Markhamstreet

I just returned from my first extended documentary shoot with a Zoom F8. Field camera is a Canon C300, and we used a Tentacle TC box for jamming the code. I set the internal clock on the F8 to time of day. I chose to set the timecode mode to INT RTC Run. This setting was referenced in both the Zoom Manual, and a Tentacle Tech Support site. I synced the Tentacle to the TC out of the F8, and then hooked it up the Tentacle to the C300 camera, jammed the Camera TC to the box and kept them connected. It all seemed fine - the TC on both machines seemed in perfect sync. I would re-jam the sync again later in the afternoon. But the sound and picture files are never TC matches in the edit room. They are close but never a match, and never consistent in offset. After much research and discussions with Zoom Tech Support and Tentacle Support I figured out the problems: 1 - I turned the Zoom F8 mixer off occasionally to conserve power. The mixer always had a power source, even when turned off - internal AA's. So I thought the internal clock should have been completely solid. Zoom tech support says no - anytime you power down you need to rejam TC. Second problem - the Zoom F8 TC mode I chose - It turns out the only solid and accurate setting of all the modes offered is INT Free Run. (and only when power is continuously on). They say RTC is a good choice if you want to conserve power. But it's not useful for syncing to other machines. (?) It is difficult to rejam regularly while doing run and gun documentary shooting. But I do have two Tentacle boxes. Zoom have suggested syncing them on their own, giving one to the camera and attaching the other to the Zoom F8 External TC input and Jam syncing both units. It should work, but it's rather an expensive and inefficient work around, as it will take 2 boxes out of commission. It took a long time to track down the roots of this problem (and is taking a long time to sync everything we shot). Zoom kind of shrugged their shoulders about the power-down issue and the unclear Manual instructions about which TC Mode was optimal - they've said they will try and make things more clear when they re do the manual. Tentacle, on the other hand have been great - they did a series of tests in house to help me trace the problem. And they even sent me an extra BNC sync cable so I can at least maintain sync using 2 of their boxes when I'm in the field. So, lessons learned.