Black Stretch in Post (Sony FX1)

TLF wrote on 6/15/2008, 2:27 AM
I've just purchased an FX1 (new, excellent price with 4 year warranty) and naturally I want to get the best picture possible with it.

I know the FX1 has no black stretch function, so can anybody advise as to what would be the best on-camera settings to use so that I can stretch the blacks in post using Vegas 8 Pro?

Would shooting in with CinemaTone Gamma give me more lattitude in post (I'm assuming so, if the FX1 CinemaTone is similar to the Canon HV20's CineMode).

And just how would I stretch the blacks in post? Woudl using 32bit mode be an advantage (I'm aware that 32bit mode changes the levels of HDV footage - thanks Glenn Chan!).

Many thanks,

Worley

Comments

farss wrote on 6/15/2008, 3:45 AM
Curves are probably your best best in Vegas. Using one of the cine curves in the camera might enable you to push the exposure to the right a bit more without blowing out your highlights which might help with the blacks.

I've only once tried stretching blacks in post with HDV footage. It was from a V1 and I gave up as the results were very ugly due to the artifact riddled blacks from the camera.

Hopefully someone with a bit more experience with your camera can chime in. Either way I'd suggest testing before commiting yourself to something that can't be undone.

Bob.
Serena wrote on 6/15/2008, 5:50 AM
There are not many options for the FX1. Shoot cinegamma (?) and use curves in Vegas to modify as required. I'm not sure if you have a particular need to stretch blacks, but normally this isn't something you would have in mind when exposing with the FX1. Correct exposure will give you a good image. Generally I only used the curves to correct mistakes. First use Sony levels, then curves if necessary.
TLF wrote on 6/15/2008, 6:26 AM
Thank you for the replies. Stretching blacks is something I intend only to do when absolutely necessary, and rather than wait until there is an urgent need, I thought I'd better ask in advance.

Better start learning to use the FX1 properly (I love its size and weight).
Serena wrote on 6/15/2008, 8:00 PM
That camera does produce good images. The situations where you are likely to want to stretch the darker tones is in exposing to keep highlights (e.g. clouds) within 109%; you'll likely find your foreground under-exposed. A graded filter is one answer to that problem. You need to experiment to determine how far you can go in post.
johnmeyer wrote on 6/15/2008, 10:20 PM
I don't know the answer to your question (even though I own the FX1). However, I thought I'd suggest a great site that might have the answer, in case you hadn't already found it:

Sony HDV Info
farss wrote on 6/16/2008, 1:07 AM
We've had at least one client make use of black stretch on our now departed SP camera, in fact I think he ended up buying it off us just for the black stretch feature. He did Indian wedding videos and had a problem with black skin against night sky, apparently black stretch solved the problem of only capturing eyeballs and teeth.

Bob.
Serena wrote on 6/16/2008, 5:49 AM
Yes, excellent example. CINE4 does similar for the EX1; of course there it is black gamma.