Daniel Sheehy

Assuming that he is going to bring the camera in closer to maintain the subject size in the frame... you're absolutely correct. If he switches to a wider lens & maintains the same subject-camera distance then he will get a larger apparent depth of field to play with... have to rethink the framing though.

Shooting with a shorter lens and/or a higher f/stop will create a larger dof, bringing the hyperfocal distance closer to the lens. But even that may not be enough for the situation you've described. Any chance of doing it as a composite shot?

Yes, but not exclusively, therefore they shouldn't necessarily be discarded as choices just yet. But I agree with you that progressive is the way to go.

There is something about film grain... that is so hard to replicate electronically. Added grain seems to float on top of the picture, rather than being a deeply ingrained (no pun intended) part of the image.

I don't see why shooting on DVCam or HDV are such bad ideas. It will all depend on how the final script works out, how you want to incorporate the previously shot DV footage, what you're going to do with the finished piece & how your budget pans out. I think you could use a camera like the HVX or the DVX, not attract too much attention. It would look really nice if it was shot on 16mm or even 35mm, but that may not be realistic given the different countries you have to visit... In answer to your question about DVCam to 35 film-outs, yes they can look quite nice. But it will all depend on the look you want the project to have. Once you've decided how to incorporate the DV footage, and are a bit surer of what you're going to do with the project then you may find that the camera choices become clearer.

A soft brush, dust blower or a can of compressed air should do the trick. Photographic shops sell brush/dustblower tools for cleaning lenses.

Now that won't be as easy!! Once it's clipped its gone. There may be software to try & extrapolate the missing data, but if it is clipped badly you're probably better off going with the ADR.

Other than the 30, 25 or 24fps options, the DVX doesn't offer variable framerates. So unfortunately the obvious answer is that you can't with this camera. If you could get your hands on a HVX200, you would get variable framerates.

It is supposed to be easier to tamper with a digital file than with a negative, however both are equally admissible as evidence. As Jon said, there is the archiving aspect to consider.

Its great that you feel you can share this with us. Our thoughts & prayers are with you. Get well soon.

No. The interval record function was left out of the 100B model.

Hi Plasma screens are supposed to have better viewing angles, but are subject to burn-in and are quite expensive. LCD screens are cheaper and don't suffer (as much) from burn-in, but have a narrower view angle. With either, you'll probably have to match your lighting to cope with the display intensities... they drown out easily.

If he had tossed a pebble at it from further away the reaction would have been different, it would probably have ignored him. Note it didn't react simply because he was near it, but because he was near it AND provoked it. I do give it to the man though, he knew how crocodiles behave.

Ahh.. not really. They only act like that when they are threatened, or when they are hunting. (Crocodiles are ambush hunters... so most of their time is spent waiting quietly.)

I have shot betacam on a microdolly and I think it's pretty good for shorter moves. It is quite light weight, and it works best on a firm level surface, as noted above. For a lighter camera it is also quite good. (I've used a dvx100a on it.) It can be tricky with long or complicated moves.

I do a bit of photography, have dabbled with paints & built a few models... like David I also like to read. I have his autobiography; "Going to The Wars". Interesting writer.

A composite video image is one where all the video information (luma, chroma, sync etc..) is composited into a single signal. Your yellow video lead is for a composite signal. ;) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_video

If shot in 'squeeze' mode & played back on a 4:3 display, everything will look like its been stretched vertically. It will look normal if played back on a 16:9 display, however there will be a loss of resolution as the 4:3 resolution has been stretched to fill the 16:9 display. Generally it results in a loss of resolution that most people consider unacceptable, outweighing the advantage gained by being able to shoot 16:9.

That may be tha case in a perfect world where money isn't an important factor. We used to shoot 35mm slide, & 6x4.5 medium format, but now no one is willing to pay for them any more. The switch to digital in most areas is motivated NOT by any superiority of digital over film, but by simple economics. As much as the purists hate it, it is inevitable that compromise between 'the pure artform' and the harsh realities of economics will happen... as I'm sure you will discover when you get your Mamiya. (If you had said so earlier we could have sold you ours :) ) Ultimately the world of cinematography and production is driven by money, so yes, people will compromise eventually. The question will probably become, not "If it isn't better than film, then why use it?" but "if the general audience can't tell the difference, why not?". Don't get me wrong, I'm not pushing one medium as better than the other, simply playing devils advocate. ;)

Sounds like its time to call the service reps... and start looking for an alternative camera for your shoot.

I assume that when you turned it off/on you also removed the battery and let it sit for a couple of minutes?

You bet! ;) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449088/

https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ke.html

No one can stop you from shooting anything in the street..(short of with a court order :) ) However that does not translate into the freedom to use any of it for commercial / profit making use. You still need their permission to try & make money off it. Safest bet. Sounds like a good project and I don't think anyone would really mind. However it is still probably a good idea to play it safe.

Do you really want to give them the free publicity? ;) Best to avoid well known brands unless you have approval.