Market is heating up again - Trade in your EX for a cheap Varicam

[Andrew Stone]

Originally Posted by Steve Phillipps

Andrew, interesting idea that the HPX2700 is a "Varicam of that vintage", it's only about 2 years old

Yes, but when you look at the cost of entry given what is in the marketplace and what we almost know about what is around the corner you would be investing in a camera that would cost far more in the end than what you could get next year or now, to a certain extent.

Originally Posted by Alister Chapman

I think the next year to 18 months will see a big sideways change in video acquisition away from traditional 2/3" shoulder mount cameras to big sensor cameras for Documentaries and Narrative work while small handy-cams become even more prevalent for news gathering. The Canon DSLR's opened everyones eyes to what is possible with a big sensor and the original EX1 showed how good a small camera can be.

I genuinely hope you are right Alister but I don't share your unbridled enthusiasm for the video industry to give us what we truly want and need as they have always fallen short in some spectacular regard with each new generation that comes out, crippling something that is essential and in effect would cost them little to nothing to do it, like SD functionality in the first release of the EX series as one small example.

I understand that the market forces are huge this time in a variety of quarters for the pro market with relatively cheap or enticing alternatives like RED and the DSLRs. We have the benefit of real-time hindsight on the DSLR thing. The video manufacturers had to get their act together months and months ago to get the design and fabricating going to pump out "game changers" to deal with the DSLR craze.

Again I hope you're right but both Panasonic and Sony would have to get a brain transplant for them to deal with the problem the way you characterize it.

Perrone very interesting analysis and summary of what is good about the handheld HD cams versus the ENG cams.

[Rob Katz]

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

Two things here.

First, I find the use of the word "properly" to be extremely dismissive. Second, the problem with heavier shoulder mount cameras is that they make it exceedingly difficult to do shot's OFF the shoulder with motion. They lock you into a POV shot, because that's where they are intended to be used. If I want a chest high POV, or a waist high POV or an 8ft high POV, they are practically useless.

The great benefit of the "handycam" format is that it's a flexible tool. If you need predominately a shoulder mount camera, set up a shoulder rig. If you need something more mobile, set that up. If you want a steadicam shot, you don't need to hire an operator with a full vest to get 10 seconds.

When I moved away from the shoulder cameras I knew I'd never be going back, and I haven't missed it one bit. But then, I don't do the nightly news. It's funny, I was speaking to a local NBC correspondent last week. She had recently moved to town from another larger market and was covering an event I was shooting on the EX1. I asked what camera she was shooting having noted it was a large unit and she had it on sticks. It was a big Panasonic. She said that in her previous larger market they had moved away from those "dinosaurs" as she called it.

She was trying to cover a sporting event solo, and grab some interviews. A highly dynamic sport, and she was relegated to sticks or putting the camera on the floor because it was just to heavy, large, and awkward for her to get the kind of dynamic shot she really wanted. To her credit, she tried. And I saw about 3 seconds worth of that in her nightly story.

If you do things the same way you've always done them, expect the same results you've always had...

perrone-

thoughtfully stated.

be well

rob
smalltalk productions

[George Griswold]

As one of those who has always used big cameras and likes the weight, balance and stability see the attached picture for my solution. This is the base of an old Sony 70-IS Betacam (quite the camera in its day). This one had more dead pixels than could be masked so I re-purposed the base by fitting a Zacuto part for the rails. Has good balance so it hand holds great and pops off and on a tripod like a camera should.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by George Griswold

As one of those who has always used big cameras and likes the weight, balance and stability see the attached picture for my solution. This is the base of an old Sony 70-IS Betacam (quite the camera in its day). This one had more dead pixels than could be masked so I re-purposed the base by fitting a Zacuto part for the rails. Has good balance so it hand holds great and pops off and on a tripod like a camera should.

Interesting...

When you're off sticks, do you just put your right hand in the hand-grip, and control with the left hand? Or do you have hand-grips that attach to the rails?

[George Griswold]

Perrone, Either way.. I like the hand grip on the lens, but it is kind of close in... I have a set of grips for the rails, but don't use them much.