Re: Offset View Finder on PXL

[RedElvis@aol.com]

hi clark,



>If I center an image of a person's head in the PXL viewfinder, >when I play

it back, most of a person's head is cut off, so I 

>have to aim real low. 



you're running into the same problem i first noticed when i started using a

pixelvision.  i too thought my camera was screwed up.



the problem is that the viewfinder physically sits above the lens and is

direct view.  a concept as sophisticated as a reflex lens is beyond laughable

in this world - we're lucky we have lighting l.e.d.s.



which is to say the problem lies with viewing in parallax.  on long shots,

the view finder will give you the same picture as you'll film (or more

precisely, there is no discernable difference).  on close shots, you'll cut

off the tops of the images you try to film - you tend to notice this most on

close-ups.  therefore, you have to compensate; aiming down the side of the

camera works, but i do it just by experimentation and make mental notes of

when things are off.  with a little bit of practice, you can get spot-on

right.  



i'd suggest experimenting by filiming something like a chess board or target,

anything with a series of very discernable edges, and then just talk into the

camera  about where you are relative to what you are filming (how far way,

where it is in the view finder, etc.).  keep playing with this and pretty

soon you'll get the feel for it.



just to be clear: what you're experiencing is the way the camera works, you

need to adapt.





>Finally, do any of the PXL fests accept videos that are a 

>combo of PXL w/ other formats??



i was just at the (superb) pixel vision festival at l.a.c.e. over the

weekend.  there were videos there that were mixed format and it was clear

that the audience didn't really care.  of course there are no prizes to be

won, so it's not like it really makes that much of a difference - i just

wouldn't walk in with a movie like "slacker," with a 2 minute pixel scene and

90 minutes of 16mm and expect to have people say kind things to you on

departure.  i can't speak for any events over and above fialka's pixelfest.



i'll send my synopsis of the festival in the next couple of days...the

mailing list has been far too dead recently and i feel morally obligated to

spice it up a bit.



more soon,

mark "the red" harlan

RedElvis@aol.com