ready to buy EX1 + extras - - please advise me

Eric Pascarelli · February 28th, 2008, 02:36 AM

It's not that it's bad, but I think a really nice pro head is something that one appreciates in the long run, and is worth the extra one-time hit on your wallet.

But there are many opinions on this. And others' are just as valid as mine.

Lots of info here:

http://dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=118

Chris Soucy · February 28th, 2008, 03:39 AM

Well, just couldn't help myself, gotta dive into this one.................

Support! Everyone needs it, nobody wants to pay for it.

I could go into raptures here about "cross your heart bra's" and "jock straps" but will hold myself in check.

Putting an EX1 on a Manfrotto 503 HDV and 525 sticks is tantamount to heresy, quite frankly (IMHO).

The sticks are in no way rigid enough, the head no way smooth enough to do justice to a full HD camera system.

Is there anything wrong with either of these pieces of kit?

Absolutely not, they are designed, manufactured and sold at a price point to appeal to the "average shooter" (whatever that is, but probably using SD).

And they sell in their thousands.

If you are embarking on a HD career, this is NOT where to start.

In very short order you will find yourself cursing your stupidity in buying a support system that so undermines the camera system you are using.

I've banged on about this in other posts to such an extent I hesitate to do so again here, but, if you are serious about your endeavour to make a go of this, do NOT start with that type of support gear.

I suggest, with a heavy heart, 'cos I know the huge sigh it will elicit from some here, you up your "support" game by at least $2000, more if you can stretch to it.

The bottom line is this: If HD carries 5 times the info of SD (I'm not even going there!) then the support system needs to be 5 times better to keep pace.

I've been there, I've done it and had my nose rubbed in it big time. A cheap support system with HD is seriously bad news.

Give it some thought.

CS

Ian Smith · February 28th, 2008, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malcolm Hamilton

Very interesting, Ian. Working backwards through some of your points... did you get two batteries, then, AND to chargers? I can see the logic.
I've just googled Miller DS-20... it's $1,599 at B&H. Is that the one you mean?
Re Blu-Ray... just so I'm clear, are you saying that Blu-Ray will have ”added resilience and a much cheaper cost per GB” over external fw hard drives, for archiving?
Thanks so much,
Malcolm

Sorry for the confusion. I got two batteries (the UBP-30 that came with the camera and an extra UBP-60 one). Next week the camera's getting its first real work out as I'm shooting at a conference in Vegas. Suddenly I'm looking at the batteries and realising I need more (ordered a second UBP-60 yesterday). If I had the cash I'd buy a second power lead: that way I can carry one with the camera for shooting sessions where I've got access to a power outlet while I leave the other one charging a defunct battery ready to pick up when there's a break. It all boils down to what you're shooting/where you're shooting and how long you're shooting for of course as to what you need to get. (For the record I have 2 8GB cards and 2 16GB cards and a Dell laptop with 70GB free disk space for "temporary" transfers while shooting).

That sounds like the right Miller (hard to compare UK and US prices but it sounds about right). If you want to see a photo of the tripod in action check out Phillip Bloom's blog but be aware that once you've wandered over there the rest of the day might be a write-off (he has lots of good information and stunning PMW-EX1 videos to look at) http://www.philipbloom.co.uk

No I'm saying Blu-Ray is the archive mechanism most of us latch onto just because we're talking High Def shooting, but when you analyse the costs it's much cheaper to buy two external hard drives and back up to those and just stack em up as required. I say two because that way you have an emergency backup if one fails. The vortexmedia.com DVD I mentioned has all the details of just how great the savings are and goes through the whole workflow of shooting, archiving, using Clip Browser and then an NLE. In 3 hours you'll learn stuff that would otherwise take days of reading through a ton of forums to pick up and which could otherwise trip you up because the camera manual is very dry/technical rather than teaching you the practicalities you need to do to get the footage you want.

Paul Kellett · February 28th, 2008, 06:10 AM

Ian,how much battery power do you need,with the 30 and 60 battery i can film continuosly for over 5 hours,i know because i did it a couple of weekends ago.
Something else,charging times,the 30 battery charges quicker than the 60 battery runs out,so use the 30 first,then put it on charge when you're using the 60,as soon as the 60 is empty then your 30 is ready again,this should be good for around 8 hours.
Paul.

February 28th, 2008, 03:39 AM	#17
Chris Soucy Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fairfield, Dunedin, New Zealand Posts: 3,691 Images: 18	Hi guys................ Well, just couldn't help myself, gotta dive into this one................. Support! Everyone needs it, nobody wants to pay for it. I could go into raptures here about "cross your heart bra's" and "jock straps" but will hold myself in check. Putting an EX1 on a Manfrotto 503 HDV and 525 sticks is tantamount to heresy, quite frankly (IMHO). The sticks are in no way rigid enough, the head no way smooth enough to do justice to a full HD camera system. Is there anything wrong with either of these pieces of kit? Absolutely not, they are designed, manufactured and sold at a price point to appeal to the "average shooter" (whatever that is, but probably using SD). And they sell in their thousands. If you are embarking on a HD career, this is NOT where to start. In very short order you will find yourself cursing your stupidity in buying a support system that so undermines the camera system you are using. I've banged on about this in other posts to such an extent I hesitate to do so again here, but, if you are serious about your endeavour to make a go of this, do NOT start with that type of support gear. I suggest, with a heavy heart, 'cos I know the huge sigh it will elicit from some here, you up your "support" game by at least $2000, more if you can stretch to it. The bottom line is this: If HD carries 5 times the info of SD (I'm not even going there!) then the support system needs to be 5 times better to keep pace. I've been there, I've done it and had my nose rubbed in it big time. A cheap support system with HD is seriously bad news. Give it some thought. CS

February 28th, 2008, 06:10 AM	#19
Paul Kellett Trustee Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bristol UK Posts: 1,273	Ian,how much battery power do you need,with the 30 and 60 battery i can film continuosly for over 5 hours,i know because i did it a couple of weekends ago. Something else,charging times,the 30 battery charges quicker than the 60 battery runs out,so use the 30 first,then put it on charge when you're using the 60,as soon as the 60 is empty then your 30 is ready again,this should be good for around 8 hours. Paul. __________________ Round 2 GH5,FZ2000

February 28th, 2008, 02:36 AM	#16
Eric Pascarelli Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 498	It's not that it's bad, but I think a really nice pro head is something that one appreciates in the long run, and is worth the extra one-time hit on your wallet. But there are many opinions on this. And others' are just as valid as mine. Lots of info here: http://dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=118