[lac-streams] A cheat list for the camera ops from Herman (camera geek)

[Herman Robak]

The Sony cameras in the auditorium have sufficient manual controls
for our needs, I'm summarising the dos and don'ts here.

  The lighting is fairly even so a good compromise setting for colour  
balance
and exposure can be found.  We will try to match the colour balance of the
cameras exactly in advance.

NOTE: There is no quick and convenient way to match the colour balance on
the fly, so leave those settings locked, PLEASE (more on that below).

NOTE 2: The spotlights in the front will have blue filters to match the
  "daylight" colour of the projection screen.  So the speaker cam will see
  things that are more "bluish" than the audience.  We want both cameras to
  have a fairly neutral colour balance, so cuts between them don't bring a
  jarring change in the overall colour. (more on that below)


  Suggested settings, speaker camera (with spotlights):

Shutter speed: 1/25 sec
Iris/gain:     2.4/0dB
White balance: Balanced manually on the projector screen or a sheet)
       (spot lights with blue filters, or a gray/white projector image)
Img stabilise: OFF
auto/man lock: HOLD
Focus:	       Manual, push to focus

  Suggested settings, audience camera:

Shutter speed: 1/25 sec
Iris/gain:     open/+6dB
White balance: Balanced manually on the projector screen
       (room lighting only, the projector turned off)
Img stabilise: OFF
auto/man lock: HOLD
Focus:	       Manual, push to focus


     Do this:

Leave the exposure settings locked down.  Use the "HOLD" position
(lower position, white letters) of the switch in the upper right corner
of the left side of the camera.

Speaker cam: Set and forget the focus on the speaker manually (tip: use
"push focus") once, and leave it.

Audience cam: Beware of focus!  Either use autofocus or push to focus when
appropriate. (if you don't understand "when appropriate", use autofocus ;-)



     Don't do this:

Don't unlock the manual exposure/white balance unless you know how to set
it back exactly where it was!

Don't set the exposure and white balance to auto.  Leave it locked.

Don't change the exposure or colour balance just because it looks slightly
wrong on the camera monitor.  The camera monitor is _not_ a good indicator
of colour balance and exposure!  The exposure and white balance will be set
and locked down in advance.

Do not enable the "steadyshot" (image stabiliser) feature.  The camera is
on a tripod.  If you move the camera, you mean it!  Stabilisers are  
intended
for handheld operation.

DO NOT use the "progressive scan" mode: It outputs 12 frames per second;
it's useless, and Sony should be ashamed of it rather than advertise it on
the camera body!

-- 
Herman Robak

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