It depends on a lot of factors. If I buy an A1 and a Firestore it would be pretty much the same as buying an HVX and several (many) P2 cards, so again it would still be cheaper overall. And while renting P2 cards is admireable and cheap it's not particularly convenient all the time. Owning your own equipment is always the way to go if you can afford it. If I get a call for tomorrow I can mount up and go. No renting. I've got the camera, lights, ect. I'd have to buy more tapes but that's 15 minutes or less in Walgreens or any of the video shops in Downtown Chicago.

It mostly depends on who you are and what your workflow is. And once I slap a Mack Warranty on there it's all good. Then storage. I store everything (at least all the takes) so the clips for a 90 minute action film takes up a ton of space. HDV is the overall better choice for my needs. With my DL DVD+RW burner and I've got enough space to create an HD DVD that will play HD on a standard DVD player connected to an HDTV. Check that out. With that set-up you just been pimped.

-Nate

As I said, there's a specific-fit-to-job for every system out there, and it would seem you've found your perfect fit with HDV; this forum has many categories dedicated to the HDV cameras and the associated workflow.

Nothing against the HVX. I was just dropping my $.2 on the subject. Since we are talking about the "HVX Truth" I'm simply adding to what seems to be the intent of the original poster which is a lot of people think the HVX is "better" because of it's codec, but it's simply just one in a line of very useful cameras all with pros and cons. Not better or worse. I simply wanted to point out how HDV seemed to be (and sometimes even now continues to be) a codec under fire but those who use it work through it and seem to be making it great art. So please don't take this as a burn on the HVX. I was (and am) a supporter of Panny products in general.

-Nate

As I said, there's a specific-fit-to-job for every system out there, and it would seem you've found your perfect fit with HDV; this forum has many categories dedicated to the HDV cameras and the associated workflow.

Nathan - different cameras and different uses will always have enthusiastic followers. I continue to be stunned by the color delivered by the HVX. In my opinion it is unmatched by any other HD camera under $ 10,000, and produces life-like images that are phenomenal. Used for making a horror movie in low light, this would be useless, and the extra sharpness of the Canon or another camera might well be better. Different tools for different jobs ...

Nathan - different cameras and different uses will always have enthusiastic followers. I continue to be stunned by the color delivered by the HVX. In my opinion it is unmatched by any other HD camera under $ 10,000, and produces life-like images that are phenomenal. Used for making a horror movie in low light, this would be useless, and the extra sharpness of the Canon or another camera might well be better. Different tools for different jobs ...

To make a Horror movie (lowlight) with the HVX, you simply flood light in and drop it in post. Very doable.

I want to shoot a horror film 1080i one day. Go for that 80's straight to video look. (Only with HD video). Get some cute actress types and a scary vampire guy or something cheesy like that. I think that would be a lot of fun.

-Nate

As I said, there's a specific-fit-to-job for every system out there, and it would seem you've found your perfect fit with HDV; this forum has many categories dedicated to the HDV cameras and the associated work flow.

Hey Robert I will definitely get the HVX200 especially after learning about Chroma sampling. I will always respect the other camera makers because they're products can deliver, but with the manual functions I adore the HVX. Only reason I'm waiting is due to funds, and it being the 1st revision.

Question though... I am soo lost with the entire p2 workflow.
It seems you grab files off a card, final cut translates them to footage
and boom you edit and deliver.

Also what's the right setup for a Macpro in preparation for the HVX?

RAID 0 using 3 drives?
4gigs of RAM?

By the way is it too late for your DVD?

Hi Dante,

The P2 workflow is the simplest and most robust with ingest options than any tape-based system. It even has more versatility than XDCAM. What method you use for importing your clips into FCP is up to which method works best for you. Some of the most common methods for transferring P2 are:

- Using a Powerbook (or PC laptop with PCMCIA slots) to transfer directly off the cards.
- Transferring to the P2 Store.
- Using the HOST mode in the camera and copying directly from the camera to an external drive or directly to your NLE.

If you import the P2 files directly into FCP it will need to "translate" the MXF files into workable QuickTime files; this process of ingest and "wrapping" the files takes a bit longer than simply copying files from drive to drive. One alternative is using P2 LOG which is a stand-alone program that let's you view, mark, set in's and out's etc AND export selected clips into Quicktime files or just about any other NLE format. I highly recommend the product as it converts files faster and doesn't require FCP to be running - or even loaded - to work. Regardless which method of import you use it's just like any other footage at that point - edit away.

Your exact workflow will depend on what kind of shooting you do and what hardware you're setup with now or plan to purchase.

Do a search on the forum and you'll get more ideas on transfer/import options.

There is no specific setup required for the MacPro; install FCP 5.1.2 and you're ready to go. Although many have setup internal arrays using the extra drive spaces in the MacPro I don't recommend it; it's always best to have any array physically separate from the edit system itself. Instead I'd use those internal drives for placing the cache files, project backups and other miscellaneous data storage items. Most importantly, I'd create a bootable repair partition on one of those internal drives with either TechToolPro 4 or DiskWarrior 4 so that you can affect system or file repairs to your boot drive if need be.

With respect to system RAM, 4GB seems to have plenty of headroom for most editing scenarios however I've installed 8GB simply because I usually have multiple apps open at the same time while editing and want them all to run smoothly.

Lastly, all the free Photos in a Flash DVD's are spoken for, sorry, but you can pre-order a copy on Amazon. I forgot who asked this question before, but yes, the entire PIAF production (with exception to stills) is shot on the HVX.

Hi Dante,

The P2 workflow is the simplest and most robust with ingest options than any tape-based system. It even has more versatility than XDCAM. What method you use for importing your clips into FCP is up to which method works best for you. Some of the most common methods for transferring P2 are:



Robert thanks a lot...

I am working towards the HVX, I just want to get my hands on the it test out the transfer times (I heard it does take time to transfer),I also know if you have 2 cards loaded you can copy from one (on the powerbook) and record with the other (in the camera).

I guess I'll have to get a raid setup from G technologies or Medea. At any rate
I am confident the Macpro can do the job. I recall you creating a color test with the HVX (have watched it quite a few times...) Was the audio tracked use from Batman Begins and did you add any transitions effects to it?

I was considering selling my powerbook in favor of getting a Macbook Pro
the rendering times on the powerbook are insane (and that's not even HD yet). Would selling it create an issue as in would I have to buy a P2 card reader being that the slots are different on the 2 laptops?

Yes, the audio track was from Batman Begins but no effects were added. And since the MBP uses the new ExpressCard 34 slots instead of PCMCIA then you'll need an ExpressCard or other adapter to load P2 cards directly into the laptop. I haven't followed the adapters recently but I think there was a thread specifically about that here on the forum.