filming in the dark.

[jeffro]

hey , i have a jvc grd31 dv cam and i need to film at night , how can i do this(well)?
if i use the night mode on my camera the image goes very blurry and looks like a strobe which is useless. i have also tried setting the exposure to its brigthtest but this doesnt do much.
so i thought about just taping a torch to the camera? lol
what do u think?

thanks

[DrGonzo]

Hey,

If you CAN use light you should.

If you have to stay in the dark well then physics will be the limiting factor. The camera will have to "collect light" to produce a picture and that will take longer if the light levels are low. This is why you get the slow and 'jerky' video.

One option is to use a Sony Night Shot but then you'r video will be all green...

DrGonzo

[Marc Peters]

Now this is where not all cams are created equal. My first digital camcorder could only record in very low light conditions with infrared. This meant everything was black and white (arty, but not always the desired effect). Fast forward two years (and £1.5k later), and my Canon XM2 could record the same conditions (almost) perfectly!

As ever though, lighting is key to making good video. Record in the dark, and you'll get bad results...

[Gwenny The Vegie]

yes, if you are recording a film or whatever, and you want the shot to be night, shoot it at dusk, and just do light and color correction. Thats become quit easy with premiere now....

the VX's are insanely good in low light. when i played with a 2100 and put it up my shirt, pressed record, you could see my nipples like beacons. no im kidding. but they are good.

[Marc Peters]

Your nipples or you camera?

[jeffro]

hey thanks for the advice guys.

since we are here ill ask something else aswell,

GWENNY , from reading your other posts i assume you are a skateboarder and film skaters yes?
anyway i am a bmxer and i do a lot of ride-along filming (like skaters do?) anyway what would be a good lense to use for this?
fisheye? semi fisheye? telephoto? im quite sure they all make things wider lol but whats the difference? thanks

[Gwenny The Vegie]

always go for at least a .43 to .3 fisheye lens, and if you want them to look pretty good (no black ring marks on corners, like you see all the time) youll probably have to spend 100 dollars or so. my first fisheye was like 30, and didnt have the rings though. Do you know what size your camera lens is?

oh yeah and marc- its 6 40 AM (schools back woot) and i hit the floor laughing. i dont think ill need coffee this morning...

[jeffro]

hey , well im not sure if its the right thing but around the edge of the lense it says 43.2 mm, does that sond about right?

[Gwenny The Vegie]

does it have an O with a slash through it? that is the size of your lens, and you need to find a fisheye that is that size, and from .43 to .3

[Alan Mills]

...put it up my shirt, pressed record, you could see my nipples like beacons. no im kidding. but they are good.

A comp entry in the making. Gwenny's nipples! Now there's an excuse for the 'Sinister' soundtrack if I ever saw one.