Things I needed to buy after I purchased my HVX

[Green Hornet]

Okay, you can buy what ever you want. It is your money.

I just though this needed to be said some where, and I haven't really heard it.
I love my HVX200, BUT it will cost me way more that the $5,900 I thought it would cost.

Most recomend:

The camera: $5,400
New monitor that displays 1080: cheapest on is the dell at $799 on sale.
You need Final cut HD to edit it: $1,200
or Avid $$$$$$$$$$
or Canopus Broadcast $800

Most likely you will need a new computer unless you already have a G5.
Best value Apple, dual processor at 2.0 ghz $2,000
or
Custom built PC for canopus edius broadcast w/ dual core processor, 2 gigs of ram, dual hard drives, and 512 video card. $2,000 - $2,500.

External hard drive 500 gig $500

P2 card 4 gig @ $650 each....you will need 3 of them.
or
P2 card 8 gig @ $1,300 each...you will need 3 of them.

P2 store @ $1,600

Then you need a camera bag.... many are going for the porta brace @ $250

Maybe some new sticks...this is heavyer than the dvx..... $1,200 with head.


So that's what it takes to shoot and edit as a minimum.........
Think it over, personally I wouldn't change my mind now, but if I didn't have the $12,000 just laying around, I probably would not finance this type of camera with out a real game plan on how it would return the money.

 

[J.R. Hudson]

Thanks for the heads-up Hornet but I believe this is an issue we have all been aware of from Day 1.

It seems you were lacking in quite a bit of standard accessories as it appears most folks are already set-up give or take.

 

[Isaac_Brody]

I wouldn't call what you listed the minimum. Perhaps your minimum, but most people buying an HVX aren't starting out with zero equipment. You don't need a bleeding edge mac either to edit HVX footage. Nor three P2 cards. And you don't need the P2 store.

I do agree that you shouldn't be purchasing unless you can make a return on your money, but your $12,000 figure is pretty inflated.

 

[n8ture]

I already had Final Cut Studio,
Already had sticks and a head stong enough to hold it.
Already had a Pelican 1600 case.
Already had a 17" 1.67Ghz Powerbook

Just needed the camera and cards.

 

[J.R. Hudson]

I agree

and Quotes like this

Think it over, personally I wouldn't change my mind now, but if I didn't have the $12,000 just laying around, I probably would not finance this type of camera with out a real game plan on how it would return the money.

Most people I know already have half of this stuff anyway. Sounds to me the Hornet just did not do his Due Dilligence up front.

:nads:

Oh and Hornet ? I changed your signature. I cannot in good conscious have you running around the boards spreading that propaganda.

 

[thisiswells]

if I didn't have the $12,000 just laying around, I probably would not finance this type of camera with out a real game plan on how it would return the money.

Bingo.

As an aside, the most successful businesses are (generally) the ones who don't borrow money hoping to see a return on their investment at some mystical point in the future. The most successful businesses focus on developing, nurturing, and maintaining a client base and their growth is (generally) built over time by re-investing the profits from previous sales.

 

[D_and_G]

and :

Mattebox + filters $1500

Lights $2500

Marshall 7" $1800

Field mixer $550

Microphones Supercardoid + Hypercardoid $3000

Lights (Arri kit) $3500

Firestore $2000

So $12,000 + $14,850 = $26,850

And we aren't even including software like A.E or Protools, audio monitors for accurate sound representation, HD color monitor for cc ...

However, I concur with John. I think most people have a base they're starting with.

I do agree that unless you have a good plan to optimize the camera, or you have enough $ it won't affect you adversely, then you should really consider if you can afford it.

It reminds me of the first time I shot film. There are even more hidden costs in that , IMO.



Cheers.

 

[Green Hornet]

rogar-Sick(DBG): Ok, I am all beat up now......thanks I said I only want 2 lumps

Actually I have editing gear for SD, that works flawlessly, but won't edit HD.

I think most DO NOT have systems that can edit HD.

I have sticks, but been using dvx100a, and sony PD150, and also use the Sony DSR 390, but wanted something new for the HVX200, as I could write it off anyway.


We all need 3 P2 cards, unless you want to make life more difficult than it needs to be.

I think most will eventually want the P2 store after they dragged the laptops around and get them knocked over and have to duct tape the screen together.

I was just trying to point out the minimum (in my view) of what was needed.

 

[J.R. Hudson]

We're just busting your balls Hornet. I remember when I first got the DVX100. I told my wife it was only X

And then X X X X X X X later she is still making reference to the original quote. Still, I think your orginal post is a good one; it may make folks think a bit before telling their wife it's only $4999 !

 

[izoneguy]

rogar-Sick(DBG): Ok, I am all beat up now......thanks I said I only want 2 lumps

I was just trying to point out the minimum (in my view) of what was needed.

Even at $12,000.....to shoot and edit HD that is bargain basement, to actually approach what use to cost $100,000 minimum is a steal in my mind. I remember my friend shut down his production company so he could buy and shoot with the first Sony HD camera. This was before 24p. I think he started at 2 or 3K per day. I think he finally went back to BetaSP rates and I doubt he ever paid off that camera. $12,000....I hope most people on this list could clear that in 2 or 3 months. By NAB I hope Pana announces other P2 HD cameras that will compliment the HVX.

 

[vidled]

...it may make folks think a bit before telling their wife it's only $4999 !

You're kidding, right?
The lower the number, the more likely the "approval". The $4999 is a good place to start, even if you can't get the complete HD kit with all the bits and pieces until after battle #3 or 4....heck, it worked for you with the DVX, why shouldn't it work with the HVX nowadays!
rogar-BigGrin(DBG)

 

[Justyn]

indeed HVXguy. I think this is a small price to pay for what it offers. I'm hoping that paying gigs will come and pay for the camera, but I'm quite content to be selfish and use it on my own films. This is a selfish fatty camera that delivers the goods without the cost of film.

I'd also add to the going list of necessary gear:

Shoulder or steady-mount contraption.

Monopod (love 'em)

fuzzy dice

heat seaking missles.

 

[spencer]

Thank god that by the time i'll be able to afford an HVX it'll be somewhere around the time in which I'm going to college--That'll take 2 grand off of my bill because my parents will spring for the new computer.

And, also remember regarding the P2 stuff is that hopefully soon there's gonna be two alternatives that sound good (the SpecComm thing sounds neat, but that does tack on even more price), but the firestore is about the same as three 4gigs, or a couple hundred more, right?

But yeah, the price does seem to add up. Thank goodness that in addition to going to college soon, i'm also somewhat incompetent in the ways of filmmaking, so by the time i actually figure out how to do stuff well, i'll hopefully have a better job. Right now, i'll just suck in High Definition (kidding...somewhat)

 

[pretopost]

I could see the justification for your list if you were just shooting home movies and realized your freeware "My Movie" software wouldn't edit HD or do Variable frame Rates...

Oh Crap Honey, my one pound max weight tripod could hold my canon elura but not the HVX!

Get real...I thought this forum was for "working" Professionals.

 

[jeffyjones]

Why do these kinds of threads turn into dis-fests and chest-thumping romps?

This is one of the few communities where generally speaking it's friendly to people of all experience levels. Don't ruin it by saying your tripod is bigger than mine or you have more toys.

I'm starting from scratch too. I suspect this camera has inspired others to do so as well. Respect the diversity.

 

[Barry_Green]

I think most DO NOT have systems that can edit HD.

Well, anyone with FCP can. But most? Probably true considering the market share of Premiere and Vegas, but with $195 worth of Raylight they can get started.

We all need 3 P2 cards, unless you want to make life more difficult than it needs to be.

Three is nice. I'm getting along with two, and I would say the absolute minimum is two; anyone trying to get along with just one is really stretching it. Two is workable. Three is all you'd ever need for many circumstances.

I think most will eventually want the P2 store after they dragged the laptops around and get them knocked over and have to duct tape the screen together.

P2 Store's a totally different type of product. We've been using laptops exclusively and there's no substitute for a laptop. Just the P2 Viewer alone is priceless to have (and I cannot WAIT for some third party to release a full-fledged P2 Viewer app vs. the Panasonic freebie!) But we have laptops on every shoot all the time anyway; between scheduling and bringing up documents and printing notices and all the other fantastic things they do, adding P2 offloading is just one more. And someday (hopefully) live monitoring throught he firewire will be yet another. I think a laptop is becoming as indispensable as a field monitor.

(note: not for every type of shoot, of course! I'm talking about dramatic/narrative production). For one-man shooting, the P2 Store is uniquely suited. But for anything other than one-man type shots, I think the laptop is far more versatile.

 

[Barry_Green]

This is one of the few communities where generally speaking it's friendly to people of all experience levels. Don't ruin it by saying your tripod is bigger than mine or you have more toys.

Well said. The whole community could use an infusion of "niceness" and "tolerance", there's been far too much complaining and attacking recently.

We moderators are on the patrol to make things a bit more "moderate" than they have been.

 

[Barry_Green]

Get real...I thought this forum was for "working" Professionals.

A little rough there; please try to have some more respect for the aspiring professionals too.

I've long thought that the HVX was a camera primarily for the working professional, not the home user. In that context, the cost to get a working setup is a capitalized business cost, and one that (with proper business practices) can be recouped in very short order (I booked enough jobs in January to pay off my HVX & Mac and everything else in the first month I owned it). Not all are at that level yet. Some are well above that level. Some are just getting started.

I don't mind Green Hornet's post here; he's sharing his experience of what he's had to do. But I agree with Isaac and the others; shooting circumstances are unique enough that not everyone will need the same level of gear. What I would exhort people to do is make sure that they do know what they're planning to do and what they're getting into -- a talented shooter can make some serious money with this gear, and it's not hard. We've had several F900 shoots turn into HVX shoots once we show the client the footage and say "cost for camera rental package = 1/2". It's a really easy sell. We have no problem renting the F900 if that's what they want, but once they see the HVX footage nobody (and I mean nobody) has said "no, not good enough." They're all happy with the footage and with the cost savings.

If someone's buying it as a home video camera, I do have to say I don't understand it, but hey, it's a free country and if that's what they want, they're entitled to it. But as a business investment it's proven very savvy so far!

 

[Green Hornet]

I was providing my viewpoint based on my experience.
I had all of the items for production, but going to HD over SD required all the items I had to be upgraded.

Yeah I am sure most of you are working professionals.
Most of my work is in still photography.
I manage 15 photography studios, and do commisioned work in both video and still photography. Because video is not my "day job", I can pick and choose which jobs I take.

Around here, we have a huge film school and colleges that put out actors, and film makers. There is a film festival at minimum of once a month. Most of what I have done has been shooting stuff for them.

The school(s) have most of the editing stuff and I am not really an editor, but for my own stuff, I edited using canopus hardware for SD (although outdated by todays HD standards, it did fine for what I do).

My paid work is mainly in photography or SD video.
I didn't really "need" HD.

I am however working on my own indie film that I wrote and will shoot.
We have a budget of $180,000. That's not a lot but that's what we got.
It will be a feature length deal, and we are talking to a lot of people who are offering contingent deals. One of which were that if we shot on HD, we could get
the possibility to be distributed in more markets. That was the reason for my looking into the HVX200 and HD in the first place.

I don't know what the rest of you do for your "day jobs", and maybe you all have $12,000 to drop, and or always have the latest and greatest gear so you don't have to "re-tool" for HD, but being as I was doing paid work in SD and had things covered for that, I am sure that many have to be in the situation I was in.

If you are all above me, then damn! Nice to meet you on my way up. rogar-BigGrin(DBG)

 

[Green Hornet]

Well, anyone with FCP can. But most? Probably true considering the market share of Premiere and Vegas, but with $195 worth of Raylight they can get started..

FCP? I thought you needed fcp HD (I don't know if they are the same, if not, then I believe that would be an upgrade)
Raylight? Barry, you and I both know that that is a very frustrating solution, that again will point out the "need" for a computer upgrade.
For Raylight, you need the fastest computer you can buy to make that tolerable due to it's slow design.

Your pointing out the same things I said .....you will need to upgrade most everything you have, I just attatched prices to do so.

Three is nice. I'm getting along with two, and I would say the absolute minimum is two; anyone trying to get along with just one is really stretching it. Two is workable. Three is all you'd ever need for many circumstances..

For all the money you've dropped, I don't know why you would only have 2 cards.
I know you can afford it, but it's good to know that the 3rd card is not needed.

Speaking of money drop, Can you enlighten the group as to the amount you have spent since september untill now, on items relating to the HVX200......be honest. Again, the essence of my post was to say that $5,999 was only the begining of the cost to do it right. Hey, I am still spending so "step off"

P2 Store's a totally different type of product. We've been using laptops exclusively and there's no substitute for a laptop. Just the P2 Viewer alone is priceless to have (and I cannot WAIT for some third party to release a full-fledged P2 Viewer app vs. the Panasonic freebie!) But we have laptops on every shoot all the time anyway; between scheduling and bringing up documents and printing notices and all the other fantastic things they do, adding P2 offloading is just one more. And someday (hopefully) live monitoring throught he firewire will be yet another. I think a laptop is becoming as indispensable as a field monitor.

(note: not for every type of shoot, of course! I'm talking about dramatic/narrative production). For one-man shooting, the P2 Store is uniquely suited. But for anything other than one-man type shots, I think the laptop is far more versatile.

I see what you are saying.
You are working on large productions, with lots of room.
Most of the indie stuff I have done is in some small house or apartment lacking in space. There is always an assistant or 2, but that just makes things more cramped to add a laptop. I have been on the set of others who had all the goodies and set up that you speak of, but for my smaller type of production, a few music videos, and events, the locations are generally cramped to begin with.
The P2 store works for me in that case. It seems as if the above would describe the "needs" for the laptop solution and the P2 solution.

I take this all lightly.
Everyone will have to find their own way.