the equipment list

[richmondfloyd]

Thank you for the replies I have had to my previous posts. I want to make sure I get the right tool for the job and then learn it fully before taking any money from clients.

Considering this equipment list comes out between £6,000 - £8,500 pounds, I wondered if you can give some coments on this equipment list.

<b>The Camera</b>

I have wittled it down to a few camera's. From what i've read, HD is very much becoming the new format, so the PD170, VX2100 and AG-DVX100B may not suit my purpose - plus if they shoot 4:3 rather then naitive 16:9 that's going to be no good anyway - although happy to be proved wrong.

The cannon XH A1 , looks like it's more a consumer camera and not upto the job. I have read some bad reviews on the HVX-200 compared to other solid state camera's.

The Z1 is very tempting, especially as I can get it for about $2000 + shipping with 97x10 hours - is this a good deal? Although I have few concerns with this camera - one is the low light cabability, two is the picture quality - how good is it? and finally, it doesn't shoot in true 24p - I want to give some shoots in the wedding a true film look and don't have after effects (as only using FCP) to do this post production. I don't want the video to come up looking like a documentary as mentioned on some forums.

The EX1 looks extremily interesting, however; it costs a lot; I need to find a cheap back up solution (I was thinking DVD's, or archiving the cheaper SDHC disks) and it can be prone to unwanted artifacts due to the CMOS chips - some sites say it's fine for weddings, others say steer well clear - what is your interpritation?

Finally there is the Z7. I costs more then the EX1 - although does have the advantage of back up tape. For the cost - I get the impression the EX1 is the better camera.

It's such a difficult decision!

EQUIPMENT LIST

<b>Tripod</b>
£1,118 imported
Sachtier FSB 6 with Carbon legs - - seems the best option (is there an equally good cheaper option?)
(I did look for the Miller Solo, with carbon legs for the £600 you showed on your website - but could only find it for over £1,000)

<b>Microphone (radio)</b>
£378
Sennheiser Generation 2 wireless systems - again as this is really important, seems the best option. Two included I believe, so one for the grrom and one at the alter.

<b>Microphone (shotgun)</b>
£575
Sennheiser MKH 416 P48 - seems best bit of kit, again very important.
£170
Rycote Softie with Mount and Pistol Grip (PG) Handle - to go with above

<b>Headphones</b>
£99
Sennheiser HD25-SP - as suggested on your website

<b>Lights</b>
£150
Sony HVL20 + battery - may not need it, but in case
<b>
Rain cover</b>
£150
PortaBrace Camera Body Armor - only thing I could find for EX1, need to find out if it doubles up as a rain cover

<b>Bag</b>
£150
camRade desertSuit PMW EX1/HVRZ7 - both this item and above seem very pricey for what they are...

<b>Shoulder Mount</b>
£70
CVP SM1 - my only worry with this is that when you breath, it may effect the shot as the support is on your chest. I think a shoulder mount is needed though if I do end up with the EX1

[colin rowe]

The cannon XH A1 , looks like it's more a consumer camera and not upto the job. I have read some bad reviews on the HVX-200 compared to other solid state camera's.

The Z1 is very tempting, especially as I can get it for about $2000 + shipping with 97x10 hours - is this a good deal? Although I have few concerns with this camera - one is the low light cabability, two is the picture quality - how good is it? and finally, it doesn't shoot in true 24p - I want to give some shoots in the wedding a true film look and don't have after effects (as only using FCP) to do this post production. I don't want the video to come up looking like a documentary as mentioned on some forums.

The EX1 looks extremily interesting, however; it costs a lot; I need to find a cheap back up solution (I was thinking DVD's, or archiving the cheaper SDHC disks) and it can be prone to unwanted artifacts due to the CMOS chips - some sites say it's fine for weddings, others say steer well clear - what is your interpritation?

Finally there is the Z7. I costs more then the EX1 - although does have the advantage of back up tape. For the cost - I get the impression the EX1 is the better camera.

It's such a difficult decision!

EQUIPMENT LIST


<b>Microphone (radio)</b>
£378
Sennheiser Generation 2 wireless systems - again as this is really important, seems the best option. Two included I believe, so one for the grrom and one at the alter.



<b>Shoulder Mount</b>
£70
CVP SM1 - my only worry with this is that when you breath, it may effect the shot as the support is on your chest. I think a shoulder mount is needed though if I do end up with the EX1

The XH-A1 is no more consumer than the Z1, (and is definately up to the job). I have both. The Canon is far mor customisable than the Z1, both cams are capable of producing amazing images for the price.

The EX1 is without a doubt the best camera of the bunch, by a mile, and more.

Sennheiser G2 Eng kit comes with 1 bodypack transmitter and 1 plug in transmitter. You would need to buy another receiver to use them both at the same time.

[Bobonli]

You are in the EX-1 forum so most people are going to focus on that camera. If you're looking for a more generic discussion you might want to post this down in "Hardware."

The EX-1, like most cameras, is capable of good results if you learn how to use it. So my first tip would be to buy one of the "user guide" videos to see what it does and then rent one. The Vortex media DVD set is great. I went this route and was able to make an educated choice. I bought an EX-1 this week.

You cannot rely on what people write on forums about suitablitiy for weddings etc. I don't say that to offend anyone but rather to inspire you to try it out for yourself. Pick any particular feature about ANY camera and you will get a wide range of opinions. What matters is your workflow and needs.

Tape. Unless you love the workflow let go and adopt tapeless. It's so much easier to move files then have to ingest tapes. That said, you'll now be buying hard drives instead of tape!

About the rest of the gear:

Tripod: will you eventually add a matte box, rails and other do-dads? If so, the FSB 6 might be on the light side. Look at the DV6, the next bigger head. I weighed an EX-1 with a bunch of extra stuff on it and decided on the DV8 (100mm) head just to be safe but it's considerably more expensive. Buy a very good tripod in the beginning and you'll have it forever.

Light. Why the Sony light? Look at Lightpanels micro. Has a reputation for being cheap. It is! I bought one because it throws pretty good light for the price and is not a humongous distraction sitting atop the camera. On the other hand, if you only plan to need it in an emergency than the Sony might be fine for $120 US.

Also consider another SxS card. You only get one with the camera. An IR filter since the camera has issues with black fabrics under tungsten light. A spare battery. The mic probably does not come with an XLR cable so you'll need a shorty cable.

Cheers

[richmondfloyd]

Thanks.

That's a really helpful reply. I think I am steering towards the EX1 - it was only because some wedding videopgraphers have two cameras at a wedding, that I was tempted to get two Z1's. I can always hire one if the customer so wishes, but it will be better to have a good around camera.

I was also concerned that the Z1 and XH A1 would give low light performance as low light situations are going to be more common at a wedding. And of course, the advantage of being about record instantly is certainly a benefit when your at a wedding and a 'special moment' happens that non one was expecting (dad crying that sort of things) - rather then the 7 seconds it takes for tape to spoil up.

I will invest in the "user guide" you suggest and look at the larger DV6.

In terms of the SxS cards - there is a good fix which I will use to get around this problem...using the Kensington adapter and transend cards for a tenth of the cost; see here - http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/138485-summary-sdhc-substitute-sxs-cards.html - haven't found anyone reporting them going wrong.

[Bobonli]

Thanks.

That's a really helpful reply. I think I am steering towards the EX1 - it was only because some wedding videopgraphers have two cameras at a wedding, that I was tempted to get two Z1's. I can always hire one if the customer so wishes, but it will be better to have a good around camera.

I was also concerned that the Z1 and XH A1 would give low light performance as low light situations are going to be more common at a wedding. And of course, the advantage of being about record instantly is certainly a benefit when your at a wedding and a 'special moment' happens that non one was expecting (dad crying that sort of things) - rather then the 7 seconds it takes for tape to spoil up.

I will invest in the "user guide" you suggest and look at the larger DV6.

In terms of the SxS cards - there is a good fix which I will use to get around this problem...using the Kensington adapter and transend cards for a tenth of the cost; see here - http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/138485-summary-sdhc-substitute-sxs-cards.html - haven't found anyone reporting them going wrong.

Beware. The KxS solution is not without its challenges. It does not work for all of the under/overcranking options the camera offers. I looked at those threads long and hard and decided against it but, then again, I dont need stacks of cards so having two extra SxS is sufficient.

One thing I find to be huge is the ability to preview on location and simply delete the rubbish rather than bring it home, import it and then delete it. This has cut my edting time drastically. The people I work with also love being able to see the cut immediately and then return to shooting without having to watch me obsess over whether the next take will accidentally record over a previous take.

Rent if you can. It was the single wisest thing I did before plunking down $6k!

[colin rowe]

Thanks.

That's a really helpful reply. I think I am steering towards the EX1 - it was only because some wedding videopgraphers have two cameras at a wedding, that I was tempted to get two Z1's. I can always hire one if the customer so wishes, but it will be better to have a good around camera.

I was also concerned that the Z1 and XH A1 would give low light performance as low light situations are going to be more common at a wedding. And of course, the advantage of being about record instantly is certainly a benefit when your at a wedding and a 'special moment' happens that non one was expecting (dad crying that sort of things) - rather then the 7 seconds it takes for tape to spoil up.

I will invest in the "user guide" you suggest and look at the larger DV6.


If you can afford it, then definately go for the EX1. If not, the XH-A1 or the Z1 are more than up to the job. In 27 years of producing wedding videos I have never had a problem with low light in a church. And in those dark and distant days we were using separate cameras, 30 lux was an average sensitivity on the cameras, and Umatic recorders the size of a small suitcase.
You will definately need lighting at some times at reception venues. Regardless of the camera you use.
2 cameras are almost a must when covering the wedding service and the speeches. The ability to cut between 2 camera views gives amazing flexibility at the edit stage, and adds so much to the finished product.
Dont worry about the 7 seconds it takes for tape to spool up, just keep the camera on all the time, I edit out about an hour of shots of my feet on every wedding.:)

[FrankC]

Richmond... As an EX1 owner, I definitely will say the EX1 is the best camera of it's time for the price. I've just finished a full length feature movie with it and the pictures are gorgeous!... along with the corporate productions by which I make my living.
The EX1 is by far superior to anything else on the market in its price range...
However, I'm not sure it's the best camera for weddings...especially if you need to purchase two. There I would be tempted to go with the lower priced offerings for a number of reasons: 1. I can buy two for the price of one EX1. Shooting with an HDV cassette format may be easier and cheaper than the expensive SxS chips in the EX1. and 3., the EX1 may simply be overkill for what may be required for a wedding.

[Z1Scottie]

i have an EX1 i use for weddings, and it produces amazing pictures in low light, however,
if you are with a flash happy photog, you might hate it. i think one of the best bang for the buck
cameras right now is the HMC150. just over 3K, shoots on cheap SDHC, has CCDs and is
tweakable. the file format may present a problem, but transcode or edit on a platform that
has native AVCHD, and your all set.

[richmondfloyd]

Thank you for throwing the HMC150 into the mix...I think. I am very set on the EX1, I think it's an amazing camera and one that I can learn using the Vortex 'user manual' and get some exceptional results. HOWEVER; I trying to justify the extra expense.

I have decided that I want to go tapeless. No drop outs and instant record being just a couple of prime benefits. And arguably, it isn't that expensive to achieve if using the HMC150 or Kensington adapter with the EX1 - I know these cards were not designed to do this, but I haven't heard of any problems, unless you over/under crank that is. I have FCP 6.0.5 - so AVCHD shouldn't present a problem.

I think I need to rent one and have a play. Trouble is, I think i'll love it and buy it and it really is cutting my budget to the absolute limit - after all I am borrowing, sorry investing (sounds much more palatable) the money.