New Member: Weddings and DVX

downsouth

downsouth

New member
Hello,

Im new to this list. I do not have a DVX100b yet, but am seriously thinking about getting one.

I would like to email/chat with any DVX users shooting weddings with this camera. I shoot several weddings a year, and have been using the Canon GL1's to shoot. One of my Canons developed a bad pixel and I will have to replace it. I would like to purchase a DVX and expand my shoots "beyond" weddings into more creative ventures. However, weddings are currently my bread and butter.

Im seeking advice from anyone shooting weddings with the DVX100a or b.

IS THIS COMPANY LEGIT ! DVX100B FOR $1800 !

http://www.zoommania.com/agdvx100b.html

Thanks,
Jeff
www.downsouthstudio.com

jeff@downsouthstudio.com
 
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there is a list of authorized dealers at the top of this forum. with an expensive purchase like this, i would recommend going with one of them. if a website is offering the camera for $1500 less than what it sells elsewhere, it is likely a scam.
 
Here's a couple of thoughts:

First off, if you are thinking of branching out from the traditional wedding shoot, I salute you. The DVX is a great camera to shoot a multitude of standard definition 24p projects.

I use mine for a few weddings a year, but don't recommend a stock DVX for such shoots. One reason is the short focal length. My experience is that the DVX just doesn't have the zoom for the type of shots you'd need at a wedding. (ex. You're in the balcony)

Now on the plus side, you'll get a camera that shoots a nice 24p image, and believe me, it does look great. But let's say you are matching up with a 2nd camera that's still shooting 60i...It's decisions like this that you'll have to mull over.

My advice would be to check the DVX User Marketplace and see if you can get a good deal on a used DVX. At this point, (and this is just my opinion) it doesn't make sense to buy a new DVX. There are plenty of good deals on slightly used cameras.

If you are going to buy new, I would recommend B&H. Stay away from the deals that seem to be to good to be true. Most of them are scams. You'll sleep alot easier.

My two cents, take it or leave it. Oh yeah, the "search" feature of this site will reveal tons of information.
 
I have to disagree with the comment on the focal length.. the 10x/325mm reach is perfectly suited for weddings... and i wouldnt recomend shooting from a balcony either..

10x might seem short, however the wide angle makes up for it, and during prepes and pans, it will make a huge difference to the GL. Fair enough it doesnt have teh telel reach, however u soon learn to live with that, and it really isnt a hindrance.. consider teh fact that most stills photography tele lenses used in ceremonies are about the 200mm mark anyway.. anything further, and the flash wont reach the subject u see.. for video, any further and video stability could become an issue..

Aside from progresive scan, the dvx also lets you mess with gamma settings which you can assign to different scenes... in turn u can tweak teh gamma and colour nuances of teh camera to adapt to low lit environments.. many people say the DVX isnt as good as teh PD150, however these are the same people who dont mess with the gamma settings..
With enough tweaks, you can get a very clean image using 9db gain up shooting with very minimal lighting.

i have had clients comment on the Z1 footage compared the DVX, and teh clients shoose which "look" they prefer befor we shoot.. 99% of clients prefer the DVX
 
Padre said:
I have to disagree with the comment on the focal length.. the 10x/325mm reach is perfectly suited for weddings... and i wouldnt recomend shooting from a balcony either..
Click to expand...
Right, I wouldn't recommend shooting from a balcony if I didn't have to, but sometimes you end up there by way of the first cameraman's instructions or the wrath of the preacher man. You can't always get as close as you want to be.

I failed to mention the DVX has a great wide angle, but I'm still sticking with my argument--The stock zoom lens won't get you in close enough for the wedding shots you'll be wanting to grab. Especially if he is used to the zoom on a GL1.
 
I shoot weddings with two DVXs. I bought my first one new and the second one used here in the DVXuser marketplace. The image quality is absolutely fantastic and, for the price, I wouldn't swap them for anything.

That said, I was a little frustrated with the focal length of the lens. I shoot one camera on the ground level and one in the balcony. Assuming you're reasonably close to the altar area, you can still get a nice tight shot of the B&G on the ground level. But the balcony is usually just too far. Don't get me wrong, the wide shot is FANTASTIC from up there, but I still want to be able to get up close and personal.

So, anyway, I got the Century Optic teleconverter and the problem is solved. I'm still tweaking the tactics of it, because the zoom-through is limited and, as a consequence you do give up some of the gorgeous wide angle. So, I swap it out -- off and on a few times -- throughout the ceremony. Obviously, not an option with a single camera, but it works for me.

For what it's worth I don't have -100B models, but wish I did...the auto synching of the time code would be nice.
 
Deepfocus88 said:
Right, I wouldn't recommend shooting from a balcony if I didn't have to, but sometimes you end up there by way of the first cameraman's instructions or the wrath of the preacher man. You can't always get as close as you want to be.
Click to expand...

Yeah, "wrath of the preacher man" is something you need to take into consideration. I don't shoot weddings for a living, or even at a level that most of you would consider "professional"--but it seems like every time I take a camera to a wedding, somebody points to the ol' balcony. And I personally have actually been fairly happy with the results (including, just for the record, at my own wedding)--around here, at least, the ministers do a pretty good job of having the couple face the audience most of the time, so I get plenty of "face time" on the tape. It sure beats the time that the priest shoved me over on the side of the (oddly round) church, at about a 90 degree angle to the bride and groom (to the point that I had a hard time seeing the groom past the bride)...

Depending on the size of the church, the 10X zoom may not be horrible--most of my wedding shoots have been with the old AG-456, and what was that? An 8X? But, yeah, based on my experience with needing more zoom from the DVX in some situations, I can easily imagine that you'll be cussing that lens at some point when you wind up in the biggest church in the state...

Can anybody please tell me why Panasonic has never tweaked the zoom through two revisions of the camera?
 
Yeah, the more I think about it, as long as it's a two camera shoot, theres nothing wrong with a nice wide shot from the balcony. It's a nice perspective, especially if there's a lot of people in the pews.
 
by the way on zoommania that is where i bought mine but they were not selling the camera for 1800 for another 4-6 months by itself so i had to buy a package. luckily i needed the stuff from the package anyway and i still think i got a really good deal.
 
I am in the market for a camera and examining the DVX100B.
The price of $1899 is a great price. I might even buy 2 for that price. :happy:
However, I am concerned about getting scammed.

Other than being a complete sham and I didn't get what I ordered, what would be the problem with buying from other than an authorized dealer?

Thanks

So after posting I did some checking on zoommaina. I found lots of bad reviews by just googling it. However, I did see some good and even excellents from buyers. Don't know what they bought but I don't think I will take a chance on a purchase this big.
 
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Bill Cornelius said:
Other than being a complete sham and I didn't get what I ordered, what would be the problem with buying from other than an authorized dealer?
Click to expand...
Look at what dougiefresh13 wrote. They advertise great prices but then if you don't buy the overpriced add-ons, their stock vanishes.

Notice that it says "In Stock" but if you click "buy now" it will say 0 available. But, if you'd like to pay $750 for: a generic battery and charger, 3 cheap filters, a $.50 lens scratching kit, a wide piece of tape to cover your lcd, 5 cheap mini-DV tapes, and a mediocre case, they just happen to have a DVX with your name on it!:grin:

The deals just aren't that good when you factor in the quality of the extras. That's assuming they don't just take your money and then string you along.
 
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