Reviewing Sony HVR-V1U HDV Camcorder: Part 2
In the last edition of HDV@Work, I examined the Sony HVR-V1U's 3ClearVid CMOS imaging system, the way the camcorder achieves 24p, and looked into its optical system. In this edition, I explore its image settings and shooting controls. The first April issue of HDV@Work, will complete my review of the HVR-V1.
Image Control
The HVR-V1 features a very complete set of image control capabilities. These include Color Level, Color Phase, CinemaTone Color, Sharpness, Black Compensation—which offers both Black Stretch and Black Compress—an adjustable Knee, plus CinemaTone Gamma 1 and 2.
CinemaTone Color
CinemaTone Color decreases G, Cy, and B while increasing Y, R, and Mg. CinemaTone nicely increases blue-sky depth while causing red to pop. It also warms flesh tones. However, with very warm early and late daylight, CinemaTone''s yellow push can turn already warm red shades to orange.
Contrast Enhance
According to Sony, both the Contrast Enhance and Backlight functions use the EIP ability to process "texture patterns" (detail) and "brightness components" (luma) separately. Both functions increase detail that may be hidden in high-contrast situations.
Black Compensation
Black Compensation alters medium and dark gray. The Black Compensation function offers three settings: Off, Stretch, and Compress.
Black Compensation Off
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When Black Stretch is engaged, the relationship between light input and recorded signal is altered to increase shadow detail—as shown below.
Black Stretch
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When Black Compress is enabled, signal output is altered to decrease shadow detail and increase contrast, thereby increasing apparent sharpness.
Black Compress
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Adjustable Knee
The HVR-V1''s “knee” can be set to Auto or to Low, Medium, and High. In Auto mode, the knee is raised in low-contrast situations and lowered in high-contrast situations. An example high-knee gamma curve is shown below. It expands brighter shades, adding sparkle to a scene illuminated by, for example, an overcast sky.
A sample low-knee gamma curve is shown below. It compresses the brighter shades and can provide up to an additional two stops of latitude.
By enabling Black Stretch and setting the knee to Low, you can achieve maximum latitude. Now darkest shades are expanded and the brighter shades compressed.
CinemaTone Gamma
The two Cinema Gamma settings alter the image more significantly. The V1 offers three gamma curves, as shown in this diagram from Sony.
Images from the three curves are shown below.
Normal Gamma with Black Compensation Off
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CinemaTone Gamma Type 1
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CinemaTone Gamma Type 2
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While CinemaTone Type 2 does create a dramatic look, it not only crushes shadow detail, it significantly reduces latitude in high-contrast situations — as shown below.
I recommend CinemaTone Type 2 either as a film-look effect or to punch up the image in very low-contrast situations. Therefore, I use CinemaTone Type 1 as my standard cinema gamma. However, as you can see below, even it should not be used in high-contrast situations.
In high-contrast conditions, Black Compress works far better — as shown below.
Shooting Control
The V1 features include the ability to display shutter speed in seconds or shutter angle, and focus distance in feet or meters. The camcorder also features a histogram display of the video signal so you can achieve optimal exposure in the field. I set Zebra at 100 IRE and allow the highest signal level to peak just over the orange line.
Focus
The most challenging task in shooting HD is achieving and maintaining focus. The task is made more difficult by the inability of most HD cameras'' viewfinder (or LCD) to come close to displaying a high-definition image. The V1''s 0.44in., 16:9 color viewfinder has only 252K pixels, while the 3.5in. flip-out 16:9 LCD has only 211K pixels. Obviously, if you cannot see whether the image is in focus, you cannot trust what you are shooting.
The HVR-V1 has an image magnification feature that magnifies the center of the image. You can use it before you start shooting to achieve focus. Unfortunately, it turns off when you begin recording so you cannot use it to adjust focus while shooting. To achieve focus quickly, you can press the camcorder''s One-Push Auto Focus button.
To aid manual focusing, the camcorder also features a “peaking” function that places a colored outline on sharp edges that are in focus. You can define the peaking color as white, yellow, or red. This system has twin issues: soft edges like a close-up of a face may not be outlined; at other times everything is outlined. The latter indication, while seemingly unlikely, is quite valid because the small CMOS chips create a very deep depth of focus. Obviously, for those who need a minimum DOF for their work, this characteristic poses a serious challenge.
The V1 has a fast and accurate auto focus system. Of course, that does not mean you can simply turn on AF and shoot. First, you must enable AF Assist mode. Once enabled, when you see AF is not perfect, you can manually correct it via the focus ring.
Second, you must know when to not use AF. Third, you need to understand the way AF works. At focal lengths up to 45mm, which is a more than adequate 12X zoom—the 35mm equivalent of a 400mm Tele—the V1 will maintain focus under most all conditions: if someone passes in front of the lens; as the subject moves within the frame; as the subject moves further or closer; and if you don't zoom-in at high-speed. Moreover, as shown below, AF will handle slow or fast pans from one subject to another—even in low light.
Before pan, Subject 1 in focus
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Between Subject 1 and Subject 2, Subject 1 still in focus
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After pan, Subject 2 in focus
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Between Subject 1 and Subject 2, Subject 2 still in focus
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After pan, Subject 1 in focus
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The V1 has another automatic function you can use when needed: ATW (Auto Tracking White balance). ATW keeps white balance correct as you move from one type of illumination to another. Below, I have entered a bathroom from a room lit with incandescent lighting. Because a window illuminates the bathroom, its color temperature is very high.
Within 5 seconds, white balance has smoothly adjusted to the new color-temperature illumination.
Like all auto white balance systems, ATW should not be used where scenes are lit by mixed-spectrum lighting. In these conditions, you should manually set white balance or use either of the fixed settings. Sony''s Outdoor preset has a great option — you can manually warm or cool the image. This same capability needs to be extended to the Indoor preset because of the widely varying types of artificial illumination currently used around the world. Under tungsten illumination, I found the Indoor preset slightly too warm. Of course, manual white balance yields the most accurate colors.
The first April edition of HDV@Work will complete my review of the HVR-V1.
Steve Mullen owns Digital Video Consulting, which offers eBooks on HD production. Currently, DVC (www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c) offers two eBooks: the Sony HDV Handbook and the JVC ProHD Handbook. In March 2007, DVC will offer a new title: the Sony V1/FX7 Handbook. And, in July 2007, DVC will release an eBook on “Low-Cost High-Definition DVD Creation."
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