Thinking about switching to HD.

1. Eventvideoguy
   Member

   

    I'm new here so bare with me. And thanks for any advice.

   I have been using VX2100's for about 3 years now for my Wedding Videography business.  I absolutely love them.  I am thinking about slowly switching to HD. Can you recommend a good camera for Wedding Videography. Obviously something in low light.

   Also the format?

   There are so many HD formats; HDV, AVCHD, etc.

   Which is the best and why (or more importantly) which gives the best output  when it's time to edit.  Which is less troublesome?

    

   Thanks everyone. 

   Posted 2 years ago #

2. robGRAUERT
   Member

   

    Whats your budget?

   In my opinion, the new Panasonic HPX300 is perfect for small business. Yea, it's 10 grand, but it comes with a real lens, it's shoulder mounted, which is how a camera should be, it records to P2 cards, so you can incorperate a tapeless workflow,  and it records so many formats: AVC-Intra 100/50, DVCPro HD, DVCPro50, and DVCPro.

   HDV and AVCHD are crappy, I wouldn't look into them unless you have no choice due to your budget. XDCam HD is a little better, but it's still a GOP codec....

   Rob Grauert, Jr
   http://www.robgrauert.com
   http://command-r.tumblr.com

   Posted 2 years ago #

3. robGRAUERT
   Member

   

    To answer your question about which formats are the best, look up GOP vs Intraframe compression. GOP codecs are not good to edit. You would have to transcoded to an intraframe codec during the capture if you shot in a GOP codec to avoid image crappyness.

   Posted 2 years ago #

4. Eventvideoguy
   Member

   

   Thank you.  I did the research on the two compressions. That was very interesting.  Are there any more-affordable cameras that use Intraframe?  2-3k range?  Thanks for the input.

   Posted 2 years ago #

5. robGRAUERT
   Member

   

    Yea, DVCProHD is an intraframe format. So should look into the Panasonic HVX200a or HPX170, I don't think they're under 3K though. If you can't afford those cameras, you may be able to record HDV and transcode the footage to DVCProHD if you're editing software allows for that. What do you edit with?

   Posted 2 years ago #

6. TDedmonSBP
   Member

   

   Hey I'm in the same price range and I have decided on the JVC GY-HD110u. It uses a real lens, is shoulder mounted, and has two built in xlr inputs. The biggest setback it the fact that it is HDV and a lot of people belive tape is on the way out...I agree but not quickly enough that it's time to stop buying tape camcorders. Most of the cameras offering solid-state recording are either in the several thousand range or in the consumer "handheld" range.

   You might also want to check out the Panasonic AG-HMC70. It is shoulder as well and records in AVCHD and has XLR input, but it's dog-mess ugly (not that that matters) and the manual controls are very limited.

   There's my opinion. Hope you have good luck finding a new rig.

   Posted 2 years ago #

7. EarlC
   Moderator

   

   What is a "real" lens as opposed to, say, a FAKE lens?

   Posted 2 years ago #

8. TDedmonSBP
   Member

   

   Ha Ha I was using robgrauert's terminology. an "interchangeable" lens.

   Posted 2 years ago #

9. robGRAUERT
   Member

   

   yea, you never heard the term "real lens?" It isn't simply interchangeable. It's a lens with manual zoom, focus, and aperture -- probably back focus and macro too. The lens on an XL2...not a real lens. The lens on a JVC200...real lens. You're smart Earl, surely you can see the difference. 

   Posted 2 years ago #

10. JMM
    Member

    

     There are some HD tape now did you know ?

    I think its sony HDCAM SR , they still use tape whit an awsome mb per second rate in HD, this is still 100x better than any p2 media or hard drive.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDCAM.

     

    The things you should look at when you will make your final choice are.

    - Maximum Bitrate for maximum quality.

    - 3CCD minimum look for 2/3 if its possible, but 1/2 will do the job. But 1/3 will not be cool in your low-light environement

     

    You have been working whit video whit 3 years, i think the sony ex3 will do the job, its not that expensive and you should not get lost in the menu. Maybe also buy 2 different lense, one more wide and one for zoom in and to give you less depth of field when you need it.

    you should be able to get this for 13000 to 20000$ can max ( ex3 cam whit 2 lens )

     

    Television Technician
    http://www.vimeo.com/julienmarion
    Sorry for my english im french

    Posted 2 years ago #

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