Why does the HVX aesthetically look so good?

Justyn said:
All makes for good reading.
Click to expand...

I second that sentiment Justyn :)

The only thing I can add that tends to help me when I get caught up in "product wars" is to stop thinking in terms of products and think about individual features. Every camcorder has pros and cons, and even my Sony VX1000 from 1995 has things about it's usability that surpass my HVX in my mind.

The bottom line should be, however, not to forget that the differences in features between the HVX and EX-1 are greatly overshadowed by the quality and care given to the content that is being shot. A video well-made by an HVX is going to blow a poorly shot video from an EX-1 out of the water and vice versa.

Up to this point anyway, my ultimate camcorder would always be a mixture of the real world camcorders that are available.
 
Fine addition there too John. About sums it all up. A talented artist does applaud his brushes or his canvas for his attempts... I still think that the Celebration shot on a single chip DV is one of the greatest films I've ever seen because I couldn't believe what was going on... on the screen regardless of pixels or mojo..
 
Well said... Because it shouldn't be about the tools, but rather the information.
Or in this case the story telling.
 
puredrifting said:
Frank:

You should be shooting dramas for the BBC, that's what those beautiful stills look like. Nice work man!

Dan
Click to expand...

Thanks Dan!


[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Your equipment DOES NOT affect the quality of your image. The less time and effort you spend worrying about your equipment the more time and effort you can spend creating great images. The right equipment just makes it easier, faster or more convenient for you to get the results you need.

[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The camera's only job is to get out of the way of making photographs.

[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Cameras don't take pictures, photographers do. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Cameras are just another artist's tool.

[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The single most important component
of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.[/FONT]
Click to expand...

Not to be on your nerves, but it is worth reading:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/notcamera.htm
 
Last edited:
Its funny how these discussions always end up in "its not about the camera, but the artist", etc.

But this is an half truth.

Its true, an artist can make everything out of the mundane. A talented filmmaker can make an excelent film with single chip DV cameras. But he knows the limitation of this camera. The Celebration worked because it was "Dogma". Try doing a "Snatch", or a "In The Mood for Love"with a single chip DV camera, and see how it looks.

The question here is not what you can do with poor or limited material, but what you cannot do. You cannot do natural low light night shots with available lighting with the HVX200, or a single DV camera, or a 1/3 CCD camera without too much noise and image degradation. You can gain, however, a stop with the EX. You cannot get the same shallow DOF as the EX- but you can use a 35mm adaptor. As small as the difference looks on paper between 1/3 and 1/2 CCD's, it is quite visible, and from 1/3 to 2/3 even more so.

As technology evolves, and market competition pushes for more and more features at more affordable prices, we, as the consumer, need also to demand these features and award those that innovate, in order to push the boundaries of the competition.

As I said before, I long for the day I can afford a camera that doesn't compromise my shooting, or does it in a way that doesn't limit my shooting style. And its getting damn close.
 
Right about that, SPZ.

Although there's one thing that you can count on Pana for: QUALITY CONTROL. I'm not EVEN about to buy an EX-1 after seein' how many people are havin' problems with the camera.

=\ maybe the HMC150 will be my low-noise, full 1080p great Dynamic Range savior?
 
Not to say I'm exchanging my HVX for an EX-1. But if I was to make a choice today, I would seriously consider it. It was a lot easier 2 years ago, where the competition was basically xl-h1, the Sony Z1 and the JVC 100.
 
Kholi, what kind of problems? I believe that The Celebration worked because it was an honest depiction of a dsyfunctional family with brilliant acting and a tight script. It would have kicked butt on any format. Another example would be Miami Vice... that was shot on a high end HD camera and it looked like crap, was a big snooze fest, and simply hated every moment of that. I understand your point and it's totally well taken, but I remember really loving that David Lynch Vampire flick Nadia I think it was called, and that was shot on fisher priced Pixel camera. There's simply more to be said about the quality of the content than the quality of the camera.. but as we do all move further along and the tech catches up thankfully we do have the choice to get a great camera for the price. DV was simply awesome and from there it's been one uped with the first round of HD. Soon there will be a 1080p camera given away in a box of my kids cereal... sweet fruit loops.
 
Last edited:
Im sorry Justyn, but the opening sequence in Miami Vice with the speedboats was/is amazing!! I assumed that was Viper footage..?

yeah, aside from some scenes here and there, the rest of it look bad though :(
 
People are shipping their cameras back for repair every time I go to look in the forums over there.

Chromatic Abberations, Vignetting. Sony has a serious Quality Control issue, man.

The image is killer, but it's worthless if the camera doesn't work!

Seriously, NAB... don't let me down...
 
Look 1st said:
Im sorry Justyn, but the opening sequence in Miami Vice with the speedboats was/is amazing!! I assumed that was Viper footage..?

yeah, aside from some scenes here and there, the rest of it look bad though :(
Click to expand...



You are totally.. Totally right. IT was great for like 5 minutes.. then snoozer.. I did forget that, It started off cool and then went to crap like most Michael Mann Movies.
 
Ahh right.. Scarlett, Maybe a new HVX or something else. It should be a good one for sure.


That does suck to hear that from any manufacturer. Panny has delivered on a solid product to say at a minium...
 
efficient codec. better colorspace.
to date - the ONLY budget HD camera that doesnt shoot to a crappy format?
 
Justyn said:
You are totally.. Totally right. IT was great for like 5 minutes.. then snoozer.. I did forget that, It started off cool and then went to crap like most Michael Mann Movies.
Click to expand...

Story wise, it was total rubbish... however i personally really really loved the way the whole thing looked. I enjoyed the HD look.... i dont know.. thats just me.

Its been EX EX EX EX down here too.... everybody still thinks im insane seeing as i just purchased an hvx.. second hand might i add.. but hell, with the quality control issues sony are having.. and their rubbish SxS cards im really glad with what i've bought.

P2 isnt going to be dropped any time soon by panasonic, so many broadcast units have been sold, i mean i shot P2 for a good year before i even got my hands on an HVX and i just love the workflow. So investing now in a camera that shoots on a medium i like works for me, and if panny do go and bring out a replacement, awesome, i've got the cards, the workflows in place, i'll buy it and the HVX can become a B camera.

My only issue is that yes, people do get caught up on numbers.. and ALOT of the production houses here seem to be, like i said, its EX EX EX..

oh well, i'll just rent an hpx500 as they are only a bit more than an ex1.. that should sort them out.
 
Joe Lawry - What is the rental cost of the HPX500 in your area and who rents them? I have a friend that lives in brown bay that needs to rent a camera for a week and Panavision in Auckland only carry the Sony HD F900. Thanks
 
Thanks Joe. I have a friend that is shooting a feature film project in New Zealand (i think in August) he has done around 15 films in that country. He films mostly in the Gisborne area and up in Thames and across to Piha Coastline. TVNZ - Kate Hawksby was in one of his films.
 
Would be sweet to shoot in NZ.... That's quite a nice price for the cam too... Things have thankfully come a long way from having to rent a cam for 1500 a day... that sucked.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top