7
the knob allows us to rack focus between two
differently spaced subjects
.
iii.
The lens has a good image stabilizer that can be controlled by touching
[FUNC]
then scrolling down to
[IMAGE STABILIZER]
. Dynamic
mode is for walking-and-shooting while Normal is for static shots.
Note:
Press and hold the physical button “
Powered IS
” (located on the LCD
flip out)
while zoomed in
to get a rock-steady image stabilization.
iv.
The
viewfinder
must be pulled out to be active. It has a lever for
magnification adjustment, allowing closer or more distant viewing.
*
Using this instead of the LCD can really extend battery life and helps
when working in bright sunlight.
F) Audio Levels
:
To set input levels, touch
[FUNC]
then touch
[Mic Level]
. Now choose
Manual Mode. When using manual, touch the arrows
[<] [>]
to increase or
decrease the input level from the mic. Auto Mode uses a compressor that ends up
increasing the background noise floor. I recommend using Manual Mode.
i.
Think of the meter as displaying how much room you have in volume
before the audio distorts. The closer you get to 0dB, the louder your
audio will be.
Try to keep it around -12, only momentarily
getting higher
(into the yellow bars) on the loudest parts of your
scene. Use the meter. Trust it, but above all, use your ears (which are
in your headphones, of course). In general, you want to keep your
audio meter lit around half-way. Any less could be too thin sounding
later; too much more and it will get close to distorting and become
unusable.
ii.
The camera has a decent stereo mic onboard, but if you’re using an
external mic, (the only way to
control
your sound) you’ll need to
ensure that mic has a new battery inside (condenser mics need power)
and then connect the mic to the BeachTek DXA-2T XLR adapter. Screw
the BeachTek into the camera’s tripod mount and then mount a tripod
beneath the BeachTek, if you’re using one. Once you’ve mounted the
BeachTek with the volume knobs at the rear of the camera, do the
following:
continued on next page . . .
Summary of Contents for Vixia HF S21
Page 2: ...2 Parts and Functions ...
