Settings for Vixia HF M30

[Rick Hughes]

Hi all, this year I vow to record my display (which would be first time ever).

I have the Canon Vixia HF M30 and tried a bit last night but the results seem lacking. (I used the 'fireworks' setting.)

My display is almost entirely C7s (some incandescent, some LED) along all the structural lines (roof, windows, railings, sidewalk, etc.) so there's not a lot of light density.

I read a post earlier today which suggested using the CINE setting, and I'll try that tonight.

Wondering if others who use this camera can offer their tips on settings and or use.

Many thanks, as always, for your help.

[jimswinder]

I too found that the fireworks display was not quite right...so I set mine to have the AV be the priority (I think it is AV...doing this from memory...even though I just did it last night!!!! LOL)

This way you can control the Aperture...and this will depend on the amount of lights you have, but I would play around with this setting...basically you will be allowing LESS light in, so you can get truer colors.

I also tried changing the Shutter Speed...but did not like those results at all...had a hard time focusing...though I did not try to make the shutter speed slower...just quicker (above 1/60th).

And don't have it on Auto Focus...it never knows which lights to focus on as they go on and off...

[paulanator]

I have a Vixia HD and the manual focus sucks. You have to point with your finger on the viewfinder to set the focus. I have had a hard time getting good night shots.

I also have used the nighttime and Ap priority and they seem to do best. Also make sure you use a tripod and it does not hurt to use the remote to start/stop record.

Some issues with these models, lens is not wide angle enough and the sensor is not super sensitive and does not shoot in low enough Lux.

[paulanator]

One other tip, try shooting at dusk or dawn, when there is a little light out. That really helps.

I know dusk here is almost impossible at 4:30pm, people are already coming for the show that starts at 6pm!

[Rick Hughes]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm still experimenting. Just haven't found the right incantation yet.

[ryebred]

Here are the settings I use with my Vixia HFM31 and have gotten good results.

Recording Programs - set to spotlight
Focus - Set to manual focus and infinity
Exposure - Set to manual and 0 on the scale. If you want the video darker you can set this in the negative range.
Image stabilizer - turn this off
Use a tripod for the best results.

The amount of light available at any given hour is dependent on where you live. In Northern California I found that shooting between 5:00 and 5:30 works the best with the smaller light sensor on these cameras. Setting the recording program to spotlight will mean that the camera will record the scene as darker than it really is. So, if it looks a little too light to your eyes than it is probably perfect for the camera.

To see the difference in time of day, here is a video shot at 5:00

Here is a video shot at 5:15

This video was shot at 5:40

There are mild differences between the 5:00 and 5:15 videos but a big difference in the 5:40 one. Everything but the lights is pitch black and when only a few lights are on, they are harder to see. This is why I really like the 5:00 to 5:30 time-frame for my location.

Hope that helps.

[JonB256]

Question concerning the manual focus on the Canon Vixia M series (I have the M40).

I agree that Manual Focus is required. With other cameras, I have always zoomed in on something, set the focus, then zoomed back out. On my M40, it does NOT hold the focus. Other cameras have.

Could someone try that and see what it does? This is brand new and I'll RMA it if that isn't normal.

[Brandon Kibler]

I have the M40 also, but my problem lies with the software it comes with. I can get the video files onto the computer, but can not get the files out of Canon's Video Browser and into Sony Vegas. How does everyone else do it?