What else do I need for event videography with my HVX200?

[crobs808]

Ok, this week I just bought this so far...

- Panasonic HVX200
- 3 extra Lenmar 5400mAh batteries
- Firestore FS100
- 250gb Hitachi harddrive (compatible with the FS100 for upgrading later)
- Kata CC-195 case

Now, I shoot event video, so no need to recommend matteboxes/french flags, dollys, jibs etc...I do not charge enough for that :)

I have tripods, and one light, but the light isnt that powerful, and the tripods are made for lighter cameras like the Canon GL2, so is there somewhere I can sell what I have now, and upgrade to better tripods/lights.

lighting:
======
I really only need one light, and I would prefer one that lets me switch between spotlight mode, and flood mode, but one that doesnt have a huge dangling battery pack, and preferabbly would use panasonic batteries that I already use on the HVX200 (that is what i am used to with my old canon setup....canon cameras and canon lights used the same batteries)

wireless mic:
=========
at my old job, we used audio technica ATW-R14 base station/lav mic, and I must have used that on 100 weddings, and it worked literally up to like 300-500 yards...the groom could be behind 20walls in another building, and we go crystal clear reception and good audio quality, so if you knwo where i can find one (they are not made anymore) then let me know, thanks

tripods:
======
ok, right now, i have two manfrotto tripods, once HUGE black one with the 501 head, which i like-the 501 head that is, but the bottom has those annoying fold out stabilizer bars at the bottom connection the three legs, i HATE those, but I want just a regular heavy duty tripod that does have those stupid ajustable stabilizer connector things at the bottom, so which one should I upgrade to that I can still use the 501 head on?

firestore holder?
============
ok, i have seen the box that goes on the bottom of the hvx that holds your firestore and a firestore battery, but then how would i mount it on a tripod? also, i have seen the mount for puttin it on the hotshoe, but then i cannot use a video light, which is instrumental in event/wedding videography. are there any other mounts, like on the side or something where it will be out of my way, but not inhibit my usage?


THANKS in advance guys! any input on any of the above sections would be greatly appreciated.

::: Connor

[ProjX v2.0]

What else do I need for event videography with my HVX200?

Another camera with better low-light abilities. :cheesy:



firestore holder?
============
ok, i have seen the box that goes on the bottom of the hvx that holds your firestore and a firestore battery, but then how would i mount it on a tripod? also, i have seen the mount for puttin it on the hotshoe, but then i cannot use a video light, which is instrumental in event/wedding videography. are there any other mounts, like on the side or something where it will be out of my way, but not inhibit my usage?


THANKS in advance guys! any input on any of the above sections would be greatly appreciated.

::: Connor

You can buy a $3.00 elbow bracket with screw holes on each end from Home Depot. Screw one end into the hole on the HVX handle and attach your belt clip holder to the other hole and presto. Your FS100 is now mounted, facing you and your hotshoe is free for your light or mic.

I would suggest buying some rubber washers to put under the elbow bracket so it doesn't scratch up your HVX handle. You can then secure the washers and the bracket with a velcro strap or a plastic tie.

[Joseph Stunzi]

Steadicam... seems to be used more and more in wedding videos

[crobs808]

well for weddings, im actually using the canon hv20 right now as my b-cam, or (front cam) for the ceremony, and everything else is shot with one camera anyway, like the pre ceremony, post ceremony, reception, so since i wont be using much of the hv20 anyway, especially not in low light. i know, hv20=hdv=boo! but since i use the hvx200 for 90% of the DVD on everything else, the final output comes out ok

...surprisingly enough, the ceremony is the least desired part by the bride. with photography AND video they always want to see the pre/post/reception pictures and video WAY more than the ceremony video. i even have clients who skip over the ceremony chapter, and just watch the 5min ceremony highlight chapter, then everything else without viewing the full ceremony at all.

kind of ironic, but i guess it makes sense...ceremonies are 10 minutes long, and everything else is much longerm just always been funny to me that the actual important part is the least important.

Anyway - thanks for the elbow braket tip...kinda sad ive only gotten one reponse :(...another guy just posted a thread titled "just got an hvx200 so now what else do i buy", and he has over 15 responses, but thanks anyway for the input.

::: connor

[Timothy Harry]

Ok... originally I started doing wedding vids with my hvx...then migrated to corporate video...still dabble a bit with weddings when I feel like i need some punishment. My advice to you.....start drinking heavily....your in for a wild ride with little appreciation for the amount of time it takes to produce a quality product.



- Panasonic HVX200
- 3 extra Lenmar 5400mAh batteries
- Firestore FS100
- 250gb Hitachi harddrive (compatible with the FS100 for upgrading later)
- Kata CC-195 case


sounds good so far.....except why in the hell do you want to void the warranty on your firestore....seems a bit foolish to me, I have never had a ceremony go over an hour and a half. I also only use the firestore while on the tripod, balancing the FS100 on a steady cam is a bitch. You need to consider 3-4 16GB cards, or 2 32's. If you are doing SD only, film in DVCPRO 50 and 2 16's should get you through the evening. 3 batteries is plenty for the cam, but make sure you get the extended battery for the FS100, or youll be in for problems. Also get the cradle mount from focus for the top of the cam. I tried a homeade solution first, and it did not work nearly as well as the mount. You also need to get a $25 contraption called a firewire saver....its well worth it to not have to send it off to have the firewire port repaired, the repair is over 300 bucks FWIW.



Now, I shoot event video, so no need to recommend matteboxes/french flags, dollys, jibs etc...I do not charge enough for that :)


raise those prices.....make that bitchy bride worth your time :grin: seriously you should consider a good mattebox for outdoor weddings... evening sun can be a real boogar



I have tripods, and one light, but the light isnt that powerful, and the tripods are made for lighter cameras like the Canon GL2, so is there somewhere I can sell what I have now, and upgrade to better tripods/lights.


a set of sticks with a bogan 501HDV head will do just fine. approx price 500 bucks. The head works great, and since you mentioned you had no need for a mattebox or flags, it will do the trick.



lighting:
======
I really only need one light, and I would prefer one that lets me switch between spotlight mode, and flood mode, but one that doesnt have a huge dangling battery pack, and preferabbly would use panasonic batteries that I already use on the HVX200 (that is what i am used to with my old canon setup....canon cameras and canon lights used the same batteries)


i use the same cool lux light I have been using for the past 3 years. I have a pack that lasts about 5 minutes....and a belt which does much better. I dont know of any lights that can be powered by the pana batteries, but would be interested if there was such a light, I have never really searched for that.



wireless mic:
=========
at my old job, we used audio technica ATW-R14 base station/lav mic, and I must have used that on 100 weddings, and it worked literally up to like 300-500 yards...the groom could be behind 20walls in another building, and we go crystal clear reception and good audio quality, so if you knwo where i can find one (they are not made anymore) then let me know, thanks


AT makes some great equipment, f thats what you are used to lokk at it. I use a sennheiser EW500 ENG G2 kit. the plug on receiver is a lifesaver, and if you can get that on an AT, then go for it. It helps when you do have to tap into the church's board.



tripods:
======
ok, right now, i have two manfrotto tripods, once HUGE black one with the 501 head, which i like-the 501 head that is, but the bottom has those annoying fold out stabilizer bars at the bottom connection the three legs, i HATE those, but I want just a regular heavy duty tripod that does have those stupid ajustable stabilizer connector things at the bottom, so which one should I upgrade to that I can still use the 501 head on?


you have great sticks....keep em..and thos annoying bars are great for stabilization... I love mine, but mine are in the middle of the pod.



firestore holder?
============
ok, i have seen the box that goes on the bottom of the hvx that holds your firestore and a firestore battery, but then how would i mount it on a tripod? also, i have seen the mount for puttin it on the hotshoe, but then i cannot use a video light, which is instrumental in event/wedding videography. are there any other mounts, like on the side or something where it will be out of my way, but not inhibit my usage?


your solution is a hotshoe extender that can be picked up at B&H. you want the FS100 mount from focus.



THANKS in advance guys! any input on any of the above sections would be greatly appreciated.

::: Connor

YOUR WELCOME!!!!:grin:

[pixelated]

start drinking heavily


bwahahahahahaha - amen.

[crobs808]

WOW thanks for that HUGE post Tim...what mount will hold both the firestore and the extended battery? i tried that german one, the Bebop FSH-P, but cant find anyone in the USA that sells it. plus, a pice of metal cannot really be $300, lol.

-connor

[JonathanLB]

bwahahahahahaha - amen.

LOL, best comment I've seen all day. That was awesome, I sent that one to my friend who has done event photography (he's a semi-pro photographer, but not videography).

Have you considered a basic lighting kit kind of like the Britek lighting kit? You can get that one for $995 and it has five lights, two 1Ks, two 650s and a 300. They're not the greatest lights but for that type of work they are durable and work great. I've used them on low budget stuff I'm just embarrassed to use them on a professional shoot because they are kind of a joke.

I'll pull them out on a really pro shoot 5 years from now if I'm a respected director that way nobody will laugh because they'll be like, "Hmm those lights look crappy but what do I know I mean this guy is the master, I can't wait to see how his DP is going to use those things." Joke's on them because they're not particularly good for anything that any better light can do except that I like using them as risk lights, i.e. if we need lighting on a ledge or something and the light might fall down, I won't shed a tear if I lose one of those.

But in all seriousness they are great lights for a certain purpose, and fit easily into soft bags for transportation.

[manglerBMX]

for event lighting its really hard to use a lighting kit. sometimes you can use some lights to give more ambient light to the room but usually its very run and gun.

for on camera lighting i'd look at litepanels. even the lp micro is being used by a lot of event people. i'm doing a wedding this weekend and i'll be using it.

audio wise i use a sennheiser g2 lav system, its been a champ for going on 3 years now. and of course i use an on camera mounted shotgun, rode ntg-1. and it doesnt hurt to have a decent handheld mic for doing little interviews.

the bogen/manfrotto 501 or 503hdv tripods are pretty popular amongst the event videog crowd, but i'd suggest in maybe investing a little more into a libec h38, which is a true balled and fluid head. and then some miller sticks or libec t68(lot cheaper than miller).

if you're going to be using the firestore you definately without a doubt need to buy the fws-01 firewire saver. its the best $25 you could spend.
http://www.siniarchproductions.com/lsdsgn/fws01.htm
and i usually just clip my firestore on my pocket or belt.

and another suggestion is maybe a 1.6x or 2x tele lens. sometimes for covering events the media stand can be a good 50 to 75 feet throw and the hvx's stock lens isn't quite enough. and a lot of times for weddings you are forced to shoot from the balcany, which can be pretty far.

and i usually have 6 batteries in my bag. but your 4 should be fine.

[manglerBMX]

oh, and i'd also ad that maybe one of the varizoom camera controllers are really nice to have.

[crobs808]

i have a canon zr-1000 remote already, works with any camera with a lanc port. i like it a lot. It has: rec/pause buttons, variable zoom speed, fixed zoom presets, manual focus on the handle (sweet), etc....

I only have about $500 left to get a good wireless system, and a good shotgun mic to mount on the micmount thing....so what two do you suggest? that g2 lav system from sennheiser looks nice, but it is $500 just by itself.

-connor

[crobs808]

well i cant pout my firestore in my pocket, i sweat like crazy! so it will get wet. all my dollar bills and stuff in my pocket gets wt when i shoot. but about clipping your firestore on your belt?...wouldnt it flop back and forth, or jostle a lot? I know when I am running from the brides room to the grooms room before the wedding, during pre-ceremony video, i hold the cam steady whil i run, but my hips are all over the place bouncing up and down...wouldnt that be bad for the firestore?

-connor

[THoff]

The HVX is not a LANC camera and your remote won't work with it.

[wgzn]

most "good" mics these days will start at about $500.

but if you wanna go cheaper and still get decent quality. this is a good onboard option:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VideoMicSt/

ive used a lot of rode products over the years. many are surprisingly good sounding. my rode nt2 beat out a neumann u87 (costing many times its price) several times in a blind test.

and as far aw wireless lavs go. ive seen these used with acceptable results:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SWAMSLL-U2/

i keep saying this - and people can disagree all they want. but you can rent a good wireless setup for $25-$50 a day.

[wgzn]

as far as holding your firestore. here are two options:

http://www.bebob.de/international/box-firestore_e.html

or you can go zacuto. but that stuff is UBER EXPENSIVE - but VERY much worth it!
i use a setup nearly identical to this:
http://www.zacuto.com/zacuto_hvx200_lrn.htm
and it was right at $3000

i've also shot a few live music events with my fs100 simply on the belt clip and it worked just fine...

[andy mace]

It's certainly not as elegant but mounted my firestore to the handle using a $0.30 1/4x20 set screw from Lowes.

[crobs808]

It's certainly not as elegant but mounted my firestore to the handle using a $0.30 1/4x20 set screw from Lowes.

to the handle? the top, or on the side? if top - did you cover up the hotshoe? i will need that open for lights.

here' sth eproblem right now. I JUST bought the Tekkeon 3450 so my firestore will have 8-9 hours of recording time. Now, I am down to no money really, that was $130 shipped, and so I guess I'm going with the home depot mount.

I am sure it worked mounting on your belt for those of you who said it worked for them, but I am 6'7" tall, 350lbs, and I need something much more reliable than a floppy belt thing, cause I am way mroe intense than the normal average sized guy. I sweat 24/7, I'm hard on equipment even when I am being nice and gentle...etc...so I guess I will try buying a mount from Home Depot. I REALLY want that bebop box so I can stick the battery and firestore undeneath the cam secured, but that's next paycheck, and I have 2 gigs this coming week, darn.

-Connor

[wgzn]

wait. aren't you the same cat who was swearing up and down how much better a firestore was than P2 and now youre telling us that you cant find a suitable way to carry your firestore? i think i mentioned this situation to you in your other thread...:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=131075&highlight=firestore&page=2

if for some reason you cant wear it on your belt, then hang it off the bottom of your pocket. unless youre riverdancing your way through these shoots you SHOULD be ok... thats how i wear mine oftentimes. and i cant see how size of the shooter would make a diff...

if not, try a backpack, or one of those chest worn baby carriers or maybe reengineer one of those sports arm band ipod carriers. or this is a case where that zacuto rig would be EXCEPTIONALLY suitable. or and better yet, sew yourself an armband of industrial velcro and attach the firestore to your lower arm. or even better (and this would take like $100 and a couple of hours) buy yourself a photographers vest and sew a mesh pocket onto it and wear the firestore there.

i dont know where being a sweaty 6'7" 350lb dude really poses that much of an issue. this gear was made to WORK. you dont have to baby it.