newadam
03-31-2006, 01:44 PM
To begin with I am probably one of the few who actually had 8 gig cards a month before I had th camera, so it is nice to finally get those cards to fit in something (they did not seem to get much in the DVX).
A little background. I have been doing video production for 12 years. Most of my work has been in Post production, although I have done quite a bit of production work - camera, lighting, and sound. I have used all kinds of cameras from Beta, to DV, to DVCAM. I have owned a 1/2 inch Pana DVC200, and a DVX100. I loved the DVX most of all, but because of a photography background I was always left feeling the image on any DV camera was missing something. I am not going to say I have not seem some really good stuff over the years, but I was always left lacking in terms of image.
Until now. I have only shot a days worth. Just fun stuff of the house and of my kids riding bikes outside. I am loving this camera. I am totally pleased and for the first time I watched what I shot straight from the camera and was blown away by the images. HD is so awesome. I hooked it up to my Panasonic AE900 720p projector via the component outputs, and It was so awesome. This is the perfect match for this camera. The images were just so filmic. Not only the resolution, but the way it handles color and light in great. The shots with the sky in the background that were always washed out on DV, looked awesome. The lense on this lense is great, little flaring. I am so pleased with the purchase. I will hopefully do more video soon. I would love to post what I have, but I do not have a server capable.
As to the noise. When watching it on the 80inch projected image, I noticed no noise (it may have been there, but I must have been in such awe I did not notice it). When I injested (I love that word over the dreadful sounding captured) the footage I did not see the noise in FCP, until I played it back at 100%. Yes I did see the mosquito noise, but it is really grain like as opposed to video articfacts. It is one of those things that once I noticed it, I tended to see it more, but then I would get surprised by the detail. I did not see any macroblocking in any of the darker stuff.
Yes the LCD is not the quality I think this cam deserves. It looks like when an LCD is set at not it's native RES and everthing looks fuzzy - only worse because of the small size. The viewfinder is better, but I have gotten so used to the LCD the way I shoot I hardly ever hold it up to my eye, I am usually on a tripod, or sitting with the cam in my lap, or on the ground, or something else. I may consider the Marshall. All that to say, I still got some decently good in focus shots. I do not really see it being a big problem. With the EVF detail and the foot reading (which I love) I could guess the distance pretty accureatly and get the quick shots of kids - rapidly moving. Honestly it is worth working around for the images I am getting.
So just some first impressions for you who have not been blessed yet. By the way, I tried the HD100 out briefly. The design was nice, It was easier to focus with. But I am in no way regrettig the purchase. I saw some things with the image I had concerns with, the lens - though easier to focus with - did not seem as clear, and honestly I love the p2 workflow over tapes - I now hate tapes. P2 is just awesome.
Anyway. Hope it helped for what it's worth.
A little background. I have been doing video production for 12 years. Most of my work has been in Post production, although I have done quite a bit of production work - camera, lighting, and sound. I have used all kinds of cameras from Beta, to DV, to DVCAM. I have owned a 1/2 inch Pana DVC200, and a DVX100. I loved the DVX most of all, but because of a photography background I was always left feeling the image on any DV camera was missing something. I am not going to say I have not seem some really good stuff over the years, but I was always left lacking in terms of image.
Until now. I have only shot a days worth. Just fun stuff of the house and of my kids riding bikes outside. I am loving this camera. I am totally pleased and for the first time I watched what I shot straight from the camera and was blown away by the images. HD is so awesome. I hooked it up to my Panasonic AE900 720p projector via the component outputs, and It was so awesome. This is the perfect match for this camera. The images were just so filmic. Not only the resolution, but the way it handles color and light in great. The shots with the sky in the background that were always washed out on DV, looked awesome. The lense on this lense is great, little flaring. I am so pleased with the purchase. I will hopefully do more video soon. I would love to post what I have, but I do not have a server capable.
As to the noise. When watching it on the 80inch projected image, I noticed no noise (it may have been there, but I must have been in such awe I did not notice it). When I injested (I love that word over the dreadful sounding captured) the footage I did not see the noise in FCP, until I played it back at 100%. Yes I did see the mosquito noise, but it is really grain like as opposed to video articfacts. It is one of those things that once I noticed it, I tended to see it more, but then I would get surprised by the detail. I did not see any macroblocking in any of the darker stuff.
Yes the LCD is not the quality I think this cam deserves. It looks like when an LCD is set at not it's native RES and everthing looks fuzzy - only worse because of the small size. The viewfinder is better, but I have gotten so used to the LCD the way I shoot I hardly ever hold it up to my eye, I am usually on a tripod, or sitting with the cam in my lap, or on the ground, or something else. I may consider the Marshall. All that to say, I still got some decently good in focus shots. I do not really see it being a big problem. With the EVF detail and the foot reading (which I love) I could guess the distance pretty accureatly and get the quick shots of kids - rapidly moving. Honestly it is worth working around for the images I am getting.
So just some first impressions for you who have not been blessed yet. By the way, I tried the HD100 out briefly. The design was nice, It was easier to focus with. But I am in no way regrettig the purchase. I saw some things with the image I had concerns with, the lens - though easier to focus with - did not seem as clear, and honestly I love the p2 workflow over tapes - I now hate tapes. P2 is just awesome.
Anyway. Hope it helped for what it's worth.