2 hpx170 questions: focus w/lcd & used p2

[robfilms]

i'm looking at a local hpx170 w/few hours for less $3k.

my needs are modest. most of what i shoot are indoor interview talking heads. most of my distribution is on the web and down-rezzed sd dvd.

putting aside the virtues of the ex1/3's 1/2" chip set vs the hpx170 1/3" chip set, i'm wondering if most hpx170 users rely on an external monitor for framing/critical focusing.

i have shot w/the original hvx200 and found that lcd very difficult to use. i've read the hpx170's lcd screen was an upgrade but do most folks still rely on a camera mount or other display for framing/focusing? (i am aware that the ex1/3 combo has a decent lcd so any comparisons are appreciated)

lastly, the local hpx170 "only" comes w/a 8gb p2 card. most of my interviews are in the 1 hour range. i imagine i will need to purchase new/used 16gb or 32gb p2 cards. can someone offer a price range for used p2 cards?

as i balance my needs vs cost, the hpx170 in the sub $3500 vs the ex1r for $6500 seems like a worthy cost savings. i just wonder if chip size along with lighting needs and full 1080 is worth $3k.

as always, any and all thoughts u good folks care to share is appreciated.

be well

rob

 

[hdimages.ca]

1 hr interview? wow . i would go with something like the hvx200a so you can run tape for interviews i had the hpx170 and loved it but... a couple of problems with just the p2 . spanned footage . i don,t mean from one card to another but the 4 gb max before it will not auto download. i only found this out after a 17 min shot was missing on import. i had to bring it into fcp in pieces. this was news to me. good thing i new something was missing before i formatted the card. it will look like it was working on importing the long clips but it can,t. i would want the option of p2 and tape. it has the better light sensitive chip better lcd but not as wide as the hpx170.

 

[robfilms]

1 hr interview? wow . i would go with something like the hvx200a so you can run tape for interviews i had the hpx170 and loved it but... a couple of problems with just the p2 . spanned footage . i don,t mean from one card to another but the 4 gb max before it will not auto download. i only found this out after a 17 min shot was missing on import. i had to bring it into fcp in pieces. this was news to me. good thing i new something was missing before i formatted the card. it will look like it was working on importing the long clips but it can,t. i would want the option of p2 and tape. it has the better light sensitive chip better lcd but not as wide as the hpx170.

thanks for sharing but i'm unclear about your concern.

did the 4gb limit "miss" your clip?

was spanning between 2 p2 cards not accurate?

again, thanks for your input but perhaps u can explain to me in detail why the hpx170 didn't work for u?

be well

rob

 

[puredrifting]

Hi Rob:

I have had the HPX170 for a year and half, it is great camera.

1. I usually use just the on-camera LCD. For interviews, you do not have to have an external monitor for focus, the on-camera LCD will suffice. The LCD is the same as the one on the HVX200 but they cranked up the peaking. It was enough to make it sharp enough to focus with. I agree, the monitor on the 200 can be tough to tell if you are in focus but on the 170, I always hit focus, it is easy. An external monitor makes things a bit easier and you can view more accurate color but the built-in LCD is fine. Not as good as the Sony though, the Sony definitely has a better LCD.

2. You can pick up a used 16GB R series card for $350.00 or a new E-Series 16 GB card for about $425.00. If you shoot 720 24pN, which is more than fine for the web and SD DVD or really even Bluray, with your 8GB and a 16Gb card, you will have 62 minutes of run time. In 1080, you would need a 64GB card to shoot an hour. Personally, I think 1080 is vastly overrated for most uses. I never shoot 1080 unless it is going to be projected on the big screen (shot a film that was shown at the IMAX Theater in Copenhagen last year, shot 1080 24pA and iot looked great) But for the web and SD DVD, 720 is the sweet spot for you, you are wasting storage space and bandwidth at 1080 for those applications.

3. I shoot with my 170, I used to own the 200 and I regularly shoot with the EX1. For your needs, it sounds as if the 170 is a perfect fit but you should really try them both out to decide if the additional money is worth it to you. The EX1 is a good camera but has some compromises in codec, ergonomics and in the look. The 170 is a good camera but has some compromises in chip size, LCD and cleanliness of the signal.

BTW, a good condition 170 for less than $3k is an incredible deal. If you don't buy it, let us know because someone here will buy it for that.

You may find some good information here in my article on the 170, if you haven't already read this http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/hpx_170_evolution_brockett.html

Dan

 

[Dick Campbell]

jetaddiction must have a wierd workflow (not sure what he means by "auto download"), the 4gb clip size on the P2 is not an issue. Whether importing to FCP or Premire Pro, clips - spanned or not, are handled just fine.

Surely you don't conduct a one hour interview straight through without any breaks? Wouldn't that give you time to dump a card to a laptop, and reuse it? And, fyi, I shoot weddings in 720/24pn, on 2x16gb P2 cards, this gives me 84 minutes of continuous recording.

 

[NC17z]

1 hr interview? wow . i would go with something like the hvx200a so you can run tape for interviews i had the hpx170 and loved it but... a couple of problems with just the p2 . spanned footage . i don,t mean from one card to another but the 4 gb max before it will not auto download. i only found this out after a 17 min shot was missing on import. i had to bring it into fcp in pieces. this was news to me. good thing i new something was missing before i formatted the card. it will look like it was working on importing the long clips but it can,t. i would want the option of p2 and tape. it has the better light sensitive chip better lcd but not as wide as the hpx170.

Who says you can't go to tape with the HPX170? I do all the time. Go to your local Pawnshop and buy a mini-dv video camera for $50.00 and a New Mini-DV Tape. You can export/daisy chain DV right from you 1394 Firewire the mini-dvd camera. This way you can have P2 recording as well as mini-dv recording.

 

[robfilms]

Who says you can't go to tape with the HPX170? I do all the time. Go to your local Pawnshop and buy a mini-dv video camera for $50.00 and a New Mini-DV Tape. You can export/daisy chain DV right from you 1394 Firewire the mini-dvd camera. This way you can have P2 recording as well as mini-dv recording.

tape?

interesting idea.

i didn't know u can store 720p data on mini dv tape.

be well

rob

 

[jrmiller_entertainment]

tape?

interesting idea.

i didn't know u can store 720p data on mini dv tape.

You can't. Only DV. I, too, am not sure what Jet Addiction is talking about. The spanned clips work fine. It must have been a user error on his part.

it has the better light sensitive chip better lcd but not as wide as the hpx170.

I think what he is referring to as"it" in this sentence is the hvx200a based on his paragraph....but this too is wrong. The chipset is the same in the hvx200a and the hpx170. Light should be the same. I think the lcd is a little better on the 170, the focus assists are better, but all in all the major difference between the 2 is the hvx200a's tape drive. If you're shooting hour long interviews and you don't want to spend a lot I'd consider the hmc 150.

 

[robfilms]

"If you're shooting hour long interviews and you don't want to spend a lot I'd consider the hmc 150."

is p2 not appropriate for hour long interviews?

i imagined with the ability to span across 2 cards, i thought i would be covered if i shot 720p.

the reason i was considering the hpx170 was because w/sony's ex1/3 offerings there seems to be a movement to 1/2" and even newer offering from canon (video dslrs) and panny (hpx300) have given some folks the want to sell their "old" hd cameras.

i was slightly leery of the hmc150 because of the codec-avchd. even the newer sony nxcam has a similar codec in a camera that would probably work well for me.

that said, i know the p2 codec work very well w/final cut pro.

i am all for future-proofing but i'd rather buy last year's "best camera" at a discount then next year's "best camera" at full price and wait for the nle to catch up.

ymmv

be well

rob

 

[NC17z]

tape?

interesting idea.

i didn't know u can store 720p data on mini dv tape.

be well

rob

Sorry Rob, Didn't realize 720 was the requirement... I should have read your initial thread before commenting... I was commenting on the mis-information.