Sony Handicam DCR-HC51 series: shutter speed?

ric · #1 (**permalink**) 10-08-2008, 12:38 AM

Hi,

i have the above cam which i have just set up and gone through the manual. not one word do i find on the cam's default / manual shutter speed/s - nothing on the cam's lcd menus either - can anyone help please?

what shutter speeds does this cam have?

how do you select them?

and what is the default speed?

can't believe this information is missing :-o

thanks

Ric

Nikosony · #2 (**permalink**) 10-08-2008, 09:50 PM

I think it should be 1/50th of a second up to 1/4000th or maybe even 1/8000th, you should find them buried somewhere inside a menu.

Jerry Hill · #3 (**permalink**) 10-08-2008, 10:14 PM

I think it's missing because the camera does not have manual setting capability. In other words the exposures are the same as 'apeture priority' woud be in a still camera.

There's a bit of guesswork in here but in this mode the camera selects the optimum setting of 'shutter speed' to suit the lighting conditions, there's no iris in the lens so the apeture can not be adjusted.

The only way I know this is that I note that motion blur is lower in bright conditions than lesser light on my video cams, all of which have no manual overrides.

ric · #4 (**permalink**) 10-08-2008, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by Jerry Hill

I think it's missing because the camera does not have manual setting capability. In other words the exposures are the same as 'apeture priority' woud be in a still camera.

There's a bit of guesswork in here but in this mode the camera selects the optimum setting of 'shutter speed' to suit the lighting conditions, there's no iris in the lens so the apeture can not be adjusted.

The only way I know this is that I note that motion blur is lower in bright conditions than lesser light on my video cams, all of which have no manual overrides.

Thanks Jerry and Niko

be nice to have the shutter speeds for the modes though - 'fast' for moving subjects, 'slow' for night shots?

just basic information

i wrote to Sony asking for this - will update

thanks again

Ric

Jerry Hill · #5 (**permalink**) 10-08-2008, 11:27 PM

I guess that all the presets are shifting the way the camera meters the light, i.e. 'Spotlight' would be spot metering, 'beach' is centre weighted etc. So the shutter speed will still be chosen to gain otpimum exposure for each, it's just shifting where it's looking for a reading and therefore not 'bracketed' as finitely as you might imagine, I'm guessing.

It'll be interesting to see what Sony say.

ric · #6 (**permalink**) 10-09-2008, 02:25 AM

Originally Posted by Jerry Hill

I guess that all the presets are shifting the way the camera meters the light, i.e. 'Spotlight' would be spot metering, 'beach' is centre weighted etc. So the shutter speed will still be chosen to gain otpimum exposure for each, it's just shifting where it's looking for a reading and therefore not 'bracketed' as finitely as you might imagine, I'm guessing.

It'll be interesting to see what Sony say.

yep

i have a Canon MV830i but the zoom is only half what the HC51E is, hence the swop; but the Canon manual has an entire section in the manual called "Setting the Shutter Speed", giving you over half-a-dozen diffrent speeds to choose from - if you want this - from 'night shot 1/25' up to 1/2000. Auto (default) speeds are 1/50, 1/120 and 1/250, but you can go into the menu and *select* a speed ~ the Sony isn't allowing me to do this: this is the information i require from them: "how do i select a shutter speed of 1/50th, and ensure that it remains at this speed, while i want it to?"

since the Canon gives 3 speeds for its auto mode, presumably the Sony will do something similar, and you won't know what the camera is doing until after the event, which means the camera wil be in control and not the photographer? :-0

thanks

Ric

Mark W · #7 (**permalink**) 10-09-2008, 01:34 PM

Small cameras are not really aimed at people who want lots of control. It also beocmes a fiddle to use manual stuff on small cams as it is all menu drvien, no space or budget for buttons I guess.

Such cameras rely on thier 'ae' settings.

ric · #8 (**permalink**) 10-09-2008, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by Mark W

Small cameras are not really aimed at people who want lots of control. It also beocmes a fiddle to use manual stuff on small cams as it is all menu drvien, no space or budget for buttons I guess.

Such cameras rely on thier 'ae' settings.

yep, that's fine - i just want to know/confirm the auto/default shutter speed

yes, i know it's almost certainly 1/50, but it may toggle itself through several 'default speeds' if it feels so inclined, and i need this information - simple knowledge base stuff, not 'rocket science' for Sony to provide this data

this is what Sony say:

"In response to enquiry ... can confirm that it will not be possible to manually adjust the shutter speed on the Sony DCR-HC51E.

The shutter speed on this unit is displayed on the LCD panel of your camcorder.

[they appear to be discussing the playback mode here, not the recording mode, a generic diagram was supplied]

Regrettably, Sony United Kingdom Limited does not state a default shutter speed for this particular model as this is dependent on the features being used."

not good

at the moment Canon is better for low budget dv cam shutter speed information and control, but Sony have the better zoom

thanks

R

Mark W · #9 (**permalink**) 10-09-2008, 04:40 PM

What is the big deal with the zoom? On small cameras, certainly when h held any large degree of zoom is useless. Personally on all my cameras I would trade some of the long for a bit more wide.

ric · #10 (**permalink**) 10-09-2008, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by Mark W

What is the big deal with the zoom? On small cameras, certainly when held any large degree of zoom is useless.

oh yes, agree - i only use zoom setting on a tripod - for 'special effects'

thanks

R