Questions before I go A1 and FCP...

FatDaddy

FatDaddy

Veteran
Hey All.

Looks like I will move up to the A1 from a DVX soon. Wanted to run a few things by the board before I do. Some questions I have tried to find answers for, but have not turned up the results. My gigs are international projects, so traveling light and small helps! Here goes:

I am thinking about going with the Miller Solo DV CF legs and the Cartoni HiDV head. Another option is the bigger 3 stage legs and Focus head. Do we know of anyone who sells the HiDV head by itself? Any HiDV users out there with performance comments?

I hear a 72mm thread on the A1. Can I use my exsiting screw on filters (I think Disjecta said yes to this), how about my Formatte matte box and centuary .6 wide angle?

Last production question - How hard will it be to focus without a ext. monitor. Should I invest? I will be out and about with b-roll and can't see using anything but the flip out (matte box even hard to use for hand held stuff), but how important is it for sit down interviews? (I know this is asking before the camera arives and I try it myself). Any thoughts?

Post production question - I will be switching to FCP (from AXP - no 24f support!), I have a first gen Mac book pro (2ghz with 2 gigs ram) and a g-raid 500 gig fw 400 drive (MBP only FW 400). Will this be fast enough for 1080 24F HDV? Any htoughts? I also have a Dual g4 1.25 with 2 gigs ram and newer graphics card, will this run 1080 HDV (can go FW 800).

That's it. Any help will be appreciated...
FD (John)
 
I can't say much about most of the other questions but I can tell you that a decent monitor is a must. I find the on board LCD to be too soft and difficult to get decent focus in a pinch. For static interview this might not be as much of a problem because you have time to set up the shot. What you need an LCD for are two things: exposure and color reproduction. It's extremely frustrating to not be able to tell how bright the image actually is because the LCD is too bright. This was a problem every time I film a live show; poorly lit scenes still show up as bright, which became a huge problem in post.

The A1 has an extensive list of image control option, and right now most of them are left untouched by me because the LCD doesn't display the subtle changes that I make. Most of the time I go with the stock setting and hope for the best.
 
I am trying to judge exposure by zebras more and more. I am more worried about running and gunning for broll and having soft focus, but don't know enough about shooting with this camera if it will be an issue or not. Interviews would be nice to have a monitor (and easier to use during interviews).
 
I don't know why autofocus wouldn't work for sitdown interviews.

I've been using the eyecup and not had many problems so far when in manual focus mode.
 
FatDaddy said:
I am thinking about going with the Miller Solo DV CF legs and the Cartoni HiDV head. Another option is the bigger 3 stage legs and Focus head. Do we know of anyone who sells the HiDV head by itself? Any HiDV users out there with performance comments?
Click to expand...

Can't answer this one for you. I'm still a raving fan of the junky ol 501. I actually dropped one in a swamp, literally a mud bog swamp in kauai. Pulled it out, poured some water on it... used it the rest of the day with no problems. (finally replaced it last week with the new 501 HDV) and I'm still using some bogen legs from a decade ago.

FatDaddy said:
I hear a 72mm thread on the A1. Can I use my exsiting screw on filters (I think Disjecta said yes to this), how about my Formatt matte box and centuary .6 wide angle?
Click to expand...

Filters yes, you can use. Formatte matte box should also work, that's the beauty of the Formatt is that is has adapters doesn't it? Century wide angle, not sure on that one. I would "assume" that it would indeed work, it's just a question of how well.

FatDaddy said:
Last production question - How hard will it be to focus without a ext. monitor. Should I invest? I will be out and about with b-roll and can't see using anything but the flip out (matte box even hard to use for hand held stuff), but how important is it for sit down interviews?
Click to expand...

I think the LCD is great, combined with the peaking function, and the magnify function I have had zero problems thus far. Of course an external 7" would make it even easier as is always the case.

FatDaddy said:
Post production question - I will be switching to FCP (from AXP - no 24f support!), I have a first gen Mac book pro (2ghz with 2 gigs ram) and a g-raid 500 gig fw 400 drive (MBP only FW 400). Will this be fast enough for 1080 24F HDV? Any htoughts? I also have a Dual g4 1.25 with 2 gigs ram and newer graphics card, will this run 1080 HDV (can go FW 800).
Click to expand...

MacBook Pro should be fine... my dual 2.5 G5 at home works well. Not sure about the performance on the G4.
 
The MacBook Pro should work quite well--it's got adequate processing and graphics power. You should be able to get full screen, full frame rate playback through the Apple Desktop Cinema Mode within FCP, which means that you hit your F12 button and watch full quality HD on your laptop when playing a clip or sequence back. You'll love it.

Good luck with your projects. :)
 
Thanks for the replies. I have not figured out how to work the quotes. Guess I should try sometime. I might go with a 501 HDV if money is tight. toddmcm - do you like the 501hdv?

Good to hear the labtop will work fine. Worried that firewire 400 would struggle. Might take the money for a monitor and use it for an led light (lite panel or vidled).

Will upgrade the matte box one day, but will try the formatte.

Everyone using the camera as a deck I guess? Also might pick up a HV-20.

Thanks for the responses. Still would like to hear about the Cartoni HiDV.
 
One thing you can do that I found (can't find the link) is a PCI express to FW800 device. That would speed things up for sure, FW800 vs. 400 is a no contest and with a Graid, you'd be golden.

Enjoy your A1 :)

- Kyle
 
So far I love the 501HDV. I've never used a real nice head though so maybe I just don't know what I'm missing... LOL.

It's smooth enough for me. The only thing is the "range" of adjustment isn't much. It goes from rather "loose" to "too tight" real quick. Although, my regular 501 was the same when it was new and definitely broke in with time.

That HiDV setup looks pretty sweet.

HV-20 would be a good investment in my opinion. I was going to buy a firestore, but am now considering the HV-20 instead to have a new b-roll cam as well. AND I REALLY REALLY want to send a car off a cliff with my old b-roll cam inside.
 
Thanks Kyle. I will see how it works with the firewire 400. Todd, will see about tripod heads. I am going to call around about the Cartoni.

Anybody have a LCD shade option that works well?
 
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