The Canon XA70 is a professional 4K Ultra HD camcorder that works brilliantly for electronic news gathering (ENG), special event
recording, interviews, documentary filmmaking and even for guerrilla journalism. This camera is lightweight, compact and its
ergonomic grip will help you capture high quality footage on the go.
Features:
- The XA-70 has a 1-inch type CMOS sensor. The larger sensor also permits a shallower depth of field at large apertures (small f-stops), and also greater
- depth of field control and creative options.
- 5 鈥� 382.5mm zoom lens (35mm equivalent).
- 5-axis image stabilisation to keep the shot steady.
- Dual pixel CMOS auto focus for pin sharp images.
- Face tracking that provides effective and accurate focus during camera tracking.
- A 3.5-inch HD LCD touchscreen with enhanced resolution and luminance for easier viewing outdoors on sunny days.
- Built-in ND filters.
- You can stream video via a computer with UVC capability.
- Professional audio with two XLR inputs.
- Dual SD card slots.
- Multiple recording formats.
To 4K or not to 4K?
Although this camera is capable of recording 4K footage (3840x2160 resolution), we strongly recommend that you stick to Full HD(1920x1080). For news gathering purposes, Full HD is better for the average ENG workflow, especially when working against听deadlines. Upon checkout, the XA-70 will always be configured in Full HD mode. If you change this setting to 4K, then please听change it back to Full HD prior to checking it back in.
Pros and cons to using Full HD over 4K Ultra HD:
- 4K file sizes are massive and will fill up your SD card four times faster than if you shoot in 1080. You鈥檒l also fill up portable drive space much faster. Not听only are the 4K file sizes much larger, but they will also require more processing speed on computers, which could cause significant delays in your editing听as the images are being processed.
- The larger 4K resolution means each frame of 4K video records more data. But the more data you record the more strain you put on the camcorder (yes,听some cameras will overheat if you record in 4K over extended periods, such as recording school graduations, conferences, or even weddings).
- You will not spot any significant difference between Full HD and 4K when viewed on your computer monitor, in YouTube, and especially on a smart phone.
- If you feel the pressure to shoot in 4K because you want to raise the quality of the footage, just remember that no one in your audience is likely to see any听difference unless they're trained video engineers.
- 4K is better for cropping and re-scaling of your footage because the higher bit rate (amount of data in each frame of video) results in higher detail as you听scale in on the shot. But if you frame your shots properly to begin with, then you shouldn鈥檛 have to rely on cropping your footage in post-production.
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Basically, if your video isn鈥檛 looking good, then there鈥檚 probably something else going on. Shooting in 4K doesn't make the quality of your work automatically better; it just means that your mistakes in composition, exposure, white balance will all be seen in 4K.
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Please read this user guide thoroughly. It helps to check out the XA-70 to follow along. But you won't master the camera by simply reading this guide. Get some practice using it, which is the only way to become familiar more closely with its features.
Powering the Camera
When checking out the camera, you鈥檙e allowed two batteries.
The XA-70 can be powered by the batteries or by an external power source using the USB power adapter that comes in the camera bag.
Plug in the USB power adapter to the camera鈥檚 DC IN, and the AC cord to the power outlet.
If you鈥檙e recording continuously for long stretches, the AC power source is an ideal alternative to using batteries, assuming that you鈥檙e recording indoors with access to an outlet.
Attaching the battery
The battery compartment is at the rear of the camcorder. Insert the battery with the terminals facing up, and slide up. The battery should click in place.
To remove the battery, slide the BATTERY RELEASE, located on the underside of the camera, in the direction of the arrow and the battery should slip out.
NOTE: if the tripod plate attached to the bottom of the camera is covering the battery release, use a coin to unscrew the plate until it is loose. Then move the plate away from the battery release and tighten the screw once more.
Turning the Camcorder On and Off
The XA-70 has two operating modes: CAMERA and MEDIA. Use CAMERA for making recordings and MEDIA for playing back recordings.
- Turn the camcorder on by sliding the power switch either to CAMERA or MEDIA mode.
NOTE: When you power up the camera, the POWER/CHG indicator will light up green.
NOTE: MEDIA mode is highly useful in the field during the production shoot. For example, once you complete an interview, before you let the guest leave, check the media to make sure the recording looks and sounds good. Better yet, prior to the interview, do a test record and then switch over to MEDIA to spot check the clip you just recorded. Check for the quality of the visual and audio. When you're satisfied, then proceed to your next task. Being able to view your clips in the field can help alleviate some of your video production anxiety.
Charging the battery
- When plugged in to a wall outlet, the camera will charge the batteries!
- Attach the battery to the camera.
- Make sure the camera is switched OFF (you can't charge batteries and record footage off the AC socket at the same time).
- Plug the power cord into a wall outlet.
- Charging begins (as long as the camera is switched OFF). You will see the POWER/CHG (charge) indicator illuminate in red whilst the battery is charging. The battery is fully charged when the POWER/CHG indicator goes out. Then disconnect the power adapter from the camera and unplug the power cord.
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Using the LCD Screen
The LCD screen is a panel that opens from the side of the camera and can be extended 90 degrees. You can then swivel the viewing angle, including turning the screen until it faces forward.
The LCD screen is also a touch panel display.
NOTE: When extended in the open position, the LCD screen is vulnerable to impacts, which could damage it severely. When you transport the camera, either by hand or in the camera bag, it is best practice to close the LCD panel first. Exercise some preventative maintenance to preserve the gear for others to use. Using the Viewfinder The viewfinder is the part of the camera you can put your eye against. To adjust the angle, first pull out the viewfinder and then tilt the viewing angle.
The viewfinder is retracted.
To extend the viewfinder, pull it directly out and then angle it.
If you normally wear eyeglasses, then feel free to remove them so that you can use the dioptric adjustment lever (diopter), located on the underside of the viewfinder. The diopter lets you focus the viewfinder information to your eyesight. Then you can focus the lens.
NOTE: The LCD screen and the viewfinder cannot be used simultaneously. To use the viewfinder, the LCD panel must first be closed.
Keep the eye cup attached when using the camcorder. But if you wear eyeglasses, you might find it easier to flip back the outer edge of the eye cup toward the camcorder body.
Using the Menus
The setup menus can be accessed by pressing the MENU button, or by tapping the on-screen FUNC button.
Use the joystick/SET button (above the MENU button) to make a menu selection. Push the joystick to move the orange selection frame in the menu, then press SET in the joystick to select an item.
NOTE: Most of the vital menu items that you need will be set prior to you checking out the camera, such as movie formats and resolution, gain settings, etc. The only reason you might have to use the menu is when you need to initialise the SD card, although this user guide will cover other menu functions in depth.
FUNC Menu
The FUNC menu offers a quick way to control the various shooting functions such as white balance, exposure, shutter speed, focus, etc. (You must be in MANUAL mode to see these functions).
NOTE: The illustration to the right is visible only if the camera is set to M (Manual) mode.
Changing the XA-70鈥檚 Operating Mode
The camcorder uses two operating modes.
- AUTOMATIC mode: when this switch is set to AUTO the camcorder will take care of all the settings (exposure, shutter speeds, gain, etc.) so that you can concentrate on the recording aesthetics (composition and depth).
- M (Manual) mode: In this mode, you can take creative control back from the camera with full access to the advanced functions.
The switch is located on top of the camera next to the zoom rocker.
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Using SD Cards
The XA-70 has two SD card slots, allowing you to record on two cards simultaneously or to automatically switch from one slot to the other when the SD card in use is full.
To change the operating modes, go into the MENU to Recording Setup (see the menu icons on the top of the page, and select page 2, then select Dual/Relay Recording.
- Dual Recording: this function records the same clip simultaneously to both cards, which is a convenient way to make a back-up copy of your recordings whilst you鈥檙e recording.
- Relay Recording: This function lets you continue recording on the other card without interruption when the card you are using fills up.
- Standard Recording: selecting this will mean that you鈥檙e not using either Dual or Relay recording.
NOTE: To record 4K footage you will need a card rated with a UHS speed class of U3. Otherwise, make sure you鈥檙e using a Class 6 or higher card with a processing speed of 90 MB/s or higher (the card pictured here is a Class 10).
Remember: recording 4K footage requires 4 times as much card space, so you will need a big card size and fast processing speed if you intend to go this route.
Inserting and Removing SD Cards
NOTE: It鈥檚 important to turn off the camcorder before inserting or removing cards. Removing a card when the camcorder is on may result in permanent data loss. Also, SD cards have front and back sides that are not interchangeable. If you insert a card facing the wrong direction, then it can cause a malfunction of the camcorder. Don't try to force a card to insert.
- Turn off the camcorder.
- Open the card compartment cover by sliding the SD CARD switch.
- Insert the card straight with the label facing the grip belt side of the camcorder all the way until it clicks.
- Close the compartment cover (do not force it closed if the card isn鈥檛 inserted correctly).
NOTE: this illustration on the right shows a card that is partially inserted just as a reference. But if you insert a card and it doesn't go in easily, don't force it. Make sure the label side faces the grip handle.
Initialising an SD Card You need to initialise the SD card so that the camcorder鈥檚 firmware can communicate efficiently with the card. When you initialise a card, all of the data it contains will be erased permanently. BEST PRACTICE: Before recording on a SD card that contains footage shot previously, make sure that its contents are copied to a portable hard drive (inside a project folder). A portable hard drive is highly recommended when doing video production work. Canon XA-70 User Guide: Paul Daugherty Sandbox 3
- In the MENU, scroll to Recording Setup, page 2.
- Then scroll to Initialize
- Select slot A or B.
- Click Initialize and YES to the confirmation message that appears.
It usually takes only seconds for the card to be initialised.
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Recording Video and Photos When using AUTO mode to shoot video and photos the camcorder will automatically adjust the settings for you. In M (MANUAL) mode, you can adjust the focus, exposure and other settings according to your creative needs. AN EDUCATIONAL NOTE: If you want to learn how to operate a camera well, then you need to get practice using it in MANUAL mode. Think of it this way 鈥� if you only rely on AUTO then it鈥檚 the camera that makes the creative decisions for you. To take back creative control, use MANUAL, which is why it鈥檚 important to learn how manual works in a camera. To record video
- Make sure the power switch is set to CAMERA. The POWER/CHG indicator will illuminate green.
- Press the REC button to begin recording. During recording a red dot will appear on the screen. Also, the tally lamp on the camcorder will illuminate.
- Press the REC button again to stop recording. You will then see a white square appear in the display screen.
NOTE: To review the latest clip recorded, press the 4 button ion the left side of the camera. You can then review the last four seconds of the last clip recorded without switching to MEDIA mode. Whilst reviewing the clip there will be no sound from the built-in speaker.
To take photos
The camera must be in standby mode (you鈥檙e not recording video).
- Tap the PHOTO button on the display screen. The picture is taken and can be found on the SD card as a JPEG file.
NOTE: When you finish using the camera for recordings, then close the lens barrier by flipping the switch to CLOSED. Set the power switch to OFF. Close the LCD panel and return the viewfinder to its retracted position.
SAVE YOUR RECORDINGS REGULARLY! As soon as is convenient after you finish recording, copy the contents of the SD card to your project folder onto a portable hard drive or to your computer desktop. If you gamble that nothing will happen to your card, then assume you might lose. Back up the footage you shot, always!
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Adjusting the Focus
To manually adjust the focus, use the focus/zoom ring.
You can also adjust the focus by touching a subject on the display screen (Touch Focus). The camera will focus automatically and then return to manual focus mode.
To focus using only the focus/zoom ring
- Press the AF/MF button so that only MF appears on the screen.
- Turn the focus ring to the desired focus (the approximate focussing distance appears on the left of the screen whilst you operate the focus/zoom ring).
NOTE: When focussing a telephoto lens, you must first zoom in all the way on your subject and then focus sharply. When you zoom out the subject should remain in focus along the range of the zoom.
To focus using the Touch Focus
- Open the focus screen by tapping FUNC and then Focus
- Touch the desired subject in the display. You will see a frame that flashes on the desired subject. The camcorder will focus automatically and then return to manual focus.
Using Focus Assistance
You can focus more accurately using the following functions:
- Dual Pixel Focus Guide 鈥� an onscreen guide that shows if the subject is in focus.
- Peaking 鈥� the outline edges of the subject are emphasised.
- Magnification 鈥� the screen area is enlarged so you can see the subject more clearly to focus.
- AF-Boosted MF
- Continuous AF
Dual Pixel Focus Guide
The focus guide gives you an intuitive visual indication of the current focus distance and the direction and amount of adjustment necessary to bring the picture into full focus.
- In the MENU under Camera Setup, the Focus Guide should be set to ON.
- The focus guide should appear when the camera is in MANUAL focus mode, or MF.
- If necessary, touch the main subject on the screen if you need to move the focus guide frame.
- Turn the focus/zoom ring to focus. The subject is in focus when the focus guide frame turns green.
In the above illustration, the focus guide is the green frame over the main subject. If the subject wasn't in focus, then the grid would appear white with the arrows above it spread further apart. The illustration below shows the focus guide frame stages when a subject is being focused.
Peaking
When peaking is activated, the outer edges of the main subject that are in focus will be highlighted in red, blue, or yellow on screen.
You can also choose to switch the screen to black & white whilst peaking is activated, further emphasising the edges.
- Tap FUNC, then Focus
- Select the desired options. For the black & white setting, select OFF or ON. For the peaking colour, select RED, BLUE, or YELLOW.
- Select PEAK and then X. Peak should appear in the left side of the display. Touch PEAK again to turn off the peaking effect.
NOTE: In the illustration to the right, peaking is visible in the car grill where it's emphasised in red. When you see the peaking lines, then the subject is in focus.
Turning the peaking on or off
To turn the peaking on or off, press user button 3 on the camera. This button should be assigned to peaking when you check out the camera. If not, then you can go to MENU > System Setup and then select Assignable Button 3 to adjust the settings. Otherwise, you can still access PEAK when you go into the FUNC menu.
Magnification
This focus assist enlarges the image of the screen so the operator can see more detail when they start to focus. The increased size of the image is not recorded, so make sure you remember to switch off the MAGN before you commence framing your shots.
- Press the MAGN. Button. Alternatively, press FUNC and then MAGN, and OK.
- MAGN appears at the lower right of the screen and the centre of the screen is magnified 2 times.
- The magnification frame appears in the lower right corner of the screen. If necessary, you can tap this frame and move it to other parts of the image.
- Tap MAGN. or select X (in the upper right of the screen) to cancel the magnification.
NOTE: In this illustration MAGN. appears in the lower right of the image. This should tell you that magnification is engaged and should be turned off before you frame the shot.
AF-Boosted MF
In this mode you can focus part way and then let the camera finish focussing automatically. This mode is a more stable focussing operation than with Continuous AF.
- Set the focus/zoom ring to FOCUS
- Press the AF/MF button to activate the autofocus (AF will appear on the screen).
- Set the AF frame size to Large or Small (by default the camera focuses on a subject at the centre of the screen and no AF frame is displayed. You can select an AF frame and change its size and position to focus on a specific area or subject).
- Select AF Mode (MENU > Camera Setup > AF Mode
- Select BOOST (AF-Boosted MF) and then select X.
- When the focus is in the manual adjustment range, the focus frame will appear yellow.
- Turn the focus ring to adjust the focus. This brings the subject closer into focus. When the focus enters the automatic adjustment range, the focus frame will turn white and the camcorder will then finish focussing automatically.
In the illustration on the left, the AF frame is visible over the main subject as a white frame. If the AF frame remains white, then the camera will automatically set the focus. However, if it's yellow, then turn the focus ring until the AF frame is white and the camera will do the rest.
While the focus stays within the automatic adjustment range, the camcorder will keep the subject in focus
automatically.
Continuous AF
The camera will automatically focus on a subject at the centre of the screen.
- Press the AF/MF button to active the autofocus. AF will appear on the left of the screen.
- Set the AF frame size to Large or Small.
- Select the AF Mode (MENU > Camera Setup > AF Mode. !"Select Continuous and then select X.
AN EDUCATIONAL NOTE ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO FOCUS: Don't rely on automatic focus as it will sometimes fail you at the worst possible time, such as interviews. The camera might shift the focus from time to time depending on whether the subject moves abruptly or if something in the background moves. An unintentional shift in focus during the recording can ruin the shot.
Face Detection and Tracking
When using face detection and tracking, the XA-70 will detect the subject鈥檚 face and automatically adjust the focus and exposure. When there are several people in the shot, one person is determined to be the main subject but you have the option to select a different person. The camcorder will then maintain tracking the main subject even when it moves.
- MENU > Camera Setup > Face Detection & Tracking > ON > X
- Point the camcorder at the subject. When there are multiple people in the shot, then all detected faces will have a face detection frame (white in AF mode, grey in MF mode). But the main subject will be indicated with a face detection frame that has small arrows.
If necessary, tap the desired subject on screen to select a different main subject. To select a different person, touch a face with a grey frame. The face detection will change to a double- frame and the camcorder will track the subject as it moves. In AF mode only, you can track other moving subjects such as a pet.
To remove the frame and cancel the tracking, tap the OFF in the lower part of the screen (right next to PHOTO as seen in this illustration).
Zooming
We recommend that you use the zoom to help frame your shots, not simply to zoom in and out during a recording. The zoom move听is hard for viewers to stomach if they see one after another, and should be used sparingly. Zoom in or out during the recording only if the zoom is necessary to reveal new information in the shot. Otherwise, use the zoom to frame the shot composition.
There are two ways to zoom: The focus/zoom ring and the zoom rocker.
Focus/Zoom Ring:
- Set the focus/zoom ring to ZOOM.
- Turn the focus/zoom ring slowly for a slow zoom, faster for faster zooms.
Zoom Rocker
- The zoom rocker is located on the grip. There is also a zoom rocker located on the handle.
- Move it toward W for wide angle (zooming out), or toward T for telephoto to zoom in.
- The harder you press, the faster the zoom.
Sometimes, zooming requires a delicate touch. You want the move to appear smooth without abrupt bumps or stutters. It takes practice to do good camera moves. The goal is to achieve a camera move that doesn't draw unwanted attention to itself. But if you can't achieve a steady camera move, then don't commit to using the shot.
To set an overall zoom speed level no matter how hard you press, go to...
MENU > Camera Setup > Zoom Speed Level > Desired zoom speed level.
To select whether to use variable or constant zoom speed, MENU > Camera Setup > Grip Zoom Speed > VAR (variable) or CONST (constant). If you select CONST, drag your finger along the adjustment bar to set the desired constant speed. Then tap X to exit back to the main screen.
Shooting Modes
We recommend that you operate the camera in M mode (Manual) simply because you will have more control over the quality of the image as opposed to letting the camera make the creative choices for you in Automatic mode. Although you might think the camera should do all the work, a good photographer never relies on it.
The XA-70 offers four main shooting modes:
- P - This is your standard automatic mode (Programmed AE), which also sets the focus, exposure, gain, and white balance.
- Tv- Shutter Priority - when you set the shutter speed, the camera automatically sets the exposure (aperture and gain).
- Av- Aperture Priority - when you change the aperture settings, the camera will automatically apply the best shutter speed and gain to get the exposure right.
- M - All exposure settings are in manual.
To access these modes, you need to be in M (Manual) mode. Then tap the M on the screen (upper left) to display the shooting modes.
The modes pictured below are called Special Scene Modes.
These shooting modes offer preset combinations of settings optimized for specific situations.
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Adjusting the Exposure
When using M mode, you will have the most control over shooting settings as you can set the aperture, shutter speed and gain to get the exposure you want.
First, you need to adjust the ND Filter
When shooting outdoors on a sunny day, intense bright light will enter the lens. To reduce this intensity, it鈥檚 not enough to simply stop down the lens to reduce the amount of light that enters. If the sunlight is intense, then you might lose the range of f-stop values that let you fine tune the exposure adjustment. Therefore, what you need to do before you adjust aperture is apply the ND Filter, which is built into the camera lens.
The ND stands for Neutral Density, and it鈥檚 a type of filter that reduces the intensity of bright light, allowing you to open up the aperture to obtain a shallower depth of field (where only a limited area is in focus). The ND filter also helps you avoid the soft focus caused by diffraction when using wide apertures.
In the illustration on the right, the ND filter appears on the left side of the screen. This filter has a density level 1/4, which is explained below.
Think of the ND filter as sunglasses for the camera, which provides a good rule of thumb for when to use it 鈥� you wear sunglasses outdoors on sunny days, and you take them off indoors. Therefore, switch on the ND filter when shooting outdoors on sunny days, and switch if off when you work indoors.
The ND filter consists of two buttons, + and -, located on the side of the camera behind the lens.
The + button lets you cycle through 3 ND filter density levels in the following order:
- ND 1鈦�4
- ND 1/16
- ND 1/64
These density levels can be compared to the strength of the filter, where 1/64 is stronger than 1鈦�4. In other words, use ND 1鈦�4 on a cloudy day when the sunlight is low, but use 1/16 on a sunny day, and 1/64 when it鈥檚 a very bright sunny day.
When ND doesn鈥檛 appear in the on-screen display, then the filter is switched off.
NOTE: When using the Programmed AE mode, if the ND filter setting you select isn鈥檛 appropriate, the ND displayed on the screen will start flashing. You might get this warning if the lighting is still too bright and you need to select the next filter setting, or if the gain value is too high, or even if the aperture is closed. Change the ND filter settings until the display stops flashing.
Adjusting the gain, shutter speed and aperture
- Set the shooting mode to M. The aperture value, shutter speed, and gain value will appear on the screen.
- Open the aperture, shutter speed or gain adjustment screen by tapping FUNC > Iris (aperture), SHTR (shutter) or GAIN. When you tap on any of these functions, an adjustment dial will appear on the screen.
- Drag your finger along the dial at the bottom of the screen to set the desired value.
- Repeat these steps to adjust other exposure elements to the desired level.
- Select X to return to the main display.
Alternatively, you can also change the Iris, Shutter, or Gain by highlighting each of these functions on the screen using the CUSTOM button.
Press CUSTOM. When a function is highlighted, then turn the knob below the CUSTOM button to change its value.
Gain
What we recommend is that you first turn the gain OFF, or 0 db (decibels). Gain simply refers to signal strength, which applies to both video and audio signals. Too much gain adds noise to the signal, and you end up with a grainy picture.
Gain should be used only in low-light conditions, never when the conditions are bright. Therefore, before you touch the shutter speed and aperture, start with the gain off. If you adjust the shutter speed and aperture and the picture still looks underexposed, then you can start to apply gain, but not too much.
Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is the time each individual frame of video is exposed to light. You express it as a fraction of a second. Think of a shutter as a gate that opens and closes rapidly. Each time it鈥檚 open, the video frame gets exposed to light.
Mostly, we use shutter speed when recording fast action in the shot, such as a person running, throwing a ball, playing tennis, etc. Usually, at sports events, the camera records at a faster shutter speed so the motion doesn鈥檛 appear as a blur.
Faster shutter speeds help us see the details in faster moving objects. But slow shutter speeds add motion blur.
There is a default shutter speed that we like to use: 1/60th of a second. To our eyes, the motion we see at this shutter speed looks normal. But less than 1/60th and motion blur becomes noticeable. Faster than 1/60th and we start to see more detail in subjects that are moving fast.
However, the faster your shutter speed the less light can enter the lens. That鈥檚 because the shutter gate is closed as often as it is open. To compensate, you would need to open the aperture wider to let in more light. But first, adjust the shutter speed to its default value at 1/60th.
Aperture (Iris)
The aperture is thought of as the hole in the lens that lets in light. We can change how much light enters the aperture by adjusting the iris, which is a diaphragm. We often use the words Iris and Aperture somewhat interchangeably to represent the same function.
The amount of light that enters the lens is expressed by f-stop numbers. The smaller the number, the larger the aperture, and the more light can enter the lens. The numbers look like this: f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, and so on. You might see variations in the way these numbers are expressed. On this scale, an f/4 lets in about half as much light as an f/2.8.
Maximum Aperture
The maximum aperture for a lens indicates how much light can enter the camera when the lens is at its widest possible aperture. You can find the value for the maximum aperture inscribed on most lenses. But for a telephoto lens, capable of zooming, there are two f-stop numbers visible.
When you zoom in all the way on a subject, you鈥檙e actually reducing the amount of light that enters the lens. If you set the lens to its widest aperture, try zooming in and you鈥檒l see the f-stop number get bigger.
Zooming in narrows the field of view so less light enters the lens.
The maximum aperture of a lens is often expressed as two f-stops: the lowest possible f-stop number is when the lens is zoomed out all the way (wide angle), and the higher f-stop number when the lens is zoomed in all the way (narrowest angle).
The lens on the XA-70 has a maximum aperture of f/2.8 when zoomed out. But this lens stops down to f/4.5 when zoomed in to its narrowest angle.
Exposure Assist 鈥� Zebra Pattern
You can display a zebra pattern to identify areas that might be overexposed so that you can then correct the exposure. The zebra pattern does not get recorded into the shot.
To display the zebra pattern, open the aperture, shutter speed, gain or exposure screen, and then tap the icon seen in the illustration to the right.
The camcorder offers two zebra pattern levels: 100% only highlights areas that will lose detail if they鈥檙e overexposed, and 70%, which identifies areas that are dangerously close to losing detail.
NOTE: The loss of detail in an overexposed shot will appear as a bright blob of light or glare. An overexposed sky might lose detail that shows clouds, or even the colour blue. Or an overexposed face might lose fine lines that add texture and character. If the area is so overexposed that most of this detail is lost, then no amount of post-production fixes will correct it. You will have to reshoot, especially if it鈥檚 an interview shot.
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Setting the White Balance
After you set the exposure properly, the final step to getting a good quality image is to set the white balance. Simply put, white balance occurs when the camera tells what white should look like under different colour temperatures.
Colour temperature is expressed in degrees Kelvin, and it represents the colour range that a metal, such as a poker stick, might experience as it鈥檚 being heated. First, the metal glows red, then a brighter orange, and finally to blue as it鈥檚 super-heated. The average colour temperature for indoor settings, where the lighting is soft and often reddish in colour, is 3200K. A sunny day outdoors appears bluish to a camera and can be expressed on average as 5600K.
The white balance function in the camera electronically calibrates the picture to produce accurate colours. An image that appears too blue or too red requires a white balance. Otherwise, it鈥檚 easy to spot when an image wasn鈥檛 properly white balanced. Sometimes, you can correct improperly white balanced images in post-production but save yourself the time by shooting footage correctly in the first place. Don鈥檛 always assume that everything can be fixed in post.
- You must be in M mode, or when using P, Tv, or Av shooting modes.
- Tap FUNC > AWB (Automatic White Balance) 鈥� this is the default option.
- Select the desired option: K (Colour Temperature), Set 1, or Set 2. If you happen to be using a light meter and can measure the colour temperature within the environment, then try using the K setting where you can dial in the colour temperature. Otherwise, use Set 1 or Set 2 to make a custom adjustment.
Custom White Balance
- Point the camera at a white card or even a white object. Zoom in so the white fills the frame.
- Then select either Set 1 or Set 2.
- Then tap the set button, seen here on the right.
- When the icon in the frame stops flashing, the white balance is complete. This setting is retained even when you turn off the camcorder.
It鈥檚 that simple!
If you feel overwhelmed by the manual operation of the camera, remember this 鈥� it takes practice. But in no time, you will become more familiar with the operations to the point where they will become second nature. Have fun!