Own a Sony HDR-FX1 or HVR-Z1? here's a *hardware & software must have list*

[John Gaspain]

* FX1/Z1 Must have list. *

Please add to this list or suggest changes, I will edit this post to include your submissions. I want this post to be a "one stop shopping" list that people can use.

1. capture utility, (Aspect HD for Premiere or Connect HD for Vegas 5 or Lumiere HD for FCP)
2. Good solid tripod
3. Quality Sony Tape
4. Editing PC: +3Ghz CPU, +1gb ram
5. DV cleaning tape
6. LCD (PDA Type) plastic screen protectors (Fellowes Writeright®)
7. HDV capable NLE (Vegas 5, Canopus EDIUS NX HDV, etc- list coming)
8. HDTV or HD monitor capable of at least 720p playback, and the larger the better.
9. Decent speakers and sound system - preferably 5.1, because when you see how good the video is you'll want the sound quality to match!!!
10. Lots of Hard Drive space - It's easy to chew up 40Gig on a project of 60min duration.
11. Firewire/IEEE 1394/I-link pci card or onboard interface and cable
12. Matte box and/or filter holders (not available yet)
13. Filters, particularly graduated NDs and polarized screens
14. Location portable HD monitor
15. Shooting support bag (DIY made)
16. good top light such as Sony HVL-20DW2
17. good lighting system because HDV looks more like video than DV. The solution, lighting.
18?
19?




-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
original post:

Well I got rid of my Pana DV953 on ebay a few weeks ago, and am now waiting for UPS to deliver my new FX1!

It should be here in a 3-5 days, what should I get in the meantime?

I plan on using Vegas to edit...but also have Premier Pro 1.5 and old 7.0. I just like Vegas though.

Also have I have a fresh 160gb HD waiting to be filled up too, is that enough?

Is there any hardware or software necessities that you can think of that I might need?

I cant wait to put up some test footage!

Sorry for being short- im typing in a hurry.

John

[Chris Hurd]

This isn't a bad question, John. We should explore a "must have" list for the FX1. Got a decent tripod already?

[Steve Crisdale]

8?. HDTV or monitor capable of at least 720p playback, and the larger the better.

9. Decent speakers and sound system - preferably 5.1, because when you see how good the video is you'll want the sound quality to match!!!

10. Even more Hard Drive space - I've had to try and clean up my 240Gig RAID as I was getting dangerously low on space!! It's easy to chew up 40Gig on a project of 60min duration.

[Carlos E. Martinez]

12) Matte box and/or filter holders

13) Filters, particularly graduated NDs and pola screens

14) Location portable monitor

15) Shooting support bag (DIY made)

[John Jay]

a good top light is mandatory if you are shooting indoors such as Sony HVL-20DW2, which can be operated in 16:9 landscape mode with a suitable light grip (dont run it this way for more than about 15 min at a time with a 15 min cooling period in between)


also the onboard mic picks up the zoom noise, maybe someone will invent a baffle which can be attached under the mic to reduce the pickup noise

[Bill Ravens]

HDV looks more like video than DV. The solution, lighting, lighting, lighting.

[Tim Brown]

Unfortunately Carlos, I don't believe anyone has found a working matte box solution for the FX-1 due to the placement of the mic.

If anyone has found a working solution I'd like to know.

-Tim

[Steven Fokkinga]

Can you easily dismantle the mic if you're not gonna use it anyway (use a boom) and you want a mattebox?

[Carlos E. Martinez]

<<<-- Originally posted by Tim Brown : Unfortunately Carlos, I don't believe anyone has found a working matte box solution for the FX-1 due to the placement of the mic.

If anyone has found a working solution I'd like to know.
-->>>

If you are going to use your picked audio, that mic is worthless for quality sound. If you still want an on-camera mic, you should position it higher and to the right or left, according to the cleaner directionality. It should be used a proper suspension and windshield, and probably a much better mic.

Now that some doubts about the MPEG audio quality seem to be away, what mic to use is a problem when you want to record your audio on the HDV tape.

What I wonder is if someone has tried something like a Cavision or Chrosziel as a matte-box on the FX1. The ones for the PD170 should fit the HDV.


Carlos

[Tim Brown]

I'm referring to the physical positioning of the camera mic inhibits full use of a matte box, i.e., for rotating and sliding grads, etc.

I asked the mattebox question on this thread http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=35874

[Darren Kelly]

I'm going to say the must have NLE is the Canopus right now. It kicks butt and takes names.

I'll also say buy a real HD CRT monitor for editing. I'll point you to Ikegami who sell their demos for good deals.

DBK

[Bas Ladru]

Dear all,

The mic cannot be removed.

The Century / Vocas mattebox works on this camera, also in combination with a wide angle converter.

Rehards,

Bas Ladru
Vocas (manufacturer of Century matteboxes)