Camera Advice Needed ASAP.

P

pleasekillme

New member
Shooting in B&W, mainly indoor/low-lighting situations, looking for the "film-look".

Been referred to either a Panasonic AG DVX100 or Canon XL2.

Need recommendations and info as to why I should seek that certain camera, as soon as possible.

Much appreciated.
 
Depends on your budget. If must have film look and have the budget then shoot film.

If you want that film noir sort of black and white, it can be tricky with video. Lighting is everything.

The good news is that the DVX is cheap enough to rent or get a DP to do a test shoot for you, to see if you get what you're looking for.

I've shot DVX100 that finished B&W and looked okay. That was outdoors shoot.

go to tomoesch.com click on music videos and then on shimmer cell. That's a black and white music video that's real cool. It was shot on the varicam. but you can get very similar results from the HVX200 and even the DVX if it's not going onto a big screen.
 
well, most black and white movies are lit high key to have better contrast between the bright and dark colors. if you have low light, be sure to back light your subjects well. if you don't they will definitely blend in with the background.
 
I just recently finished a short on my DVX100a that has a large scene in Black and White. We did everything we could to light for a more filmic look (I would have shot film, but the festival required an all DV short) and we got some great results. Definately use strong hairlights/backlights to let your characters stand out, and pay close attention to your costuming. You can desaturate the LCD on the DVX to give you an idea of how your footage is going to look in Black and White, which is a very useful tool. Let me know if you have more questions.
 
For me B&W is lighting and DOF. There are 35mm lens adaptors that will give you film like DOF control with a camcorder. The Canon XL2 does not need the adaptor as you can just change the lens.
 
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