Magic Bullet, New Camera Etc...

[Riley Harmon]

Hi, I've been looking into getting a new dv camera for quite some time now. I currently use a digital 8 and have used it a ton. I want to move up to dv though. I'm mostly into making short films for dvd export. I recently won a film festival and won $1,000. I'd like to get a 3ccd camera like the pvdv953 but I'd also like to be able to get a dvd burner. From what I understand the pvdv953 has good video quality in normal light, if I run footage from this camera through magic bullet will I just lots of "jaggies" b/c of the 1/6" chips? Or would I be better off with something like the TRV70. I'd like to have as much manual control as possible. I'm willing to go high end single chip to low end 3 chip. I'd like as much opinion as possible.

Thanks

Just my pennies worth that’s all it is.

As for using After Effects, which I do! I like the impact FXs that one has at hand with such tools. As for the film look it has that capability however when processed you loss or I should say the film losses quality. Yes! I said that so here come the emails back to me. Point is Magic Bullet does it’s work by rearranging pixels when you do this there is no way to say that you are going to gain quality as you lose in the loss of the many pixels that have to be rendered. With that said I would like to say that a good camera could take good shoots that will give you high-quality stock to work with. Then you start with the lens as this will capture the scene that you are looking for, the lighting is the next area to tackle as this last summer I had a chance to work with a lighting engineer who works for many a good films that are shot here in Chicago. He showed me good lighting techniques that are good for DV, as he has worked for film and DV. The consider filters as this will give you the mood, atmosphere or whatever you want to call as one director to another wants a choice so I have to give it to them.

To explain it even better for the plug-in read an article that was posted by the owner and one of the inventors of Magic Bullet. www.theorphanage.com

http://www.dv.com/features/features_...ristiansen0503

[Ken Tanaka]

Riley,
Congratulations on your win. Good for you!

Regarding getting a better look, lighting, composition and controlled movement are the most fundamental elements for improving your footage. Tools like Magic Bullet are fundamentally intelligent deinterlacers. Yes, I know MB performs other manipulations but the vast majority of its value comes through its deinterlacing algorithms. Deinterlacing flat, badly exposed and badly composed footage delivers no value whatsoever.

So my point: Learn to master your new camera (whatever it may be), then learn to master your compositions and exposures. Applying something like Magic Bullet should be like writing "Happy Birthday" on an already gorgeous cake.

[Riley Harmon]

i realize everything both of you have said, but really i wanna know what camera would be good to master, perferrably under 1300

For me to tell you what to buy I would like to know more as to where you are going in your ambitions in film. I have learned a long time ago when I bought my first stereo (Yes this story has merit) as to the unit I wanted to spend all my money on a complete unit not thinking of the end product. So a salesperson asked where I was headed in sound overall. I told him good quality and clarity. He told me to put the biggest part of my money on the speakers, as this would be the end result as to what I would hear. So I bought some really good speakers B&W and a really cheap receiver and that’s it. Next time I bought an item it was the receiver I dropped a lot of money into it knowing full well it was going to sound better. As time went on I was able to buy the components for the rest of the system.

That is what I have done with my film equipment knowing that every purchase was towards the end goal. If I were to tell you that the XL1 was the best for you might think I was crazy, I would think so too as I don’t know what your posting.

So what are you out sourcing where is the medium that you are going for?

Is 1300 the final with tax or without?
Where you looking for accessories as well?
Would you think of a used camera?

[Riley Harmon]

im looking to export dvd and basically get as much experience with actual manual controls, i do quite a bit of work around town, a presentation video/promo video here and there, my primary use will be for my own films, i like the film look. I will also be going to a summer film class, basically bring your own camera, right now im using a digital 8, its served me well, but im looking for a higher quality image to work with in editing/visual effects, in terms of color and DOF. I already have a sennheiser MKE300, Premiere, I'm also wanting to get a DVD writer.

Looks like you have a handle already on where you are going. As for the camera for 1,300 does not lend its self well for a newer model. I am not trying to sell you a used camera just the thought if there is one grab it.

So looking at an XL1 where you have more control of the shoot or a PD150 looks good. I have a guy shooting on a GL1 and his stuff is kick ass quality.

So does used look well to you?

[Riley Harmon]

possibly, but i real question is, does the video actually need to be 3 ccds since i will color correct anyways? I mean as long as i can turn down the sharpness to get rid of jaggies....wouldnt a high end single chipper be fine. I mean i built a render farm for after effects outta 3 machines, so that i wouldnt have to wait long hours for color correction videos to render, so since i have a render farm for magic bullet and color correction, should i just go with a higher end single chipper like the trv70, i've seen those new on ebay for 700

Please note that the following is to inform not put people down:


3ccd cameras gives you more range look at the GL1 where you have a deinterlace setting that gives a good film look, whereas the XL1 has the ability to capture ion the field and on a major shoot. Yes the PD150 is good as well as many others I just using them as an example. The choice comes down to a consumer, prosumer, and professional cameras,

con·sum·er n
1. somebody who buys goods or services
2. somebody or something that consumes something, by eating it, drinking it, or using it up
3. in an ecological community or food chain, an organism that feeds on other organisms, or on material derived from them.


(proh.SOO.mur) n.
1. A consumer who is an amateur in a particular field, but who is knowledgeable enough to require equipment that has some professional features ("professional" + "consumer").
2. 2. A person who helps to design or customize the products they purchase ("producer" + "consumer").
3. 3. A person who creates goods for their own use and also possibly to sell ("producing" + "consumer").
4. 4. A person who takes steps to correct difficulties with consumer companies or markets and to anticipate future problems ("proactive" + "consumer").
camera, or a professional camera.

pro·fes·sion·al adj
1. relating to or belonging to a profession
2. engaged in an occupation as a paid job rather than as a hobby
3. showing a high degree of skill or competence
4. habitually, and usually annoyingly, indulging in a particular activity

n
1. somebody whose occupation requires extensive education or specialized training
2. somebody who is engaged in an occupation as a paid job rather than as a hobby
3. somebody who shows a high degree of skill or competence
4. an expert player of a sport who is employed by a golf or other sports club to teach its members

[Ken Tanaka]

Riley,
Within the realm of current standard definition video technology 3 CCD's will always outperform single CCD acquisition, even in the tiny world of 1/6" chips. All other distinctions aside, the color separation afforded by 3-CCD cameras prevents smearing and muddiness so prevalent in single chip cameras.

The 3ccd is not the issue at hand as is the cameras features for the amount of money that one has to spend. Figure in that you have 1,300 I try not to tell people what to buy, as this is up to them however in this case I shall break the rules as it is needed to express a point at hand. Go for the GL1 as it has all the features that you need and it is a good prosumer camera as well. The best thing going for this little camera is its ability to out perform other more expensive cameras when needed.

Go to this site watch the clip at the end and remember it’s shot on a XL1s considering if you could get a GL1 PAL then that would be getting even closer to this shoot.

http://www.dv.com/features/features_item.jhtml?category=Archive&LookupId=/xml/feature/2003/christiansen0503

[Chris Hurd]

Riley

The best purchasing advice I can give is to avoid Ebay entirely, which is a sort of an unwritten policy here at DV Info Net, to steer people away from Ebay and toward our authorized sponsors, who are the best camcorder dealers you'll find.

If you can find a 1-CCD camcorder equipped with an RGB color filter, it will go a long way toward emulating the 3-CCD look. Check out the Canon Optura 300 and Optura Xi. Hope this helps,

[Riley Harmon]

ok where can i get a gl1 for low, and in good shape

[Ken Tanaka]

You might consider posting a Wanted To Buy solicitation in our Private Classifieds forum. A heck of a lot of good gear gets sold in there. Use good due diligence when buying any used equipment.

Frankly, though, if you're going to head in that direction you might as well also see if you can snag a good used Sony VX2000.

I am not aware of this policy as it was never posted and if it now presented to me I shall abide by it.

In spite of this I will state that this only limits ones choices in life. Yes I do buy from B&H and Roscor and others. To say that eBay is bad then why is it that I own two good tripods from Bogen and countless other items. I believe in a free market society and I will suggest that to which a person can afford to which is best for them it looks though however that is the end my comments.

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