Looking to buy HVX 200

Sarah Hamblin · August 27, 2007

I'd like to buy an HVX but I'm not sure the best route to go.

For those of you who have bought the camera, where did you buy it?

Would you recommend buying it used or new?

Are there any particular websites that you can vouch for?

I live in the Los Angeles area, so if you know any local dealers who are reliable, that would be helpful as well. Would like to purchase it for a shoot at the end of September.

Tim O'Connor · August 27, 2007

I'd like to buy an HVX but I'm not sure the best route to go.

For those of you who have bought the camera, where did you buy it?

Would you recommend buying it used or new?

Are there any particular websites that you can vouch for?

I live in the Los Angeles area, so if you know any local dealers who are reliable, that would be helpful as well. Would like to purchase it for a shoot at the end of September.

Glad to chime in on this one. I agonized over what and where to buy. Did you ever have one of

those

difficult decisions and then once you make it; you realize that it's the only sensible choice?

I was looking at the XL-HI or one of the newer Canon HDVs. I'm so glad that I didn't go that route.

I was all caught up with Canon lenses and HD-SDI out.

When I realized that 99% of the time I wouldn't be using the HD-SDI out and that there are

enough lens options for the HVX-200 plus the stock Leica is pretty good PLUS you can't shoot

as freely with HDV because oh, things like people moving suddenly (who does that in a movie?)

cause artifacts plus you get 4:2:2 with the HVX-200 plus the variable frame rate looks

gorgous when shooting 60 F.P.S. at 24P; I bought the Panasonic and I love it. It is terrific.

I have tons of good things to say about it. You know whaat I really like? Even with an 8GB card,

once the biggest, now a small card relatively, I get 20 minutes at 720P 24PN. If you're shooting

events you might need more cards or a different workflow but if you're shooting movies/films/

music videos it's easy to delete takes that you're sure you're not going to use.

Now, deleting takes requires some assuredness but if you keep the maybes and get rid of

the ones where the car drives through in the background of Robin Hood's camp, you'll end

up with a 20 minute card that is easy to offload and reuse and it's as if you printed selected

takes. Nobody's going to rewind tape in an HDV camera so you end up with your usual

ton of takes to slog through and capture.

I've shot five pages of dialogue with coverage and got it all onto one 8GB card. Granted, I do

that when I can make those decisions about deleting takes because I'm also editing. It's

really great though to have your footage condensed into selected takes that way, at least for

many of my projects.

I found a lot of great prices on the internet but they were way too sketchy. Good looking web sites

but wouldn't give a physical address and I heard a lot of stories about people getting grey market

cameras from such places, often ones that wouldn't be honored for U.S. warranty service because

they were made for other regions or were sold for the great price and then "Oh, you wanted a

lens with that?" type of deal.

I bought from a vendor here in Massachusetts www.cameraco.com and paid within two hundred

high or low what most reputable authorized dealers were charging. This place is about 4 or 5 miles

away from me. I have done business with them for years. I talk to the guy who sold me the

camera all the time.

I recommend buying from a smaller, reputable authorized dealer close to you where you can

have a direct personal rapport with somebody there and go to if you have questions. Where I

bought is great and I recommend it but it's 3000 miles away from you. Talk to some trusted

people and see what local dealer is recommended.

Some people may ask are you sure you want to buy rather than rent. That's a good question.

Think it over. Buying was the right move for me plus I've gotten to know it much better than

if I didn't have it all the time. I just read an article by Adam Wilt (DV.com) and he's an ace

and he says that he's still learning all the ways to play with and tweak the camera.

I love Cinematography.com but DVXuser.com seems to have a more active HVX-200 forum.

Last November I paid $5395.00 for my camera and got a 4 year extended warranty for $275.00

I also bought a Glidecam 4000 but that I bought over the internet and saved a hundred bucks

or about 25% what my regular vendor was charging.

The camera is probably your big investment. I would recommend, if you decide to buy, buying

new and from somebody close enough to you that you can go there easily and talk in person

with your camera with you if you have questions.

Make sure that you get a good UV filter or something to put in front of your lens and a good

padded case.

Also, Barry Green's HVX Book and DVDs (available on DVXuser.com) are excellent and well

worth the money. They'll save you a lot of time in getting to know the camera.

Good luck!

Adamo P Cultraro · August 28, 2007

Absolutely love the camera. Bought mine at Studio Exchange in Burbank. They were the cheapest by far back then, and I got great service. Ask for Paul. Really good outfit. I bought a tripod and a bunch of stuff there. No affiliation other than I'm a satisfied customer.