Why does the Sony HDR-HC3 video camera, when in 24-frames-per-second mode, prevent you from manually operating

Question

the exposure setting, and from operating some other controls, such as super nightshot, program-auto-exposure, spot meter, and a few or several other things?

Please don't tell me something like, "Because that's the way Sony designed it," because, well DUH, I know that! I want to know WHY they designed it that way.

Will you come back every so often and read (and maybe even respond to, by editing your answers, if you want) my responses to your answers, please?


Thanks,
Mike Christensen

Okay, um, Lare,

Well, no, Sony didn't market this high-definition video camera with its many manual options as JUST a consumer camera, just for "baby's first steps," etc. And they obviously didn't market it just for fully professional use, either. It's a mix. This is a PROsumer camera.

But whether it was marketed as consumer or prosumer doesn't answer the question of why they'd stop one function from happening while another was happening.

And I never said I WAS shooting at 24 F.P.S. I was just asking the question about it. But for people like you who don't seem to fully understand what 24 FPS (usually with progressive scan, known as 24P) is for, it isn't just for theatrical movies. People are using that for videos shown in nontheatrical settings (like on TVs), too, when they want a filmlike look even for something that's not a theater movie. Why do you think they have that in this camera if it weren't meant to be used except for feature movies? Duh!

(Continued...)

And I already know that a lot of the controls on that camera are in a menu. But you can set a wheel to operate some of those like focus and exposure, anyway.

Oh, and not all professional video cameras must have to have 3 CCDs, although that is a good thing to have. I have one video camera with those, but it's an older one that's not HD. Some good HD ones have a CMOS that works just fine (though HD using 3 CCDs might be a little better, still).


Hmm, so your source is from before they even invented camcorders... try updating your program a bit, there, old buddy...

Thanks for trying, though... play again later...


Mike

Oh, and I know that using 24P isn't the only thing that helps video look more like film for people who can't really afford to use actual film, because there are things with lighting and softness that help, too, but 24P is at least a start.

Answer 1

hey Mike I am not sure why they designed it that way. sometimes I wonder why they make things so darn complicated and then fail to provide enough information and instructions. good luck

Answer 2

Because Sony markets this as a consumer camera, primarily designed to catch babies first steps, and display on a 30 fps television set at 1080i.

Why are you shooting 24fps? that is for theatrical films. Film makers use professional version cameras with 3 ccd imagers. Also progressive scan is more suited to intercutting with motion picture film, interlace is a TV thing to reduce broadcast bandwidth and keeping CRT phosphors lit . Even if you could set the manual exposure and focus, it would be through a Menu. I can't even imagine trying to focus a camera via menu.