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HVX DEMO VIDEO


Jonathan Bryant

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You absolutely don't need 3 cards...

There is no P2 camera yet that does HD - the HVX will be the first. (Maybe there's a reason some of us are excited after all...)

 

I just finished watching the Countdown DVD. Panasonic's decision to base their cameras on the P2 platform is interesting and not without merit. However, the following two observations about the P2 come to mind:

 

1. Each P2 card yields about 11 minutes of footage in DVCPROHD. That's usually not enough runtime on a typical day. On the DVD, Panasonic says, having a camera assistant download P2 cards is similar to an AC loading/unloading a mag. Seems to me the target audience for the HVX is similar to the DVX's and on a sizeable proportion of those gigs, there's no budget for an AC.

 

2. P2 cards are much more shock/temp/vibration resistant than tape. Agreed. However, I imagine that many HVX users will be downloading straight to a laptop hard drive - which is less shock/temp/vibration resistant than tape. Not to mention that a laptop is such a huge thief magnet that you'll need someone to guard that laptop, err I mean your footage.

 

That said, it'll be great to have another camera to choose from.

Edited by Fast Chieney
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Seems to me the target audience for the HVX is similar to the DVX's and on a sizeable proportion of those gigs, there's no budget for an AC.

 

You know, there ARE levels of crew sizes possible -- your choices aren't between doing everything yourself versus having a huge crew. One guy assisting you is not out of the realm of possibility for someone working with a small budget.

 

That said, the P2 system is probably not the best choice when you are generating a high volume of material everyday, like on a documentary.

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Guest Jim Murdoch

I don't know; to me the question always remains: Why do video camera manufacturers keep making much extravagant claims which could easily be backed up with the simplest of demonstrations, but they never seem to want to actually do such demonstrations!

 

Even a rank amateur (production-wise) like me can take just about any old 35mm movie camera and produce perfectly professional-looking (albeit boring) images without really trying. In my days of camera service I was often called upon to do just that, more often that not, just to disprove some inept operator's claim that the camera was faulty <_< (I could do the same with video cameras too of course, but in that case, you can usually just switch it on and say: "Show me!"

 

But apparently, professional users of video or film cameras who would almost certainly know more than I would about shooting pictures, can't be trusted to do the same! None of the manufacturers seems particularly inclined to say: "Here, try it out for a week or so!" I mean what exactly do they think you're going to do to it?

 

What exactly are they saying? When they comment at all, it's usually something to the effect that they don't want to run the risk of somebody producing unflattering images that might give their product a bad name! But if you can't find a top-notch operator who you can trust, who are you going to sell it to. People want workable products, not laboratory curiousities!

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Hi guys,

After reading this discussion, I couldn't leave without a little comment. I really don't understand why a really knowledgeable person has to get attacked by people who know a lot less. I'm a kind of person, like Häakon, that tries to do a research to actually figure out the facts myself before *assuming* things. It just seems that he was blamed for knowing more about the camera. As Häakon said, everything that are talked here can be answered by doing a little surfing on the web. Go to www.dvxuser.com, for instance. Thanks Häakon, by the way, for correcting grammar on one post. There are some people who don't really care how their posts appear.

 

Nook

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Hi guys,

After reading this discussion, I couldn't leave without a little comment. I really don't understand why a really knowledgeable person has to get attacked by people who know a lot less. I'm a kind of person, like Häakon, that tries to do a research to actually figure out the facts myself before *assuming* things. It just seems that he was blamed for knowing more about the camera. As Häakon said, everything that are talked here can be answered by doing a little surfing on the web. Go to www.dvxuser.com, for instance. Thanks Häakon, by the way, for correcting grammar on one post. There are some people who don't really care how their posts appear.

 

Nook

 

 

Hi,

 

Häakon and yourself choose not to sign your posts with your real name. Do you really expect to expect to get instant respect form people who don't know who you are? Häakon has however made some good points.

 

Stephen

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Hi,

 

Häakon and yourself choose not to sign your posts with your real name. Do you really expect to expect to get instant respect form people who don't know who you are? Häakon has however made some good points.

 

Stephen

I respect you, Stephen, but making assumptions only... well, you know how the adage goes.

 

My real name is Häakon. It's Norwegian. Granted, I'm a lanky California kid who prefers his pizza to his herring, but the Norse blood still runs in the family and that's the name I was given. I don't know why you always seem so skeptical of me as I have never been misleading with any of my posts, but if there's something you want to know you can always ask. I don't know how many times I had to reiterate that I do not, in fact, work for Panasonic (though it's flattering that through my research someone would think so).

 

As Nook mentioned, dvxuser is a great place to get info about the camera - mostly because the HVX is a natural progression of the DVX and there are a lot of enthusiasts over there. I'm sure it's obvious that I'm quite enthusiastic about the HVX as well, but I do weigh the good with the bad and everything I've said is completely factual. A lot of the questions people have had here are echoed all over the web... it just takes a bit of searching and little elbow grease to find the answers. Maybe people are just lazy, but it's amazing how many things keep getting repeated. I have done my best to provide timely and accurate responses to the questions people have, so that users can learn efficiently and effectively and be on their way.

 

Oh, and thanks for your kind words Nook... I'm glad there's at least one other person out there who appreciates having a decent comprehension of grammar (we are, unfortunately, a dying breed).

Edited by Häakon
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Hi Hääkon,

 

OK, but that's not your full name? Or is it?

 

The lens for the HVX is it a Zoom or Vario focal lens?

 

Thanking you in anticipation

 

Stephen

Well, it's all I use. There aren't many Häakons in the world and even less that are DPs who live in the US, so it's not very difficult to figure out which Häakon it is. :)

 

As for your lens question, you've got me... according to this website:

 

http://www.schneiderkreuznach.com/knowhow/variogon_e.htm

 

Their definition states, "But what is a vario-lens? It is a lens that has no fixed focal length and can be changed by the user with certain limitations. This is accomplished without having to bring the image of the subject into focus again and again each time the focal length is changed. A lens of this kind is also known as a zoom lens." So apparently I'm not understanding what the difference is. I'm heading down to DV Expo West on Thursday, where they're showing off the first completely finished, working model of the camera for everyone to play with, so if you have any specific questions that haven't been answered yet, I would be happy to do my best to get information for you.

 

By the way, I just checked out your website (I hadn't noticed the link before) and you've done some absolutely beautiful work. Why so up in arms over a camera that you're already leagues ahead of?

 

Häakon

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Their definition states, "But what is a vario-lens? It is a lens that has no fixed focal length and can be changed by the user with certain limitations. This is accomplished without having to bring the image of the subject into focus again and again each time the focal length is changed. A lens of this kind is also known as a zoom lens."

 

. Why so up in arms over a camera that you're already leagues ahead of?

 

Häakon

 

Hi,

 

A zoom lens stays in focus throughout the zoom range, assuming the back focus is correct.

Vario focus lenses were originally used in security cameras. The focus has to be changed as the magnification is changed, using motors to refocus as the magnification changes. Vario focus lenses are made to imitate 'Zooms'. They are cheaper to make but there is more to go wrong in the field.

 

I am always interested in every camera out there. All equipment has good points and bad points. I am also a potential customer for a HVX 200!

 

Stephen

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey Haakon, I've been watching this camera very much as well. We're just getting footage from it, and nothing is available in actual DVCPro format, but I have high hopes. I've shot a couple shorts and one feature with the DVX and look forward to making the jump to HD with the HVX. I'm curious, do you have a link for some of your work? And Michael Collier, I would love to see some of your work. You should post links to your websites or IMDB profiles in your personal info here.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Way to go Haakon, gotta stick to your guns. I'm sure there's a lot more of us "closet engineers" out here than some like to admit. I'm pretty excited too about the HVX200, but there's still a fair amount of letdown after the original release date has come and gone and STILL no camera OR footage.

The point I would like to make is that the lighting matters far more than the chip size on your camera. That's why producers can get away with using HDV on daytime shots and in the studio, yet you still need a big, clunky 2/3" SDX or Beta when you're doing ENG and reality TV, because the light isn't as controlled.

Still, the nature of not even ALLOWING the option of interchangeable lenses is a bit bothersome. Even if getting more lenses in the future isn't an option due to price of those lenses, it should be an option. How many film shooters would have been happy with only one single lens permanently mounted to their wind-up bolex?

Edited by Jon Allen
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