Who Has Received Their PAL HVX200?

[SPZ]

Panasonic had to do something to compete with its bigger brother, but seriously, isn't "the look" made in color grading in the post?
So it doesn't matter how film-like the camera original is.
Eg. have you ever seen print films made straight out or camera negative with 0-light for daylies or workprints for steinbeck? They are usually very not-film-like...

Since we all have decent color grading possibilities in our editstations these days, camera manufacturers should consentrate in how to get as raw as possible image out of camera. These ready-made looks are just for the biggest hurry like ENG.

Decent color grading is a Da Vinci system, not CC in Final Cut Pro. And this costs a LOT of money. The work you have to do in post with a Sony camera bellow HDcam level is a lot more than with a Panasonic one: The PD170 needed a lot more work than the DVX in order to be Film-like, the Z1 needs a lot more work than an HVX to be film like, and the XDcam is the same. And while in the HVX you only need to fine tune to get a believable film look, in the ZDCAm you need to go a lot more in depth- Either you hire a good colorist or have to do a very meticulous and hard job to color correct significantly your footage. Anyway, its a matter of personal taste, like I said before. If its Sharpness, a professional body and a Sony standard video image and have 20 000 euros to spend in camera alone, get the XDCAM HD.

 

[steadicamsteel]

Any way you can post this?

Anyway, what happens when you try to capture 720 25P on a default 720 60p setting? Any camera feed?

Tried and this is the message I got:

Unable to locate the capture device
DVCPRO HD (720p60)

Your system configuration may have changed or your deck/camera may be disconnected or turned off.
Please check blah de blah de blah.....

 

[SPZ]

What if you try 48P or 50P? maybe it goes trough (since these are included in the NTSC specification- only 48P tough)

 

[steadicamsteel]

What if you try 48P or 50P? maybe it goes trough (since these are included in the NTSC specification- only 48P tough)

Sorry I don't have those on my system.....

 

[steadicamsteel]

The system see both 1080i/25P and 1080i/50i but as soon as change the record format on the camera to anything else other than the afformentioned the log and capture bombs.......

 

[xray]

Panasonic had to do something to compete with its bigger brother, but seriously, isn't "the look" made in color grading in the post?

Decent color grading is a Da Vinci system, not CC in Final Cut Pro. And this costs a LOT of money.

( and knowhow)

Both is true. Lets keep it here PAL and happy owners.

 

[J.R. Hudson]

Decent color grading is a Da Vinci system, not CC in Final Cut Pro.

Who are you kidding ?

 

[proximity]

I've done a deal with video4 in Norway for the HVX-200, one extra Stamina 5400 battery and a KATA bag. I'm paying 41.000,- kroners, which is 5142 euro, or 6151 USD + taxes (25%) which I qualify to deduct. (I get the tax refonded) Delivery is next week, but video4 is having a roadshow which hits my town April 5, I'll just pick it up then. weeee

-proximity

 

[booth]

Got mine, just hooked it up to an LCD HD-Ready television and it's cool to see the difference between SD and HD - I have a poster on my wall and you can't read the writing in SD but in HD that extra detail is there. Nice. Unfortunately my lights are duff, I've no P2 cards so can't test Vari frame rates or record anything apart from some nice 16/9 DV.

Gotta say they look much nicer and more pro in real life than in photos.

 

[hcBeck]

I've received mine. I have a single 4GB, so once I upgrade my Powerbook to 10.4, I'll upload some footage of a tap dripping 50 frames a second over 25PN.

Fact-fans, the actual frame rates for the PAL camera are

12 = 12.5fps
18 = 17.86fps
20 = 19.74fps
23 = 23.15fps
25 = 25fps
27 = 27.17fps
30 = 29.76fps
32 = 32.14fps
37 = 36.76fps
48 = 48.08fps
50 = 50fps

 

[Emanuel]

Emanuel, is that the price for the F330 or F350? Does this price include a Lens? I guess not...

Yup to F330 K=with lens L=without lens (http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/public/view_item_cat.php?catalogue_number=sony_pdw-f330l) it's €12,992

EDIT- Add to that the full lengh of accessories that are significantly cheaper for a small form handheld camera like the HVX VS the XDCAm, like my Glidecam smooth shooter, my DV tripod, carrying case (that come from my dvx legacy), and also its non intrusive looks for those shots that you want to shoot somewhere but don't want to go for months of applying shooting permits, and ALSO the freedom a small form handheld camera permits in shooting dinamic angles, and you have a winner of a camera. I'm certain someone will win awards in cinematography with the HVX
But we need PAL results! Fellow PAL users! Lend me your ears! Er... Mouths!... Er... Eye, brain, mouth and analysis?

Despite the film-like HVX properties, my doubts are wth the 25p/50i will be different than the noisy 24p/60i version? Otherwise, unfortunately, the 960x540 CCDs will be/are the same, so...

 

[alpi69]

but the 330 from SONY cannot overcrank. so it is 13000 pounds without lens if you want variable speed right?.

 

[Emanuel]

After Barlow's (Elton) tests, I was convinced that it's possible to get it from 50i or 60i without any hassles and as perfect as any 720/60p -- at least, to my demands... [after all, if you are going to slow motion purposes, it will be even circa 5%?!!... (of the global footage) ...if it will be so (much?!)...]

 

[trtmac]

Got our camera today...with 1 8GB P2 card...

Works fine taking in footage to FCP 108050 i and 108025p... But any 720 setting does not work with FCP.

I'll try and get to do some test during the weekend comparing our big DVCPROHD Varicam, the Sony HDV - both models - and the HVX200.

Anyone know anything about the 720 25pn format? - I'd like to use that format in order to get as much video pr. MB as possible! - I'm planning a trip - walking through a desert - one month - solar power - HD on P2 720Pn 25p - transfer to 15 Lacie 100GB Rugged Drives connected to a Appler PowerBook. This should give me 50 hours of video... Now I just need a lot of money for this setup - and for Apple to give us support for the 25pn format...and hope for the desert sun to give me enough solar power to drive this setup!

Best regards
Toke, Denmark

 

[SPZ]

I've received mine. I have a single 4GB, so once I upgrade my Powerbook to 10.4, I'll upload some footage of a tap dripping 50 frames a second over 25PN.

Fact-fans, the actual frame rates for the PAL camera are

12 = 12.5fps
18 = 17.86fps
20 = 19.74fps
23 = 23.15fps
25 = 25fps
27 = 27.17fps
30 = 29.76fps
32 = 32.14fps
37 = 36.76fps
48 = 48.08fps
50 = 50fps

What? 23.15fps? Doh! Just a few frames more and it would be 24P

 

[SPZ]

Got mine, just hooked it up to an LCD HD-Ready television and it's cool to see the difference between SD and HD - I have a poster on my wall and you can't read the writing in SD but in HD that extra detail is there. Nice. Unfortunately my lights are duff, I've no P2 cards so can't test Vari frame rates or record anything apart from some nice 16/9 DV.

Gotta say they look much nicer and more pro in real life than in photos.

Booth, please give us some quick first impressions for noise and 50p!

 

[booth]

There's noise in low light sure - looks to be the same as DVX100. In good light it disappears. You have to realise that we have power saving light bulbs in our house which cameras don't like, and we didn't get the camera back from Shipley till after dark so I've not had much opportunity to test it out in decent light.

Any noise that I'm seeing looks more filmic than video noise to be honest, but it's there. I did notice some macro blocking on the LCD too, but this DID NOT transmit to my LCD HD-Ready 26 inch television. Couldn't recreate it too with the same settings, but the LCD and viewfinder in Paul our DPs words "is crap!" so I've got a feeling that perhaps it might be the LCD. The viewfinder might as well not be on the camcorder, it's such a token gesture.

However, for those in the know I reckon some very nice images can be created from the PAL cam, just like the NTSC version. The 4:2:2 colours aren't completely noticable until you switch to DV mode and realise how poor it looks in comparison. And the resolution is awesome for one who's never had a HD camera before. Switching it back and forth between 576p and 720p, I can't believe we ever put up with SD, even though I've been editing some really nice DVX100 footage all evening, and know how good that can look. I can only wonder at how nice the HD stuff can look under good conditions and with careful hands.

Can't tell you much about 50p as I don't have any P2 cards.

 

[deebee69]

Hello Alex
Ive been following your posts for quite some time now
So thought I would get in touch as my hvx200 is in at H Prestons now
Ive decided to hold on a couple of weeks as ive aldso ordered a firestore 100 from them so waiting for that to come in.
Thought it would be nice to keep in touch as we mutually have hiccups and teething problems we could share our fixes
Hope to hear back from you

 

[ROne]

On my 720p LCD projector macro blocking was non-existent.

There was a little edge noise, but component is not the best way (certainly on my projector) to view this sort of image.

I'm going to try and get some sort of HDMI conversion in there.

Thing is, what if the component stage of both your source and display is not so clean?

My sanyo projector's component stage is poor (that said it is 7ft projection) - and I know for a fact noise is induced their.

Until I've seen a digital display / connection I wouldn't like to go out on a limb and say much about noise from the HVX.

It looked clean to me though.

 

[Paul Llewellyn]

Not sure if this is best place to report but I Thought that it'd make a good first test of this camera for us in the uk. I'm certainly going to have a go. April 11th is the deadline;


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