The trouble is, I guess, that having all this control would imply I would be working in a controllable environment. And that would seem to suggest a studio. And if I was in a studio, I would be using all kinds of kit that I wouldn't in the . . . er . . . wild?

Guess its back to Z-bars, WB, presets and just my natural savvy about this stuff.

Grazie

Now Grazie I can't remember. Do they say Zed-bra bars at home?

Are you saying there is no such animal? Not no Zebras in the zoo, but no LCD monitors with scopes. Now I wonder if there is a firmware upgrade for the FX1/Z1 that would put a scope on the viewfinder.

If DV Rack can put the scopes on the laptop there must be a miniature version of a laptop that will do the same thing? Would DV Rack work on a palm?

I want my scopes so I can to see why I'm always getting a compressed dynamic range.

Nope, it needs a fair amount of CPU grunt, particularly for HDV.
However the Z1 has a fair amount of metering built in, let's not overlook that.
You CAN get LCD monitors with quite a bit of monitoring built in including histograms and scopes. However for HD work (or even SD) these things are expensive and really targeted at broadcast so they don't have 1394 as far as I know, just composite, component or SDI. Even the SDI is an option card (read a couple of $K extra)
Also trying to see these things in daylight is a big problem, that's why the pointy end of the business has video 'huts' on location.

Bob.

Thanks Bob:

So it's the laptop and DV Rack into the woods.

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=68537&catGroupId=14625&surfModel=BT-LH900&displayTab=O

High-def (well, 1024x768 but designed to handle high-def input), camera-mountable LCD with a built-in waveform.

Now, it costs almost as much as a Z1, but ... it's available...

Thanks Barry.

So not something that would use DV-Rack, eh? My point was is there something that could utilise DV-Rack out in the field without needing to drag a schlaptop about. All those MS configured Palm Pilots and MS configured GPS systems . .. there must be a crossover option . . ? No? OOooohh I can smell it.

But, Barry, nearly $4.9k ( almost $5k), nice.

Grazie

Pretty unlikely we'll ever see something like that for HD or even SD DV Rack.
Two reasons, firstly you need a fair amount of CPU grunt and if nothing else that means heavy power consumption but also secondly what use is such a tiny screen for SD video much less HD video?
after all HD = Huge Dollars.
Bob.

We'll see. - G

I wonder if the OQO palmtop WIndows XP computer could handle it. It's got a 1gHz processor, and 1394 FireWire... hmmm....

http://www.oqo.com

But it would cost over $2000 to own one.

Sorry, way too slow and the screen res is also too low. RV Rack checks screen res before it runs, if there isn't enough it just shuts down.
Bob.

If I don't win DV Rack in the VASST competition I will be buying my trial after Christmas, so I ask what is the field work setup for one guy in the wilderness? Do I carry a small table for the laptop to sit under the sticks with some sort of sun shield? DV Rack in the studio is a breeze but I'm trying to imagine it in the field on my own and without a production tent.
Mike S

Mike,

Perhaps an LCD hood from HoodMan might help with the outdoor shoots.

HoodMan E2000-PC (lower right)

John