Good enough to shoot weddings?

Rylan Zolinski

Rylan Zolinski

Well-known member
My cousin and I are starting a small video production business together and while I own a XHA1, I wanted to get a second camera, and I was thinking of the HV30. Now, here is another idea we came up with:

He used to live in a small city where there was a production company that would go to parties, weddings, anything really for free of charge. After shooting pictures, they would upload them onto their website and people would actually buy the photos they wanted and apparently, they made a killing off of this. So, after that idea arose, I thought of the D90 but I also wanted a video camera for weddings and then I remembered that the D90 shoots video. Now, I have no experience with the D90 and apparently it makes a bad jello effect, but do you think it would be good enough to mount to a tripod and be used as a second "video camera" for weddings?
 
The D90 can only shoot in 5 minute intervals. You would lose some bits of the ceremony because you'd have to hit record again every 5 minutes. It would also make editing more of a pain because you'd have to re-sync the D90 footage approx. 6 to 12 times since most ceremonies last 1/2 to 1 hour.

You might want to check out the Panasonic GH-1. It is not out yet, but should have much better video options than the D90. For now though, you could always try and find a used HV20 for cheap. You don't really need an HV30 unless you're shooting 30P. That is the main difference between the 20 and the 30.
 
Nope...you need a video camera that allows you some quick zooms, pans. Weddings are unpredictable and you need a tool that will allow you to thrive in that type of environment.

Now, if you were using the d90 to make little video montages of the day....getting ready, walking down the isle, glimpses of family members, first dance, etc., etc...then I would go ahead and get it...

As a static camera on a tripod, would be of no use I believe...plus the 5 minute recording limit will kill you in long format scenarios...plus overheating...

not a good choice...
 
Super8 said:
Nope...you need a video camera that allows you some quick zooms, pans. Weddings are unpredictable and you need a tool that will allow you to thrive in that type of environment.

Now, if you were using the d90 to make little video montages of the day....getting ready, walking down the isle, glimpses of family members, first dance, etc., etc...then I would go ahead and get it...

As a static camera on a tripod, would be of no use I believe...plus the 5 minute recording limit will kill you in long format scenarios...plus overheating...

not a good choice...
Click to expand...

This was sort of the idea I was going for. Not as a "main" second camera, but just small clips to use.
 
Nektonic said:
The D90 can only shoot in 5 minute intervals. You would lose some bits of the ceremony because you'd have to hit record again every 5 minutes. It would also make editing more of a pain because you'd have to re-sync the D90 footage approx. 6 to 12 times since most ceremonies last 1/2 to 1 hour.

You might want to check out the Panasonic GH-1. It is not out yet, but should have much better video options than the D90. For now though, you could always try and find a used HV20 for cheap. You don't really need an HV30 unless you're shooting 30P. That is the main difference between the 20 and the 30.
Click to expand...

What is the estimated release date of the GH-1 and price?
 
Super8 said:
Nope...you need a video camera that allows you some quick zooms, pans. Weddings are unpredictable and you need a tool that will allow you to thrive in that type of environment.

Now, if you were using the d90 to make little video montages of the day....getting ready, walking down the isle, glimpses of family members, first dance, etc., etc...then I would go ahead and get it...

As a static camera on a tripod, would be of no use I believe...plus the 5 minute recording limit will kill you in long format scenarios...plus overheating...

not a good choice...
Click to expand...

I thought I had read somewhere that there wasn't a 5 min recording time?
 
i'm thinking you could treat the weddings kinda like interviews i shoot with bands, sit the couple down a few days before the wedding and ask them a bunch of questions, get about 10 minutes of Q n' A footage, then during the day between snapping pics get about 10 minutes of "b-roll", the bride and groom getting ready, a few 2 minute clips during the wedding, some 2 minute clips during the reception/dance, you could even get some on the spot interviews with guests, then mix that altogether for a 10-15 minute video that is all killer, no filler, plus you'll get plenty of pictures through out the day...

of course this would only serve well as a "highlights" video, you can't do the whole ceremony, it's more something you could throw into a pictures package to up the price a few hundred. actually you have a second camera operator... yeah this would probably work
 
That's the way we do it with our D90 - one locked down camera gets the bread & butter shots while the D90 picks up the cutaways and ECUs. Works well for us but then we also have a spare HMC on hand for when the camera heats up and it does!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top