Buy DVX100 or Rent SDX900?

mickeloaf

mickeloaf

Well-known member
Hey Folks;

I'm in the planning stage of a project and I'm trying to weight the benifits of buying a DVX100a vs. renting an SDX900 (or even doing both).

Some of the attributes of the project are:

* Must be filmed in 16:9
* Lots of bluescreen/greenscreen work
* Initial release on DVD
* I need to keep the possibility of tranfer to 35mm later.

I desire the best raw footage as possible for convincing chroma keying, color, etc. I'm considering using a DVX100 for most of the non-chroma scenes, and just renting the SDX900 for the chroma work, but I'm not sure if the disparity between image aquisition will be too great?

Anyone have any thoughts on this subject? ???
 
Re: Buy DVX100 or Rent SDX900?

The SDX is the supoerior camera - it will yeild better results. If you're spending the same amount of money, renting the SDX may not be a bad idea - and it's definitely the better choice for keying - 4:2:2 rather than 4:1:1.

But owning a camera says something too. It really depends on what else you'll be doing - if you'll benefit from owning a camera, then it may be worth buying one - but if not, then I'd forget about it.
 
Re: Buy DVX100 or Rent SDX900?

The SDX has native 16x9 chips and viewfinder. Plus it's a 2/3" chip camera vs the DVX which is only 1/3". You can not only shoot in MiniDv but in DV 25, and DV 50. DV 50 some say rivals Digi Beta. If you do move to the SDX, remember that you will be in the DVCPro world. Make sure you have considered support equipment (ie tape decks). If I was in the market and had the work to support it, I would buy a SDX in a heartbeat.
 
Re: Buy DVX100 or Rent SDX900?

But it seems for mickeloaf, buying an SDX is out of the question, so it's down to renting the SDX or buying a DVX.

That being the case, I'll reiterate that it comes down to what else you'll be doing, beyond this project. Definitely the SDX is a better camera, hands down - but owning a camera gives you benefits that renting doesn't. It's a one-time cost, and you now have the camera whenever you need it, to do whatever you need with it.

If you're not normally needing to own a camera though (for example, you never do event videography or play around with the camera for tests) then renting is probably the best solution.

It really has to do with your situation... :-/
 
Re: Buy DVX100 or Rent SDX900?

The sdx will yield much better results, though keying is possible with the dvx, no doubt about it.

Demo both, then decide.
 
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