Using SD or HD Cams: Poll

[Joe Allen Rosenberger]

Just want to see what folks are using for current cams and when they plan to go HD?

Please don't make this a contest of what is better, just a simple poll of what the members here are using, that's all.

Me- 2 Sony PD 150's, 1 JVC DV500, Beaulieu Super 8 Film cams, various Sony single ccd cams. Going HD this year in "07" sometime.

[Don Bazley]

I wrestled with this for almost a year before making my decision as I'm just launching a company this year. I'll be shooting with PD170, VX2100, PdX10 this year. For now, I hope to get 2 years out of these cams and then go HD. Light sensitivity was the key to my choice. I hope that in 2 years there will be a HD cam that's good in low light. I know many have said the FX1 is OK if you crank the gain it's clean etc. For now I decided to go with these. I hope my thinking is right here. :)

-Don Bazley

[Jon Omiatek]

I do both but I prefer my SD cameras for most event work considering it's usually in low light. Although, if light isn't a problem the HDV cameras are great.

It would be great to have an HDV camera that would work in low light like the pd170.

I use sony's Z1U, FX1's and PD170's

[Stelios Christofides]

Well I just got a HDV camera but for the time being I shoot with DV as very few have the gear to watch HDV. But at least the possibility is there.

Stelios

[Lee Hopper]

staying SD
I have dsr300 and pd170

IF customer wants HDV I can rent any camera here is Phoenix

L Hopper
Phoenix Az

[Chris Barcellos]

VX2000, FX1 are primary video cameras.

[Dave Blackhurst]

Hi Don -
You're probably better off finding slightly used HDV cams... consumers buy these cause they go into the store and ask for "the best cam you've got" and the salesman shows them a beast they will NEVER learn to use or even take out of the box to shoot Juniors B-Day.... so they can be had if you're patient.

SD cameras are simply going the way of the dinosaur... go look in the local big box electronic store (or Target or KMart...) they are selling "HD" TVs... who would buy a new TV right now that wasn't HD?? It's obsolete in less than 2 years by government intervention...

SO you say you want to stretch your cameras for 2 years... maybe...

I've shot with FX1, have a Z1 currently, still trying to learn all the stuff it can do. Second/third angle (or first if it's a low $$ job) is a pair of HC1's for now. I have some add on lighting for when the going gets dark. Just have to deal with it and learn what you can and can't do. I've even experimented with using an HC3, again for those "low $$" jobs and I've got a underwater/foul weather setup for that cam in the event of... Plus the wife likes the small form factor cam, got to have something she will use!

The new Sony HC7 looks nice, as does the new Canon HV20... and not expensive, but keep in mind you won't have the cred with a smaller cam, even if you can get killer video from it. So depending on your market, you may need to "go big". For 2nd/3rd angle cams and backup, you could probably get away with either of these, just don't plan on using manual focus.

Here's the other side of it, what are you editing on? FWIW, the learning curve with HD is a factor you should consider, as is the amount of horsepower you need to post. Vegas 6 was a slug here, Vegas 7 apparently is streamlined, and works pretty well (with infinicam for 4 camera mixes).

Nevermind delivery for the moment, but I've had decent luck with SD 24P on a regular DVD... looks "better" than any SD footage ever did, at least to me.

That said, my first experimental shoots were pretty rough, while I learned what to expect - there's just stuff you can't get away with with an HD cam - movement is a HUGE problem compared to an SD cam... it just looks awful if you're not pretty stable. So budget for a good tripod and some method (even just a monopod rigged as a counterbalance) to stabilize handheld shots. Budget more if you have to move while shooting <wink>.

So there's some input, FWIW. I have decent cams now, but I've shot a few weddings and events for friends (ULTRA low $$) with stuff I'd be embarrassed to admit using... and it came out good enough to make everyone but me happy!

DB>)

[Vincent Croce]

2 pd170's and hope to pick up my first HD cam by the middle of the year...figure we should have affordable hddvd/blueray burners and media by the year's end. Hell, I was reading about the holographic burners and disks (1 gen can store over 300 gigs)--15K for the burner and 300 per blank disk...but I would think that may be the way things are heading for consumer use within a few years.
I'm sure the low light capabilities of the hd cams will improve soon also.

[Federico Lang]

SD but just because of teh bucks.. my primary activity is being an student, so not a lot of money for HD

[Monday Isa]

Went HD this year January. Shooting with a FX1, FX7, and Canon XHA1

[Joe Allen Rosenberger]

Not that this is bad advice, but please do not offer the "you should go HDV vs SD".....there are current threads on this, use them instead. Stay on topic......and just offer what cams you are using or start another thread....thanks. This thread can be a nice way of seeing what we are all using in the wedding world and when we plan to go HDV. So, gear only.

Originally Posted by Dave Blackhurst

Hi Don -
You're probably better off finding slightly used HDV cams... consumers buy these cause they go into the store and ask for "the best cam you've got" and the salesman shows them a beast they will NEVER learn to use or even take out of the box to shoot Juniors B-Day.... so they can be had if you're patient.

SD cameras are simply going the way of the dinosaur... go look in the local big box electronic store (or Target or KMart...) they are selling "HD" TVs... who would buy a new TV right now that wasn't HD?? It's obsolete in less than 2 years by government intervention...

SO you say you want to stretch your cameras for 2 years... maybe...

I've shot with FX1, have a Z1 currently, still trying to learn all the stuff it can do. Second/third angle (or first if it's a low $$ job) is a pair of HC1's for now. I have some add on lighting for when the going gets dark. Just have to deal with it and learn what you can and can't do. I've even experimented with using an HC3, again for those "low $$" jobs and I've got a underwater/foul weather setup for that cam in the event of... Plus the wife likes the small form factor cam, got to have something she will use!

The new Sony HC7 looks nice, as does the new Canon HV20... and not expensive, but keep in mind you won't have the cred with a smaller cam, even if you can get killer video from it. So depending on your market, you may need to "go big". For 2nd/3rd angle cams and backup, you could probably get away with either of these, just don't plan on using manual focus.

Here's the other side of it, what are you editing on? FWIW, the learning curve with HD is a factor you should consider, as is the amount of horsepower you need to post. Vegas 6 was a slug here, Vegas 7 apparently is streamlined, and works pretty well (with infinicam for 4 camera mixes).

Nevermind delivery for the moment, but I've had decent luck with SD 24P on a regular DVD... looks "better" than any SD footage ever did, at least to me.

That said, my first experimental shoots were pretty rough, while I learned what to expect - there's just stuff you can't get away with with an HD cam - movement is a HUGE problem compared to an SD cam... it just looks awful if you're not pretty stable. So budget for a good tripod and some method (even just a monopod rigged as a counterbalance) to stabilize handheld shots. Budget more if you have to move while shooting <wink>.

So there's some input, FWIW. I have decent cams now, but I've shot a few weddings and events for friends (ULTRA low $$) with stuff I'd be embarrassed to admit using... and it came out good enough to make everyone but me happy!

DB>)

[Gints Klimanis]

I went with two Sony HDV last September: Z1U and FX1

Z1/FX1 offered the widest angle built-in lens, which no longer required me to use a wide angle converter (on Sony VX2000) in my indoor sports venue. I no longer had to stop down to f/4.8 to get a sharp image with the wide angle lens converter as on the VX2000. Shooting at f/2.8 on the Z1 actually produces a sharper image, regardless of that light sensitivity loss from the HDV sensors.

I only needed one camera with the best audio inputs and features and really wanted to have similar-looking footage. Lower light sensitivity was important, and the Z1/FX1 seem to be rated much higher than the V1.
The V1 wasn't shipping then, and I really wish I had gone the HDV route sooner.

[Bill Anciaux]

I just bought a new VX 2100 and rent PD150s when needed. Hope to get a couple good years out of it before going HD. Going HD now would require other upgrades too, which I'm not ready for yet.

[Jeff Emery]

SD- 3 Sony VX2100's, 1 Sony VX2000. Almost always in 4:3.

I may go HD in a couple years after prices come down for not only cams but also TV's. I will still keep and use my Sonys for many years to come... unless they give up the ghost.

Jeff

[Bruce G. Cleveland]

We just purchased 2 VX2100's and 2 PD170's 7 months ago and will probably make the jump to hd in a couple of years. I believe the hd cameras will be a totally different camera 2 years from now than it is now.

Bruce