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watch prety birdies

W

wheatgrinder

Some humming birds... shot this weekend on my porch. Interesting how at half speed they are still very fast..

This is an example of the 60i conformed to 30p slomo method.

You can also see some of the rolling shutter jello in this shot, right around 1:24

also, this is my first experiment with EXTRA wide screen.. I'm still not exactly sure what I'm doing.. what sizes.. but this looks good


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="1280" height="745"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qo4QcQwR8ZE&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qo4QcQwR8ZE&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="1280" height="745"></embed></object>
 
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Noobie question from the back! *waves arm*


This is the second time I've heard about "rolling shutter". I watched the video, and didn't notice anything different around 1:24 from the rest....what is "rolling shutter" and what should I be "looking" for? Is it a good/bad thing?

As for the footage, beautiful, beautiful stuff. Colours are nice and vibrant. Neat to see the "slowed" wings, and even then they are fast (how slow do they shoot on Nat. Geographic type films in comparison?)
 
hehe.. from one noobie to another..

This is the first time Iv seen "jello" in my footage..

With cmos sensor and the consumer level technology in my HD cam the way the sensor is scanned and turned into data is the problem.. ... its not a problem with high end cmos cams like RED (so I read)

Check the net for the technical.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_shutter

In my footage, as the bird fly's away right around that time, pay close attention to how the wings seem to GROW and bend in funny ways..


Slow mo is fun, but consumer cams don't have a lot of options.. my camera records at one of two frame rates, 60i or 24p (there's way too much about 60i and 24p on the net.. so good luck figuring that out! )

in short, that faster the frame rate the better the slow mo. Or the slower you can go and still have smooth motion. I think NG films and what not, likely have VERY high frame rates, presumably in the order of 1000's to get that beautiful smooth slomo... Now, us noobies do have options, the technique I used gets pretty good looking slomo but only at half speed. (the interaction between interlaced frame rate, the conforming to 30p and the time stretch work together very well to make this smooth look, its a physics thing.. but if you change any of those inputs the output will not look good.

You can do a LOT in software that can mimic (create frames based on motion analysis between two frames.. think of a frame to frame morphing.. ) etc.. I saw a really cool plug in that does some neat things with slowmo... pretty much ANYTHING is possible.. just need time and money..
 
Had to watch a few times, but I can see now what you mean about "jello" effect- I wouldn't have noticed it otherwise, so you can take as a compliment! (The other reference I heard about this was in another thread about camera, and a certain camera had "rolling shutter issues", I didn't know what that meant. I do now, thank you!:)

Time? Money? What are those things?;)

The more I use my camera (consumer type), and more I learn, the more I see things where I say "Dang it, if it only did this/had this/made world peace". But my canon works well enough for now-I am trying to decide when I "upgrade", what a good "step up" model would be( I currently have a Canon 930 zr)-I don't have 3 grand to put on a high model yet.

That sounds like a neat plug in, I should check it out.

How often do the hummingbirds come by your home?
 
Tin, thats that seems like the best approach to me. I wish I had stuck with my SD for a bit longer, I might have decided to go DSLR or save up for a prosumer cam. As a tool that does double duty, home video cam, and movie hobby, I LOVE MY CANON.

For the critical eye, look at the smear on the one "flower" thats in the light.. I didn't clean my optics before I started! (stupid noob!)

There was a goodly amount of grime on my UV filter, which I suspect is the cause of that..

And when you have kids this cute.. you HAVE to make home movies.. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="1280" height="745"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ONX3tqcvw3o&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ONX3tqcvw3o&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="1280" height="745"></embed></object>
 
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Stunning image. Isn't if funny how things in nature can almost look unnatural in their beauty? Makes me wish I didn't live in the concrete jungle (not the first time I've thought that).

Maybe I can go down to the alley and find a nice rat to do some slow-mo practice on, lol.

PS: that is a cute kid, you're not kidding :)
 
Just one of my collection of six! All of equal cuteness. Feel the pain of my seven year old son, we live in a pink heaven! Poor kid, I got him a heavy bag (punching bag) for Christmas, we BOTH need it, frequently!

Birds are great urban dwellers. Set up some feeders, bird seed, etc on your balcony, and once they find you...they'll keep coming back. For my shot, I just set up the cam, sat on a nice deck chair about 5 feet away from the cam. Close enough I could see the LCD, and used the remote to run the cam. Very pleasant late afternoon, just watching the sun go down, the birds didn't seem to care about the cam, which was just about 2 feet away from the feeder. The one spot in the footage where the little guy looks at the cam is very cute.. he just checks it out and moves on.. .
 
Yeah I put seeds out on the window ledge when it's warm. I actually do it for the cats, they love to try and hunt the birds.

Unfortunately all I get are ugly gray deformed pigeons :( Who wants to save that for posterity...
 
well, the little guys need dependability, they are creatures of habit, especially in the winter, most urban birds don't migrate, they just hang out at places were they KNOW the food is coming so be that food supply.

Also, hummingbird feeders are pretty much ONLY for hummers.. you can also get other small seed feeders that hang free like that, pigeons are too big, it swings around, nor can they get a foothold.. key is in the shell black sunflower seeds (cheapest feed too!)

http://www.shawcreekbirdsupply.com/discourage_species.htm
 
Nice link, thanks :) I used to have a feeder but it fell off in a storm (it was just suctioned on). Maybe I can find something more sturdy. I'd hang it on the fire escape but I don't think my neighbors would appreciate a bunch of bird droppings all of a sudden. lol
 
Wow, I thought I was the only one that can go "ADD" from time to time...

I don't feel so alone now ;)

Well, if we are talking where we live comparitively...I live out in the country in a small town. A lot of flat land around. We don't get hummingbirds or rats-some squirrels, and I've seen the odd raccoon-maybe I need to see if my cat feels like a playmate ;)


In regards to jelly, and the OT, like I said, I wouldn't have noticed it if you hadn't mentioned it (and even then I had to look-probably it was so quick)-great, now I'll look for that "roll" when I'm watching TV! Seriously, is roll usually that quick, or can it really exaggerate?


BTW, the humming bird changed after the first few seconds-continuity alert! :lol: Yea I know you cut it :)

As far as the camera question I brought up(and maybe I'll bring up in another thread), but I don't know how "high" I should set the next bar-I'm not working for any production companies, but I would like to get someting with a wider angle(course just 35 mm) to get that next part of the "movie" look as it were.

I'll have to see your of the kid later, isn't coming in for me :(
 
Humming birds in real time with sound

here is the orginal footage (plus more) that I used for the slow mo.. it has sound..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
<object width="1280" height="745"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uGkRGB4rEcc&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uGkRGB4rEcc&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="1280" height="745"></embed></object>
 
Hey Wheatgrinder,

Very good job on that shot, man.

I can just hear Oprah Winfrey's voice over on it for the Life show on the Discovery Channel.

It looks fantastic.

I think it's funny that the bird finally realizes he doesn't need to fly to get to the flower. He just lands to eat.
 
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Thanks,
I set up the cam on a lark (hey thats a pun).. the sound gear was in the other room. Every time I went to go get the external mics, the birds would show up.. I may try this again, just to see if I can capture that sound any better..
 
Credits goes to (in this order)

God (subject is everything)
My mortgage broker (my house is in an awesome place)
Canon (makers of my beloved hfs100)
Ebay (tripod, lens filters, hood, and other widgets)
www.indietalk.com (now I understand frame rate and shutter speed)
 
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