Canon XA70 New User Advice

[tvstaff]

Hi, Getting an XA70 today to shoot runway fashion.

• Need to have focus sticky on the models walking towards me on the riser.
• Concerned when more than one model comes out or one is going forward and another walks back
• At times at front of runway near riser the light on models face gets blown out. "Sometimes"
• Interested in a microphone that will pickup the room and runway music
• Ideal would be to setup xa70 and let it fly, at the back of the riser while I shoot stills from the front.

I am new to video but a seasoned still photographer.

I have 3 days to get up to snuff and 1.5TB of storage for 6.5 hours of total scheduled runway time before I have to upload to two 4TB portsble drives.

Video will not be for broadcast TV just websites like Vogue, Elle, Youtube and Instagram. Video needs to look good, but this is not for Steven Spielberg.

Any and all advice welcome, Thank you, Tony











--
Fashion, Fashion BTS, Fashion Editorial, Sports, Athlete Portrature, Editorial and Creative Portraits are my world. Shoot Canon, Nikon & Fuji. https://www.kissmykite.com/nyfw-photographers-tony-filson

 

[Off The Mark]

Hi there,

Without trying to sound too daunting, what you are asking about is kind of a videographer's nightmare scenario.

Or maybe I just am not creative enough to come up with easy solutions for you.

Anyway, let me try to answer as best as I can:

• Need to have focus sticky on the models walking towards me on the riser.
• Concerned when more than one model comes out or one is going forward and another walks back

Yes, that is going to be problematic. Generally, autofocus tries to focus on the NEAREST subject. I don't know the exact way the autofocus works on the XA70, but I would guess that it will focus on the nearest model, or it MIGHT focus on the nearest model FACING the camera.

But it won't be 100% accurate and might focus on someone on the part of the runway further away.

• At times at front of runway near riser the light on models face gets blown out. "Sometimes"

Yeah, that is never fun. So, there isn't really an easy solution. Maybe shoot in a LOG profile (if the XA70 has LOG), but then you will need to learn how to grade LOG footage and find the time to grade it (EDIT: Doesn't look like the XA70 shoots in LOG anyway).

Basically, you would need to shoot in a picture profile that captures more than the 8-stops of dynamic range that is in the Rec.709 standrad. So if it captures HLG / Rec 2020 / HDR, then you might be able to reduce the amount that gets blown out. But again, you will need to grade the footage later.

• Interested in a microphone that will pickup the room and runway music

Ask four photographers what the best microphone is, and you will get eight opinions.

What I would suggest NOT doing is just buying a shotgun microphone, sticking it in the camera hotshoe, and calling it a day.

If you want to capture music and ambient sounds, then you want to record in stereo, and shotgun mics are designed for recording MONO, and they are optimized for a sound source that is CLOSE to the mic (less than two feet away), and are on-axis (meaning the the sound is coming from directly in front of the tip of the microphone, not from the sides.)

Also, shotgun mics do NOT deal well with a rooms natural reverb. The less expensive the mic, the worse it sounds with room reverb

I don't know what the mics on the XA70 are like, but if it records in stereo, you might try using that first. There are other options but at this point, being so close to the day of the event, I think you would get overwhelmed.

 

[tvstaff]

Hi there,

Without trying to sound too daunting, what you are asking about is kind of a videographer's nightmare scenario.

Or maybe I just am not creative enough to come up with easy solutions for you.

Anyway, let me try to answer as best as I can:

• Need to have focus sticky on the models walking towards me on the riser.
• Concerned when more than one model comes out or one is going forward and another walks back

Yes, that is going to be problematic. Generally, autofocus tries to focus on the NEAREST subject. I don't know the exact way the autofocus works on the XA70, but I would guess that it will focus on the nearest model, or it MIGHT focus on the nearest model FACING the camera.

But it won't be 100% accurate and might focus on someone on the part of the runway further away.

• At times at front of runway near riser the light on models face gets blown out. "Sometimes"

Yeah, that is never fun. So, there isn't really an easy solution. Maybe shoot in a LOG profile (if the XA70 has LOG), but then you will need to learn how to grade LOG footage and find the time to grade it (EDIT: Doesn't look like the XA70 shoots in LOG anyway).

Basically, you would need to shoot in a picture profile that captures more than the 8-stops of dynamic range that is in the Rec.709 standrad. So if it captures HLG / Rec 2020 / HDR, then you might be able to reduce the amount that gets blown out. But again, you will need to grade the footage later.

• Interested in a microphone that will pickup the room and runway music

Ask four photographers what the best microphone is, and you will get eight opinions.

What I would suggest NOT doing is just buying a shotgun microphone, sticking it in the camera hotshoe, and calling it a day.

If you want to capture music and ambient sounds, then you want to record in stereo, and shotgun mics are designed for recording MONO, and they are optimized for a sound source that is CLOSE to the mic (less than two feet away), and are on-axis (meaning the the sound is coming from directly in front of the tip of the microphone, not from the sides.)

Also, shotgun mics do NOT deal well with a rooms natural reverb. The less expensive the mic, the worse it sounds with room reverb

I don't know what the mics on the XA70 are like, but if it records in stereo, you might try using that first. There are other options but at this point, being so close to the day of the event, I think you would get overwhelmed.

Mark, Thank you... It seems I'm overwhelmed ROFL

 

[Off The Mark]

Mark, Thank you... It seems I'm overwhelmed ROFL

Well... try not to buy anything you can't return if it doesn't work out.

Will you be resonsobile for editing the video? Have you tried out any video editing programs?

DaVinci Resolve offers a very powerful free version. It is a bit complicated. A lot of people say that Premiere Pro is easier, but to be honest, I found learning Premiere Pro (and after effects) a lot harder, and gave up on them.

Shotcut is another free video editor that works well, as is Kdenlive.

 

[tvstaff]

Mark, Thank you... It seems I'm overwhelmed ROFL

Well... try not to buy anything you can't return if it doesn't work out.

Thanks but I'm a tech horder

Will you be resonsobile for editing the video? Have you tried out any video editing programs?

Yes but it seems easy.

DaVinci Resolve offers a very powerful free version. It is a bit complicated. A lot of people say that Premiere Pro is easier, but to be honest, I found learning Premiere Pro (and after effects) a lot harder, and gave up on them.

I just take video snips and place between stills. Nothing complicated

Shotcut is another free video editor that works well, as is Kdenlive

Ill look at it Thank you!!!

 

[tvstaff]

Thank you for writing

 

[low_iso]

Hi, Getting an XA70 today to shoot runway fashion.

• Need to have focus sticky on the models walking towards me on the riser.
• Concerned when more than one model comes out or one is going forward and another walks back

Yes, this can be a problem. You can use "continuous" focussing with a small AF frame, and guide the camera that frame to be over the model you're trying to keep in focus. The AF target frame will be in the center of the frame.

• At times at front of runway near riser the light on models face gets blown out. "Sometimes"

As others have said, using Log 3 or BT.709 Wide DR will allow correcting in post, but realize if you're on a short post schedule, all video will need to be processed, and that may not be practical.

• Interested in a microphone that will pickup the room and runway music

Here's now mics really work. If you have a sound you need to pick up, you need a mic on it. A shotgun gets you more "reach" by rejecting sounds that don't come straight into the front, but it's not magic, just a bit of an improvement over a cardioid. The trick to mics is a simple sound principle: the inverse square law. If you cut your mic to subject distance in half, you double the sound level (not loudness). If you double the distance, you cut the sound level in half. So, moving from 10' to 5' is a 6dB increase, moving 5' to 2.5' is another 6dB increase. 12dB is a lot. You have to get close. This applies to every mic, the only difference is how much they pick up off-axis. Shotgun mics on cameras are only useful if your subject is fairly close and in a quiet space. But the camera mics are actually useful too.

The "room" is pretty wild, and really, unavoidable. Here's what I do. I use the camera mics, in stereo, for all room ambience, and run a "press feed" from the sound system into Input 1 or Input 2 (with a cable or wireless link), set the camera for LPCM/4ch and you'll get stereo room ambienc will clean sound system audio on separate tracks to mix later. Most sound guys can give you a "press feed", and usually know what that is. Ask them what level the feed is so you set your camera input to Mic or Line. They can be either.

• Ideal would be to setup xa70 and let it fly, at the back of the riser while I shoot stills from the front.

Ok, done that too. Every time I've tried to shoot stills AND video, I've found both are compromised, and I do one better, but not as good as if I were only doing one. Video takes continuous attention to be good. You never look away from the viewfinder, and are completely dialed into what you're getting. If you have models walking toward you and away, you'll quickly find you'll want to track them with the zoom function, and now you've got a real full-time job. No stills. None. As so as you break concentration for a still shot, your video will go off. You need a camera operator on video and another on stills. Or be prepared for real compromizes. I even tried a rig once where I had a still camera attached to the video camera pointed in the same direction. Nope, same problem, can't do both.

 

[tvstaff]

Hi, Getting an XA70 today to shoot runway fashion.

• Need to have focus sticky on the models walking towards me on the riser.
• Concerned when more than one model comes out or one is going forward and another walks back

Yes, this can be a problem. You can use "continuous" focussing with a small AF frame, and guide the camera that frame to be over the model you're trying to keep in focus. The AF target frame will be in the center of the frame.

• At times at front of runway near riser the light on models face gets blown out. "Sometimes"

As others have said, using Log 3 or BT.709 Wide DR will allow correcting in post, but realize if you're on a short post schedule, all video will need to be processed, and that may not be practical.

• Interested in a microphone that will pickup the room and runway music

Here's now mics really work. If you have a sound you need to pick up, you need a mic on it. A shotgun gets you more "reach" by rejecting sounds that don't come straight into the front, but it's not magic, just a bit of an improvement over a cardioid. The trick to mics is a simple sound principle: the inverse square law. If you cut your mic to subject distance in half, you double the sound level (not loudness). If you double the distance, you cut the sound level in half. So, moving from 10' to 5' is a 6dB increase, moving 5' to 2.5' is another 6dB increase. 12dB is a lot. You have to get close. This applies to every mic, the only difference is how much they pick up off-axis. Shotgun mics on cameras are only useful if your subject is fairly close and in a quiet space. But the camera mics are actually useful too.

The "room" is pretty wild, and really, unavoidable. Here's what I do. I use the camera mics, in stereo, for all room ambience, and run a "press feed" from the sound system into Input 1 or Input 2 (with a cable or wireless link), set the camera for LPCM/4ch and you'll get stereo room ambienc will clean sound system audio on separate tracks to mix later. Most sound guys can give you a "press feed", and usually know what that is. Ask them what level the feed is so you set your camera input to Mic or Line. They can be either.

• Ideal would be to setup xa70 and let it fly, at the back of the riser while I shoot stills from the front.

Ok, done that too. Every time I've tried to shoot stills AND video, I've found both are compromised, and I do one better, but not as good as if I were only doing one. Video takes continuous attention to be good. You never look away from the viewfinder, and are completely dialed into what you're getting. If you have models walking toward you and away, you'll quickly find you'll want to track them with the zoom function, and now you've got a real full-time job. No stills. None. As so as you break concentration for a still shot, your video will go off. You need a camera operator on video and another on stills. Or be prepared for real compromizes. I even tried a rig once where I had a still camera attached to the video camera pointed in the same direction. Nope, same problem, can't do both.

Words of wisdom my friend... Thank you!!!

 

[tvstaff]

Hi, Getting an XA70 today to shoot runway fashion.

• Need to have focus sticky on the models walking towards me on the riser.
• Concerned when more than one model comes out or one is going forward and another walks back

Yes, this can be a problem. You can use "continuous" focussing with a small AF frame, and guide the camera that frame to be over the model you're trying to keep in focus. The AF target frame will be in the center of the frame.

• At times at front of runway near riser the light on models face gets blown out. "Sometimes"

As others have said, using Log 3 or BT.709 Wide DR will allow correcting in post, but realize if you're on a short post schedule, all video will need to be processed, and that may not be practical.

• Interested in a microphone that will pickup the room and runway music

Here's now mics really work. If you have a sound you need to pick up, you need a mic on it. A shotgun gets you more "reach" by rejecting sounds that don't come straight into the front, but it's not magic, just a bit of an improvement over a cardioid. The trick to mics is a simple sound principle: the inverse square law. If you cut your mic to subject distance in half, you double the sound level (not loudness). If you double the distance, you cut the sound level in half. So, moving from 10' to 5' is a 6dB increase, moving 5' to 2.5' is another 6dB increase. 12dB is a lot. You have to get close. This applies to every mic, the only difference is how much they pick up off-axis. Shotgun mics on cameras are only useful if your subject is fairly close and in a quiet space. But the camera mics are actually useful too.

The "room" is pretty wild, and really, unavoidable. Here's what I do. I use the camera mics, in stereo, for all room ambience, and run a "press feed" from the sound system into Input 1 or Input 2 (with a cable or wireless link), set the camera for LPCM/4ch and you'll get stereo room ambienc will clean sound system audio on separate tracks to mix later. Most sound guys can give you a "press feed", and usually know what that is. Ask them what level the feed is so you set your camera input to Mic or Line. They can be either.

• Ideal would be to setup xa70 and let it fly, at the back of the riser while I shoot stills from the front.

Ok, done that too. Every time I've tried to shoot stills AND video, I've found both are compromised, and I do one better, but not as good as if I were only doing one. Video takes continuous attention to be good. You never look away from the viewfinder, and are completely dialed into what you're getting. If you have models walking toward you and away, you'll quickly find you'll want to track them with the zoom function, and now you've got a real full-time job. No stills. None. As so as you break concentration for a still shot, your video will go off. You need a camera operator on video and another on stills. Or be prepared for real compromizes. I even tried a rig once where I had a still camera attached to the video camera pointed in the same direction. Nope, same problem, can't do both.

You were spot on! Both stills and video were compromised because both are a full time job. I setup both the XA70 and the Z9 between my legs on the lower tier of the riser and I was a cartoon character going between both.

I learned that I had to be at 1/60th shutter to avoid blur for 30fps and the auto function did not work properly lowering my shutter speed as I got above f/2.8. Those shots were filled with ghosting.

I read that by setting the shutter speed to 1/60, that ISO and the aperture will adjust auto. in S Mode.

In full manual mode based on the light changing based on where the light is peaking on the runway it's no good.

I also noticed that my Z9 takes 100% better video than the XA70... Perhaps 150%. ROFL.

Perhaps when I learn to use the XA70 setting better I'll feel different.

Thank you again,

Tony

EXAMPLE of the XA70 shooting wide so it stayed at 2.8 on auto. Because the models were lined up on a straight line the XA70 did well focusing and exposing but this a rare thing.

EXAMPLE XA70:

GOOD

EXAMPLE XA70:

JUST OK

EXAMPLE XA70:

BAD you can see the shutter not keeping up

EXAMPLE Z9 Even in almost total darkness:

left the camera in position shooting stills and just switched to video, Want to get my XA70 to shoot this way!