HC-7 Photo Image Quality

[ScubaBob92651]

For those interested in the image quality of the Sony HC-7 in Photo Mode, I've attached a sample image taken this weekend. The first is a severly downsized 640x360 version (original is 2848x1602), and the second is a 1600x1200 (cropped) version in a zip file.

 

[HiDefPics]

Wow. I only looked at the small one ... but that's pretty sharp.

 

[drbill]

Bob,

I've found that the HC-7 produces some great stills... and some awful stills if you are capturing them on the fly. A number of mine are half frame captures.

To get the best stills (not the highest resolution, but the cleanest ones I can capture) I have to do it in my video editor and capture at 1280x720 resolution. Many of them are fantastic!

Have you had the problem with stills captured on-the-fly not resulted in full frame images, but in half frame (say top half of the subject captured only, bottom half black)?

Other than that, the HC-7 has been functioning pretty well now that I've found ways to overcome the limitations imposed by my lighting system and housing.

 

[ScubaBob92651]

Bob,

Have you had the problem with stills captured on-the-fly not resulted in full frame images, but in half frame (say top half of the subject captured only, bottom half black)?

Do you mean something like this attached image? I've gotten this a couple times, but usually my stills are too blurry. I've only taken about 15 stills since I've got the housing (didn't have a memory card until then.) I've never had it so half (bottom or top) of the frame is completely black (I've seen this happen on some bad captures of HDV footage, but I've always been able to recapture and it's fine.) Other issues I have had are forgetting to turn off the flash before I lock up the housing...

 

[drbill]

Not sure... Mine are about 1/2 to 1/3 black usually at the bottom of the frame. I'll see if I kept any and post them.

Some of the images for my most recent newspaper columns (see my web site) below are stills captured (and downsized) from the HC-7. It can produce some real nice results.

Discovered as I was editing today's footage that somehow the camera shifted into manual focus, so most of my footage (anything beyond about 10-14") is unusable. I can't see the manual focus icon in my LCD so I'll have to remember to check my viewfinder. This happened once before and it took me two days to realize what had happened! Probably not the fault of the camera, possibly the controller electronics in my housing.

 

[ScubaBob92651]

Are you doing frame grabs from hdv footage or stills recorded to memory stick? If they are frame grabs it sounds like a capture issue.

 

[limeyx]

Do you mean something like this attached image? I've gotten this a couple times, but usually my stills are too blurry. I've only taken about 15 stills since I've got the housing (didn't have a memory card until then.) I've never had it so half (bottom or top) of the frame is completely black (I've seen this happen on some bad captures of HDV footage, but I've always been able to recapture and it's fine.) Other issues I have had are forgetting to turn off the flash before I lock up the housing...

If the stills (pulled off of the video -- not the ones taken with the Still mode) are blurry, you need to de-interlace them (since they will be the result of two frames in time)

I use Photoshop elements. Import the image file, go to "Filter" | "Video" | "Deinterlace"

and they will look a lot better.

Never seen the 1/3 or 1/2 black frame issue on my FX1

 

[ScubaBob92651]

If the stills (pulled off of the video -- not the ones taken with the Still mode) are blurry, you need to de-interlace them (since they will be the result of two frames in time)

I use Photoshop elements. Import the image file, go to "Filter" | "Video" | "Deinterlace"

and they will look a lot better.

Never seen the 1/3 or 1/2 black frame issue on my FX1

Yeah, I've just been using the stills, not frame grabs. I guess deinterlacing a frame grab makes sense, hadn't thought of that (and I've been shooting 720p up until I switched to the HC-7) Thanks for tip!