Bush Stories with HVX 200

M

Michael Dalton

Member
I think many like myself questioned the HVX in bush enviroment and harsh areas for filming, myselfs included. Can the p2 workflow work in areas without or limited power for 6-8 days . I would say yes.

This is what I brought. HVX, Mac book Pro + extra power battery, 8 batteries, 4x 16gb cards, p2 store, 2x160gb laptop drives, and 2 500gb down load drives when i had power , century optics 2x lens. I was shooting 24pn.

I was amazed at how the work, I must say that I love the p2 work flow. I got over the scared factor quickly, as I backed all disk up to 160gb drives that were kept in small pelican cases. It is actually lest the tapes to carry and keep protcted.

I am shooting in many enviroments in Tanzania Africa.

I must say I usually put my cameras through a lot, I have had to have a XL1s and GL2 serviced 3 times each.

The camera worked well in extreme heat, humid condidtions. IT WAS HORIBLE IN LOW LIGHT. the images have incredible noise, but I am not sure if it is just my lack of knowledge of how to use it.

TO MY HORROR, I awoke from a sleep one day after being very sick to see my 2 week old camera laying sidways in one inch of water. Picking it up I watch water pour out of all buttons on the left, and then drained several ounces out the remote port. Angery that my shoot was done with five days of incredible wildlife. I took the battery and cards out, and set the camera into Africas extreme sun. Felt horibble (not because of african sickness but rather the camera now)

THREE hours later I worked up the currage to test it. I plugged the battery and switched it on. To my surprise it came to life, and worked just fine. Including all buttons that had leaked water. My canons shut down at the site of rain. I LOVE MY HVX!!!!! I will however do 2 things, one is order a back up camera, and two no matter how sick wil put the camera n a secure case when horribly ill.

I am off to the rainforests of Gabon in 2 weeks, and will put the camera through one of the most extreme shooting locations possible for 3 weeks. I'll let you know how it goes.

The P2 store was useless, but will probably need it in Gabon.

Michael
 
I had a camera op get knocked over by an ATV and spill his bottle of water on top of my HVX. All the buttons in the back and top stopped working,.. no record! I put it in my jeep for an hour on a summer afternoon with my windows barely cracked.

When I fired it up an hour or so later it worked fine!

Although I wouldn't recommend throwing caution to the wind,... I was still amazed to see that it "fixed itself". Wish My cell phone had been that robust.

Thanks for sharing!

- Greg
 
Here's one that got a little write up....


http://broadcastengineering.com/hdtv/dp_smith_earhart_1023/index.html


I dunked in the ocean with a camera at the landing channel one day, which exceeded the design parameters of the camera. Back on board ship I threw the camera in a bucket of fresh water (!) a few times and let it sit in the engine room to dry out. After a few days I powered it up but it was busted for sure.

Months later I was going to put the camera up for sale on EBAY as a parts camera, as it could have some value being an essentially new camera. As an after thought I mounted a battery and turned it on and was amazed that it fired up and appeared normal. It turns out that one of the record heads if F***** and it won't make a proper recording to tape and the top Card slot is a little balky, but other wise its a functioning camera.

I'm still surprised that it actually works at all.
 
Can't beat the dunking in the ocean story - salt water should have killed it.
Remarkable!

In a couple of instances I have been shooting time lapses of traffic when it started raining. Not wanting to stop in the middle of the time lapse, I let it
roll for 5 or so extra minutes. Even though the buttons were soaked, it kept
rolling and got the shot. Just dried them off in the car.
 
While On Niku we got nailed a few times by some short lived but ferocious squalls. Some times you could see them coming, other times if I was in the jungle, they just happened. My camera was soaked a number of times with rain water but nothing ever came of it. I'd just dry it off and keep going.
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