How do I set the aperture manually?

[c_77]

Hello Everyone,
I want to start setting my aperture manually. The directions indicate that I should move the camera as close as possible to the subject , note the f-stop and set manually. However, I am going to be filming a live performance where I cannot do this...What can I do?
Thanx, Chris

------------------

[rollemfilm]

what kind of live performance? low light? stage lights? what film will you be using? and most of all; what camera are you using? www.netfxcafe.com/rollemfilm

------------------

[Matt Pacini]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by c_77:
[B]Hello Everyone,
"The directions indicate that I should move the camera as close as possible to the subject , note the f-stop and set manually. However, I am going to be filming a live performance where I cannot do this...What can I do?"


Zooming all the way in, is the same as moving the camera in close (as far as metering goes, anyway).
So pick something in your scene, that is an average light value, somewhere in the middle between the lightest and darkest things on stage, and take a reading.
Then set you camera to that.
Of course, part of the art of doing this is determining if you want your footage to be brighter than that, or darker than that, and by how much, etc.
For your situation, I'd zoom in to one of the guys face to meter off that, because you usually want the people to look the best, not the objects.
So pick the guy who is moving around the least (inevitably, the bass player!), and meter off his face.

But that's basically what you want to do.

Matt Pacini

------------------

[Nigel]

Get yourself a good spotmeter. If you buy one you will never outgrow it. Good Luck

------------------

[c_77]

what kind of live performance? low light? stage lights? what film will you be using? and most of all; what camera are you using?

Rock, Yes, Some, Ektachrome, 814E

Thanx-Chris

------------------

[c_77]

Hi Nigel,
Is a spotmeter the same as a lightmeter? I've read things against using an external lightmeter just because it's difficult to compensate for various cameras, etc.
Thanx-Chris

------------------

[rollemfilm]

it's hard to meter these types of shows. if you are using ektachrome i would shoot wide open. the 814E is not an XL camera. if you where shooting something faster like Vision 500, then you might want to meter better. see what your camera says. if it bounces from wide open to say 5.6, i would just leave it wide. the down side to the 814E is that is has a servo iris. unlike it's older sibling, the older 814 has a true manual iris control. i have made tests with the 814E, and you need to do this before you shoot manual. even if you use the cameras meter. it's hard to get the exact setting. but it can be done. the other way to shoot is on auto. but, stay away from pans and zooms. if you are unsure, this might be your best way to go.

------------------

[Nigel]

A spot meter is a type of light meter--But it is a reflective one. An incident meter has the little white dome that we all know--A spot meter allows you to aim at a specific point and get a value for that small "spot". I have a Sekonic--I don't think I have set my camera using an incident reading in a long long long long time. Plus when shooting a "Hollywood" movie a spot meter allows you as the DP to do your job and talk as little as possible to the AD. Good Luck

------------------

[c_77]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Courier, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rollemfilm:
...the down side to the 814E is that is has a servo iris. unlike it's older sibling, the older 814 has a true manual iris control...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have both cameras. I don't understand what the difference is between the 814E and 814 because I can lock down the f-stops manually with either of them. Please explain...
Thanx-Chris

------------------

[Alex]

I think wide open ektachrome is asking for trouble.

If you do not have a pitch black background, and there are no backlights hitting your lens when you zoom in to take an automatic reading
off of a face, that is a good starting point for taking an exposure, but a caucasian face or asian face will read underexposed because it reflects more light than an 18% grey card, so the camera will be fooled into underexposing...that's why I say add one f-stop to that auto reading.

But if your background is pure black, and part of the black background is in the shot, then don't overexpose one f-stop, you may even need to underexpose depending on how much of the dark background is in your shot when you zoom into a face for exposure setting.

Of course, a bright spotlight on the lead singers can really throw off your plans.

This tends to create a large difference in brightness values between the lead performers and the other parts of the stage, and you have to pick your poison, as to what part of the stage gets the proper exposure.

by the way, up-close to the stage shots do tend to look more vivid and better than being far away and zooming all the way in.

Plus, if you swing around it's easier to get crowd shots, assuming they have been lit.

------------------
Alex