texvanwinkle
Well-known member
My wife and I have a developing multimedia development business, and we're wanting to expand into video production. My primary interest is to scratch a long-ignored itch to produce my own content—features, shorts, docs, videos, etc.—but obviously we'd like to produce for clients as well, i.e. weddings, corporate shoots (we already have a video editing relationship with a local non-profit that's interested in using us for more), etc.
We have no cameras right now. We are utter novices. The plan for some time has been to buy two 100B's, learn them, then trade up as income and experience allow. Two doubts are creeping in about that strategy:
1) With P2 beginning to overtake the market, and the 170 coming out, the DVX's resale value will presumably drop considerably, and switching from tape to P2 will presumably mean learning some aspects of workflow all over again.
2) We want to get at least one camera now because we have an opportunity this summer to spend a lot of time educating ourselves, and we want cameras that will play well with each other. I'm not sure how well 100Bs will mingle with P2s.
We know we'll want to go P2 relatively soon, for both workflow and camera quality reasons, and based on what I've been reading here and elsewhere, it's pretty clear that we'll want the 170 down the road, which would seem to mean if we do just get one camera now, to use in conjunction with the 170 later, it should probably be a P2 as well (I'm thinking 200A). (I realize there will always be new technology and gear coming out, but here we're talking about the difference between tape and solid state, not, say, HVX and HVX200A.)
That's our logic, and our situation. What's the pro judgment? How much of an actual workflow and monetary hit—and education backtrack, by switching from one format to another—would we take by investing in 100Bs now and selling them within a year or so to go P2? Are we better off to just go ahead and go P2 now, learning it and a better camera from the start, or investing in the older but less expensive MiniDV now and letting the price drop on P2 gear for another year? The key is that we want at least one camera now, and are willing to make the investment on P2 cameras if that's the better way to go.
I realize this is rather subject to subjectivity, but any advice is welcome and much appreciated. I look forward to being part of an excellent forum.
Clint
We have no cameras right now. We are utter novices. The plan for some time has been to buy two 100B's, learn them, then trade up as income and experience allow. Two doubts are creeping in about that strategy:
1) With P2 beginning to overtake the market, and the 170 coming out, the DVX's resale value will presumably drop considerably, and switching from tape to P2 will presumably mean learning some aspects of workflow all over again.
2) We want to get at least one camera now because we have an opportunity this summer to spend a lot of time educating ourselves, and we want cameras that will play well with each other. I'm not sure how well 100Bs will mingle with P2s.
We know we'll want to go P2 relatively soon, for both workflow and camera quality reasons, and based on what I've been reading here and elsewhere, it's pretty clear that we'll want the 170 down the road, which would seem to mean if we do just get one camera now, to use in conjunction with the 170 later, it should probably be a P2 as well (I'm thinking 200A). (I realize there will always be new technology and gear coming out, but here we're talking about the difference between tape and solid state, not, say, HVX and HVX200A.)
That's our logic, and our situation. What's the pro judgment? How much of an actual workflow and monetary hit—and education backtrack, by switching from one format to another—would we take by investing in 100Bs now and selling them within a year or so to go P2? Are we better off to just go ahead and go P2 now, learning it and a better camera from the start, or investing in the older but less expensive MiniDV now and letting the price drop on P2 gear for another year? The key is that we want at least one camera now, and are willing to make the investment on P2 cameras if that's the better way to go.
I realize this is rather subject to subjectivity, but any advice is welcome and much appreciated. I look forward to being part of an excellent forum.
Clint
