How to make a welding video

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Hello:I want to either make a video or take still pictures of a Plasma Cutter in operation.  Looking for suggestions regarding how to do that.  My two primary concerns are:1. Should it be taken thru a Shade 3 or 5 or some other filter media?  2. Is there a chance of damage to a digital camera as long as is is back several feet and uses the zoom capability?  I have seen some videos and they all seem to be taken without any filters in place and as a result cannot see too much except light and sparks.  Very impressive but not too informative. Hopefully someone here has BTDT on this topic and can help. Thank you for your time.  Burt
Reply:I would recommend building a small jig to hold a #3 or #5 lens as close to the video camera lens as possible.  Make it so that you can easily change the lens if the density is not correct.  You will want to mount you camera on a tripod.  The weld lens really messes with auto focus capabilities so it may be worth having your camera on manual and someone filming while you weld.Good Luck.
Reply:Chris welds: Thank you for the reply.  It looks like I will be having a busy weekend what with learning to use the cutter, taking some stills and trying to make a video.  I have a tripod but only filters are safety glasses and my hood with the autodark disabled and I can disable the auto focus on the camera.  Should be fun at the very least.  If it works, will post results. Take care.  Burt
Reply:Well cameras have a aperture (basically a pupil for your camera) that can be adjusted to control how much light you let in. Most video's you see of welding you see the exposure change drastically whenever someone strikes an arc, thats because the brain in the camera is telling it that its too bright and to stop down the aperture to let less light in. But you can do this manually also. Try and stop down past what the camera says is the right exposure, because the camera will most likely be trying to expose for the flame and area around the welder etc. If the camera can stop down that far. Steve
Reply:I have done it.  Its a bitch.  I tried #9 shade to #13 with almost no luck.Here is a video of pulsed spray vertical up.[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7V5OCnL48o[/ame]I think I used a 300 watt halogen bulb on that one.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:HOLY COW!  All I did is post a link!David   Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I've seen somewhere before someone was describing how he made welding video's. He said that he used 3 - 1000 watt flood lights. The videos were amazing. I'll try to find the link on how it was done. I just remember the 1000 watt lights being used
Reply:Part of the problem is this:In this context, dynamic range is the brightest to the dimmest amount of light that can be noticed / sensed / detected.The dynamic range of human eyes is about 10,000:1.The dynamic range of film is about 1,000:1.The dynamic range of Video is about 100:1.(approximate numbers, but you get the idea)So to see the welding, you will need lots of light, like the other post mentioned.A 250 Watt metal halide lamp is approximately as bright as a 1000 watt incandescent.  The camera probably needs the welding filter - the arc is too bright for the system to stop down far enough - they are made to work in bright sun, not pointed at the sun.  The flood lights will even out the contrast from the darkest to lightest part of the scene so you can see something other than the bright spot.Also, video cameras are very sensitive to infra red light.  They have filters built in to reduce this, but they aren't good enough for this extreme.  The welding filter should help this, too.  You can check this - point an IR remote control at the camera while filming - you'll see the LED flashing as a white dot.DaveUCC305 w/ HW-20Miller Thunderbolt 225Bandsawhttp://home.comcast.net/~davidtief/index.html
Reply:On the camera, hope its not your only one!!Like the saying burn twice as bright last half as long...Miller Thunderbolt 225Millermatic 130 XPLincoln HD 100 Forney C-5bt Arc welderPlasma Cutter Gianteach Cut40ACent Machinery Bandsaw Cent Machinery 16Speed Drill PressChicago Electric 130amp tig/90 ArcHobart 190 Mig spoolgun ready
Reply:That was done with a digital camera on a tripod and a welding hood held in front of it.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:As mentioned, you really should use a filter in from of the camera. The camera optics may not provide enough protection to prevent damage to the sensor.If you have one of the cameras where you can tell it a point in the field to set the exposure, use the feature. You may also want to run twice, locking the exposure for what is needed during the weld process, then actually filming.You might also try a light fixed shade (like a #5) in front of an adjustable, fast autodark set fairly low, instead of a fixed shade. When you strike, the the autodark will cut the light down reducing the exposure change the camera wants to make.If the fixed shade is green, that will help with the red-light and near infrared sensetivity.
Reply:Thank everyone for their replies.  Seems this is more complicated than I first thought.  I will actually start with my Plasma Cutter and if that works move up to actual welding.  I  have some halogen "security" lights that I may be able to rig up on some stands. Bought them a long time ago and never used them. Have about 10 or so.  I have a #5 replacement filter I got yesterday and will try to use that in conjunction with various hoods (#10, #11 and variable #9-13 shades).  Who knows, I may get lucky but from the technical information you all have provided I think I have more work to do.  Thank you for your time.  Take care.  Burt
Reply:Here is my first attempt at a Plasma Cutting Video.  It is 1/4" Stainless Steel cut with an Everlast CUT-50D set to 50A and air pressure at 65psig.  The travel is kinda bumpy since there was some dross that I had not cleaned off from previous playing.  Used a #5 shade and a tripod.  Will try to refine the technique and post a better one in the future.  Comments are welcome as always.  Take care.  Burthttp://s246.photobucket.com/albums/g...SScutat50A.flv