FX1 "kit"-suggestons

[Ricardo Renaldi]

Hi folks,

I've notice many E-bay auctions that offer the FX1 with accesories as a kit. So I was thinking: what would be a good "kit" of accesories for this new camera? I'm getting the camera but I have no accesories fot it, so it's a good time to buy.

Because of this, I kindly request your suggestions on the items below:

1-Tripode with fluid head.
2-Steady cam alike mount (Glidecam V8, magiqcam?)
3-Wide angle lens.
4-UV filter
5-Carring case

Thanks.

Ric

[Heath McKnight]

We have boards with recommendations you can ask for:

Tripod.

Lights.

Audio/Mics.

Tape.

heath

[Ricardo Renaldi]

And that was the first thing I did.
I posted in the "support your..." board and got no answer. So I thought that the reason was that nobody there know about the FX1, so I posted here.
Anyway, I'm reading as much as I can from each board. There's a ton of informatiion down here. Great content. Nice people.

cheers

Ric

[Heath McKnight]

Buy a tripod you can grow into, maybe a Bogen that can hold up to 25 pounds.

Lights? I like our four-piece Arri kit at the film school (1-300, 2-650s, 1-1k, plus gels, scrims, etc.).

A good shotgun mic is nice (no brands I can think of) and I like the Sony ECM-44B (may be discontinued) for lavs.

heath

[Charles Papert]

Ricardo:

If you see yourself using videocameras for years to come, consider that the more expensive of the items you listed (certainly 1 &2, maybe 3) can be used long after the FX1 has passed into obscurity. A good tripod will last you for many years, as will a stabilizer. DV cameras seem to have about a 3 year life span before they are considered "obselete" (realistically, you can use them for at least twice that or more if you don't have upgrade fever). Wide angle lenses can be held on to if your next camera happens to have the same diameter, but most people sell them when they dump their cameras, same with the UV filter. A case may or may not continue on with you depending on the camera size.

Moral of the story? Buy the best tripod you can, because it will directly affect your photography, and will do so for many years. Buy a stabilizer if you intend to spend a significant amount of time learning how to use it and you anticipate needing it. A quality wide angle lens is a nice addition. A UV filter is good for those who use their camera under potentially damaging circumstances (water spray, dirt, kids, etc) but is not necessary for those who take care when shooting. A case is important to keep the camera and accessories together and accessible and for ease of transport plus protection.

[Heath McKnight]

I still use my tripod, but had to replace some stuff in 2002 (3 years after I bought it) because my friends and I were wreckless in putting the tripod in my car, etc., and lost some screws. Dummies that we are.

I don't use my Lowell lighting kit because it's better for TV work than film. I'll probably sell it.

heath