Shot my First short film on the k-x

shendopen · 09-29-2010, 09:02 PM

I took a big risk and shot a short film on the k-x this past weekend. I wasn't completely comfortable with the camera and it's capabilities, but I went ahead and shot a film on it anyway. I have to say, I'm impressed by it. I shot 95% of the film on two old lenses. A 35mm 2.8 and a 135 2.8. I only used the kit lens on specific shots where those other two lenses wouldn't work and only in abundant light. I'm in the process of editing it right now and will share the finished product with all of y'all when its finished. However, I posted a couple of screenshots below. This is raw footage screengrabs.

not all of the footage turned out this great. I tried using a double adapter thing to make my 35mm lens a 70mm. Bad idea. So after trying to use it on one scene i stopped because there was noticeable grain and the image was extremely flat. I also had grain problems with my prime lens in my lower light scenes. If i had a faster lenses than 2.8 it would've done phenomenally well under the darker lighting conditions. But overall, the film looks very nice.

The k-x has alot of quirks and isn't ideal for shooting films on them, but it can be used to get great images. When I post the final film, I'll go into more detail with the pros and cons i had with shooting a film on this, and hopefully be able to discuss them with the readers here to be able to further understand the camera and how to use it to the best of its abilities.

Rory · 09-29-2010, 09:07 PM

I'm excited. Those screenshots look great. Looking forward to the finished product.

Ira · 09-30-2010, 01:59 AM

I'm also very impressed. Those screen grabs have a really nice look to them.

shendopen · 09-30-2010, 09:09 AM

Here are a couple more screengrabs.

Rory · 09-30-2010, 01:02 PM

Very cool. Great lighting and make up.

irishwhite · 09-30-2010, 01:47 PM

I've got a question for you. I was shooting some video with the kx and noticed what I assumed to be an overheating icon show up on the live view. Assuming that i'm correct (it looks like a red thermometer), I'm wondering if yours did this as well and how long you were able to shoot at one time without the camera actually overheating?

Also, which SD cards were you using? I had a 2 gig sandisk extreme III card but it just filled up way too quickly so I had recently picked up an 8 gig and it's lasting much longer. Also, what software did you use for editing? Thanks!

shendopen · 09-30-2010, 03:01 PM - **1 Like**

The overheating symbol did come on a lot. However that is just a warning and not meaning its actually overheating. I would continue what I was doing and between takes or set ups i'd shut the camera off mainly to save battery but also to let it cool down. It never actually overheated even when we were shooting out in the heat (did have an umbrella over the camera to keep it out of direct sunlight).

I used 4 gig sandisk ultra SD HC cards. They held about 12 minutes of video which was more than enough. It was like shooting with reels of film. I had three so once two would fill up i'd go dump them on a hard drive while finishign up the last card then start them over.

I use sony vegas 9. I used to use sony vegas 7 when i first did tests with my k-x video stuff but I had to have a strange codec thing to make vegas recognize it. version 9 however, takes the video without any trouble and looks great on it.

Ira · 09-30-2010, 04:30 PM

Shen, I never had any interest in doing video with mine, but I'm really impressed with your images here.

Can I PM you and ask you some questions?

For example, the K-x is definitely known for major overheating in LV, but if you set up a static scene (you're not going to pan the camera), why do you have to shoot in LV in the first place?

shendopen · 09-30-2010, 06:54 PM

Yeah Ira, Send me all the questions you want. I came here for help with k-x video and want to help others too.

When shooting video, i'm unaware of anyway to shoot it without live view unless you have an external monitor and if you don't have an external monitor you'd still need to use live view if you needed to follow focus at all. and for that, an external monitor would be amazingly helpful. But for overheating, it did give me the symbol alot but never actually overheated and stopped me from shooting.

CEWren · 09-30-2010, 07:47 PM

this is very interesting!

I dont shoot video much, but tried to get a video of my kid jumping (it is her new coolest skill, lol) and it kept losing focus. I had it on autofocus... any ideas?

shendopen · 09-30-2010, 09:28 PM

With the k-x you have to manually focus in video. So when shooting video, turn to manual focus and focus using the ring. no AF in video

CEWren · 10-01-2010, 04:13 AM

ahhh, see thats what i have been doing, but didnt know you had to do it that way. so I am sure that closing the aperture a bit will help make focusing a bit easier then?

shendopen · 10-01-2010, 08:21 AM

Yeah the more stopped down you are the greater depth of field you should get. However, that is one thing I still think is quirky with the k-x. Being able to control your exposure, iso, shutter isn't very easy or definite with the k-x

ShiftR · 10-01-2010, 08:18 PM

You wouldn't by chance be on Vimeo would you?

shendopen · 10-02-2010, 04:13 PM

I am on vimeo but don't have anything k-x material on there yet.

09-29-2010, 09:02 PM	#1
shendopen New Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Mississippi Posts: 23	Shot my First short film on the k-x I took a big risk and shot a short film on the k-x this past weekend. I wasn't completely comfortable with the camera and it's capabilities, but I went ahead and shot a film on it anyway. I have to say, I'm impressed by it. I shot 95% of the film on two old lenses. A 35mm 2.8 and a 135 2.8. I only used the kit lens on specific shots where those other two lenses wouldn't work and only in abundant light. I'm in the process of editing it right now and will share the finished product with all of y'all when its finished. However, I posted a couple of screenshots below. This is raw footage screengrabs. not all of the footage turned out this great. I tried using a double adapter thing to make my 35mm lens a 70mm. Bad idea. So after trying to use it on one scene i stopped because there was noticeable grain and the image was extremely flat. I also had grain problems with my prime lens in my lower light scenes. If i had a faster lenses than 2.8 it would've done phenomenally well under the darker lighting conditions. But overall, the film looks very nice. The k-x has alot of quirks and isn't ideal for shooting films on them, but it can be used to get great images. When I post the final film, I'll go into more detail with the pros and cons i had with shooting a film on this, and hopefully be able to discuss them with the readers here to be able to further understand the camera and how to use it to the best of its abilities.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
A Brief Introduction. (Short shot on a Pentax K-x)	johnnybodybags	Video Recording and Processing	3	11-02-2010 06:13 PM
Short film "Paddleboat Pirates" shot on Pentax K7s	MangoFan	Video Recording and Processing	1	03-10-2010 05:10 AM
Short Film shot on Pentax K-x	tiny	Video Recording and Processing	12	02-10-2010 03:19 PM
K7 Short Film	petercrane	Video Recording and Processing	7	11-02-2009 09:31 PM
K10D Problem - 1 shot has a short horizontal line	jnorth	Pentax DSLR Discussion	8	05-19-2007 11:44 AM

09-29-2010, 09:07 PM	#2
Rory Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chicago Photos: Gallery Posts: 672	I'm excited. Those screenshots look great. Looking forward to the finished product.

09-30-2010, 01:59 AM	#3
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	I'm also very impressed. Those screen grabs have a really nice look to them.

09-30-2010, 09:09 AM	#4
shendopen New Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Mississippi Posts: 23 Original Poster	Here are a couple more screengrabs.

09-30-2010, 01:02 PM	#5
Rory Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Chicago Photos: Gallery Posts: 672	Very cool. Great lighting and make up.

09-30-2010, 01:47 PM	#6
irishwhite Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: philadelphia Photos: Gallery Posts: 349	I've got a question for you. I was shooting some video with the kx and noticed what I assumed to be an overheating icon show up on the live view. Assuming that i'm correct (it looks like a red thermometer), I'm wondering if yours did this as well and how long you were able to shoot at one time without the camera actually overheating? Also, which SD cards were you using? I had a 2 gig sandisk extreme III card but it just filled up way too quickly so I had recently picked up an 8 gig and it's lasting much longer. Also, what software did you use for editing? Thanks!

09-30-2010, 03:01 PM - 1 Like	#7
shendopen New Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Mississippi Posts: 23 Original Poster	The overheating symbol did come on a lot. However that is just a warning and not meaning its actually overheating. I would continue what I was doing and between takes or set ups i'd shut the camera off mainly to save battery but also to let it cool down. It never actually overheated even when we were shooting out in the heat (did have an umbrella over the camera to keep it out of direct sunlight). I used 4 gig sandisk ultra SD HC cards. They held about 12 minutes of video which was more than enough. It was like shooting with reels of film. I had three so once two would fill up i'd go dump them on a hard drive while finishign up the last card then start them over. I use sony vegas 9. I used to use sony vegas 7 when i first did tests with my k-x video stuff but I had to have a strange codec thing to make vegas recognize it. version 9 however, takes the video without any trouble and looks great on it.

09-30-2010, 04:30 PM	#8
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	Shen, I never had any interest in doing video with mine, but I'm really impressed with your images here. Can I PM you and ask you some questions? For example, the K-x is definitely known for major overheating in LV, but if you set up a static scene (you're not going to pan the camera), why do you have to shoot in LV in the first place?

09-30-2010, 06:54 PM	#9
shendopen New Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Mississippi Posts: 23 Original Poster	Yeah Ira, Send me all the questions you want. I came here for help with k-x video and want to help others too. When shooting video, i'm unaware of anyway to shoot it without live view unless you have an external monitor and if you don't have an external monitor you'd still need to use live view if you needed to follow focus at all. and for that, an external monitor would be amazingly helpful. But for overheating, it did give me the symbol alot but never actually overheated and stopped me from shooting.

09-30-2010, 07:47 PM	#10
CEWren Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 258	this is very interesting! I dont shoot video much, but tried to get a video of my kid jumping (it is her new coolest skill, lol) and it kept losing focus. I had it on autofocus... any ideas?

09-30-2010, 09:28 PM	#11
shendopen New Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Mississippi Posts: 23 Original Poster	With the k-x you have to manually focus in video. So when shooting video, turn to manual focus and focus using the ring. no AF in video

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

10-01-2010, 04:13 AM	#12
CEWren Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 258	ahhh, see thats what i have been doing, but didnt know you had to do it that way. so I am sure that closing the aperture a bit will help make focusing a bit easier then?

10-01-2010, 08:21 AM	#13
shendopen New Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Mississippi Posts: 23 Original Poster	Yeah the more stopped down you are the greater depth of field you should get. However, that is one thing I still think is quirky with the k-x. Being able to control your exposure, iso, shutter isn't very easy or definite with the k-x

10-01-2010, 08:18 PM	#14
ShiftR Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 62	You wouldn't by chance be on Vimeo would you?

10-02-2010, 04:13 PM	#15
shendopen New Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Mississippi Posts: 23 Original Poster	I am on vimeo but don't have anything k-x material on there yet.