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Gear / Technical Help => Photo / Video Recording => Topic started by: surf1div1 on October 30, 2009, 02:08:39 PM
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I've searched these boards and not seeing anything on this relatively new compact camera with 'HD' video, and had the opportunity to try this out recently. I brought in a monopod to stabilize the camera for video shots and while I need some practice on this combo, I found that for a stereo recording with decent video this might be the best option for those considering a small footprint. I found the results pretty good and invested in a 16 GB card for storage and picked up 3 additional batteries for power.
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It's certainly a great little camera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8WEX6YsKEs&fmt=22
(TZ7 in Europe = ZS3 in US)
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I bit the bullet on this camera and just got it in the mail today.
It seems like the audio quality is OK to pretty good when the source volume is loud enough and there is no wind. In a quiet setting it seems like there is a decent amount of hiss present, but I haven't experimented on my own yet...still waiting for the flash card :(
I spent a lot of time watching/listening to youtube examples. People also claim that this microphone also picks up wind rumble very easily and some people have reported a make shift windscreen helping greatly (a piece of foam taped on top). About the video in the previous post, it was mixed with the soundboard's audio. Here's what the video poster had to say about the audio:
"This song from the show was 'broadcast' on streaming online radio, which was official, and so it was a soundboard feed. I mixed that with a little of the on-cam audio for some more atmoshpere. If you listen to the very begining of the guitar after the spoken Bruce-intro you can hear the SBD source fade in (I did it quickly and sloppily)."
This video from the same poster is using the camera audio only:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv5zSYQZejw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv5zSYQZejw)
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If anyone wants to see another sample of what this cam can do, here's a video that a videographer buddy of mine did with this camera.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUEzEXaIkzU&fmt=22
It performs pretty well in low light conditions it seems.
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I bought this camera (TZ7 in Australia) and gave it a work out recording HD video at Sunset Sounds two day festival in Brisbane recently and the results look and sound really really good. Immeasurable improvement on my old Canon A710IS. No more distorted sound and the 12x zoom really works well.
I had the "Wind Cut" function (reduces wind noise in audio) turned on the whole time so not sure how much of a difference that made but certainly don't have any wind noises in my recordings.
For the size of this camera coupled with it's great zoom and ability to record HD, and having paid just $AUS 360 I think this an awesome tool for concert recordings. Admittedly I only have my old Canon to compare it to but yeah still think it's the best when you weigh it all up.
The downside is the battery life. I think I managed to record a smidgen over an hour before it died. That's from recording about 38 separate vids and turning on/off and zooming in/out etc.
I've ordered an additional generic battery from HK but it will take a couple of weeks to get here. Note that Panasonic introduced a security feature in firmware 1.2 which stops some generic batteries from working with the camera but apparently the manufacturers caught onto this and the latest generic batteries now work again.
The other downside is that now I have to buy a better PC so I can actually edit the HD videos ha! So sorry no footage as yet to back up my claims :) But the vids look and sound good on the big screen TV. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a new camera for this purpose.
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Just bought the ZS3 as a backup for when I can't bring in my Sony cam. Looking forward to seeing what it can do. The 12X zoom (while filming in HD) in a regular P&S form factor is sweet, since nowadays most venues allow so-called "nonprofessional" cameras. I'm also liking the idea of AVCHD Lite. It requires a lot less space than Motion JPEG. Plus it doesn't have the annoying 2GB file limitation. Shoot three songs, stop, shoot three songs, stop, shoot three songs, stop.... how stupid is that??
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I have had this camera close to a month and I am blown away every time I put the images on my computer. Sure they look fantastic on the screen but when they are on the computer, it's amazing as well.
I know the digital zoom (the zoom beyond 12x) can't be used for video but for a photo, it has surprised me many times at FULL magnification.
Another nice thing is three separate qualities for recording video so if you don't want it has superhigh, there is a high and a low allowing you to get more to record on your card.
It's a great camera!
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I know the digital zoom (the zoom beyond 12x) can't be used for video but for a photo, it has surprised me many times at FULL magnification.
Another nice thing is three separate qualities for recording video so if you don't want it has superhigh, there is a high and a low allowing you to get more to record on your card.
It's a great camera!
Yes great qualities and I know what you mean with the Extra optical zoom and even the digital zoom seem to still give decent pictures. You can use the extra/digital zoom (up to 48x) with video depending on what quality you are shooting in and again these still give better quality results than other cameras I've used.
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I love my ZS3!!! I'm not sure why, but I think it's my fave. This clip uses the ZS3 for the head on shot, Sanyo Xacti HD2000 for the angle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b_GurVYGA8
This one uses the Sanyo for the head on and takes advantage of the wide angle of the ZS3 for a fretboard shot:
The .mts format has been choking Premiere Elements 7, but I just loaded Edius Neo and it's doing a sweet job. It's doing better on my laptop than PE7 does on my desktop.
Oooooh, I almost forgot this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZGNHdKp_No
I had four cameras up and didn't look at the ZS3 clip until I'd spent two days editing the others (known as a dumb move, for sure). When we saw the angle and the image quality of the ZS3 we threw the rest away.
Fran
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Have very inexpensive Lumix and it rocked so ordered ZS3 arriving this Monday, AND the repair manual from Panasonic to modify this camera for EXTERNAL input of my stereo-surround microphones.
So in the near future this little camera will have BOTH unlimited 720P HD video AND HD stereo-surround audio recording capabilities. Will modify this camera for others if interested.
After market spare battery from B&H in NYC with ~30% MORE capacity at nearly half the cost tested OK in this camera.
Sandisk now has 16 GIG Extreme III SDHC Class 10 card that should work the best of all cards available at highest reliability/lowest power consumption; costs ~$120 usd
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FWIW they announced the ZS5 and ZS7 yesterday. Not any groundbreaking improvements, really. The have a new IS system called Power O.I.S. but sadly they raised the mp up to 14mp. :( Since my zs1 was stolen in a home burglary I've been on the fence between getting a zs3 or a fz35, but if the new cameras result in lower pricing for the zs3 I might just go that route.
zs5: http://www.dpreview.com/news/1001/10012604panazs5.asp
zs7: http://www.dpreview.com/news/1001/10012605panazs7.asp
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FWIW they announced the ZS5 and ZS7 yesterday. Not any groundbreaking improvements, really. The have a new IS system called Power O.I.S. but sadly they raised the mp up to 14mp. :( Since my zs1 was stolen in a home burglary I've been on the fence between getting a zs3 or a fz35, but if the new cameras result in lower pricing for the zs3 I might just go that route.
zs5: http://www.dpreview.com/news/1001/10012604panazs5.asp
zs7: http://www.dpreview.com/news/1001/10012605panazs7.asp
No mention of having stereo mic recording capability on these new models.
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Write-up at the links posted above contain this snippet for the ZS7-
The TZ10 also features Dolby Digital Stereo Creator to record high quality audio, so you can match the beautiful motion images with outstanding stereo sound, and further offers a one-touch movie button for instant recording of videos.
Guessing that implies stereo audio recording?
That blurb is absent in the ZS5 review, as is mention of AVCHD lite support.
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-dulicate post deleted-
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So stereo at least true for TZ10 and so far only available in UK it seems.
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one thing to know about this HD video format, you need a fast computer with a good amount of RAM to watch the videos. Don't fool yourself into thinking that because it plays fine on the camera it will play will on your computer. My computer isn't exactly slow but with a gig and a quarter of RAM, it still cannot play video smoothly.
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I bought the ZS3 in september so i could record nice videos of my favorite band (u2) at their Gillette Stadium show. Unfortunately i played with the camera way too much while waiting in the GA line during the day and the battery died on me during the 1st song!!
I bought an extra battery and a month later i went to a Metallica show and recorded a few songs with the ZS3.
I find the sound quality amazing for a point and shoot camera, theres no distortion at all. In fact the sound recorded is even better than it was in my ears live!
The HD video recording of the ZS3 on the other hand... it is great during the day and/or in a low light environment but for concerts and bright lights, you will get NASTY annoying vertical lines.
That being said, i am a total noob with digital cameras. This is the 1st one i own and use. So there might be (hopefully) some settings we could tweak on it to avoid/reduce the vertical lines in presence of bright lights. Please enlighten me ???
Heres the videos i uploaded on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Hulky72 (http://www.youtube.com/user/Hulky72)
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If those vertical lines are the ones I experience, they are due to lights slightly in front of and above the camera. They are not limited to digital cams.
The trick is to shield the cam from those overhead lights - if you see a pro video rig you'll almost always see a hood over the lens to prevent this issue. I've used cardboard and masking tape to improvise a shield when I was tripoding, but not so good handheld.
Fran
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I've used cardboard and masking tape to improvise a shield when I was tripoding, but not so good handheld.
Even a hand, held above the lens just out of the field of view to shadow it from the bright lightsource can work.
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So Guysonic, I'm curious as to how that mod has worked out and if anyone has gone with it. I LOVE this cam for it's lowpro qualities and while I'm not photo expert (a point/shoot is about all I would manage at this point for expertise) I find that it's a great cam/video setup for what I do. I purchased two batteries, and while the battery life sucks, for concernts it's fine for most sets.
Have very inexpensive Lumix and it rocked so ordered ZS3 arriving this Monday, AND the repair manual from Panasonic to modify this camera for EXTERNAL input of my stereo-surround microphones.
So in the near future this little camera will have BOTH unlimited 720P HD video AND HD stereo-surround audio recording capabilities. Will modify this camera for others if interested.
After market spare battery from B&H in NYC with ~30% MORE capacity at nearly half the cost tested OK in this camera.
Sandisk now has 16 GIG Extreme III SDHC Class 10 card that should work the best of all cards available at highest reliability/lowest power consumption; costs ~$120 usd
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So Guysonic, I'm curious as to how that mod has worked out and if anyone has gone with it.Have very inexpensive Lumix and it rocked so ordered ZS3 arriving this Monday, AND the repair manual from Panasonic to modify this camera for EXTERNAL input of my stereo-surround microphones.
So in the near future this little camera will have BOTH unlimited 720P HD video AND HD stereo-surround audio recording capabilities. Will modify this camera for others if interested.
Got the repair manual showing everything about this great camera. However, I'm hesitating to tear into this as the audio section is inherently lacking low bass ability making the external mic modification less than appealing or worth the effort for anything but documentary interviews I am now thinking.
So it may make more sense simply using DSM mic directly into Sony's PCM-M10 marrying the M10 audio to the video using a simple process as I'm finding in my U-Tube posts at: http://www.youtube.com/GuySonicStudios (http://www.youtube.com/GuySonicStudios)
Those posts are from my previous FX12 videos having VGA quality, but married audio is from full bandwidth DSM + Preamp + DAT/Flash recorder. Exceptions are Platt I planes/birds, Blackbery Fest Motorcycles, and the newest 'Mill Fire' post using photos taken with excellent Nikon 3.3 megapixel camera having wide-angle lens with Bela Fleck concert audio.
New posts with 720P quality from ZS3 are coming.
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I love mine. I have shot a bunch of bands from U2, The Killers & Muse to Dave Alvin & Duane Eddy...
http://www.youtube.com/user/Chrisedge
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I'm seriously considering getting one of these, mainly for HD video recording but I was reading that there is a 15min recording time limit for the European model (DMC-ZS7?), can anyone confirm this? Thanks
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I'm seriously considering getting one of these, mainly for HD video recording but I was reading that there is a 15min recording time limit for the European model (DMC-ZS7?), can anyone confirm this? Thanks
I believe that applies to the one in the UK. It doesn't for the one in Australia. Not sure which category the European model falls into.
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Surely the UK version is the European version? That said, it isn't clear on a lot of website spec's/reviews of this model whether or not a 15min limit applies. Anyway, it's interesting what you said re the generic battery/firmware issues, but the 'wind cut' option sounds useful, esp for outdoor use. Is there a 'low sensitivity' option on the mic as well?
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- ZS3 (US model) is only limited in record time by battery life
- generic firmware compatible batteries available on ebay for cheap
- no low-sensitivity audio option...just low cut (but it seems like the audio processing applies auto gain adjustment)
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I bought the ZS3 in september so i could record nice videos of my favorite band (u2) at their Gillette Stadium show. Unfortunately i played with the camera way too much while waiting in the GA line during the day and the battery died on me during the 1st song!!
I bought an extra battery and a month later i went to a Metallica show and recorded a few songs with the ZS3.
I find the sound quality amazing for a point and shoot camera, theres no distortion at all. In fact the sound recorded is even better than it was in my ears live!
The HD video recording of the ZS3 on the other hand... it is great during the day and/or in a low light environment but for concerts and bright lights, you will get NASTY annoying vertical lines.
That being said, i am a total noob with digital cameras. This is the 1st one i own and use. So there might be (hopefully) some settings we could tweak on it to avoid/reduce the vertical lines in presence of bright lights. Please enlighten me ???
Heres the videos i uploaded on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Hulky72 (http://www.youtube.com/user/Hulky72)
This is because your camera uses a CCD vs. CMOS chip.You can avoid this phenomenon by lowering the gain on your camera.Meaning use must use manual modes and not fully automatic. http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/jvc-gy-hm100-camcorder/379708-vertical-smear-fireworks-display.html
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- ZS3 (US model) is only limited in record time by battery life
- generic firmware compatible batteries available on ebay for cheap
- no low-sensitivity audio option...just low cut (but it seems like the audio processing applies auto gain adjustment)
forgot one thing, size of card. recording time is limited by the size of the card & battery life. When recording video, choose avchd so you can get the best video. MPEG takes way too much space up.
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Surely the UK version is the European version? That said, it isn't clear on a lot of website spec's/reviews of this model whether or not a 15min limit applies. Anyway, it's interesting what you said re the generic battery/firmware issues, but the 'wind cut' option sounds useful, esp for outdoor use. Is there a 'low sensitivity' option on the mic as well?
Well I thought there may have also been a separate UK version, but no it appears to be the European version and yes the recording times in AVCHD and Motion JPEG are both limited.
Very clearly stated here with excerpts from both models manuals
http://techuserfriendly.com/2009/10/hd-video-time-limit-panasonic-lumix-zs3-tz7-avchd-lite/
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- ZS3 (US model) is only limited in record time by battery life
- generic firmware compatible batteries available on ebay for cheap
- no low-sensitivity audio option...just low cut (but it seems like the audio processing applies auto gain adjustment)
forgot one thing, size of card. recording time is limited by the size of the card & battery life. When recording video, choose avchd so you can get the best video. MPEG takes way too much space up.
Well, I see your point, but you have an option of choosing a card that will take longer than 1 battery to fill.
So, battery life is the limiting factor of recording length....should get 75-95 minutes on a good battery and about 2 hours on a 16gb card.
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- ZS3 (US model) is only limited in record time by battery life
- generic firmware compatible batteries available on ebay for cheap
- no low-sensitivity audio option...just low cut (but it seems like the audio processing applies auto gain adjustment)
forgot one thing, size of card. recording time is limited by the size of the card & battery life. When recording video, choose avchd so you can get the best video. MPEG takes way too much space up.
Well, I see your point, but you have an option of choosing a card that will take longer than 1 battery to fill.
So, battery life is the limiting factor of recording length....should get 75-95 minutes on a good battery and about 2 hours on a 16gb card.
That's why you buy at least one spare generic battery so you're not limited by battery (depending on how long you want to record for).
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Thanks for the info + links guys, looks like the ZS3 is the one to try and get hold of.
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That's why you buy at least one spare generic battery so you're not limited by battery (depending on how long you want to record for).
We are talking about maximum length of a single clip. Of course you can record longer with multiple batteries :)
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I recently got the TZ-10, which finally came out here about 6 weeks ago. I did a test and got around 1:55 out of the battery recording continuous AVCHD-lite. It was basically sitting there rolling with minimal zooming, so would probably get less time with more zooming in & out. The mics pick up the 'zooming' noise when it's quiet. Ideally I want another battery and probably a 32gb card. I hope to capture some live music this weekend.
A friend has an older model, and that also does a nice job http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajiu5b_YcDk (synced with AT853 audio).
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- generic firmware compatible batteries available on ebay for cheap
You can get cheap replacement batteries on eBay for less the half the cost of an OEM battery. But is it worth it?
In my experience, the answer is no. Typically, the battery cycle life (number of complete charge - discharge cycles a battery can perform before its nominal capacity falls below 80% of its initial rated capacity) is very short. Also the battery calendar life is also very short.
The advertised battery life is usually much less in reality - so you think the battery is going to go for 150 minutes, but find out it dies before hitting even 100 minutes.
I am all about making smart purchases so I can save my money. But I really don't think generic batteries are a smart purchase. Go with OEM - and only buy from a reputable dealer (because a lot of the "OEM" batteries on eBay are fakes).
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- generic firmware compatible batteries available on ebay for cheap
You can get cheap replacement batteries on eBay for less the half the cost of an OEM battery. But is it worth it?
In my experience, the answer is no. Typically, the battery cycle life (number of complete charge - discharge cycles a battery can perform before its nominal capacity falls below 80% of its initial rated capacity) is very short. Also the battery calendar life is also very short.
The advertised battery life is usually much less in reality - so you think the battery is going to go for 150 minutes, but find out it dies before hitting even 100 minutes.
I am all about making smart purchases so I can save my money. But I really don't think generic batteries are a smart purchase. Go with OEM - and only buy from a reputable dealer (because a lot of the "OEM" batteries on eBay are fakes).
Some, but not all equivalent or sometimes better (1200 mah vs.895) rated capacity are suspect to be inferior or not made to OEM quality or specifications.
I have two such batteries made by Power2000 so far working in identical to OEM fashion, but less than dozen partial discharge cycles experience, so time will tell.
So far, only difference is OEM battery is 0.2 grams lighter than Power2000 version.
Run down test of both may give some differences, but reliability takes field use experience
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Is this pretty much the best P&S for lowlight/concert shooting?
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Is this pretty much the best P&S for lowlight/concert shooting.
There've been a couple threads on low-light P&S, including this one on the LX-3 (http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=109567.0). Maybe the Canon S90. I don't follow digital camera technology too closely, but I don't know of any better than the LX3 / S90.
Generally speaking, for low light you want fast lens (f/2.8 or smaller, i.e. larger aperture) and good ISO performance. ISO performance generally isn't great with P&S, so a fast lens is even more important. LX-3 zoom is only 24mm - 60mm. But for concert shooting, you shouldn't need a huge zoom. It's very common to shoot concerts with dSLR using a fast 50mm lens, so you're in the same range.
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Regarding generic batteries vs Panasonic:
In my experience, all of the 4 generic batteries I bought (all same manufacturer and batch) performed just as good as the Panasonic battery if not better. At $50 retail per battery for the genuine Pannys, no thank you. I'll take my stack of 4 for less than the price of one. I think Panasonic made a great product but I'm not going to spend just as much on batteries as I did for the camera when I can get a product that works just as well for a fraction of the price.
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Is this pretty much the best P&S for lowlight/concert shooting.
There've been a couple threads on low-light P&S, including this one on the LX-3 (http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=109567.0). Maybe the Canon S90. I don't follow digital camera technology too closely, but I don't know of any better than the LX3 / S90.
Generally speaking, for low light you want fast lens (f/2.8 or smaller, i.e. larger aperture) and good ISO performance. ISO performance generally isn't great with P&S, so a fast lens is even more important. LX-3 zoom is only 24mm - 60mm. But for concert shooting, you shouldn't need a huge zoom. It's very common to shoot concerts with dSLR using a fast 50mm lens, so you're in the same range.
actually covered for low light stills with an SLR and video with a dv cam,
im just looking for something small that i can take to shows when i don't want to carry around either of the bigger cams that will take nice video clips.
whats posted here is impressive, but ill look into the s90 too before i buy, thanx.
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I bought 4 extra batteries (generic) and did have one completely go bad (It reads "Battery Not Supported" in camera even though it previously worked, and I still am on 1.1 firmware) but I would say they all run longer than the OEM battery. Add in that lots of the "OEM" batteries on eBay are fake, I will still to the $12 for the generics and just toss them after a dozen or two shows. Bring lots, and two 16GB cards.
I wish they could fix the focus and the striping issues and it would be perfect. But I will keep using mine for some time. I really like it, and it's got great sound.
Too bad we can't embed videos on here.
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The sound is ok, but compared to what we are used to here, I wouldn't go out on a limb and call it great :)
But, coupled with a dedicated recording rig, then synced in post, you can for sure make some nice vids with this little camera!
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The sound is ok, but compared to what we are used to here, I wouldn't go out on a limb and call it great :)
But, coupled with a dedicated recording rig, then synced in post, you can for sure make some nice vids with this little camera!
for a point and shoot camera, I think the sound is great. its stereo whereas most only have mono. you can't even compare it to a pair of DPAs running into a v3 and SD702 or something because they are two different things.
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I've been contemplating the move from audio recording to video recording for some time now. And I recently received a full nearly perfect recording in HD of one of my favorite groups: Moderat. Turns out this concert was filmed with this camera and now I am anxious to get one.
What do the suffix letters mean on the model numbers?
For example::
DMC-ZS3K
DMC-ZS3R
Anyone know?
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I've been contemplating the move from audio recording to video recording for some time now. And I recently received a full nearly perfect recording in HD of one of my favorite groups: Moderat. Turns out this concert was filmed with this camera and now I am anxious to get one.
What do the suffix letters mean on the model numbers?
For example::
DMC-ZS3K
DMC-ZS3R
Anyone know?
I think it might indicate the colour of the camera housing. Pretty sure K is black. R might be for red but vaguely recall maybe a blue version available too (could be wrong)?
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I think you are right. I actually came to this realization late last night after I had posted. Doh! ::)
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http://www.youtube.com/user/polewka123
all zs3 - tz7 footage
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http://www.youtube.com/user/polewka123
all zs3 - tz7 footage
how did you edit the file?
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avhdc or whatever it's called and then ran through Prism Video Converter (great, simple to use program) to mp4. Do that as a matter of course after every show, takes up more space on the HD, but the mp4 file is much more useful and workable. The only real gripe I have with the 2 video types on the camera is that with AVCHD you can record 15 minutes, the other jpegmov. or something, can't remember the name only lets you pull film in 8 minute segments.
Really recommend PVConverter...natty little thing....
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Thanks for the recommendation!
avchd is a file format created by panasonic and sony a few years ago which allows high quality hd video at low disk space. quicktime mpeg mov is quite old and on the zs3, I don't think you can record in stereo.
The brief time I did have the zs3, the video and sound were specular for something so small, but my only problem was my computer couldn't handle the avchd files very smoothly.
The European version of the zs3 (yours tz7) limits you to only 15 minutes of video for some reason. I do not know the reasoning for it but when possible, I would recommend recording in avchd.
happy shooting!
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I'm using cyberlink video director and while it's pretty limited (Its no vegas) it allows me to edit, sync new audio, transitions, etc...and give decent options for outputting.
Not too many programs work with the AVCHD lite files very well, but it does...
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Sting with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra Live in Irvine, CA
Fragile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3vdVZlt30o
Desert Rose:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdbXVoDWuOM
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Nice samples, I was wondering how the quality is when shot from further back (seating/balcony etc) as opposed to close up, down the front. Cheers
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Nice samples, I was wondering how the quality is when shot from further back (seating/balcony etc) as opposed to close up, down the front. Cheers
I have some stuff (U2 Chicago 9/12/2009) on my YouTube page that is further back...Depeche Mode too.
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i'm looking at getting the dmc-zs7 and have question; how do you transfer the video from the camera to the cpu? do you have to capture it or can you just use a card reader to transfer the file?
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i'm looking at getting the dmc-zs7 and have question; how do you transfer the video from the camera to the cpu? do you have to capture it or can you just use a card reader to transfer the file?
two options.
1. connect camera to computer with supplied cable and it mounts like the majority of audio recorders. drag and drop.
2. use a card reader and copy data.
nice thing about DV shot on SD cards is there's no real time transfer!
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nice, thanks for the response!
the real time transfer doesn't bother me, it's the dropped frames
i also need to check my cpu specs to make sure i can work with the avchd format and wanted to make sure that I could at least transfer the footage if i get the camera before i upgrade the computer
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I've not used the camera USB for transfer, instead just placing the card into computer's built-in card reader and copying the full card to a file on one of my HD. Very fast taking only a few minutes for several GIGs.
Just uploaded my first batch of 720P videos to YouTube.
These are four episodes of model plane water-fly fest using the ZS3 in AVCHD mode. Recorded all audio on a separate recorder using my 'homemade' headworn stereo-surround mic + windscreen + balanced output preamp feeding the Line input of M-Audios original MT1 deck working in 24bit/88.2K mode. Used CyberLinks Power Director 8 importing the video and raw audio directly into the timeline without any need for conversions.
Did the swap of camera audio for stereo-surround audio and pressed the button for direct YouTube upload all onside this one very low cost software program.
YouTube seemed to handle the cameras edited MPEG files converted for upload via converted .WMV files more efficiently than any other tact I've used before, and this audio/video YouTube converted quickly with excellent quality. I'm finally satisfied with editing ease, upload time, and YouTube conversion time/end quality of ZS3 projects.
If interested, go to YouTube and search for GuySonicStudios (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=guysonicstudios&search_type= (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=guysonicstudios&search_type=) to see a list of my uploaded videos finding the newest 720P model airplane series as example of what the ZS3 can do for video quality and substituted audio.
These videos also linked to: www.sonicstudios.com/mp3.htm#Umpqua_plane_club (http://www.sonicstudios.com/mp3.htm#Umpqua_plane_club)
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I know a lot of people can find it annoying with ways to work with the mts file but if you use windows movie maker, update to beta for this nice update.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=35655136
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http://www.youtube.com/user/polewka123#p/u/7/WcFns28JI8o
http://www.youtube.com/user/polewka123#p/u/10/wfGaYr-Dayc
Coupe of tracks filmed the other night at We Are Scientists in Wolverhampton, UK. Plenty of zoom action due to keeping clear of the pit. That steady hand setting works like a dream....
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one thing to note about card transfer vs using the camera and software...the files on the card are MTS files but when you transfer via the camera and software they are then stored as m2ts files along with some small files for each clip. probably no difference at all but just so you know they are "ifferent"
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I have the prior model, the TZ5. That Leica lens is *the source* !
it does a great job in low lighting.
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Nice samples, I was wondering how the quality is when shot from further back (seating/balcony etc) as opposed to close up, down the front. Cheers
I have some stuff (U2 Chicago 9/12/2009) on my YouTube page that is further back...Depeche Mode too.
Yeah they look pretty good chris, which rec. setting do you use? (SH:17Mbps / H:13Mbps / L:9Mbps) and were you 'zooming in' as much as the cam would go for those vids (Depeche/U2)?
What type of SDHC cards would you guys recommend as a minimum, Class 6? and any particular brand? I'm thinking in terms of HD video capture as opposed to still images. Cheers
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Personal flash favorite is Sandisk Extreme class 6 cards. These seem to have the highest continuous write/read ratings, and proven to be the most consistent over many production runs of any brand. They do cost a bit more, but I feel worth the extra cost.
Uploaded aYouTube music video from local arts festival. Used camera mounted at chest level on prototype 'pendent rig' holding camera in handsfree use for doing interviews/documentary projects, but seemed to work OK for simply hand grabbing for working zoom function for this band while in a seated position. Audio from my newly re-named DSSM mics into preamp/MT1 recording swapped with camera audio in post. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhR334zEf4c (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhR334zEf4c)
Same arts festival showing interview/documentary using camera on the 'pendant' mount: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RvltKT5SoE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RvltKT5SoE) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6tXRXQdEss (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6tXRXQdEss)
Same rig used to record sounds of a covered bridge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5EOBFkv8xA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5EOBFkv8xA)
I'll post photos of the 'pendant' rig shortly for those interested in building their own, or maybe ordering a version when I've refined it a bit more.
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she didn't card you to buy the wine!
its pretty nice video because its stable and not zooming in/out and the panning is just how you would do with your eyes. how did the camera audio sound? the dssm audio sounds good but the ladies on the left are slightly chattery.
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Personal flash favorite is Sandisk Extreme class 6 cards. These seem to have the highest continuous write/read ratings, and proven to be the most consistent over many production runs of any brand. They do cost a bit more, but I feel worth the extra cost.
Uploaded aYouTube music video from local arts festival. Used camera mounted at chest level on prototype 'pendent rig' holding camera in handsfree use for doing interviews/documentary projects, but seemed to work OK for simply hand grabbing for working zoom function for this band while in a seated position. Audio from my newly re-named DSSM mics into preamp/MT1 recording swapped with camera audio in post. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhR334zEf4c (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhR334zEf4c)
Same arts festival showing interview/documentary using camera on the 'pendant' mount: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RvltKT5SoE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RvltKT5SoE) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6tXRXQdEss (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6tXRXQdEss)
Same rig used to record sounds of a covered bridge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5EOBFkv8xA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5EOBFkv8xA)
I'll post photos of the 'pendant' rig shortly for those interested in building their own, or maybe ordering a version when I've refined it a bit more.
I definitely want to know more about the pendant rig and how the mic mod worked out. I was reading about this earlier in the thread but I can't seem to follow the conversation. More information would definitely be appreciated.
I ended up going out and getting the camera today. Got it from a guy on craigslist. Everything looks great so I am happy with my purchase. My one concern/question though is that it seems like the zoom in/out is a little slow (for lack of a better word) and the lens seems to make a lot of noise. I'm not terribly worried about it because I will be using it in concert conditions. But, I was just kind of wondering if it was something I should be concerned about for the future.
I look forward to hearing more about your setup. :)
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she didn't card you to buy the wine!
its pretty nice video because its stable and not zooming in/out and the panning is just how you would do with your eyes. how did the camera audio sound? the dssm audio sounds good but the ladies on the left are slightly chattery.
Good question, so to answer this I've posted a camera audio-then headworn mic audio comparison with this text:
"Camera 'stereo' audio is compared with headworn SonicStudios.com stereo-surround mic audio in this version of an already posted wine vendor banter.
As becomes obvious, we start with the camera audio and switch back/forth ending the clip with the headworn mic audio.
The difference is clear, but the camera does do OK, at least in this situation."
The clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkeQRCzlKEk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkeQRCzlKEk)
The camera audio operating from the chest region is acceptable and is the usual quality expected from a well designed point-n-shoot camera. Yes, when recording in quiet places, the zoom does make an audible, but not too loud recorded sound. Music documentary using the camera mic will not have much zoom noise, but ALC and lack of low/high frequency bandwidth will be a noticable shortcoming.
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Nice samples, I was wondering how the quality is when shot from further back (seating/balcony etc) as opposed to close up, down the front. Cheers
I have some stuff (U2 Chicago 9/12/2009) on my YouTube page that is further back...Depeche Mode too.
Yeah they look pretty good chris, which rec. setting do you use? (SH:17Mbps / H:13Mbps / L:9Mbps) and were you 'zooming in' as much as the cam would go for those vids (Depeche/U2)?
What type of SDHC cards would you guys recommend as a minimum, Class 6? and any particular brand? I'm thinking in terms of HD video capture as opposed to still images. Cheers
I didn't think there was any settings to video other than avchd. I alwasys set my cameras to the highest quality so if there is a setting it would be on that.
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My camera has both AVCHD and .mov/AVC settings. Used the .mov a few times finding it shuts down after ~30 maximum length, and quality seems not nearly as good as AVCHD which runs for as long as the battery/memory capacity allows.
Below is a quick photo of the pendant proto used for making those YouTube music/documentary videos.
(http://www.sonicstudios.com/PendantProto1.jpg)
The release shoe staying with the camera body was notched allowing the camera's battery/flash card door to fully swing open without need of removal. So changing battery/flash requires only a quick release action freeing the entire assembly taking less than a minute to start shooting again.
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I didn't think there was any settings to video other than avchd. I alwasys set my cameras to the highest quality so if there is a setting it would be on that.
Of course. Why would you do anything different? :)
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I didn't think there was any settings to video other than avchd. I alwasys set my cameras to the highest quality so if there is a setting it would be on that.
Of course. Why would you do anything different? :)
To fit more on your card? Also, I had a theory (not necessarily correct) that if you only author/transfer to regular DVD5/DVD9, as opposed to Blu-ray, then recording at the higher bitrate (SH:17Mbps or H:13Mbps) would be unnecessary as it would need to be reduced to a max of 9.8Mb/s for DVD? I could be wrong though.
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Personal flash favorite is Sandisk Extreme class 6 cards. These seem to have the highest continuous write/read ratings, and proven to be the most consistent over many production runs of any brand. They do cost a bit more, but I feel worth the extra cost.
Thanks for the info, I'd heard good things about the Sandisk cards too, I thinks it's worth paying a bit extra for reliability/quality. Cheers
BTW Digging the 'pendant rig' looks pretty cool.
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I didn't think there was any settings to video other than avchd. I alwasys set my cameras to the highest quality so if there is a setting it would be on that.
Of course. Why would you do anything different? :)
To fit more on your card? Also, I had a theory (not necessarily correct) that if you only author/transfer to regular DVD5/DVD9, as opposed to Blu-ray, then recording at the higher bitrate (SH:17Mbps or H:13Mbps) would be unnecessary as it would need to be reduced to a max of 9.8Mb/s for DVD? I could be wrong though.
Well yeah but I was being facetious because recording in a lesser format just seems silly to me if you have the capability to do better. And I think that is the point of this thread because the AVCHD format is HD but also good at saving space (or that is what I read somewhere).
I've read that the AVCHD format could be authored on a DVD5 maintaining the high bitrate but you just wouldn't be able to fit as much video on the disc as you would a blu-ray. I have yet to try this though because I don't have a program that can author/burn dvds from AVCHD files.
And this got me thinking...what mode should I be recording in? SH?
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I have CyperLink PowerDirector 8 finding it will directly edit and then give option to burn at least 1440/900 HD quality on regular DVD disc also as AVCHD playing at least on my Samsung BD disc player with better than usual MPEG video quality.
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Here's another photo showing both camera + proto-pendant mount, my headworn DSSM windscreened mics, and (not visible) pants-pocketed MT1 deck with PA-24XP preamp velcro'd together.
This is the rig configuration used for the Umpqua Valley Arts Festival videos linked in the prevous posts.
(http://www.sonicstudios.com/OUTDOORS_RIG-560small.jpg)
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Here's another photo showing both camera + proto-pendant mount, my headworn DSSM windscreened mics, and (not visible) pants-pocketed MT1 deck with PA-24XP preamp velcro'd together.
This is the rig configuration used for the Umpqua Valley Arts Festival videos linked in the prevous posts.
(http://www.sonicstudios.com/OUTDOORS_RIG-560small.jpg)
Interesting. So is it a DIY or something you bought?
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Built the camera mount and the pocketed preamp. Everything else is as-is purchased
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Constantly impressed with this camera. Already paid for itself......
Saw KMFDM last Thursday, and shot this......so simple to get such good results....audio could be improved slightly, but captured the show with AT853's + BB + R-09HR anyway...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS247LbQQqg
There is that odd blurry couple of seconds where the camera seems to struggle focusing, but on most of my recs it seems to add to the atmopshere.
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@polewka
Nice vid, good close-up shots. I don't know if any cams have an auto-focus that is immediate, have you ever tried filming gigs with manual focus, or is that a no-no?
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@ exxile
Seems to be a glitch on this camera. Looked at reviews and tutorials online, and they all mention the zoom/blur issue.....also didn't see any recommendations to bypass/solve it either.
Not really a complaint. Really chuffed with it, filming the shows is now an added bonus to the audio's I've recorded for 18 years now...
Thanks for the comments about the clip, seems she was lookin into the camera at times, which made me a little nervous in case she outed my filming....that said KMFDM are pretty cool guys that way, so didn't worry too much.
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@polewka
Nice vid, good close-up shots. I don't know if any cams have an auto-focus that is immediate, have you ever tried filming gigs with manual focus, or is that a no-no?
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Panasonic/panasonic_dmczs3.asp
According to the specs page, it doesn't have manual focus. I don't believe it has manual contrast either.
This is pretty much the case with almost all point-and-shoot cams.
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@guitard
Cheers for the useful link, not too fussed. Does the job well for me all told.
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http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002AMP3Y4/ref=oss_product
Just a heads up on this clone battery. Got it delivered for £10.00, cheap at the price compared to £36.00 for the Panasonic original.
It works too, don't see no performance issues with it yet......now I can tape whole shows on HD.
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http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002AMP3Y4/ref=oss_product
Just a heads up on this clone battery. Got it delivered for £10.00, cheap at the price compared to £36.00 for the Panasonic original.
It works too, don't see no performance issues with it yet......now I can tape whole shows on HD.
Thanks for the info, I finally managed to pick up a ZS3 recently so have been on the lookout for a spare battery, didn't really want to risk the 'hit n' miss' ebay. Just need to find a good outlet for the 16Gb SDHC cards now. Cheers
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Thanks for the info, I finally managed to pick up a ZS3 recently so have been on the lookout for a spare battery, didn't really want to risk the 'hit n' miss' ebay. Just need to find a good outlet for the 16Gb SDHC cards now. Cheers
I think Costco has the best deal. I'm about to pick one up from there soon.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11307826&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|79&N=4001368&Mo=7&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=2255&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11307826&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|79&N=4001368&Mo=7&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=2255&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C)
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Thanks for the info, I finally managed to pick up a ZS3 recently so have been on the lookout for a spare battery, didn't really want to risk the 'hit n' miss' ebay. Just need to find a good outlet for the 16Gb SDHC cards now. Cheers
I think Costco has the best deal. I'm about to pick one up from there soon.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11307826&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|79&N=4001368&Mo=7&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=2255&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11307826&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|79&N=4001368&Mo=7&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=2255&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C)
Paid exactly this price last year from BHphotovideo. Definitely one of the best brands for having the fastest most reliable memory, that is if not buying a knockoff only looking like the real deal.
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I recently picked up a couple of Transcend Class 10 cards fairly cheaply so looking forward to trying them out. From what I've read they're not quite as fast as the Sandisk (write speed) but not too far behind.
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I did some filming with the ZS3 over the weekend and am pleased with the results, and with Transcend cards, seem quite up to the job of recording HD video. Bit disappointed with the battery life though. I was using the original Panasonic and a clone battery that I bought from the Amazon link above but got no more than 50min outta each of them. To be fair, I was zooming quite a lot (I guess the battery takes quite a hit with that) but they should've been fully charged as I left them charging overnight prior to use.
How long do you guys leave them on charge? Do you always run them fully down? The user guide says to do this but I always thought Lithium batteries preferred a partial charge rather than a full discharge? I might try one with a higher capacity....950 or 1000 mAh, see if that makes any difference.
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http://www.sonicstudios.com/batsys98.htm#tips
I did some filming with the ZS3 over the weekend and am pleased with the results, and with Transcend cards, seem quite up to the job of recording HD video. Bit disappointed with the battery life though. I was using the original Panasonic and a clone battery that I bought from the Amazon link above but got no more than 50min outta each of them. To be fair, I was zooming quite a lot (I guess the battery takes quite a hit with that) but they should've been fully charged as I left them charging overnight prior to use.
How long do you guys leave them on charge? Do you always run them fully down? The user guide says to do this but I always thought Lithium batteries preferred a partial charge rather than a full discharge? I might try one with a higher capacity....950 or 1000 mAh, see if that makes any difference.
Lithium is like most batteries as when brand new need 2-3 discharge to at least 50% charge cycles to achieve full capacity status. New battery full capacity should give over an hours worth of video.
Leaving on the charger a few extra hours is maybe best tact depending on the charger, but careful not to have another 'fast charging cycle' start up after the 'full battery' is indicated by light going out as this is not beneficial to most any battery.
AC power going down and back up can start up another fast charge cycle, so best not to leave batteries charging on fast type chargers without adequate UPS protection to keep power steady for period of AC power line being out of service.
My battery tips are at: http://www.sonicstudios.com/batsys98.htm#tips (http://www.sonicstudios.com/batsys98.htm#tips)
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Thanks for the info - I was never that sure how reliable the charger lights are - mine seems to go out after 90-120min, but that would seem like a very quick charge, especially if the battery was fully discharged beforehand.
Just playing around with the video I shot at the moment, the picture focus does seem quite soft (recording in 'iA' mode), but seems to improve with the 'sharpen' filter in Vegas. Got a few vertical lines from the strobes too but was kinda expecting that.
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Recording in HD eats up the battery life much faster than recording in SD. Right around twice as fast with another camera I own. I assume it's because the camera has to write so much more data to the card.
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I tested recording live music with the wind cut function turned on vs turned off. I previously had been doing most recordings with it on but after listening to the difference I recommend really only using it when required.
Wind cut on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41CmpUml3kc
Wind cut off
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuRB5bNdOK4
You hear it takes out all of the bass which obviously makes a big difference to a recording, especially for a hip hop set.
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Any reviews on the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS7 as it looks like B&H & a few others have discontinued the Z3 ?
Thanks,
Datfly
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I don't think it does continuous HD. I believe it only writes 2gb files.
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It does continuous AVCHD lite, splits files at the 4gb mark. Motion JPEG/mov files aren't continuous with a 2gb limit.
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It does continuous AVCHD lite, splits files at the 4gb mark. Motion JPEG/mov files aren't continuous with a 2gb limit.
Is that the ZS7 you are talking about? I am in the market for a digi and have been drooling over the ZS3 for its hd vid ability but now that it is discontinued I have been looking into the ZS7 and will pull the trigger soon as I figure out if it has the same ability to record until my sd card is full or battery dies (whatever comes first).
thanks
neil
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i got the newest Lumix recently and am more than happy.
but does anyone know how to transfer and open video files on a mac? i just copy/pasted everything into a folder on the desktop to make room on the card. but i'm not sure what to do with them...
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It does continuous AVCHD lite, splits files at the 4gb mark. Motion JPEG/mov files aren't continuous with a 2gb limit.
Is that the ZS7 you are talking about? I am in the market for a digi and have been drooling over the ZS3 for its hd vid ability but now that it is discontinued I have been looking into the ZS7 and will pull the trigger soon as I figure out if it has the same ability to record until my sd card is full or battery dies (whatever comes first).
thanks
neil
Yep, ZS7/TZ10. I have the TZ10. I picked up a spare 3rd party battery- the one that came with it lasts around 95-105 minutes. Can get roughly 2.5.hrs on a 16GB card (may be slightly less on the ZS7 as the framerate is higher than the TZ10. Only the European TZ10 has a time limit for AVCHD.
Panasonic camera forum: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1033
And a review mentioning the AVCHD recording
http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/review-panasonic-lumix-zs7-digital-camera-20100518/
The camera can shoot long videos, thanks the use of AVCHD Lite, so you are mainly limited by your choice of memory card and your video quality setting.
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Just done my first outdoor shows this last week ago......
forgot all about the wind cut feature, but turns out wind wasn't an issue anyway....
very pleased with the results......used my cloned battery too (posted about that earlier in this thread), runs nicely, but does run out rather abruptly (same record time as the Panasonic though), but goes from 1 (battery indicator) 'pip' gone to 2, then down to dead fairly promptly....word of warning.
Filmed about 10 gigs and took 200 photo's on 2 batteries, lots of zoom though too throughout all my films....
anyway.....see what you think..... http://www.youtube.com/user/polewka123#g/u
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oh, and just taken delivery of a TZ-10. I convinced folks at my office that my team *needs* one........should be a bonus for weekends taping.....got a nice little 16gb card in that one too....
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Thanks for the info, I finally managed to pick up a ZS3 recently so have been on the lookout for a spare battery, didn't really want to risk the 'hit n' miss' ebay. Just need to find a good outlet for the 16Gb SDHC cards now. Cheers
I think Costco has the best deal. I'm about to pick one up from there soon.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11307826&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|79&N=4001368&Mo=7&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=2255&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11307826&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|79&N=4001368&Mo=7&No=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=2255&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C)
I hope you didn't pay $119 for that 16gb card. You could get 3 for that price. ;)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=16gb+sdhc&x=0&y=0
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Guys,
I'm about to get the ZS3 or ZS7 for concert taping. Would prefer the ZS7, but I read that the recorded volume drops when the volume at the venue is high. Didn't read anything like that regarding the ZS3. So: is the ZS3 superior regarding the sound? Would love to have a camera where I do not have to dub every single video with my separately taken Edirol audio...
Please help. :)
thanks!
sabrewulf
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Guys,
I'm about to get the ZS3 or ZS7 for concert taping. Would prefer the ZS7, but I read that the recorded volume drops when the volume at the venue is high. Didn't read anything like that regarding the ZS3. So: is the ZS3 superior regarding the sound? Would love to have a camera where I do not have to dub every single video with my separately taken Edirol audio...
Please help. :)
thanks!
sabrewulf
LOVE the sound on my ZS3. It won't compare to a HQ rig, but I have found it MORE than decent for video camera quality.
See many of the posts on here, or go to my YouTube page. http://www.youtube.com/user/Chrisedge ANYTHING there without HQ Audio in the title is just the camera audio.
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I'm gonna have to pick up one of these puppies. The Mothership, my original Lumix TZ-1, just crapped out on me a couple of weeks ago. Got four solid years of pictures out it. Time to upgrade.
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LOVE the sound on my ZS3. It won't compare to a HQ rig, but I have found it MORE than decent for video camera quality.
See many of the posts on here, or go to my YouTube page. http://www.youtube.com/user/Chrisedge ANYTHING there without HQ Audio in the title is just the camera audio.
Audio certainly is good for a camera, but I'd still need to patch in audio from an audio recorder to satisfy me if I was going to be watching it often (and I don't think I'm particular-still love the sound of standard mini-disc).
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Some clips I filmed recently with my DMC-ZS3.
The audio is the camera audio. Not spectacular, but good enough for YouTube release.
I find that the ZS3 audio is better than that of my $1000 Sony HD camcorder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOTkevYxhZY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTgxYj9f5og
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jvkWXz4aHI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqUkg3TG5JA
Just for kicks, here are some stills taken at the same show.
http://tinyurl.com/2498kjo
I'm pretty happy with this camera. Does a decent job up close when I can't use my big cam.
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Interesting fact regarding EUR vs US version of these cameras (at least applies to UK vs US, but I think it's the same all over Europe):
all Euro versions have a built in 15 minute limit for filming. The reason is taxes. As long as they put this limit in place, it is considered a photocamera with a video function. As soon as they remove it it is considered a camcorder resulting in higher taxation, resulting in higher street prices.
So I'll go for the US version and hope they don't tax me for this when ordering if from Amazon (being shipped to Ireland). Any guys from Europe having experience with this?
Edit:
Just did some research:
37.3% tax on total amount of product price + shipping. Wow! :(
I still want it. Does anyone know if there is a difference in the mics between the zs3 and the zs7? zs7 is supposed to record dropped volume in load venues, and it seems the zs3 is more stable with this. Can anyone confirm? Which one is better for concert recorings?
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Nice Rush videos. The black background is nice tight. Very impressive. Thanks for the upload.
Also, noticed that Neil Peart is sporting a set of Audio Technica M50's.
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Nice Rush videos. The black background is nice tight. Very impressive. Thanks for the upload.
Also, noticed that Neil Peart is sporting a set of Audio Technica M50's.
This little cam appears to shoot some amazingly high quality video. The only show stopper for me is that you can't control the exposure. When the lighting is right - the video is amazing. But if it's too bright (you can see that in some the clips), it over-exposes, and I would really hate that.
I realize you can't have the best of both worlds when it comes to cameras and shooting live concert footage.
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<<This little cam appears to shoot some amazingly high quality video. The only show stopper for me is that you can't control the exposure. When the lighting is right - the video is amazing. But if it's too bright (you can see that in some the clips), it over-exposes, and I would really hate that. >>
You are so right. With the same camera, I've shot footage (also from up close) that was so overexposed as to be useless.
The latest model, DMC-ZS7, has manual exposure controls. This is a significant upgrade and I'm considering getting one. That way hopefully I won't have to rely on luck for the lighting situation.
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[...]The latest model, DMC-ZS7, has manual exposure controls. This is a significant upgrade and I'm considering getting one. That way hopefully I won't have to rely on luck for the lighting situation.
But isn't there an issue with the mics compared to the zs3? (sudden drop of recorded volume) Or is the zs7 sound processed exactly the same way as with the zs3?
Please guys, any info on this would be very useful, I'd like to order this little piece of candy asap and still have to decide between zs3 and zs7. :D
Thanks to anyone who has some info on this.
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[...]The latest model, DMC-ZS7, has manual exposure controls. This is a significant upgrade and I'm considering getting one. That way hopefully I won't have to rely on luck for the lighting situation.
But isn't there an issue with the mics compared to the zs3? (sudden drop of recorded volume) Or is the zs7 sound processed exactly the same way as with the zs3?
Please guys, any info on this would be very useful, I'd like to order this little piece of candy asap and still have to decide between zs3 and zs7. :D
Thanks to anyone who has some info on this.
Just my opinion...take it for what it's worth.
If you're going to get this for shooting concert footage - I would value manual exposure much higher than audio quality.
You can easily fix bad audio - by synching the video with an alternate source. However, an over-exposed shot can't be fixed, and over-exposure is a very common occurrence because of the lighting at a lot of concerts.
This brings up another subject - the mics in these little cams simply are not made to handle the SPLs of a concert - so you should seriously consider recording the audio separately yourself. I have been shooting video and recording audio at the same time for a while now. For the audio - it's pretty much "hit the record button and hope it turns out nice." I don't check it during the show because I put all my concentration into the video shooing. Even a less than stellar audio recording will almost always sound better than what the cam's mic will record.
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isn't the sensor the same size on the zs3 as it is on the zs7 with more megapixles? Wouldn't that just mean a more crowded sensor with nearly impossible to detect differences?
BUT if you do want the zs7, consider selling me the zs3. ;) :)
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Thanks, guitard! I absolutely agree with the stuff you just posted and will go for the zs7 now! :)
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There is an exposure control on the ZS3 and while I haven't noticed a difference (I have it set lower) it DOES say it works with video in the manual. (Se page 49 of manual)
http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/DMCZS1.PDF
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I've gone to several stores recently to get a "hands on" look at the ZS7 - but no one has them in stock. I went to Best Buy and the clerk checked the inventory of all Best Buy outlets within a several mile radius and not a single one to be found.
I suppose that's a good sign that it's a high quality camera. Although having said that, my real interest is in its video capability - which is probably not the reason many people buy it.
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not bad i put a note in another thread but i like the canon hv30 and hv40 series for the video. And i use DPA 4022 and DPA 4061 for off camera audio. Some real good captures, but since the internet community is a little suspect, shows are for personal viewing at this point. Good luck in the vids
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This brings up another subject - the mics in these little cams simply are not made to handle the SPLs of a concert - so you should seriously consider recording the audio separately yourself. I have been shooting video and recording audio at the same time for a while now. For the audio - it's pretty much "hit the record button and hope it turns out nice." I don't check it during the show because I put all my concentration into the video shooing. Even a less than stellar audio recording will almost always sound better than what the cam's mic will record.
Dead-on with that statement. The mics on these cameras were made for backyard BBQs or a day at the beach. Not live concerts. If you want your video to stand out, running audio separate is the only way to go, IMO.
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This brings up another subject - the mics in these little cams simply are not made to handle the SPLs of a concert - so you should seriously consider recording the audio separately yourself. I have been shooting video and recording audio at the same time for a while now. For the audio - it's pretty much "hit the record button and hope it turns out nice." I don't check it during the show because I put all my concentration into the video shooing. Even a less than stellar audio recording will almost always sound better than what the cam's mic will record.
Dead-on with that statement. The mics on these cameras were made for backyard BBQs or a day at the beach. Not live concerts. If you want your video to stand out, running audio separate is the only way to go, IMO.
I'd agree with that. ^^
But the mics on the ZS3 aren't bad (as far as cameras in this price range go) although I have noticed some audio disortion when filming close to the stacks, even when shows aren't that loud. I've have had good results from filming further back though - but I always tend to sync the video up with a separate audio source afterwards, and add a little 'sharpening' filter to the picture.
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recorded some stand up this weekend with mine...audio came out pretty sweet....
see what you think...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbH7Kp9H744&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A7al72ypq0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EytxnoAPKc&feature=related
chuckling is my girlfriend btw...
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recorded some stand up this weekend with mine...audio came out pretty sweet....
see what you think...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbH7Kp9H744&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A7al72ypq0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EytxnoAPKc&feature=related
chuckling is my girlfriend btw...
I listened to the first minute of the first one but am afraid my Australian ears couldn't understand the strong accent!
Although I was surprised to hear Brisbane's own Regurgitator playing "I sucked a lot of **** to get where I am" as the opening music :D
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Yep, proper Laandaann that !
Brisbane? Spent 6 months there a few years ago....great place.....
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This brings up another subject - the mics in these little cams simply are not made to handle the SPLs of a concert - so you should seriously consider recording the audio separately yourself. I have been shooting video and recording audio at the same time for a while now. For the audio - it's pretty much "hit the record button and hope it turns out nice." I don't check it during the show because I put all my concentration into the video shooing. Even a less than stellar audio recording will almost always sound better than what the cam's mic will record.
While I agree with you technically, I think the mics on the ZS3 have been doing a fantastic job at all the shows I've taped so far. I do still run my audio rig though because I can't seem to find a good (hopefully free) program to extract the audio from the video. And speaking of which, can you recommend a program for syncing up audio and video?
Thanks
Also I wanted to post a clip from the chemical brothers show I was at. I was hoping for a full concert but I fell into some rookie mistakes and had some crowd issues with people in way. :(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op5ge_XrVME
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TsMuxer can demux the mts files: http://www.smlabs.net/tsmuxer_en.html
Sony Vegas is pretty good for syncing A/V.
I was thwarted from shooting an entire gig, thanks to the announcement at the start of this :o ;D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCq8657CBRc
Just whipped the cam out at the end and shot 2 songs, chest high.
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I've filmed Clapton, isbell and double trouble with mine and the audio isn't distorted. The zs series can handle high spl.
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Filmed Section 25 in Leicester last night, and did get some distortion problems......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67UNBpje5Yk
Not too bothered though, as I got a sweet audio. The smaller clubs with oversized PA's seem to make my TZ7 sweat some when coping with bass. Not an issue really, shooting some great stuff these days.....and for me it's great... it's pretty much idiot proof.
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I'm not an audiophile (but do have an ear for sound) and can say the TZ7 (ZS7) has the best sound I've heard for a point-and-shoot and is more than adequate for amateur recordings.
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I'm not an audiophile (but do have an ear for sound) and can say the TZ7 (ZS7) has the best sound I've heard for a point-and-shoot and is more than adequate for amateur recordings.
To say the audio is "more than adequate for amateur recordings" is of course, a very subjective statement.
I think there is a tendency to listen to the cam audio and as long as there isn't any clipping or distortion - to conclude that it's decent audio. In part it's a matter of expectations - you don't really expect much from a cam mic - so when what you get is listenable...you're happy with what you hear.
I think being able to consistently compare cam audio with a "decent" audio only recording (once again...treading into that subjective area...) will really open some eyes. Even when I record with omni mics, my CA-11 --> CA-9100 --> Edirol audio recordings sound way better than the cam audio. Obviously, I'm recording from the same location. The big difference to me is not what the Edirol record - it's what it doesn't record. The audio-only recording doesn't have nearly as much "big sound" from the venue in it. It's mostly just music. As I've said previously - I don't put a lot of effort into the audio recording either. Basically I clip the mics to my body, set the levels, hit the record button, put the recorder away - and I don't look at it again until I'm outside the venue after the show - at which time I turn it off.
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I do not own one of these but as guitard was asking about manual exposure in video mode whilst recording i searched you tube and didn't find much. However i did come across a canon that has MANUAL exposure as well as MANUAL focus which the panasonic does NOT have.And a 14x optical zoom.Prices are similar.Check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPe-K9zkRGA
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I'm not an audiophile (but do have an ear for sound) and can say the TZ7 (ZS7) has the best sound I've heard for a point-and-shoot and is more than adequate for amateur recordings.
To say the audio is "more than adequate for amateur recordings" is of course, a very subjective statement.
Of course you are correct. I guess my main opinion I wanted to express was that this cam has the best audio I've heard for a cam of it's class. Would be interested to know of any other 'cheap' cams with comparable audio quality.
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Hello yall.
1.) i noticed that i could get about 2h05m of video on my TS7 using a 16gb sd card. i need to do a test tomorrow but i'm wondering if the stock battery will hold that long...? how much run time can you get for the stock battery on avchd lite mode?
2.) what is the largest sized card that has been tested as successful with the TS7? maybe in the 32gb range... any suggestions specifically?
3.) what/where is the best backup battery i can find? price/length of recording is key.
thanks again. hoping to maybe do Smashing Pumpkins tomorrow.
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Hey dude, I don't think you'll get a battery that lasts that long, you'll need to change at some point. How long the battery lasts will depend on the amount of zooming that you do, if you're recording on the SH, H or L setting (SH uses most juice) and of course the quality/charge/capacity of battery.
I did some tests with the supplied OEM battery and some clones that I have, approx. useage below (all in SH setting)...
No Zooming: OEM = 90mins, Clone = 65-70min
General Zoom Useage: OEM = 60-65min, Clone = 55-60min
Heavy Zoom Useage: OEM = 45-50min, Clone = 40min
Re: cards, I've been using the Transcend Ultimate Class 10's in 8Gb & 16Gb sizes and they've both performed very well. I get just over an hour with the 8Gb & just over 2hrs on the 16Gb (again on SH setting) - dropping the quality setting to H or L will increase the amount you can record/battery life slightly, but I've not done any quality comparisons yet.
Hope this helps.
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Hey dude, I don't think you'll get a battery that lasts that long, you'll need to change at some point. How long the battery lasts will depend on the amount of zooming that you do, if you're recording on the SH, H or L setting (SH uses most juice) and of course the quality/charge/capacity of battery.
I did some tests with the supplied OEM battery and some clones that I have, approx. useage below (all in SH setting)...
No Zooming: OEM = 90mins, Clone = 65-70min
General Zoom Useage: OEM = 60-65min, Clone = 55-60min
Heavy Zoom Useage: OEM = 45-50min, Clone = 40min
Re: cards, I've been using the Transcend Ultimate Class 10's in 8Gb & 16Gb sizes and they've both performed very well. I get just over an hour with the 8Gb & just over 2hrs on the 16Gb (again on SH setting) - dropping the quality setting to H or L will increase the amount you can record/battery life slightly, but I've not done any quality comparisons yet.
Hope this helps.
thanks. i'm doing a test right now AVCHD (lite) @ GSH, not too many zooms. i got 1h46m of record time before the battery died and saved the file (good to know).
is there any way to get a larger/longer running battery for long video shoots? i could swap batteries between songs... but that gives me flashbacks to the md/cassette swap days. :o
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Is there any way to get a larger/longer running battery for long video shoots? i could swap batteries between songs... but that gives me flashbacks to the md/cassette swap days. :o
You indirectly re-enforce the idea that it's a good to record audio separately. When you have to switch out batteries and/or chips, obviously, you are going to miss a little video here and there during a show. If you have a separate audio stream, you not only have better audio - you can drop some still photos into your video to cover those spots you missed video and you still have the complete show.
Another thing you can do - record some video clips of the venue before the show (outside vendors, fans partying, etc., etc.) and you can drop that video into the parts that are missing. With the alternate audio stream - those clips fit in really well. And you are essentially using a technique that tv shows use all the time, so it looks perfectly normal to someone who watches your video.
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Is there any way to get a larger/longer running battery for long video shoots? i could swap batteries between songs... but that gives me flashbacks to the md/cassette swap days. :o
You indirectly re-enforce the idea that it's a good to record audio separately. When you have to switch out batteries and/or chips, obviously, you are going to miss a little video here and there during a show. If you have a separate audio stream, you not only have better audio - you can drop some still photos into your video to cover those spots you missed video and you still have the complete show.
Another thing you can do - record some video clips of the venue before the show (outside vendors, fans partying, etc., etc.) and you can drop that video into the parts that are missing. With the alternate audio stream - those clips fit in really well. And you are essentially using a technique that tv shows use all the time, so it looks perfectly normal to someone who watches your video.
good point. is there an option to do video but drop the audio tracks to save card/battery life?
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I 'd like to buy the Lumix in the States to avoid vidoe limitiation in the European version.
My question: is the battery charger inlcuded in the package capable to handle 100-240 V and 50-60 HZ? ( I would guess yes considering the 'travel specific use' of the gear)
Thank in advance for your reply
Mauro from Rome
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Is there any way to get a larger/longer running battery for long video shoots? i could swap batteries between songs... but that gives me flashbacks to the md/cassette swap days. :o
You indirectly re-enforce the idea that it's a good to record audio separately. When you have to switch out batteries and/or chips, obviously, you are going to miss a little video here and there during a show. If you have a separate audio stream, you not only have better audio - you can drop some still photos into your video to cover those spots you missed video and you still have the complete show.
Another thing you can do - record some video clips of the venue before the show (outside vendors, fans partying, etc., etc.) and you can drop that video into the parts that are missing. With the alternate audio stream - those clips fit in really well. And you are essentially using a technique that tv shows use all the time, so it looks perfectly normal to someone who watches your video.
good point. is there an option to do video but drop the audio tracks to save card/battery life?
I really doubt it. But the audio is usually recorded in a very low bit-rate, so you wouldn't be saving much space on your chip anyway. By and large, the stoppages are due to battery changes. These little point-and-shoot cams typically have internal battery compartments that (obviously) only hold one size of battery. And they aren't really designed with the idea of shooting 2+ hours of video so the batteries tend not to last that long (one hour or so) for shooting video in HD. So you usually have to change batteries during a show, unless it's a short set.
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Of course one could make a dummy battery (maybe using contacts on a defunct battery) with small size power cord leading out of the camera's battery compartment (maybe put a small notch on the door's corner for the cord). This cord could lead to a 4.5 volt precision regulated 2 C alkaline or NiMH cell battery supply capable of running the camera in video mode for 7-to-10 (alkaline) or 4-5 (NiMH) hours continuously. But this would also negate some of the convenience of having a shirtpocket size camera.
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Of course one could make a dummy battery (maybe using contacts on a defunct battery) with small size power cord leading out of the camera's battery compartment (maybe put a small notch on the door's corner for the cord). This cord could lead to a 4.5 volt precision regulated 2 C alkaline or NiMH cell battery supply capable of running the camera in video mode for 7-to-10 (alkaline) or 4-5 (NiMH) hours continuously. But this would also negate some of the convenience of having a shirt pocket size camera.
One of the beauties of the point-and-shoot when it comes to shooting concert video - is that you can blend right in with all the other people in the audience holding up a point-and-shoot. Adding something like a dummy battery attached to a cord could potentially make you stand out.
Most bands take a half minute or so between songs. If you time it right, you can shoot a show and not miss any of the music when you change batteries. I do it all the time.
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Is there any way to get a larger/longer running battery for long video shoots? i could swap batteries between songs... but that gives me flashbacks to the md/cassette swap days. :o
You indirectly re-enforce the idea that it's a good to record audio separately. When you have to switch out batteries and/or chips, obviously, you are going to miss a little video here and there during a show. If you have a separate audio stream, you not only have better audio - you can drop some still photos into your video to cover those spots you missed video and you still have the complete show.
Another thing you can do - record some video clips of the venue before the show (outside vendors, fans partying, etc., etc.) and you can drop that video into the parts that are missing. With the alternate audio stream - those clips fit in really well. And you are essentially using a technique that tv shows use all the time, so it looks perfectly normal to someone who watches your video.
good point. is there an option to do video but drop the audio tracks to save card/battery life?
Nope, and I would never want to shoot like that anyways since some audio is better than none if your separate audio crapped out, plus it's easier to sync if you have something to sync to...
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Another thing you can do - record some video clips of the venue before the show (outside vendors, fans partying, etc., etc.) and you can drop that video into the parts that are missing. With the alternate audio stream - those clips fit in really well. And you are essentially using a technique that tv shows use all the time, so it looks perfectly normal to someone who watches your video.
Well that sounds great and all but what program do you use for that? Especially working with MTS files?
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Another thing you can do - record some video clips of the venue before the show (outside vendors, fans partying, etc., etc.) and you can drop that video into the parts that are missing. With the alternate audio stream - those clips fit in really well. And you are essentially using a technique that tv shows use all the time, so it looks perfectly normal to someone who watches your video.
Well that sounds great and all but what program do you use for that? Especially working with MTS files?
You could use any number of Non-Linear Editor (NLE) programs. I use Sony Vegas Video.
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I noticed there was a new firmware update for the ZS7.
I was looking at a second/backup battery and was wondering if anyone knew any compatible batts with the new firmware... i noticed some reviews that said their aftermarket battery stopped working.
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Another thing you can do - record some video clips of the venue before the show (outside vendors, fans partying, etc., etc.) and you can drop that video into the parts that are missing. With the alternate audio stream - those clips fit in really well. And you are essentially using a technique that tv shows use all the time, so it looks perfectly normal to someone who watches your video.
Well that sounds great and all but what program do you use for that? Especially working with MTS files?
You could use any number of Non-Linear Editor (NLE) programs. I use Sony Vegas Video.
I used the European version DZ10 for thwe firste time last week in a small club..the videos look amazing for a small camera like that.
The sound is a bit muffled in my ears...did the audio with md dpa 4061....now i want to convert and burn the MTS files...in Sony Vegas 7----> drag and drop you only can see the audio files.
Any easy to handle converter programm MTS ro AVI available?
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I noticed there was a new firmware update for the ZS7.
I was looking at a second/backup battery and was wondering if anyone knew any compatible batts with the new firmware... i noticed some reviews that said their aftermarket battery stopped working.
I have the 1.1 fw on mine and my ebay cheapy batt still works. am going to hold off on this update to 1.2 from sep 21 as it looks like it just speeds up the gps info which is not worth me losing the use of my second battery as of now haha.
neil
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@ swordfish sony vegas 7 doesnt support mts avchd files,but vegas 9 does so just download the 30 day trial.
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@ swordfish sony vegas 7 doesnt support mts avchd files,but vegas 9 does so just download the 30 day trial.
thanks for the info beatkilla...But what to do after the 30 days...not being a PC expert at all....
SF
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I use Handbrake v0.9.3 available here
http://www.videohelp.com/tools/HandBrake/old-versions#download
Note that the latest version 0.9.4 does NOT convert to AVI format so stick with the older one if that's what you're after.
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If your converting AVCHD to AVI than you would want to use HD which is huge like 300gb perhour and that wont play smooth either.Im guessing your converting your MTS to standard def AVi and if thats the case theres no benefit to recording in HD in the first place.Yould be much better to convert to M2t also known as HDV.
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If your converting AVCHD to AVI than you would want to use HD which is huge like 300gb perhour and that wont play smooth either.Im guessing your converting your MTS to standard def AVi and if thats the case theres no benefit to recording in HD in the first place.Yould be much better to convert to M2t also known as HDV.
I compress using H.264 at 3000 kbps and keep source resolution 720p.
Guess it depends on what you plan on doing with the videos. Mine are mostly just for uploading to youtube and for the times I want to watch them on the big screen TV I can handle the compressed quality.
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If your converting AVCHD to AVI than you would want to use HD which is huge like 300gb perhour and that wont play smooth either.Im guessing your converting your MTS to standard def AVi and if thats the case theres no benefit to recording in HD in the first place.Yould be much better to convert to M2t also known as HDV.
When I record in HD and then convert to SD for DVD authoring, the SD video looks much better than if I had recorded in native SD. I base this on the appearance of videos that I've shot in the same venue in both HD and SD format and comparing the DVDs authored using that footage.
So I record everything in HD these days, even though I am not yet authoring blu-ray disks. I do it for the aforementioned reason, and also so that my archive copy is in HD and I'll be able to author an HD version once I start authoring in blu-ray.
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Going from HD to SD is tricky because you have to change the field order which if not handled properly results in tearing or combing on fast movement. HD is upper field first and SD is lower field first(although some JVC cams make upper field first SD files and so do some standalone dvd recorders).To change field orders is done by either blending fields together resulting in a blurry result or interpolate fields which har very mixed results or to deinterlace and throw away a field which has choppy movement. Thats why i prefer to shoot in hd and only deliver in hd.That being said i have shot sporting events in hd and had to deliver sd dvds thats where the field order part is crucial for fast movement such as kickboxing.
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If your converting AVCHD to AVI than you would want to use HD which is huge like 300gb perhour and that wont play smooth either.Im guessing your converting your MTS to standard def AVi and if thats the case theres no benefit to recording in HD in the first place.Yould be much better to convert to M2t also known as HDV.
I compress using H.264 at 3000 kbps and keep source resolution 720p.
Guess it depends on what you plan on doing with the videos. Mine are mostly just for uploading to youtube and for the times I want to watch them on the big screen TV I can handle the compressed quality.
Heads up from my side---since I am not a PC Guru I couldn't handle H.264...to many switches and not enough knowlodge ....in the end I used Nero 8 to convert to mpg and Nero 8 to burn a DVD without chapters...not what I wanted...but a start..thinking about buying Vegas 9 or Magix 16...----any sugesstions...for a reasonable priced software...easy to handle..otherwise I have to take some evening classes to keep up with the hobby.... 8)
Thanks for the help
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Check out the Vegas comparison chart:
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegaspro/compare
I got the Movie Studio Platinum 9, and the major downfall is that you can't control the mpeg2 bitrate settings. It does it at the highest setting though, but if your footage is over an hour it needs to go on a dual layer disc (or be split into 2 DVD5 discs). The other problem is you can't import an ac3 audio track, but I don't think that can be done on the more expensive versions either? So you end up re-encoding your cam audio - and the ac3 bitrate is also locked at 192k.
That said, I got the hang of it reasonably quickly.
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Just to let some people know who are starting to get interested in video editing.You can buy BUFFALO external bluray burner from BHphotovideo for about $300 and you also get as a bonus cyberlink bluray disc suite which includes power director,power producer,power to go,instant burn!power dvd,etc.You can edit dv,avchd,you can capture dv,hdv,avchd. you can author bluray discs.it has a stabilizer. I have this drive and it is top quality and with the included suite you really cant go wrong.
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If your converting AVCHD to AVI than you would want to use HD which is huge like 300gb perhour and that wont play smooth either.Im guessing your converting your MTS to standard def AVi and if thats the case theres no benefit to recording in HD in the first place.Yould be much better to convert to M2t also known as HDV.
I compress using H.264 at 3000 kbps and keep source resolution 720p.
Guess it depends on what you plan on doing with the videos. Mine are mostly just for uploading to youtube and for the times I want to watch them on the big screen TV I can handle the compressed quality.
Heads up from my side---since I am not a PC Guru I couldn't handle H.264...to many switches and not enough knowlodge
What do you mean "too many switches and not enough knowledge" to use H.264?? If you can install Handbrake (as per my link above) then just click on the "Normal" setting, change the format drop down value to "AVI file" and that's it. I wouldn't consider myself a PC guru either lol!
The default codec used to compress is H.264, but if you want this can be changed on the Video tab along with the avg bitrate (larger number will give you better picture quality but larger file size too).
Then to play back just ensure you have suitable video codecs installed (this will be a requirement regardless of what format you're dealing with). I think I installed K-lite code pack which will allow most popular formats to play. http://www.codecguide.com/download_kl.htm
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just wondering what mode people are shooting concert videos in?
Normal, Intelligent Auto etc
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just wondering what mode people are shooting concert videos in?
Normal, Intelligent Auto etc
I've always used IA to date, seems to work for me. A gig can be really bright one minute and really dark the next so I just let the cam adjust itself accordingly. I think you can zoom in further on 'Normal' mode? but not really necessary for me.
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I read the following in a review at a camera website. One of the main reasons I bought this camera was because I thought I was going to be getting manual exposure while in movie mode. But at this website it says you have manual exposure for taking pictures - but not for shooting video. I haven't received the camera yet though - I'm hoping they got it wrong at this website.
http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Panasonic_Lumix_DMC_TZ10_ZS7/
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ10 / ZS7 Movie mode
The Lumix TZ10 / ZS7 inherits the exact same movie modes as its predecessor, which means Panasonic's resisted the temptation to offer 1080p Full HD or manual exposure control on the new model. As such the best quality video remains 720p HD, although like the TZ7 / ZS3, you get the choice of encoding it in AVCHD Lite or Motion JPEG formats, along with a dedicated record button, stereo microphones and the chance to adjust the optical zoom while filming, although you still can't take a photo without stopping the recording. Note to support AVCHD Lite, you'll need to use a memory card rated as Class 4 or quicker, while to support Motion JPEG, you'll need Class 6 or faster.
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I am debating getting either this model or the Sony dsc hx5v but i am starting to belive that NO point and shoot lets you control exposure during movie mode or focus.If thats the case then i'll have to pass.If someone can check and confirm i've searched high and low on the net and can not confirm.But since the Nikon D90 doesn't have this control in movie mode i am starting to doubt any others do.I hope this is wrong though.
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you can adjust exposure manually just not while recording
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just wondering what mode people are shooting concert videos in?
Normal, Intelligent Auto etc
I've tried manual and intelligent auto and I, personally, get far superior focus and longterm focus tracking with manual than with intelligent auto. The iAuto just always seems to be trying to find the right settings and never really gets it right. The manual stays focused for the most part regardless if the show switches from something like darkness/back lit to strobes and lights.
It probably depends on the show you are filming but all the shows I have done so far came out so much better with the manual than the intelligent that I will never shoot in intelligent auto ever.
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My first outing with my zs3. Shot in "auto"mode. I was running late and I didn't get a chance to get my dpa4061 set up in time so I just went with the r9hr internals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY3thFXG0rw
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I can confirm that you SHOULD NOT change focus modes on the fly without stopping video. I did this at a show and corrupted a gorgeous 15 minute clip that still burns me up to this day. I still have it on my computer in the hopes that someday I will find a way to salvage it.
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I can confirm that you SHOULD NOT change focus modes on the fly without stopping video. I did this at a show and corrupted a gorgeous 15 minute clip that still burns me up to this day. I still have it on my computer in the hopes that someday I will find a way to salvage it.
I'm pretty sure you can get it back with a data recovery program. When the camera froze on me during filming, the file became corrupted and I couldn't even copy it from the sd card to my hdd because the header was damaged. But I used a recovery program (in this case 'Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery' and it copied & repaired the file no problem. Might be worth a try?
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Well, this thread has certainly evolved and seeing that Polewka has gone and done what I've been considering my question is other than the GPS and the higher res on stills, what advantage have you realized by going with the newer model?
There is some video artifacts with the Panny Lumix on the ZS3 and also in the new one (ZS7). The challenge for me in the format that the panny uses is the CCD that causes 'vertical smear'. THAT is the one artifact that I can't stand. Since the lighting changes so abruptly during a show, this will continue to be an issue for this camera. Possibly Panasonic will come out with a PNS that uses the CMOS technology instead.
Here are some threads in reference to what I'm referring to-
1- this excellent review: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Panasonic_Lumix_DMC_TZ10_ZS7/index.shtml#GPS
2- Feedback from others in a forum : http://www.cameralabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20379&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=dmczs7&start=0&sid=d848f6e0849dca2ec0337f47b48f0b5a
3- and discussion of veritical smears: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/jvc-gy-hm100-camcorder/379708-vertical-smear-fireworks-display.html
oh, and just taken delivery of a TZ-10. I convinced folks at my office that my team *needs* one........should be a bonus for weekends taping.....got a nice little 16gb card in that one too....
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regarding #3.
Not only is the vertical smear viable but so is lens flare. the people in the forum do a good job explaining the vertical smear issue. I think many cameras will have this problem unless you get a very expensive camera and then you'll have issues of lens flare.
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Need quickhelp! Video and audio smashing pumpkins right now. First time with the Lumix.
It's in auto but keeps jumping between settings.
Best setting for a show with lots of lights like this, and quickest way to set them?
Thanks
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Also, bass cabs are vibrating even the cement wall I'm clamped to. Any steady feature?
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Fuck me.
Just had an impromptu interview with Billy Corgan! Talked about open taping and the digital era of music, what's workin and what's not.
But somehow deleted it from the cam. Anyway to retrieve off the card??? Mac user
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Need quickhelp! Video and audio smashing pumpkins right now. First time with the Lumix.
It's in auto but keeps jumping between settings.
Best setting for a show with lots of lights like this, and quickest way to set them?
Thanks
Prob a bit late for you but it's supposed to switch settings in auto mode (IA), it changes depending on the current lighting conditions.
But somehow deleted it from the cam. Anyway to retrieve off the card??? Mac user
There's plenty of 'data retrieval' progs out there, so you should be able to get your data back - as long as you do it before writing anything else to the card! I use this one http://www.stellarinfo.com - I think they have something for mac users. Good luck.
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Need quickhelp! Video and audio smashing pumpkins right now. First time with the Lumix.
It's in auto but keeps jumping between settings.
Best setting for a show with lots of lights like this, and quickest way to set them?
Thanks
Prob a bit late for you but it's supposed to switch settings in auto mode (IA), it changes depending on the current lighting conditions.
But somehow deleted it from the cam. Anyway to retrieve off the card??? Mac user
There's plenty of 'data retrieval' progs out there, so you should be able to get your data back - as long as you do it before writing anything else to the card! I use this one http://www.stellarinfo.com - I think they have something for mac users. Good luck.
Much appreciated. I'll give it a shot!
Any suggestions for future settings?
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Need quickhelp! Video and audio smashing pumpkins right now. First time with the Lumix.
It's in auto but keeps jumping between settings.
Best setting for a show with lots of lights like this, and quickest way to set them?
Thanks
Prob a bit late for you but it's supposed to switch settings in auto mode (IA), it changes depending on the current lighting conditions.
But somehow deleted it from the cam. Anyway to retrieve off the card??? Mac user
There's plenty of 'data retrieval' progs out there, so you should be able to get your data back - as long as you do it before writing anything else to the card! I use this one http://www.stellarinfo.com - I think they have something for mac users. Good luck.
i tried the stellar phoenix free version to see if i could recover anything and it looked promising. i ponied up the $80 to recover what they listed.
but... it didn't actually recover any video files. it did recover a handful of .jpg's but when i go to open them, they're corrupted and won't open.
frustrating.
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I'm not sure why you're having probs, if I have to recover something I just do a standard scan then select the files to recover from the list, I guess that's as you did?
Here's a typical screenshot of .mts file recovery, in this case with 2 files selected
(http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/3051/image1vr.jpg)
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Yup. That's what I did. The jpg's showed up in the preview window and the mts files showed up as just binary.
I did a full recovery. The mts files didn't transfer at all and the jpg's were corrupted and wouldn't open.
Might have to call tech support.
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Finally was able to retrieve the .mts file this morning!
This is the video I shot talking to Billy after the show, interesting comments, I think. I wish all artists thought like him.
I guess my original thanking him for allowing open taping and his reply: "Oh, yeah! No problem." was corrupted or I didn't hit record in time. But the ensuing discussion was just a great thing to finally hear a big artist say, in person no less. Just glad I was recording before he really dove in.
My video of the show is pretty decent except for some "shake" from the sub cabinets rocking the cement I was clamped to. Is there an app that can possibly stabilize it a bit?
Audio of Less Than Jake and SP is solid. It will be up on archive.org this weekend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUo0E28uFzY&sns=em
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Glad to see you were able to retrieve the video. There are some plug-in's for reducing cam movement but all they really do is blur the image slightly, I've never seen an example of one that has substantially improved any footage. Maybe others have had better results?
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There really isn't a whole lot you can do about the kind of shake you're talking about. The so-called "de-shaker" programs can help you out with a video where you are moving your camera around a bit, but actual shaking caused by reverberations (thumping bass drum, for example) tends to be very quick and the video itself is blurry during those portions and there isn't anything that can fix blurry video.
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Your best bet in a situation like that is to simply do a hand held shot. Your body can absorb the thump of the bass and drums and if you can maintain a fairly steady hand, you can still get a decent video.
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This is the video I shot talking to Billy after the show, interesting comments, I think. I wish all artists thought like him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUo0E28uFzY&sns=em
I like his point about needing to get digital music selling at the point where the cost wouldn't be a deterent (eg 25c a song) so as to encourage more people to sample songs. Currently if I hear about an artist or a new song that I like then I'll generally download the album (illegally) to sample more. If it would only cost me a couple of dollars to instead download legally then I'd be happy to do that to support the artist. I know there's hipocrosy in that but hey :)
Just uploaded a video shot with the TZ7 that probably has some of the best sound I've heard from the hundreds of gig recordings I've done with this camera. Not sure what was special about this gig but just sounds great. Vid is a local band Kooii during a funky jam. The occasional pops are from the right speaker on stage which eventually cut out and had to be replaced.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWazRvrWMtA
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Worked up a better handsfree pendent mount fitting the ZS3/7 models, and maybe some (untried) same size-similar LUMIX models.
(http://www.sonicstudios.com/ZS-Pendent 1.jpg)
Intriqued by low cost, high feature quantity (including external stereo input jack) of the LUMIX DMC-FZ100 CMOS chip model motivated another <$400 camera purchase. FZ100 does HD 1080i video and a lot of other useful stuff. So made a pendent mount fitting this camera and some external mic mixer modules, but honestly find the camera a bit too big as a primary go-anywhere documentary tool like I've found with using the ZS3 sized models.
(http://www.sonicstudios.com/silver101rig.jpg)
Did do a lot of test videos using FZ100 with/without external mics and/or externally fed audio.
(http://www.sonicstudios.com/FrntCloseVertDetail_697.jpg)
Lot's of fun stuff to view and consider posted about these cameras at www.sonicstudios.com/videomic.htm (http://www.sonicstudios.com/videomic.htm)
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After transferring files to your HD, there's a lot of folders and random files associated with the video.
AVCHD >
AVCHDTN >
THUMB
BDMV >
crap >
STREAM >
MTS Files
IISVPL
VPL Files
What are all these folders/files used for? Can I delete everything but keep the MTS files and store them how I like?
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After transferring files to your HD, there's a lot of folders and random files associated with the video.
AVCHD > (cut)
What are all these folders/files used for? Can I delete everything but keep the MTS files and store them how I like?
Waiting for someone knowing the why of these files, but can report just copying the (uncopy coded like out of a camera) .MT2 file of interest into an editor with no problems with video or audio.
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I'm getting tired of the GL2 and miniDV tapes and want something more compact and easy to work with (HD as well)...and so my research has brought me to this Lumix model.
However I hear that ZS3 is discontinued, is the next best idea to purchase the ZS7? Are there any issues or drawbacks with the new model?
Any places that have a good price? Canadian stores?
Thanks in advanced.
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New model is out soon, ZS10/TZ20 - better zoom (16x optical) and full HD.
http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Panasonic_Lumix_DMC_TZ20_ZS10/verdict.shtml
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I'm getting tired of the GL2 and miniDV tapes and want something more compact and easy to work with (HD as well)...and so my research has brought me to this Lumix model.
However I hear that ZS3 is discontinued, is the next best idea to purchase the ZS7? Are there any issues or drawbacks with the new model?
Any places that have a good price? Canadian stores?
Thanks in advanced.
I own a TZ7/ZS3 but got a scratch on the lens so recently bought a TZ10/ZS7. The added benefit of manual settings in the TZ10 is something (about the only thing) that was sorely missing from the TZ7. Use of the manual settings allow me to take a photo like this which I think is not bad for a cheap point and shoot.
(http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184267_500762191021_607776021_6675236_6431212_n.jpg)
The TZ10 also comes with GPS capabilities which I have no use for.
I bought my TZ10 from duty free store in Brisbane Australia which had (have?) them on special for AUD$399.
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Well now I am starting to second guess myself if I should move up to the 'camcorder' category. A major reason is the zoom, I really like doing slow zoom ins and closeups and lead-in/out zooms.
Do these Lumix models have a manual zoom setting (slow/medium/pressure sensitive?) or does the zoom move quickly?
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Zoom speed is pressure sensitive for photos but seems automatic for video, it's fairly slow & smooth tho'.
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The Lumix is a great camera, but I do find myself getting frustrated with the zoom at times. It's smooth but starts rather abruptly.
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Picked up the zs3 from craigs list today! I have been looking for a replacement to the one I lost last year and I'd glad to have found one at an affordable price considering it is now discontinued.
This camera has firmware 1.2 so I don't think the generic batteries works, is that true? Has anyone been able to revert to version 1.1 to allow the generic batteries to work?
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Picked up the zs3 from craigs list today! I have been looking for a replacement to the one I lost last year and I'd glad to have found one at an affordable price considering it is now discontinued.
This camera has firmware 1.2 so I don't think the generic batteries works, is that true? Has anyone been able to revert to version 1.1 to allow the generic batteries to work?
I've not had any problems running generic batteries with ver 1.2 and I've got about 5 which are all different. I think ver 1.3 is the latest but I've not bothered upgrading to that. The Panasonic website says that firmware can't be downgraded but there are users who have been able to do this just by running the 1.1 firmware update - the hard part is finding a copy. The generic batteries can be bought fairly cheaply now so could be worth trying?
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Thanks for the info! glad to know it was 1.3 which started the elimination of generic batteries.
Here is a generic one from b&h for $20: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/630359-REG/Pearstone_DMW_BCG10_DMW_BCG10_Lithium_Ion_Battery_Pack.html
The specs rate it a little lower than the one I currently have but that's expected.
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Well in terms of capacity, the std Panasonic battery I have is 895mAh, but I have clone batteries ranging between 895-1250mAh and tbh haven't noticed any difference between them, in terms of how long they last.
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http://www.youtube.com/user/polewka123?feature=mhee#g/u
Been filming quite a lot of shows with mine over the last 12 months.
Very happy with it, stills for gigs are great.
To be honest I use it mosty for shows, and very little else.
Off to check out the TZ20 now......thanks for the link.
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Well in terms of capacity, the std Panasonic battery I have is 895mAh, but I have clone batteries ranging between 895-1250mAh and tbh haven't noticed any difference between them, in terms of how long they last.
$20 seems pretty fair for the one I linked. Can you post any sites that you've purchased batteries from?
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Has anyone figured out how to lower the brightness of the LCD screen of the ZS7? There was a menu setting on the ZS3 that you could adjust, but from all the reading of the user guide and searching the internet, I have not found any information that would let me do the same thing on the ZS7. I have tried the LCD MODE and LCD POWER SAVE settings, but to no effect. I also let the camera record for 15 minutes straight and it was still at normal brightness.
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http://www.youtube.com/user/polewka123?feature=mhee#g/u
Been filming quite a lot of shows with mine over the last 12 months.
Very happy with it, stills for gigs are great.
To be honest I use it mosty for shows, and very little else.
Off to check out the TZ20 now......thanks for the link.
I see you taped some recoil! AWESOME!
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Impressed by what I've read here and seen on the linked Youtube clips, I picked up a ZS-3 last week.
I've only done a short video test (family in bright light) but when I play the footage back through my TV it doesn't look very HD - in fact it has many of the "mottling" artefacts that I associate with SD material being played on a HD screen.
I've got it set to record in "SH AVCHD-lite" and the output setting on the camera is for 720p, TV aspect 16:9. I'm using a HDMI lead that has given fine results outputting from my dedicated Panasonic HD cam to the same TV.
I've not looked at the footage on the computer yet but I'm a bit underwhelmed thus far. Just wondering if I'm doing anything wrong as the footage that I've seen online (even that recorded under much darker conditions) looks much better.
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Impressed by what I've read here and seen on the linked Youtube clips, I picked up a ZS-3 last week.
I've only done a short video test (family in bright light) but when I play the footage back through my TV it doesn't look very HD - in fact it has many of the "mottling" artefacts that I associate with SD material being played on a HD screen.
I've got it set to record in "SH AVCHD-lite" and the output setting on the camera is for 720p, TV aspect 16:9. I'm using a HDMI lead that has given fine results outputting from my dedicated Panasonic HD cam to the same TV.
I've not looked at the footage on the computer yet but I'm a bit underwhelmed thus far. Just wondering if I'm doing anything wrong as the footage that I've seen online (even that recorded under much darker conditions) looks much better.
Just curious - why did you opt for the ZS3 when there are such nice 1080p options available now (at pretty close to the same price)?
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It was available (possibly refurbished) at a good reduction - and it was a known quantity: I knew I'd be happy if I could achieve the results other people had done with the same camera.
And here in the UK I'd be looking at paying at least 50-100% more for a similarly spec'd name brand 1080p model.
Then again, I'm in a spendy kind of place - any particular models you would recommend?
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any particular models you would recommend?
Absolutely - the Sony DSC HX9V.
Here's a thread: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=144982.0;all
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Absolutely - the Sony DSC HX9V.
Here's a thread: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=144982.0;all
Weird - I alread had a window open checking out the HX9V when I read this...
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Just wanted to find this thread and revisit.
Over 220 clips on my YouTube Channel now...all done with this camera....loving it to be honest.
I have access to (via work) 2 x TZ10's (comes in handy so I can borrow the batteries and cards for festivals), but they don't film so 'warm', I'm not a tech head so maybe you catch my drift....
Think the best example I've got on the Channel of how it captures is here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udXKyVki12s&feature=plcp&context=C3a9d725UPOEgsToPDskLfDZW-n2JDLewiXRcLJ4rm
Gonna run this camera until it dies I think....
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I can't say i like the music but the video and even the audio is great. The zs3 is pretty amazing even though its rather old now days.
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I've been using a ZS3 alongside an Sanyo Xacti HD2000. Despite the Sanyo's (much) better specs, the ZS3 consistently gives a much more pleasing result - certainly in gig conditions. And the audio is great - I always feel safe that even if my external recording went wrong, the camera audio would be a more than adequate backup.
It's one of the best purchases I've ever made and would buy another in heartbeat. Just hate the fact that the new versions have that 15min recording limit
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Just wanted to find this thread and revisit.
Over 220 clips on my YouTube Channel now...all done with this camera....loving it to be honest.
I have access to (via work) 2 x TZ10's (comes in handy so I can borrow the batteries and cards for festivals), but they don't film so 'warm', I'm not a tech head so maybe you catch my drift....
Think the best example I've got on the Channel of how it captures is here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udXKyVki12s&feature=plcp&context=C3a9d725UPOEgsToPDskLfDZW-n2JDLewiXRcLJ4rm
Gonna run this camera until it dies I think....
I love my ZS3 and am am seriously considering buying a second one (used) in case the first one dies! :-) Once I learned how to make a few adjustments (mainly exposure), have had some GREAT captures. btw, like your YouTube video. Are you using the default exposure setting?
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I also think the ZS3 is a great camera for shooting concert footage, but... (and this is a big BUT)... it doesn't shoot full HD. For me - that's a show stopper.
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I also think the ZS3 is a great camera for shooting concert footage, but... (and this is a big BUT)... it doesn't shoot full HD. For me - that's a show stopper.
I know what you're saying but it does cope with low light beautifully and mine cost me about half of what a DSC HX9V would've cost - it's a pretty good compromise if (like me) video is secondary to the audio.
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I've been using a ZS3 to record music around Austin for a couple years now (about 700 videos) and my complaints are few:
1) vertical flair from bright lights (I avoid the lights mostly and zoom more than I would otherwise.)
2) zoom is jerky (really have to go easy on the zoom lever)
The audio from this little camera is fantastic! The 12X zoom is perfect for the smaller venues that I frequent.
Here's the first video that I shot with my camera, it's handheld, but I use a monopod for almost everything I shoot now. Check out my channel for more vids.
You Shook Me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOoLu9CJ7a0)
The only "accessories" I carry for the camera are a little piece of foam I use as a wind shield for the mics, and a plastic, frozen orange juice can stuffed with foam that I will use to isolate the monopod foot in really loud clubs.
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Has anyone used a 64gb card in this camera? Lkg to record a long show, 3+ hours and wasn't sure if a 32gb would suffice.
And any suggestions for a small tabletop tripod? Lkg at the manfrotto http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/754229-REG/Manfrotto_MP1_C01_MP1_C01_Small_Pocket_Support.html and the Joby http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/821600-REG/Joby_GP15_01AM_GorillaPod_Micro_250_Tripod.html I'll possibly have a seat with a table.
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I'll possibly have a seat with a table.
I've set my videocam down on a table and thought I was golden...until the guy sitting a few seats down from me decided the table was now his drum.
I'm not trying to rain on your parade....but you know what they say about the best layed plans...
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Yeah, there's ALWAYS someone in front who will lean to the side, even though they have a clear view, and block your camera view
(http://i45.tinypic.com/x3iuxl.jpg)
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My previous P&S camera was 4MP, slow and basically outdated. After scanning this thread I decided to go for a ZS8. Seems to be the new big brother to the ZS3. I'm more interested in using this as a P&S camera, but good video is a big plus. I'll be putting it through the paces for both still and video this weekend. I don't care about audio, I have an open rig for that, I'm hoping to make a montage of a fest over a couple of songs with pics and video overlayed. I'll report back.
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Is this model still a good option nowadays? I'm toying with the idea of getting a camcorder but a digital camera does have some benefits it must be said.
Also, how do these perform in low light? I mainly frequent bars and small clubs and have noticed more and more of them seem to be somewhat dimly lit.
Thanks!
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I find that, if anything, the "intelligent auto" setting on the ZS3 tends to over-expose some areas.
This video is from an averagely lit small venue, the two static cameras are ZS3s set to intelligent auto. Any zooming or panning was done in post and so has taken a toll on the picture quality:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB3mym7cZDo
I'm very happy with low-light performance - just need to really work on the manual settings to avoid the over-exposure...
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I find that, if anything, the "intelligent auto" setting on the ZS3 tends to over-expose some areas.
This video is from an averagely lit small venue, the two static cameras are ZS3s set to intelligent auto. Any zooming or panning was done in post and so has taken a toll on the picture quality:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB3mym7cZDo
I'm very happy with low-light performance - just need to really work on the manual settings to avoid the over-exposure...
I got rid of my ZS3 a while back, but I remember that it was really easy to switch over to manual exposure and knock it down a few notches - which was something I always did when using it to shoot concert footage except for maybe when I was in low-lit clubs.
It might be the top button of the four on the back that go around in a circle around the center menu button. But you might have to use a different setting other than intelligent auto for that option to work. I just can't remember now.
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I find that, if anything, the "intelligent auto" setting on the ZS3 tends to over-expose some areas.
This video is from an averagely lit small venue, the two static cameras are ZS3s set to intelligent auto. Any zooming or panning was done in post and so has taken a toll on the picture quality:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB3mym7cZDo
I'm very happy with low-light performance - just need to really work on the manual settings to avoid the over-exposure...
I got rid of my ZS3 a while back, but I remember that it was really easy to switch over to manual exposure and knock it down a few notches - which was something I always did when using it to shoot concert footage except for maybe when I was in low-lit clubs.
It might be the top button of the four on the back that go around in a circle around the center menu button. But you might have to use a different setting other than intelligent auto for that option to work. I just can't remember now.
Yeah it is top button above the menu button on the back. I usually use a scene mode to record in.. not sure if there's too much difference between a lot of them I usually go for night mode. Just checked and you can adjust the exposure in that mode.
Thanks for pointing that out because I have had the same issue in the past and didn't think of it. It also prompted me to play with manual exposure on my TZ10 and I've realised now I can achieve a much wider range of effects than I thought I'd been restricted too. May actually be able to get some nice night sky shots now! We just had a big night of fireworks too so have some plans to capture some longer exposure shots of those in future.
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Thanks guys - will definitely experiment with the scene modes and exposure next time I'm out.