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#1 |
New Boot
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 9
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GL2 or High Def?
*Sorry I didn't know which of the forums to post this in
Hi - So I have been looking into buying a new camera. A friend of mine has a GL2 and seems to really like it, and I read some pretty good reviews about it, so I was pretty much sold on buying one. And then I came across the HD cameras (specifically the Sony HDR-FX1). The Sony is a little out of my price range ($2,000-2,500) but I feel like I might be ahead of the curve in buying one. So my question is which would you recommend? I need the camera to be rather rugged since I am planning on using it to film some travel doc. type stuff. I am a film student currently and so I need the quality to be good since I plan on using my new purchase for my film projects to avoid having to take out equiptment through the university. Any recommendations would be a huge help! Thanks. Amanda EDIT: And if you have any other models that I am overlooking let me know :) |
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#2 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Garza garcia (Mexico)
Posts: 78
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buying options
Hello:
Well, first of all, it all depends on what you need your camera for. if you are not gonna broadcast it, well, then id go for the one you mentioned. but if you are looking for good quality and film like video, then definetly you have to go for the panasonic dvx200 HD or the Xl2 by cannon. those are your best options, due to the reason that are the only ones at more or less that price range that truly give you 24p. |
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#3 |
Major Player
Join Date: May 2004
Location: hungary
Posts: 462
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I'm also thinking about replace my xm2 to a new sony hc1 or hc3.
If i can sell my used xm2, maybe i can buy a new hdv. Many people says, that those little hd camcorders make a beautiful picture. I know low light performance is not so good. How would compare to xm2? In wedding i need more light? (I have 2x500W) Pros: -clear hd pics when outdoor or have enough light -3 sec 200fps recording (flickerfree superslow!) -new cam, maybe not have problem in 2-3 year :) Cons: - Bottom loading tape - little zoom button - no av in - little, light, not so stable - not so professional looking What do i forget? |
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#4 |
New Boot
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Owings Mills, Maryland
Posts: 18
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GL2 vs HD
Amanda,
GL2 versus HD camcorders is really all about standard definition vs high definition. To COMPLETELY make the jump to HD you need to be TOTALLY ready. This means: -Have a super fast computer that can handle the extra work load. -Have an editing program that is also beefy enough to handle HD. -Know that HD-DVD's or BLUE-RAY DVD's are not standard yet. (You won't be able to show every single person your pure HD footage.) -Know that shooting HD is different than shooting SD. (Lighting, focus, verything needs to be accurate.) -And of course, HD is temporarily a very expensive option. I would recommend choosing between SD and HD first. Then research and choose a camera within the specific HD or SD arena. My opinion? If you can afford HD-- go HD. It's the future. I myself couldn't afford "the future" just yet, so I bought a GL2. Hope it helps. |
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#5 | |
Inner Circle
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Elk Grove CA
Posts: 6,838
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Quote:
It looks like a new GL at BH goes for $1995 and then you get a $250.00 rebate. As I recall, the professional level Sony A1 can be had for right at $2000.00 after rebate of $500.00 (I admit I haven't checked to see if rebate still in effect.) In my mind there is no comparison. Check out the video posted in some of the A-1 threads. I was particularly impressed with the Azores shots there.
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Chris J. Barcellos |
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#6 |
Major Player
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Illinois
Posts: 888
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I would get the HDV too. You can shoot either HD or SD now.
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#7 | |
Major Player
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Europe
Posts: 844
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Quote:
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#8 |
Wrangler
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Mays Landing, NJ
Posts: 11,790
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Hi Amanda,
Did you see the responses posted to your earlier thread on same topic? http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=67351 We try to discourage people from starting similar threads in more than one forum because it fragments the discussion and makes things harder to follow. We're always happy to move threads to another forum however if you feel you aren't getting helpful responses though... just yell for a moderator :-) |
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#9 |
Inner Circle
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 2,488
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I've been using a Canon GL1 and GL2 for several years and am now selling them to pay for my Sony HDV cameras. 'Nuff said.
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#10 | |
New Boot
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Owings Mills, Maryland
Posts: 18
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Quote:
I'm not disagreeing with you Chris, I'm honoring you if you have the patience to hold out and peice together a HD system. |
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#11 | |
Inner Circle
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Elk Grove CA
Posts: 6,838
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Quote:
Point of this is that if you are going to put out about the same amount (within $250) for a camera today, why not go with one that will do both today. You shoot your material in HDV, down convert in camera when capture to your regular DV editing, but you have the material for the future when you are ready for HDV. Actually, my step up to HDV editing was rather cheap. I used same case, but put new power supply and mother board chip combo in (Dual Core 3800+ bought at Fry's for $279.) Added about $350 fro memory, and bought a heftier harddrive, and went with an upgrade from Premeire 6.0 to Premiere Pro 2.0. It edits decently with the system I built in native HDV, so there is no need for an intemediate program. I figure I did it all for about an additional $1,200. Now I haven't seen the DV produced by the A1, but I am assuming it is near to my FX1, and as good as GL2, so my point is that down the road, Amanda will be glad she took this direction.
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Chris J. Barcellos |
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#12 |
Major Player
Join Date: May 2004
Location: hungary
Posts: 462
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My GL2 video look much-much sharper on a regular tv than the downconverted DV video from Z1. Even when converted with the camera or later in post with edius. Thats my opinion.
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#13 | |
Kino-Eye
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 457
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Quote:
I've shot with the Sony HVR-A1U and HVR-Z1U in HDV as well as DV modes, and both produce very respectable DV, and if you're shooting SD 16:9 anamorphic, the real 16:9 chips contribute to excellent anamorphic SD footage. I like the flexibility of shooting either HDV or DV, depending on the project. I ended up purchasing the A1U because I wanted something very small I could take with me everywhere and I needed something that would produce footage that would match closely stuff I've already shot with the Z1U. I love the progressive scan video of the Panasonic's HVX200, but it's larger, heavier, and way more expensive than Sony's HDV offerings. In the following flickr set you'll find frame stills from footage shot with the HVR-A1U in DV mode anamorphic (pushing the boundary of working in low-light with the camera) as well as a comparison showing how the 1-chip A1U stacks up to the 3-chip Z1U (same chips as FX1): http://flickr.com/photos/kino-eye/se...7594082411015/ HD = Future Proof. For anything with a shelf-life, consider shooting an HD format. HDV is not the same as full-resolution HD, but it offers an affordable flavor of HD.
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David Tames { blog: http://Kino-Eye.com twitter: @cinemakinoeye } |
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#14 |
Old Boot
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London UK
Posts: 3,633
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David, fab samples - thanks for that. Even MORE reason for me to jump ship . . .
Of course, we STILL have to see what Mr Canon has up his sleeve for this part of the NOW SonyHD dominated A1>>F1 market. A previous market segment that Canon had kinda "secured" with the GL-1/XM1 and GL-2/XM2. Or is Canon ONLY a great glass maker and prepared to just put up its gloves and resign itself with a 1/4 3ccd 4:3 chip SD offering? Tick-tock . .tick-tock .. . tick-tock . . . Canon? - Get it sorted out? Tick-tock . .tick-tock .. . tick-tock . . . Grazie |
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#15 | |
Inner Circle
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 2,488
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Quote:
By the way, note that the current version of Edius has a bug which yields less than ideal SD output from HDV projects, but that can be mitigated by switching to an SD project setting. This bug may have been fixed in Edius Pro 4, but we're still waiting for final confirmation of that. |
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