HDR-CX350V

[Dave T]

Hi!

I am a proud new owner of an HDR-CX350V. I'm a video newbie, and am looking for more information than is provided in the manual. Is there any more info on how to use this camera? For example, what exactly is "iAuto"? That isn't even mentioned in the manual (I'm referring to the "Operating Guide)! Is there a more extensive manual around somewhere that gets into more detail about the operatino of the camera?

Thanks.

- Dave

[acgold7]

Have you checked the CD-ROM that came with the cam? These days Sony has at least two different documents, one called the Operating Guide but another called the HandyCam Handbook.

Edit: Just downloaded both docs and while the Operating Guide is inscrutably silent on iAuto is or what it does, it's explained fully on page 24 of the Handycam Handbook. Why they feel the need to break this up into two different docs is beyond me.

[Dave T]

Thanks!!

That clears up a lot. I didn't even know that the "Handycam Handbook" existed. When I put in the CD, the only thing that gets installed is PMB. You have to manually run "Handbook.exe" to install the handbook, and it won't even install if you're not an administrator.

So about "iAuto" - is there any reason to ever turn this off during normal use? For example, I care a lot about maximum stabilization. Would I be better off setting "SteadiShot", or will iAuto give me all the stabilization I need?

- Dave

[Stephan]

Hello, welcome to the forum!

The purpose of iAuto is to be even more automatic than automatic. Like whiter-than-white detergent. It does activate image stabilization (among other things), so you needn't worry about that.

Shooting iAuto or not isn't related to stabilization in particular. It's an overall shooting style decision that you need to take with this cam:

• If you choose iAuto, you can barely modify any setting. Just set iAuto, press Record, press Stop, and don't worry about anything because the camcorder won't let you change anything essentially.
• If you wish to set individual settings like those listed on page 25, then iAuto is deactivated, and off you go down the rabbit hole.

[Dave T]

Thanks. So is there any reason to ever turn off auto and/or use any of the other individual functions?

[Stephan]

Aahhh... Automatic vs. manual, computer vs. human decision... Tough question.

Let me put it this way: the reason why you would turn iAuto off, or use individual settings, is because you would like to be in control yourself (instead of letting the cam decide for everything). Why / when would you do that? At that precise moment when you feel dissatisfied with the automatic behavior and decide to take control.

Sounds vague enough? ;-) Well, I can hardly be more specific because it's everyone's individual learning path. Here's why - 3 suggestions for your next steps...

1. Train your eye. Watch your video closely. Do you find it satisfying enough? Watch videos on YouTube or Vimeo, like those that we share in the Video showcase & feedback forum. Watch professional video (documentaries, TV newscast, field reports). Compare all this. Now, is there anything you want to improve in your video? Make a prioritized list. Don't be hasty, it does take time to realize there is something you want to improve. Or maybe you won't, because maybe you shoot family & kids video, and I can assure you - family don't care about video quality (that's alright though), they only want to have a good time. Who doesn't? :-)

Okay, so you have found something you want to improve, and you're ready to engage into specific settings to fix that?

2. If you're not already familiar with those things, get some essential training about photography. Like focus, shutter speed, iris, f-stops, exposure, zoom, focal length... What they mean and how they impact the picture. Either a small book, or maybe just start with Wikipedia. I've checked their article about exposure for instance, and it seems quite fine for a start.

More food for thought?

3. Read the 2 articles that I wrote: About Friends of HD Video and HDR-FX7 tutorial. They're not directly related to your camcorder (so there are some advanced features and adjustments that you won't find in your cam and about 50% of the FX7 tutorial won't apply to you), but at least there's a whole bunch of things and keywords that are quite general in scope and will give you plenty of ideas for research and reading. Caveat: you will also find in the FX7 tutorial that I am very much in favor of 'manual exposure', whereas Adam instead is very much in favor of 'auto' for instance. That's quite alright, it's that point when you reach individual shooting styles which are bound to differ depending on specific situations and constraints. Puts some spice in the discussion ;-)

So in short: only engage specific settings because you're convinced you need to, and that's why step 1. is critically important.

Ooops... And 4. We're here to discuss along the way!

Makes sense?

[Doughie]

Thanks. So is there any reason to ever turn off auto and/or use any of the other individual functions?

Absolutely! It really depends how enthusiastic you get about video and taking it, and if you want to be a little more creative, then thats the time that you may want to take the camera off iAuto and change a few settings. Really, these cams are very good on their "auto everything' settings, but in photography and video, if you really start to get interested in it, and how the camera takes the shots it takes, then you will start to take more control and use manual settings more. In a cam like the CX350, there is relatively restricted amount of things you can control, but it's a start! Why not go through the menu, read the manual (easy PDF download for almost any manual - just google for a PDF file for your camera if you dont have the manual) and spend a bit of time playing around with some of the settings. It's fun, it's creative, and you will get a better idea of what situations you may want to take the machine off iAuto.

[acgold7]

So just to be argumentative, I'll take a little different position than Doughie: There's little if any reason to turn iAuto off. Especially in the early days, when the most essential thing is to learn how to compose your shots and move (or more appropriately, not move) the cam, you should let this brilliant little device make most of the decisions for you, as they will usually be close to correct and result in the best looking picture in most situations.

I'm a big fan of auto. Just like I prefer an automatic transmission in my car so I can focus on steering rather than shifting gears and possibly destroying a very expensive clutch.

As you get more comfortable with the cam you can experiment with the other presets or even full manual settings.

[Dave T]

Another question about this camera. I just noticed that it doesn't seem to have a LANC connection. I have a Sony tripod, and with my old Sony camcorder, I'd hook the tripod up to the camera with the LANC connector, which allowed me to control things like zoom and record on/off from the tripod. Is this not something you can do with this camera?

[acgold7]

Yes, the newer Sonys control LANC via the AV port. You can buy a conversion cable at B&H, like the one pictured on the left.