Using the Camera as a straight DV with tapes

[Aidan Wynne]

I know with P2 and talks of quality assocaited with the HD codecs but nobody ever talks about the ability of this camera with tapes using the lower DV options.

I could not justify buying 8g P2 cards right now but am buying this to try and futureproof myself with the option of getting P2 cards down the line.

Has anyone used these cameras as tape only for any period of time?

[Benjamin Hill]

The HVX works fine as a DV camera and has a native 16x9 image so it is pretty nice-looking DV at that.

[Douglas Villalba]

Originally Posted by Aidan Wynne

I know with P2 and talks of quality assocaited with the HD codecs but nobody ever talks about the ability of this camera with tapes using the lower DV options.

I could not justify buying 8g P2 cards right now but am buying this to try and futureproof myself with the option of getting P2 cards down the line.

Has anyone used these cameras as tape only for any period of time?

It is the best 24p DV that I have ever seen on a 16:9 on a plasma. It upconverts nice to 720p also.

[Rami Golan]

The first time I used the HVX I shot DV, very good quality footage.

[Dick Campbell]

I shoot weddings and other long form events on DV tape. Results are great, and the brides aren't ready for HD DVDs anyway. (but I am just in case.)

[Martin Iverson]

I'm in the same boat as Dick. My clients aren't ready for HD yet, and don't want to pay for it anyway. I needed a second camera so with the future in mind I purchased more camera than I needed at the time. The HVX is great in DV. In fact it's too great. It looks much better than my Panasonic AG DVC30. Now I want to sell the DVC30 and get another HVX. It's simply that much better. I keep telling myself that I need the DVC30 for the dark stuff that I shoot, but honestly, most people don't notice noise very much. They do notice what the HVX delivers, great color and depth of image.

I even sold my free 8GB P2 card so that I can more afford the CinePorter when it comes out. I might be ready for HD by the time it comes to market.

[Francesco Dal Bosco]

As an happy long time DVX100A user, my first logical choice for HD upgrade was the HVX200 but I was a little worried about P2 cards price and workflow. So I did some HDV tests but the cameras I've tried, for various reasons, didn't convince me. I still consider the picture and color palette of the DVX as the best DV I've ever seen and some HVX HD clips posted here are quite impressive. Therefore I've finally ordered the HVX with 2 8GB cards and a P2 store. I'm also very interested in the HVX ability to record MiniDv and I would like to have some suggestions about the best way to upconvert MiniDV material to 720p in order to mix these different media in FCP.
Thank you.

[Aidan Wynne]

Thanks for the replies lads.

It confirms what I have though about all I have read...that the HVX200 is the best camera in it's class bar none.
If it is good enough for independant movie makes and news crews to buy them in abundance then they have to have something special.

Interesting the comments on 24fps...is it as good a film effect as any of the filter effects you can apply with software?

Also love the fact that there is a true 16x9 option.

All in all the perfect all rounder with HD and the future in mind.
Seperate post could be....what can they do to improve this?

I am buying a camera or 2 in the summer around June/July and dread what happened me when I got my canon 20d and the canon 30D came out a month later.

Any idea when they will update this one?

[Aidan Wynne]

By The Way....was looking at your website and got to say Hats off to you Douglas...you obviously run a pretty class operation.

Up there with the best I have seen on the net.

[Aidan Wynne]

Also liked a lot of your video examples Ben....nice camerawork. Stylish.

[Douglas Villalba]

Originally Posted by Aidan Wynne

Thanks for the replies lads.

1. Interesting the comments on 24fps...is it as good a film effect as any of the filter effects you can apply with software?


2. All in all the perfect all rounder with HD and the future in mind.
Seperate post could be....what can they do to improve this?


3. Any idea when they will update this one?

1. Software tries to imitate what this camera does.

Last week Will Vazquez a cinematographer friend of mine and I did a test with other HD 24P cameras. We came to the conclusion that the 200 looks more like film than any of the other 24p HD camera out there. The 24p, colors and even the resolution looks more like real film than the others.
It was just a simple test, but a real artist knows the look that (s)he is after. My friend wants to shoot his next independent film in HD and that is why we did the test.

2. Long form is a problem for this camera. I own the FS-100 with V3.0 update and I get up to 240 minutes, but you have to be connected to a FW cable. The battery lasts about 30 minutes of actual use, so you have to either rig it to a longer life battery or buy a whole bunch of expensive replacement batteries.

3. That is always a risk you have to take. If you can pay it off with work before the next one comes out, it makes no sense to wait.

I bought my G5 Quad and a month later they came out with the Intel for $1,000.00 less than I paid for a slower model. During that month I was able to get so many projects out that it actually paid for itself.

By the way, in your last post you mention a website. Every-time I hear a of a good page I immediately go to see the page what it looks like to see how I can improve mine.
I started looking for the link and couldn't find one. Then I went back to your post to see if you mention a name for this website. Then I saw Douglas so I said to myself "another Douglas", but couldn't find another.

So if that Douglas was me, THANK YOU. I am never totally happy with what I do and most of my HD stuff is not even up. I paid someone to do the design it so now I have to pay to do changes. ;-)

[Aidan Wynne]

Originally Posted by Douglas Villalba

1. Software tries to imitate what this camera does.

Last week Will Vazquez a cinematographer friend of mine and I did a test with other HD 24P cameras. We came to the conclusion that the 200 looks more like film than any of the other 24p HD camera out there. The 24p, colors and even the resolution looks more like real film than the others.
It was just a simple test, but a real artist knows the look that (s)he is after. My friend wants to shoot his next independent film in HD and that is why we did the test.

2. Long form is a problem for this camera. I own the FS-100 with V3.0 update and I get up to 240 minutes, but you have to be connected to a FW cable. The battery lasts about 30 minutes of actual use, so you have to either rig it to a longer life battery or buy a whole bunch of expensive replacement batteries.

3. That is always a risk you have to take. If you can pay it off with work before the next one comes out, it makes no sense to wait.

I bought my G5 Quad and a month later they came out with the Intel for $1,000.00 less than I paid for a slower model. During that month I was able to get so many projects out that it actually paid for itself.

By the way, in your last post you mention a website. Every-time I hear a of a good page I immediately go to see the page what it looks like to see how I can improve mine.
I started looking for the link and couldn't find one. Then I went back to your post to see if you mention a name for this website. Then I saw Douglas so I said to myself "another Douglas", but couldn't find another.

So if that Douglas was me, THANK YOU. I am never totally happy with what I do and most of my HD stuff is not even up. I paid someone to do the design it so now I have to pay to do changes. ;-)

That was deff meant for you Douglas.
www.dvtvproductions.com
I am constantly amazed at the bad websites that people in the media industry have for advertising themselves....even web designers own websites that fall down a lot. Yours is sharp and does what you do justice.
If I were to make one suggestion it would be that your front page is great but maybe you could overlay a video interface including scrollable options of all of your example videos ie: Youtube...you sell video and thats what someone should see first.
As 67% of american households have broadband then most of your customers would have it also.

Ok as for the Panasonic....it seems like it does everything accross the board and can't be beaten.
I will be picking one (or two) up in a few months or so.

Your right about waiting forever....if that rule were applied we'd never buy anything.....plus if you are in the tech game at all then the other sure thing apart from death or taxes are UPGRADE lol