XHA1 Upgrade Heeeeeeeeelp

[Danny McCarthy]

Paul go onto Youtube and check out the reviews of different cameras. While some are just a lot of hot air, some are useful.

[Rajiv Attingal]

Hi Paul,

I moved from XHA1 to Sony NX3 last week and am very surprised and happy.
If you are concerned about low light performance NX3 is the best out there.
You can even shoot in dark with the help of built in LED light. Other features suits for your work are:

Cheaper media (SD card).
Relay Recording, Independent or Simultaneous dual Recording.
Brighter and Bugger LCD screen.
XLR Audio Input etc... etc...

Follow NX3 closely then decide.

Rajiv

[Paul Cox]

Thanks for all the great suggestions, Looking at the Sony NX3, also anticipating the Canon XF200 release and compare the 2, anyone had a chance to review the Canon XF200 ?, if so any input would be greatly appreciated , thanks again

Paul

[Anthony Lelli]

Originally Posted by Paul Cox

I understand that CMOS is causing a rolling shutter issue , is this really a huge issue when shooting handheld situations ? can it be avoided and based on anyones experience is it a drastic change shooting with CMOS vs CCD , do you have to change your style and approach to shooting ? Thanks

Paul

rolling shutter depends also on the focal length (zoom) panning: closer you go more rolling you get. The XA20 records in both avchd and mp4. Select mp4 at 35 mbps instead of avchd @28mbps and the rolling shutter will be much better.
I shoot sports and AVCHD looks bad (panning) while MP4 is surprisingly good. WAY better than the old ccd FX1 for example (but at some stunning quality instead).

[John Nantz]

Paul - I've got a question about the primary use after reading the original post:

"I film mostly events , dance recitals, school plays and such" Question: are the "events" indoor or outside? If everything, or nearly so, is indoor, then low-light will be important, but not necessarily critical - it would depend on the lighting.

If, by "events", this includes sporting or outdoor events, then rolling shutter could very well be an issue as one tries to pan while following the action. Plus, there is bright sun and therefore neutral density filters would be nice to have.

Depending on the use, one would tend to lean one way or the other for a camera.

Which Vancouver are you in?
Here are a few stores that stock video cameras:
Glazier's Camera, Seattle: Welcome | Glazer's Camera
Pro Video and Tape, Portland: Professional Video Equipment Sales | Portland, OR (DVinfo advertiser)

An earlier thread for someone in your situation:
"Upgrade - but what? Solo shooter advice?"
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/wedding-...er-advice.html

I'm also on the hunt for a new/newer camera and, like you say, it isn't easy. I've also got the CCD vs CMOS dilemma.

It would be nice if there was a thread section: "What new camera to get?"

[Paul Cox]

Hi John, I probably shoot 90% indoors, most events are in a theatre type room, however most of the lighting is done by volunteers and varies dramatically, but is always on the underlite side, Dance recitals and school plays mostly, some outdoor shooting but for my own personal intrests, there is an overwhelming amount of things to consider and so many camera choices, and the more I read the less I know , lol, thanks for the resonse

Paul

[John Nantz]

With a preponderance of the video likely to be indoors the main problem one would expect is poor (i.e., inadequate) lighting. This opinion is based on a "been there, done that" bad "once burned, twice learned" experience. Indoor shooting is going to be common given our long winter nights and inclement or cold weather so indoor venues provide protection from the elements.

While my personal choice for a camera is a video camera - one with all the important buttons that are easily accessible and one that has a shape-factor that is longitudinal with the line of sight, given the low-light and cost limitations, this really seems to say DSLR. These cameras have the capability to attach glass that can capture the light needed to make the video look good. Indoor action can be captured with faster shutter speeds.

As for the rolling shutter problem in an indoor stage situation, my guess is this probably won't be as big of an issue but I'd like to hear from those who actually do the kind of shots you're doing. The rolling shutter problem I've seen videos of usually use cars, buildings (things with rectangular shapes), light poles, etc. In the case of, say, a stage situation with moving people, this might not be as apparent.

With a DSLR one might need more of an investment in lenses for wide and close work while the video camera relies more on a single zoom lens, but lenses can be acquired over time while with a video camera the cost is all up-front.

The amount of available light is quite critical. What looks like "enough" to the naked eye isn't necessarily enough for the image capture system. Another thought is to use "noise reduction" software to make up for the lack of glass but I'd hate to rely on that as a workflow model.

I'd be curious what others have to write.

[Don Palomaki]

Stages are lit for human eye and include artistic effects that complement the action. This is rarely good for camcorders. Convenience of exposure controls and wide latitude are important, as is influence with the lighting director.

I've found the XA20 to work well for events like weddings, courts of honor, night time high school ball field events (I have read that the HS lighting standard is about 1 stop less light than college, 2 stops less than pro sports), and in-school activities. I have not had occasion to shoot drama with the XA20.

[Les Wilson]

Honestly, theater lighting should be perfectly fine for modern day camcorders that have decent low light performance with backlit sensors etc. Even a used professional camcorder like an EX1 or XF300 will do the trick. Things have come a long way since the A1 days.

My experience in theater is that lighting changes rapidly as part of the presentation or by din of characters moving to a different part of the stage. Having a lens ring so you can "ride the iris" is critical to getting professional results. Many small camcorders only have a knob. DSLRs generally have a noisy wheel and only adjust in full stops. 3-ring camcorders like your A1 actually give you iris adjustments in partial stops.

Another feature you'll want is custom white balance. Using AWB in theater lighting means your automatics will get faked out by certain color lights and skin tones will go wonky. If purple lights are on skin, you should get purple skin. That was what your eyeballs saw.

[Paul Cox]

Thanks Les , yes I agree with the need for 3 rings as it has proved essential in some situations I have encountered as well as the custom white balance option, I have been toying with the idea of buying a used XF300 but wondering if buying older technology might lead me down the road of buyers remorse, would I be missing out on something from new tech ?
Also my location does not provide me the opportunity to demo and get a hands on to any camera as I am in a remote location, I can only rely on solid reviews and testimonials, I will have to narrow it down as I can see getting lost in a sea of options and I am sure every Camera out there has its merits, But thanks everyone for the input, much appreciated

Paul

[Paul Cox]

So just wondering if there are any XF200 happy users out there, looking at this one but still not sure ,? any comments would greatly be appreciated, thanks

[Paul Cox]

so after much research and debating what to upgrade to from my trusty XHA1 I saved my pennies and purchased a canon C100 Mark ii and can say I am one extremely happy camper, this camera is, well all I can say is wow, low light shooting is phenomenal, everything about this camera has met all my expectations, very easy to setup and use right out of the box, no regrets, this camera will not disappoint