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Author Topic: Parcans not lighting Evenly for (Oversensitive) Camera  (Read 3967 times)

Peter Kolbe

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Parcans not lighting Evenly for (Oversensitive) Camera
« on: December 27, 2013, 12:23:15 PM »

Hi All.

Just a quick q.
We use a SD 3 CCD Video Camera at our Church.
Firewire output goes to PC for Recording (and DVD production)
Svideo output goes to Kramer Switch for IMAG, on the 2 projectors.

The problem I have is this,

We have Florescent Fittings with 765 Tubes for Congregation lighting.
Then we have 8 x 300w Parcans at about 3m from the stage,
and another 4 x 300w Parcans at about 7m from the stage.

The problem is that :
If we run the parcans at a decent brightness (to make the stage look inviting, and non-straining when you look at the pastor, etc),
then as the Pastor moves left to right (with the camera panning along), there are lots of fluctuations in brightness (not really visible by eye, but the camera really seems to amplify this).

On a cheapie home camcorder (1CCD, automatic mode), you really do not notice the fluctuations.

The problem is that for the 3CCD Camera they are using, in order to get rid of the fluctuations, we have to dim all the pars to about 25%. Which to the person in the audience, makes the stage look dark.

To try fill in the gaps, I put the 4 parcans at the 7m distance, but still did not stop the fluctuations properly.

Is parcans the correct fittings to use in this situation, or should I rather pull them out and put 500w QI Halogen Floodlights (the outside security light type) on the beam instead. (My thinking is that the floods will have a spread wider than the parcans). Of course, I will need to shutter a bit of the light, so that it does not wash out the projector screens.

All our Parcans are on Dimmer control,
and during the Service we also have the florescent fittings on
Any Suggestions?

Thanks
Peter



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Cailen Waddell

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Re: Parcans not lighting Evenly for (Oversensitive) Camera
« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2013, 03:36:55 PM »

Are the par lamps vnsp, nsp, mfl,or wfl?  It sounds like your camera might be older and is more sensative to fluctuations in light level than newer cameras.  If you are focusing lights for the camera, you really need a light meter. This measures the light on stage, and can help you focus evenly. You do want your fixtures to overlap, but you want them to overlap evenly.  This is challenging to do with a light meter and very hard to do by eye.  The locations of the units look fine.
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Peter Kolbe

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Re: Parcans not lighting Evenly for (Oversensitive) Camera
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2013, 10:04:05 AM »

Hi Cailen.
Thanks for your response.
Let met try answer as much as I can:
The par lamps are GE300PAR56/MFL USA

The Camera is a http://www.panasonic.com/business/provideo/AG-DVX100B.asp.
It was released in November '05.

I will be able to get my hands on a Digital lux meter sometime within the next month.
What do you think the Ideal Lux level on stage should be? (if there is such a thing)
and what the maximum deviation should be along the stage.

I have also pointed the cans so that they have a longer throw to the position they are illuminating.
Basically the Left Pars light up the right half of the stage, and visa-versa.

The person that used to do the Videoing and DVD production, did not use the camera to it's maximum potential, and as such has things set on manual, but does not really play around to tweak things. Is there any thing on the camera settings that I should be paying particular attention to that may be exagerrating this problem?

P
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Peter Kolbe

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Re: Parcans not lighting Evenly for (Oversensitive) Camera
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2013, 10:12:21 AM »

Here is a few more shots of the current setup
(taken today):
Before the service (seen from the stage), with lighting as they are during the Sermon.
Praise and worship (the colorful ones),
and then the Sermon as seen from the Sound Desk.

P


















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Cailen Waddell

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Re: Parcans not lighting Evenly for (Oversensitive) Camera
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2013, 11:05:32 AM »

I could write a primer on lighting for video, but this website has done it better than I could.  Focusing on evenness and contrast  would be my first step...

http://www.techlearning.com/features/0039/light-right---a-crash-course-in-lighting-video/41240
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Mike Caldwell

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Re: Parcans not lighting Evenly for (Oversensitive) Camera
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2014, 01:06:35 PM »

I would guess there is a menu option to put the camera in manual iris mode. In manual mode the camera will not trying to compensate for every little change in exposure. You may have to make some manual adjustments, depending on the camera controls that may be a simple ring on the lens to adjust or some up down control buttons.
Do you have the video gain turned up on the camera?

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Parcans not lighting Evenly for (Oversensitive) Camera
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2014, 01:06:35 PM »


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