but f/6.3 or f/7.1 works well for the green screen using the submaster #1 preset on the lighting board.