A little direction please

P

Peternap

Well-known member
I need advice Guys.

I am a photographer that's trying very hard to go into video.

I'm doing mostly Docs and use my 7D for about 60% and I've invested a lot more money in audio equipment, than video.

The 7D isn't ideal for all situations though, mostly run and gun. I use a high end consumer Sony for that and I like it. It does excellent low light, auto focus is great, etc.

Like the 7D though, the audio sucks so I have to use a second audio recorder.

I keep looking at used Prosumer cameras and ran across an HVX200 with 250 hours (Mostly indoors for time lapse), two 16 gig cards and all original equipment and accessories.

I can't find much about the camera audio on the 200 so I'm not sure about that.

I guess my real question is "Will this be enough improvement to justify spending money on it?.

I plan on keeping the cameras I have. This would be an addition.

Thanks!
 
id keep shopping for a used 200a or 170. they are both WAY better in low light and less grainy than the 200.
but yeah. the audio in the 200 is more than acceptable. typical, 2 xlrs. 4 channels. never had any complaints from mine
 
The real question is how much? 2 16 gig p2 cards is pretty good. 250 hours isn't bad. I shoot on the 200 all the time and dont think the low light capability is that bad. (i'm probably gonna get a flood of post from people who disagree with me) The A's cost a lot more used. The 200 is a very decent cam and I think the audio is as good as you will ever need. I use my fleet of them for lectures a lot and as long as good mics or a sound board is plugged in it does very well. It also can provide phantom power if needed. (for some lavs and others that need power) It has integrated gain control nobs. It can record stereo, It has 2 xlr inputs. The gain level indicator has been improved since the dvx100 days and now shows a range to shoot for. Personally i have never had any trouble with it. If you would like to rent one from my company to try it out I can put your rental fee towards a purchase if you buy within 30 days.

The 170 is a great cam also. its basically a hvx 200 with no dv deck and better low light capabilities. If your going to be doing mostly indoor shoots you will have controlled lighting. I prefer the hvx200 because from time to time i do shoot in sd and want to use a tape. Also if your recording just audio for voice overs tape can be convenient. Most used hvx 200 run around 1900-2700 depending on how many p2 cards come with it, condition and hours.
-Cody
 
Peternap said:
I can't find much about the camera audio on the 200 so I'm not sure about that.
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The audio on the 200 isn't too bad. MUCH better than any DSLR camera is going to be. You won't have to deal with humming audio, that's for sure :). Not to mention the video quality is awesome in well lit situations.

Richter Video Equipment said:
I shoot on the 200 all the time and dont think the low light capability is that bad. (i'm probably gonna get a flood of post from people who disagree with me)...
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I wouldn't say a flood, haha. But I don't particularly care for it's low light...I shot a short film last year on the 200 and 170. Sadly I didn't have the 170 for the low light and the noise level was outrageous.
 
If you're doing really serious work you'll need to have something other than the onboard microphone on any camera. The difference is that a dedicated video camera can record sound from that microphone synced with the video and not have any issues. Even having a microphone mounted on the camera is better than using the supplied sound.

Remember that sound isn't something that just happens. You have to put in the effort and investment to learn how to capture it just like you would stills or video.
 
Cassius said:
If you're doing really serious work you'll need to have something other than the onboard microphone on any camera. The difference is that a dedicated video camera can record sound from that microphone synced with the video and not have any issues. Even having a microphone mounted on the camera is better than using the supplied sound.

Remember that sound isn't something that just happens. You have to put in the effort and investment to learn how to capture it just like you would stills or video.
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I never use the onboard mics for anything other than a scratch file Cassius. I generally try to get a Lav on them or at least a Mic (Mics) in front of them close as possible. Now, I record to an H4N either through a preamp or depending on the location a preamped mixer.

Syncing does get to be a pain sometimes though and for things that require immediate post and publish, it'd be nice to be able to pipe it directly into the camera audio instead of the zoom.

With the cameras I have now, including the 7d, that just isn't possible because of the AGC and lack of other controls.
 
Alright, good. A lot of people think otherwise. The HVX is a great camera, it's the one I owned before getting HDSLR's. I only switched because I needed cash, but I'm actually pretty happy with it. Especially since I often have a sound guy; he can now be a totally contained system, not tethered to the camera, which is a huge advantage in some situations. Probably not yours, though, or you wouldn't be asking about this.

The HVX has great preamps and records a really clean signal, I've never had a problem with it. If you can budget for a Firestore that would be better than sticking with P2 as far as cost-effective footage goes, allowing you to get a lot of material without offloading. The P2 system quickly becomes too much to deal with when you're talking about documentary type work. It is terrible as a non-stabilized camera, so make sure you have some sort of mount you can attach it to if you're not going to be on a tripod or monopod. Otherwise I do definitely recommend it, especially if you can find a good deal like that. And unless you care about the tapedeck I don't think hours should really be a concern. I've never heard of one wearing out.
 
back up a sec: what mics are you using? the DSLR inputs can record more than decent quality with good mics. obviously a regular XLR input cam will be better, but if you're using walmart special lavs and shotguns, that might be something else you may want to look at before a new cam.
 
imdjay said:
back up a sec: what mics are you using? the DSLR inputs can record more than decent quality with good mics. obviously a regular XLR input cam will be better, but if you're using walmart special lavs and shotguns, that might be something else you may want to look at before a new cam.
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I have a number of mics Imdjay, none are Walmart specials. The least expensive is a sennheiser G3 package using the Me2 Lav. I'm OK Mic-wise but I do need to upgrade from the H4n if I don't go to a camera with decent audio.

While the 7D audio may be adequate for some things, audio is more important than video quality in Doc's (IMO) and the 7D just doesn't offer the control necessary to use it. As a matter of fact, there is no control whatsoever. You pipe it in and after the AGC gets done with it, you have what you have.

Cassius..

It is terrible as a non-stabilized camera, so make sure you have some sort of mount you can attach it to if you're not going to be on a tripod or monopod.
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I didn't realize it was non stabilized. That is a concern. I try to use a tripod whenever possible and I do have a shoulder rig, but even with the shoulder rig, I sometimes have to move a lot to get the shots I'm after.

It turns out the fellow selling it is a member here. He seems like a pretty decent guy and suggested I do a little research here before buying..
 
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imdjay said:
good to hear, so what are your gripes with the h4n? it should provide as good of audio as any camera has
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It's basically a good unit.

It is slow to change some adjustments, the preamp is really weak and the onboard mics are very delicate and will break easily.
For the money, it's hard to beat though.
 
1600 bucks...That's a great deal...jump on it as long as there is nothing else wrong with it. I've never found one that cheap especially considering the p2 included with it. There are some other post that go into what to check so you might want to check it thoroughly before you buy, but assuming it works that's a great deal.
 
The lens does have a stabilizer, but the camera is just too heavy to use with just that and the body isn't built to be held easily. If your shoulder mount is strong enough to hold it up, though, it should work great. I say go for it if you haven't already at that price. You can always resell.
 
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