Best camera to fit my needs? (snowboard filmer)

I am guessing that they are smaller companies because anyone that I know of and the ones that I have worked for shoot in HD or HDV. I am not saying that the DVX won't work for you. Obviosly with the popularity of the camera it works for a lot of people. I am relaying my experiences. I am tougher on cameras than most and I have had very poor luck with the DVX.

Also keep in mind as you make your decision AlpineSteez that you are asking which camera to buy in a DVX thread. Of course most will say DVX. If you ask which is better, apples or oranges in a thread about apples most will probably say apples.
 
telemaine said:
I am guessing that they are smaller companies because anyone that I know of and the ones that I have worked for shoot in HD or HDV. I am not saying that the DVX won't work for you. Obviosly with the popularity of the camera it works for a lot of people. I am relaying my experiences. I am tougher on cameras than most and I have had very poor luck with the DVX.

Also keep in mind as you make your decision AlpineSteez that you are asking which camera to buy in a DVX thread. Of course most will say DVX. If you ask which is better, apples or oranges in a thread about apples most will probably say apples.
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Think Thank Productions is not a small company. I know some of these opinions are slightly biased though. I don't need HD, but if I did I would probably wait for the new HD DVX. The colors you can get out of a DVX are FAR better than any vx2_00 i've seen.

What do you guys think about the HV20 though? Just incase I wanted to save some money.
 
HV20 is a nice little camera. They're cheap, shoot full 1080 and if you're only 16 and all you're doing with the cam is filming your friends and posting edits online ask yourself if you really need a $2500 camera. The answer is probably no. I have DVX and love it but I am also in film school and do more than make skate and snowboarding videos. The truth is, at 16, unless you plan on doing something in film you probably don't need a $2500 camera and would be perfectly fine with something like an HV20 or VX2K or 21K.
 
I would definitely NOT get a canon hv20/30. That rolling shutter is HORRIBLE whenever the camera moves. You know those shots you're going to want where you're following your buddy through the park? Those will look like they've been shot though a blob of jello. I had an hv30 and returned it within two weeks. Panasonic makes some small hd cameras that work better for action sports. I've got an hdc sd9 I've been much happier with (mostly due to the ccd/global shutter).

I've shot some snow with a dvx and a gl2. There are obviously some shortcomings to the gl2 but it delivers a good crisp image that tracks fast motion well.....but so does the dvx and with even more options. Some of that frame rate but also in your color tone flexibility.

I have no idea what telemaine (or his friends) were doing to theirs but I live in tahoe where there's a snow video production company every 10 feet. Before HD, almost most of the ones I know of were using dvx's when not on 16mm. The things work fine in snow.

If you decide you don't need the 24p option, I've also got a gl2 for sale cheap:D


Before recommending a camera though, what's your budget? That's honestly the most important question over models at this point.
 
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kidwoo said:
I would definitely NOT get a canon hv20/30. That rolling shutter is HORRIBLE whenever the camera moves. You know those shots you're going to want where you're following your buddy through the park? Those will look like they've been shot though a blob of jello. I had an hv30 and returned it within two weeks. Panasonic makes some small hd cameras that work better for action sports. I've got an hdc sd9 I've been much happier with (mostly due to the ccd/global shutter).

I've shot some snow with a dvx and a gl2. There are obviously some shortcomings to the gl2 but it delivers a good crisp image that tracks fast motion well.....but so does the dvx and with even more options. Some of that frame rate but also in your color tone flexibility.

I have no idea what telemaine (or his friends) were doing to theirs but I live in tahoe where there's a snow video production company every 10 feet. Before HD, almost most of the ones I know of were using dvx's when not on 16mm. The things work fine in snow.

If you decide you don't need the 24p option, I've also got a gl2 for sale cheap:D


Before recommending a camera though, what's your budget? That's honestly the most important question over models at this point.
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After I work all summer I should have enough for a DVX. I want to make a stepup over my gs320. Honestly, by the time fall comes around, used DVX100b's might be going for $1500. I'm just going to save my money up for a camera that I won't ever want to upgrade.
 
I think you'll eventually want to upgrade to something HD once computers and their parts get cheaper.

But yeah, as soon as the hmc150 and hpx170 hit shelves, I'm sure dvx's will be flying out of windows.:D
 
kidwoo said:
I would definitely NOT get a canon hv20/30. That rolling shutter is HORRIBLE whenever the camera moves. You know those shots you're going to want where you're following your buddy through the park? Those will look like they've been shot though a blob of jello. I had an hv30 and returned it within two weeks. Panasonic makes some small hd cameras that work better for action sports. I've got an hdc sd9 I've been much happier with (mostly due to the ccd/global shutter).

I've shot some snow with a dvx and a gl2. There are obviously some shortcomings to the gl2 but it delivers a good crisp image that tracks fast motion well.....but so does the dvx and with even more options. Some of that frame rate but also in your color tone flexibility.

I have no idea what telemaine (or his friends) were doing to theirs but I live in tahoe where there's a snow video production company every 10 feet. Before HD, almost most of the ones I know of were using dvx's when not on 16mm. The things work fine in snow.

If you decide you don't need the 24p option, I've also got a gl2 for sale cheap:D


Before recommending a camera though, what's your budget? That's honestly the most important question over models at this point.
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Amen brother, amen.

And yes, as soon as the HPX170 and the HMC hit the shelves, I know MY dvx will be flyin out the window. And into the street. :O! NOT!
 
kidwoo said:
I think you'll eventually want to upgrade to something HD once computers and their parts get cheaper.

But yeah, as soon as the hmc150 and hpx170 hit shelves, I'm sure dvx's will be flying out of windows.:D
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Do you think the prices of the DVX will drop (new and used)?
 
I wouldn't advise anyone to buy an SD camera at any price point. For the same price you could get a Canon A1 and it kicks the pants off a DVX. Any HD cam, minus the CMOS cams for the RS issues, would be a better choice. I personally love the Panasonic SD9 HD camera. It's 600 bucks. Shoots to SD card, and side by side, kicks the pants off the DVX when there's enough light... ie, exterior snowboarding.


Don't buy into some technology that's old news. Any DVD or web vid from HD footage will look better than DVX and could be about the same price or cheaper. You'd also be better buying the new AVC HD cam too. And or saving up and getting maybe a used HVX..
 
Justyn said:
I wouldn't advise anyone to buy an SD camera at any price point. For the same price you could get a Canon A1 and it kicks the pants off a DVX. Any HD cam, minus the CMOS cams for the RS issues, would be a better choice. I personally love the Panasonic SD9 HD camera. It's 600 bucks. Shoots to SD card, and side by side, kicks the pants off the DVX when there's enough light... ie, exterior snowboarding.


Don't buy into some technology that's old news. Any DVD or web vid from HD footage will look better than DVX and could be about the same price or cheaper. You'd also be better buying the new AVC HD cam too. And or saving up and getting maybe a used HVX..
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A little consumer camera will "look" better if all your aiming for resolution, but as far as colors go and the actual image......the DVX is simply amazing.
 
AlpineSteez said:
A little consumer camera will "look" better if all your aiming for resolution, but as far as colors go and the actual image......the DVX is simply amazing.
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Yeah I agree. All something like an a1 has is more pixels. Justyn, you've got an hvx or two right? I don't know if you've ever used a dvx but I'd say the dvx is the most similar camera out there to an hvx. Just a smaller picture.
 
Justyn said:
I wouldn't advise anyone to buy an SD camera at any price point. For the same price you could get a Canon A1 and it kicks the pants off a DVX.....
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yeah resolution wise but thats not all the image is...ALSO the A1 is almost 1000 dollars more, and thats alot of money.
 
Yes I do have an HVX and have shot some DVX footage. I'd say that you get all the color and grace of a DVX in the 600 dollar SD9 camera, and you can't compare DVX footage to even the A1. It's just a better looking image hands down. It's not just about the pixels either. It's about the dynamic range and also about being future proof. Shooting SD is like having a foot in the past... and who wants that? The DVX was the end all be all cam back in 2002. There's other options out there and at a more appropriate price. You can also get an A1 for like 2800 bucks. Now I'm not the biggest fan of tape based HD, but it will give you better bang for your bucks than a DVX would. Same for the SD9 or even a Sony HD cam. Sure, we love the Panny mojo and that's why I have an HVX and soon will get the 170, but that mojo isn't quite cutting it in SD terms... check this out:



here's a shot from an SD9 camera:

http://www.electriccowtheater.com/SCC/SD9Rodeo.mov


Here's a mix of HVX, DVX and SD9

http://www.electriccowtheater.com/SCC/lakeSCC.mov
 
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