LovinItAll

Thank you, Peter. That was a quite worthy read! Quite frankly, that one articled cleared up more for me than the thousand posts I have read about "video vs. film". I appreciate it. Have a great week!

I've shot what seems like a zillion hours of video at 30fps, but now that I have my handy little HD100, I have started experimenting in 24fps. NOW I understand what "stutter" (or whatever one calls it) means! I know that there is a list of books posted on filmmaking techniques at the top of the forum. Can anyone recommend a First Book that deals with shooting in 24p and the inherent issue of minimizing the stutter effect? Even in relatively slow pans, the resulting footage is a little unsettling. I did some test shots with this setup: - Tripod mounted cam - Subject (person) sitting in a swivel chair (no zoom) Quick swivels by the subject? Where's the Dramamine! Maybe it has an amateurish look because I AM AN AMATEUR! Thanks guys (and gals), Lee P.S. Happy Holidays! May the new year bring the best to you and yours :)

I assume this was a joke, too. No one in their right mind would break out a bottle of sulfuric acid and start working on their camera body. Seriously, Goo-B-Gone (or whatever you call it - I have used various "goo removers") is okay, but WD-40 is BY FAR the best substance I have ever used to remove sticker residue. Great for removing "permanent markers" like Sharpies, too (assuming the markings are on some type of plastic or glass). Don't use it for a "personal lubricant", though. The fumes ruin the mood! :)

WD-40 works miracles! Put a little on a cotton rag and the "goo" will wipe right off. Acetone or lighter fluid also work.

Gee.......Did you guys know the learning curve was slightly longer with my new cam than with, say, one of my Sony HandyCams? Or as my wife says, "A busy man is a happy man!"

See? This is why I was in analysis paralysis! JVC HD-100U - Done....... One of you guys have an extra room? I bought some accessories....... Thanks for everyone's help. I'm sure I'll have buyer's remorse soon enough :)

I agree. My content has a quite long shelf life, so you have convinced me that shooting in HD makes the most sense. I had come to that conclusion myself, but I'm a baby and needed reassurance... I suppose that is the root of my problem. I HAVE researched these cams, and at the budget number I have, the Z1 keeps popping up the winner. But then I read something some "expert" has written that dogs the Sony, and I start vascillating all over again. Regarding "holding off" on the project, I shoot at least one a month, so I need to bite the bullet and buy a cam. Thank you so much for your replies. Really, I wonder if I can go seriously wrong with whatever I purchase keeping in mind that buying another cam in 2 years will not be an issue....

Thank you, gentlemen.... Regarding Canon's new entry, the XL H1, I would love that cam, but I would also prefer to keep my genitals intact, which they would not be if I bought that cam and my wife found out how much I spent..... I still want to know--- Shooting in SD, will I achieve better results with ANY of the aforementioned cams (one would think so) than I get on my little 3 CCD Panasonic 250? I appreciate Mr. Greenfield's position that the world is headed toward HD, but in two years I won't have a problem buying another cam. Question is, which cam to buy TODAY?! As I said, I intent on delivering my content on SD initially, so I am trying to figure out if it is worth it to shoot in HD, downconvert to SD, and retain the original for the future. The content that I shoot has a long "shelf life", so to speak. Again, my budget is five grand max..... A question for the two of you: If you had $5k and had to buy a cam today, what cam would you buy?

Great stuff all over the place on this board. Thanks to the folks for contributing their knowledge and opinions. Okay, I am in analysis paralysis..... I have read and read (and then read a little more), and I am still undecided...... I currently shoot video shorts using a low-end Panasonic GS-250. I've maxed this little cam out, done some good work with it, but it is time to move on.... As fortune would have it, I now have a $5,000 budget for a new cam. I'm loaded with high-end audio gear, so support of XLR inputs is a must. On to the question---- To HD or not to HD? Goal: To continue producing shorts in SD for internet delivery of content (bandwidth requirements limit HD delivery at this time). In addition, I would like the ability to distribute work on DVD (not in HD) for the short term. Long term, I am trying to figure out whether shooting in HD and down-converting to SD for current projects is practical (in case I wish to release the same footage in HD at a later time). Dilemma: If a cam in my budget offered both native 24p and HD, there would be no dilemma! (Notwithstanding the Z1's "fake" 24p). Alas, I seem to be stuck. Do I go with the Z1 or the DVX100? I ruled out the XL2 because of it's shoddy eyepiece, though I am sure it is a great cam. Is there another cam I should throw into the "consideration" mix? In SD, does anyone know which of the two I am considering stands above the other? Can I go wrong with either? Will I see significantly better results than I am currently getting with my puny 250? The 24p mode has some appeal should I ever (probably never--but I think about it all the time) attempt to shoot a little movie and become rags-to-riches famous! :) Am I babbling yet?!?! I need to make a decision, as I have a shoot coming up in 12 days and would really like to get the cam in here NOW and become familiar with it before the shoot. All opinions count, and any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance ~ Lee