What's a better compliment to the HVX 200? The HPX 250 or HPX 370?

[AdventMediaProductions]

Hello,

I am looking to invest in a second camera to help compliment my HVX200. I mainly shoot fashion shows and corporate parties and right now my biggest limitation in the HVX is the relatively short zoom that the camera has. I have used the telephoto adapter for the HVX200 but sometimes I need to follow models all the way down the runway and getting the adapter's vignette in the shot isn't always an option. I would like to get a shoulder mounted camera as that would make for a more professional look, and most shoulder mounted cameras have the additional inputs/outputs that I need when shooting in the field. However, the two Panasonic shoulder mounted cameras in my price range (the HPX 370 and HPX 500) don't necessarily have the zoom range that I need.

The HPX 370 actually comes in at the right price for me but I am not sure how much it's 17X zoom is going to help me in comparison to the 12X zoom on the HVX200.

I have actually rented an HPX 500 and loved shooting on it, but the glass that would get me the zoom range that I want would make the camera cost around $20,000 which is a little out of my price range. I'm also hesitant on the HPX 500 because it has been out for quite a while now and I don't want to drop a ton of money on a camera that is going to be replaced in a couple of years.

Then there's the HPX 250, which looks very similar to to my HVX200 (which I don't mind but it obviously doesn't look like a "powerful" camera to the client) but it comes in substantially cheaper than the HPX 370, has more zoom than that camera, plus has the updated codecs like AVC-Intra.

So what option do you guys think I should go?

I really like the HPX 370 because it looks like a more professional camera, and its form factor would give me some more versatility when shooting in the field. I do know that I can get glass with further zoom range, but that would cost almost the price of the whole camera

The HPX 250 comes in cheaper and has a better zoom range than the 370 which is what I really need when shooting, but then again it's not shoulder mounted which doesn't look as "professional"

Are there significant differences in picture quality between the two cameras? Are there any features that I am forgetting in either camera that would be beneficial when making a decision? Does the HPX 370 have OIS (important when shooting fully zoomed)? Lastly which do you think would compliment the HVX 200 better?

I know I'm asking a lot but I am kind of torn between these two cameras and would love to get a second opinion and some more insights. Thanks for all of the help.

[Barry_Green]

Then there's the HPX 250, which looks very similar to to my HVX200 (which I don't mind but it obviously doesn't look like a "powerful" camera to the client) but it comes in substantially cheaper than the HPX 370, has more zoom than that camera, plus has the updated codecs like AVC-Intra.
As a point of clarification, the HPX370 also has the AVC-Intra codec. The HPX250 and HPX370 are pretty much the same camera, just the HPX250 having been repackaged in a handheld body.


I really like the HPX 370 because it looks like a more professional camera, and its form factor would give me some more versatility when shooting in the field. I do know that I can get glass with further zoom range, but that would cost almost the price of the whole camera

The HPX 250 comes in cheaper and has a better zoom range than the 370 which is what I really need when shooting, but then again it's not shoulder mounted which doesn't look as "professional"
Well, you do have a quandary here. The 250 is, again, the same basic camera as the 370, but it does a couple of things the 370 doesn't -- mainly that it has a longer zoom, plus it can do things like autofocus (the 370 can't autofocus because there aren't any autofocusing lenses in 1/3" mount). But the 370 does a few things the 250 doesn't, such as a) being a big shoulder mount form factor, plus the ability to interchange lenses, plus the wireless mic slot...


Are there significant differences in picture quality between the two cameras?
Pretty much no. Same sensors, same processing, same codec, only difference would be in the lens.


Are there any features that I am forgetting in either camera that would be beneficial when making a decision?
Well, I'd have to dredge my memory, I haven't used a 370 in a long time, but ... interchangeable lenses, obviously, no autofocus or OIS on the 370, way cheaper batteries on the 250 (370 needs anton bauer-style batteries), lighter weight and longer zoom and lower price on the hpx250, hpx370 can use the proxy card for recording low-bandwidth proxies but the 250 can't... um... I can't really think of anything else offhand...


Does the HPX 370 have OIS (important when shooting fully zoomed)?
No.


Lastly which do you think would compliment the HVX 200 better?
Either is going to be much sharper than the HVX200, with better low light sensitivity and a lot less noise. The 250 would be more of a replacement for an HVX rather than a companion to the HVX, whereas the 370 would be a whole different type of thing and I might be tempted to go that direction just because then you have a wider variety of options available to you.

Another thing to consider is that you said specifically you're shooting fashion -- if there's a lot of flash photography, keep in mind the MOS sensors on the 250 and 370 are going to react differently than the CCD sensors of your HVX200. Both the 250 and 370 have the FBC Flash Band Compensation feature so it's not like they'll react like most MOS cameras, but it'll still be a little different. Depending on the number of flashes you're encountering, it could be either a big deal or a nonissue. If it's an occasional flash, it's nothing to worry about, but if it's a constant barrage of flashes going off, that's going to be something you're really going to need to test to see if it's a problem for you.

[AdventMediaProductions]

Thanks for the reply Barry. In a lot of the shows that I shoot flashes aren't too prevalent so I don't think it will be too big of a problem, but thank you for the heads up. Just for clarification, the main reason for why I am looking into a second camera is because a lot of my clients have been asking for two camera angles lately, so I am definitely going to have to keep my HVX 200. Since my clients aren't too tech savvy I don't think they will notice the differences in image quality but then again, I don't necessarily know how dramatic the differences are between the two.

[Barry_Green]

If you use the HVX for closeups and the HPX for wide shots, you can probably tweak the images to get them pretty close and make for a passable scenario. But if you're putting them up side by side, the image differences are going to be quite noticeable.

Here's a much-cheaper and crazy idea -- how about just buying a used HVX200? You should be able to pick one up cheap, it'll definitely match the first one, and you could keep the teleconverter on it the whole time so you have one tele camera and one wide camera... would that be practical?

[AdventMediaProductions]

I have actually been playing around with that idea for quite a while but part of me does want to invest in a newer camera anyways. For instance, if a client can only afford a one camera shoot than an HPX model will provide better image quality and more zoom reach without any limitation when pulling out. Although now that I think about it I could probably get an HVX200 with a telephoto adapter plus an HPX 250 for around the same price of one HPX 370, that would actually give me quite a bit of versatility when shooting.

[Mike Warren]

The problem with the 370 is that it is quite a bit more expensive when you add a couple of batteries.

[AdventMediaProductions]

Yeah, I'm beginning to lean towards the HPX 250 because of that. Cheaper price+ better zoom+ OIS is pretty hard to beat even if the HPX 250 lacks the shoulder mounted form factor.