*new title* I bought the HVX200

[surjones]

So I sold my old SD cameras an need to buy an HD camera. I am hesistant about buy the Sony, because it has been out for a wile now and who knows when they will release a new one But if anyone knows, please by all means let me know when they might, or if someone knows a better camera. I will be using this camera for Real Estate Tours, Indpendent film, Commercials, Interviews for TV.

thanks
P.

 

[Digigenic]

Hello surjones,
You have four different options to consider at this time.
Initially, I'd suggest the Panasonic HVX200.
The vast array of recording options seem to best suit your needs - However, the way in which you have to record the footage would push the price considerably higher over your mark.
Next, I'd suggest the JVC HD100.
It produces a great film-like image, but there's weak support in post right now, that'll change soon though.
Last, the Sony FX1 or Z1u, which don't shoot progressive, but can be deinterlaced in post. These two cameras have the strongest track record on the market.
If you have the appropriate set up in post, I'd direct you to the JVC, but I'd advise you to research this camera and read the reviews to discover the weak points and strong points. You should also try to get access to one to see how it handles, same goes for the other camera models.
Another thing, there is speculation that Canon could be releasing an HDV camera to compete at the entry level with Sony, this camera could be announced during DV Expo East Show in NY this summer, and it probably wouldn't be too far off to speculate that Panasonic and JVC have a similar strategy for DV Expo.

 

[surjones]

okay well the HVX200 sounds pretty cool. However 4 or 8 gigs dont seem to get you that far for the price. When I do a interview I would shoot like 30 mins of tape. I would also like to shoot HD, but with the chart HD at 720p will only give me 4mins. Just doesnt seem like people really could benifit from that??? So this HVX200 is tapeless? If not, I know sony has HDV tapes, does panasonic? Also I use Apple and FCP Studio P2 ports are on PC's right? So many ?'s I know. but thanks for your wisdom in advance

thanks

 

[Digigenic]

okay well the HVX200 sounds pretty cool. However 4 or 8 gigs dont seem to get you that far for the price

That is one of the reasons why I said the recording options would push the price considerably higher on the HVX. There is a direct to disk option through firestore, which will run about the same price as a couple P2 cards, but will allow greater run times consistent with your needs.

So this HVX200 is tapeless? If not, I know sony has HDV tapes, does panasonic?

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking.
The HVX200 can record tapless, and it can record to tape - but only DV to tape - not HDV. Oddly enough, I think Panasonic makes HDV tapes like Sony. This may tie in later to a plan to convert the HVX - through a codec upgrade, which might allow the camera to record a form of HDV - possibly MPEG4 to tape and/or P2, not sure.

Also I use Apple and FCP Studio

The latest version of FCP studio should be able to handle anything you throw at it. I think with the exception of JVC's HDVpro format and Canon's 24F HDV format.

P2 ports are on PC's right

I think PCI ports serve as a way to transfer the data, but I'm not 100% sure.
Regardless, you can just hook up the camera to the PC to transfer the data like you would have with a DV camera.
But this time it'll be faster to transfer because it doesn't have to be digitized in the transfer.

 

[surjones]

I use apple. I dont use PC.

Also I use Apple and FCP Studio

Regardless, you can just hook up the camera to the PC to transfer the data like you would have with a DV camera.


Okay so it has tape capabilities that is cool, Doesnt the Z1U go to HDV tapes? But this will only record DV, which of course is SD. I am still somewhat a newbee.

 

[Digigenic]

Okay so it has tape capabilities that is cool, Doesnt the Z1U go to HDV tapes? But this will only record DV, which of course is SD. I am still somewhat a newbee.

The Z1u records HDV and DV to HDV tapes and to firestore hard disks.
I believe that there was also an announcment today at NAB of some kind of an adapter that allowed shooters to record DV and HDV to their ipods as well, so that's another option to consider.

 

[surjones]

OKAY!!! So I just ordered the HVX200 from BH having a great deal. 5744, for camera, bag and 4gb P2 card. not bad, a couple hundred off.

Ever since I was told about this camera from digi.. I have been researching it like mad. I love this camera Cant wait to use it.. Anyone know any reason why I should not get it?

thanks

 

[MarkG]

Anyone know any reason why I should not get it?

Low-res, noisy CCDs and the hassle of having to transfer footage to a laptop every four minutes?

To be honest, it seems like a rather bizarre choice given your list of uses up above. Do you really want to have to stop every interview after four minutes to transfer all the footage to a laptop?

 

[Kim Welch]

TEST EVERYTHING

TEST EVERYTHING

TEST IT!

How can I say this better?

Go to a rental house and rent ask if you can test it and get a little help with the camera. RENT IT! take it out and work with it in the kind of situations you will be using it in. Then do some editing with your favorite editing software or get some input from your editors in regards to the captured data quality and ease of use.

 

[surjones]

MarkG: No offense, but I dont think you know anything about this camera. We have HIGH-RES 1080i/60i, TRUE 24p, Variable Frame rates. up to 60fps.

As for shooting: You don't get better. The tape is dead! DIRECT log and Capture into FCP. So however big your RAID or HDD, is how much you can record. 4:2:2 color sampling LIVE and 4:2:0 Record mode.

EVEN more recording options like: shoot and dump every 4mins 4gbP2 (or 8mins for 8gbP2) straight to external HDD @ 1080i/60i or get a FireStrore, which you can capture something like 40mins of continuous footage, if not more. Spec-Comm is coming out with the "CinePorter, w/ your choice of 160gb model and 320gb model. So that has be be at least 2 hours of continuous NATIVE recording. Tape can't do that

And here is yet another way to record: HOT SWAPPING: If you have (2)4gb P2 cards in the slots, Top P2 is fileld up and it will start to record seamlessly over to the bottom card, you take the card that just finished all teh recording and then eject it d-load to raid or HDD and then pop dum the footage and pop it back in the top slot. When that the bottom P2 is finished it switches back to the first slot. If you have 4 you have tons hot swapping and time.

I shot some Vari-FrameRate tests, and WOW!!!!!! Just can't be beat. Color is awesome, Low lighting loves this camera. Being able to change Master Pedestal in a matter of seconds, or upping the saturation on the fly is not hard or time consuming. Man I love this camera. The 13x lens. The color sampling, even the 4:3 LCD that keeps all the info off the shot and in the "letter box" area, so no more, " I did not see that in the frame."

I love editing the 720p/24p footage I shot. Can't wait to play with it more. I have only had or 4 days now and already did my first shoot, and WOW.. that is all I have to say..

The best part for me about this camera is the NO LOG AND CAPTURE.. I shoot right into FCP or import from P2 card, takes about one minute for about 4gigs of 108i1/60i, and I can start editing with the client by my side.

Always remember NO camera is perfect, but this one sure is close.

 

[Dan Selakovich]

I agree with surjones. I saw this camera at NAB and have been wanting it ever since. As surjones said, record time depends on the format, and it's a nobrainer to use 2 P2 cards and be downloading one while recording on the other. I come from a film background where you had to change the film mag every 10 minutes of shooting, so to have a couple of hot swapable memory cards that you can download and change out while shooting gives you a seemingly unlimited Magazine!

Dan
www.DvcameraRigs.com

 

[surjones]

forgot to mention we can do 1080/24p. I mean that alone.. sold me

 

[MarkG]

forgot to mention we can do 1080/24p. I mean that alone.. sold me

With 960x540 CCDs. Getting 1080p out of CCDs with a quarter of the resolution of an HD frame is... interesting.

The actual measured resolution of the HVX footage is lower than the Z1, which is itself lower than the XLH1.

 

[surjones]

I must quote, These are the people from the show "24" I figured I would save my words and show someone with the same opinion. Also like I state before "No camera is perfect" But I still say this one is NEAR PERFECT.


Recording to P2 cards is a completely different way of working. Filmwise, it’s fine for us; we have always changed magazines after 4 or 6 minutes in the 400ft loads and 10 and 16 minutes in the 3-perf version in 1000ft loads, so we’re used to that, so the idea of having three flashcards and exchanging them – one in the camera, one being downloaded and one on standby – is totally acceptable. We have enough people to do that, and that’s the way the big cameras are doing it; the Arri D20 does exactly that with a $60,000 200GB flash RAM card from Grass Valley. And I think it’s the way of the future. Gone are the days of having tape around: it gets in the way. However, not being able to use tape made Sparkhill reconsider their purchase. Mass storage in the aftermath of that is coming online fast.

In particular, I think that blu-ray’s just around the corner, and even by NAB I think you’ll find blu-ray and HDV recorders available that will allow you to archive to 30, 40 or 50GB at a time. I’m really looking forward to that because they are claiming much longer shelf-life than the tape, and I’ve had a couple of documentaries go South because they were shot almost 20 years ago and that’s the end of their tape life.

Taylor Wigton: ... I suspect the reason it requires the 100Mbs data rate allowed by the P2 cards is less to do with obtaining higher resolution than HDV and more to do with the extremely useful ability to shoot at variable frame rates. This means you can shoot slomo straight in the camera – an extremely welcome pro facility on a camera in this price range.

I'd speculate that they needed a progressive chip to do variable frame rate. They do this very impressively and I'd like to check it out further. The fact that it has fewer pixels means more noise and lower resolution, but less heat – so no split-screen effect. But it does give variable frame rate, and I think the resolution decrease is worth it in this case.

Rodney Charters: There are of course good uses in drama for variable frame rate – explosions in particular are often expanded 4x to slow down the action on playback. But VFR is also very useful for commercials and pop promo work, where slowing and speeding up the action is far more widespread.

 

[surjones]

I also might add with the Frame Rate Hack, I also get a 2fps with a 350degree shutter. For those light streak looks.

Here are your frame rate choices. 2,3,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,23,24,26,27,28,30, 32,34,36,38,40,42,44,46,48,50,52,54,56,58,60.

And you only get 4mins, if you shoot 60fps. At 2fps with 3350 degree shutter, you get 123mins, and 10mins of 720p/24pn.