DV camera viewfinder

G

Guest

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Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Hello,

Right now I am working with a project with a number of DV camcorders
connected to a PC.

Comparing the live DV data on the computer screen with the picture in
the viewfinder and/or flip out LCD, I observe that the viewfinder/LCD
does not show all of the captured picture!

Why is this?
I can understand that in the old-time all-optical cameras it could be
difficult to show an accurate picture in the viewfinder, but in a DV
camcorder, it must be simple to show all of the picture.

Could it be that the manufacturer wants to compensate for the fact that
the DV picture, when shown on a household TV will not be displayed fully??

The cameras right now are all Sony. Maybe other brands behave differently?

/Johan S
 
G

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Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"Johan Stäck" wrote ...
> Right now I am working with a project with a number of DV camcorders
> connected to a PC.
>
> Comparing the live DV data on the computer screen with the picture in the
> viewfinder and/or flip out LCD, I observe that the viewfinder/LCD does not
> show all of the captured picture!
>
> Why is this?
> I can understand that in the old-time all-optical cameras it could be
> difficult to show an accurate picture in the viewfinder, but in a DV
> camcorder, it must be simple to show all of the picture.
>
> Could it be that the manufacturer wants to compensate for the fact that
> the DV picture, when shown on a household TV will not be displayed fully??
>
> The cameras right now are all Sony. Maybe other brands behave differently?

I have mostly Sony camcorders and have not noticed any
"overscan" in the viewfinders, but your report is troubling.
Can you list model numbers so we can check our own units?
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Richard Crowley wrote:
> "Johan Stäck" wrote ...
>
>>Right now I am working with a project with a number of DV camcorders
>>connected to a PC.
>>
>>Comparing the live DV data on the computer screen with the picture in the
>>viewfinder and/or flip out LCD, I observe that the viewfinder/LCD does not
>>show all of the captured picture!
>>
>>Why is this?
>>I can understand that in the old-time all-optical cameras it could be
>>difficult to show an accurate picture in the viewfinder, but in a DV
>>camcorder, it must be simple to show all of the picture.
>>
>>Could it be that the manufacturer wants to compensate for the fact that
>>the DV picture, when shown on a household TV will not be displayed fully??
>>
>>The cameras right now are all Sony. Maybe other brands behave differently?
>
>
> I have mostly Sony camcorders and have not noticed any
> "overscan" in the viewfinders, but your report is troubling.
> Can you list model numbers so we can check our own units?
>
>
The models in question are:
TRV900
DCR-HC14E
both are PAL

The problem is not so easy to document (but *very* easy to observe in my
current setup), but I will try to take a digital photo of the LCD
display (once I get the camera back...)


/Johan
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

John Stäck wrote:
> Richard Crowley wrote:
>
>> "Johan Stäck" wrote ...
>>
>>> Right now I am working with a project with a number of DV camcorders
>>> connected to a PC.
>>>
>>> Comparing the live DV data on the computer screen with the picture in
>>> the viewfinder and/or flip out LCD, I observe that the viewfinder/LCD
>>> does not show all of the captured picture!
>>>
>>> Why is this?
>>> I can understand that in the old-time all-optical cameras it could be
>>> difficult to show an accurate picture in the viewfinder, but in a DV
>>> camcorder, it must be simple to show all of the picture.
>>>
>>> Could it be that the manufacturer wants to compensate for the fact
>>> that the DV picture, when shown on a household TV will not be
>>> displayed fully??
>>>
>>> The cameras right now are all Sony. Maybe other brands behave
>>> differently?
>>
>>
>>
>> I have mostly Sony camcorders and have not noticed any
>> "overscan" in the viewfinders, but your report is troubling.
>> Can you list model numbers so we can check our own units?
>>
> The models in question are:
> TRV900
> DCR-HC14E
> both are PAL
>
> The problem is not so easy to document (but *very* easy to observe in my
> current setup), but I will try to take a digital photo of the LCD
> display (once I get the camera back...)

I have noticed the same thing with my Sony cameras (NTSC). My casual
observation seems to indicate that the viewfinders are displaying the
action safe area. But I haven't taken the time (yet) to verify that. If
that turns out to be true, I think it is a useful feature, because
that's how one should frame the image.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Unless you have a very high end camera video or digital you will
almost alway find the viewfinder does a lousy job of representing what
you are alway taking.

On Sat, 23 Oct 2004 11:38:03 +0200, Johan Stäck <johan@stack.se>
wrote:

>Hello,
>
>Right now I am working with a project with a number of DV camcorders
>connected to a PC.
>
>Comparing the live DV data on the computer screen with the picture in
>the viewfinder and/or flip out LCD, I observe that the viewfinder/LCD
>does not show all of the captured picture!
>
>Why is this?
>I can understand that in the old-time all-optical cameras it could be
>difficult to show an accurate picture in the viewfinder, but in a DV
>camcorder, it must be simple to show all of the picture.
>
>Could it be that the manufacturer wants to compensate for the fact that
>the DV picture, when shown on a household TV will not be displayed fully??
>
>The cameras right now are all Sony. Maybe other brands behave differently?
>
>/Johan S
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Ed Anson wrote:

> I have noticed the same thing with my Sony cameras (NTSC). My casual
> observation seems to indicate that the viewfinders are displaying the
> action safe area. But I haven't taken the time (yet) to verify that. If
> that turns out to be true, I think it is a useful feature, because
> that's how one should frame the image.

It would be useful if your playback equipment is household TV sets,
since the viewfinder probably reflects what will be visible on the TV
screen.

My applications uses computer screens for playback, and therefore I
consider it (the cropped picture in the viewfinder) to be much more of a
bug that a feature.
(In these cases, the opinions are divided, I know that...)
If I can see the computer screen when adjusting the camera settings
there isn't a problem.

However, sometimes the camera is located far from the computer, and it
becomes difficult to set the camera properly by the viewfinder alone..

In my opinion, today camcorders are stuffed with useless features such
as the various picture effects.
One feature that *would* be useful is a simple setting named
"Cropped viewfinder on/off".

Maybe someday....

/Johan
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 11:55:01 +0200, Johan Stäck <johan@stack.se>
wrote:

>Ed Anson wrote:
>
>> I have noticed the same thing with my Sony cameras (NTSC). My casual
>> observation seems to indicate that the viewfinders are displaying the
>> action safe area. But I haven't taken the time (yet) to verify that. If
>> that turns out to be true, I think it is a useful feature, because
>> that's how one should frame the image.
>
>It would be useful if your playback equipment is household TV sets,
>since the viewfinder probably reflects what will be visible on the TV
>screen.
>
>My applications uses computer screens for playback, and therefore I
>consider it (the cropped picture in the viewfinder) to be much more of a
>bug that a feature.
>(In these cases, the opinions are divided, I know that...)
>If I can see the computer screen when adjusting the camera settings
>there isn't a problem.
>
>However, sometimes the camera is located far from the computer, and it
>becomes difficult to set the camera properly by the viewfinder alone..
>
>In my opinion, today camcorders are stuffed with useless features such
>as the various picture effects.
>One feature that *would* be useful is a simple setting named
>"Cropped viewfinder on/off".
>
>Maybe someday....

I think that there is.

But it may not be accessible on your camcorder's menu. It might be
a manufacturer's setting, requiring a hack to access it. Any pro
camera of course should have such a setting.
--
*-__Jeffery Jones__________| *Starfire* |____________________-*
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