Considering Buying an HVX...
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
snowleopard
Well-known member
A little update for all who responded:
I still haven't purchased anything! I had several family issues to deal with, and time just passed. I did some more research and I'm pretty much sold on the HPX170. Not just because of the posts here, but everything I read and saw. I like the way the gain holds so well, without noise I see in other cams (even the EX1, which I really like). I am also a believer in CCDs and 4:2:2. Someone may call BS, but it just looks better to me upon close examination. So now, it's just the final bits of savings, and affording the P2 cards. Unless I go to a big cam for large projects, or a 5D for specialty shots and super shallow DOF, this is the go-to, do-everything camera that I will need. Probably for several years.
Thanks again to all who responded. If anyone has anything else to add, I'll happily listen.
I still haven't purchased anything! I had several family issues to deal with, and time just passed. I did some more research and I'm pretty much sold on the HPX170. Not just because of the posts here, but everything I read and saw. I like the way the gain holds so well, without noise I see in other cams (even the EX1, which I really like). I am also a believer in CCDs and 4:2:2. Someone may call BS, but it just looks better to me upon close examination. So now, it's just the final bits of savings, and affording the P2 cards. Unless I go to a big cam for large projects, or a 5D for specialty shots and super shallow DOF, this is the go-to, do-everything camera that I will need. Probably for several years.
Thanks again to all who responded. If anyone has anything else to add, I'll happily listen.
xqzt
Well-known member
Oh how time passes when about to purchase, hope all is well family-wise.... I just had a shoot with 2 other cams.. hpx500 and hvx200. the 170 is great in low light, destroyed the 200 and was right there with the 500. I also find that the gain performance is very good but not needed too often.
snowleopard
Well-known member
xqzt - Thanks for the post. When I looked at the higher end cameras in this class I determined I was willing to spend a little more for something better, which made me look mostly at the HPX170, and Sony EX1. There's a lot to like about the EX1, those bigger chips are nice. But what you wrote about gain in low light is something I noticed. The EX1 seemed to be about a stop better overall. But when you increased the gain on each, the HPX appears to hold up much better. The cam is also smaller and more friendly in many ways. And as I said before, I prefer CCDs and 4:2:2.
A tape drive? What in tarnation is that?No SD tape drive in the 170 but the 200 and 200A have one. Just in case you overlooked that.
xqzt
Well-known member
IMHO I've seen EX imagery in action, I'm not really a fan of its look. It seems that all these vid co's want an ex for full raster, but we've had one down at our newsstation and the engineers laugh at it. It took very little for us to skew it. Sony just stopped making Cassette Tape Walkmans I think its safe to go without the tape drive.
snowleopard
Well-known member
I'll share a little secret - I work at a local station, and we use the EX3's for some things. These cams have a nice HD lens on them. Our engineers don't care for them much either, nor do most of the photogs. Part of the reason for this is they everyone is used to full Betacams or XDCAM 700's though. But there are other reasons. You punch the picture up on an very nice Sony HD monitor and you can easily see the difference between it and the 700's. Even the Betacams have noticeably better chroma and luma, they are just not as sharp. Though I do suppose this isn't a fair comparison, and apples and oranges.
When the EX1 came out I thought it was the bees knees, but having used one (or the EX3) I'm no longer much a fan of it's look as well. I still think it's a nice camera for the price, very sharp, and the 1/2" chips are nice, but for my needs and desires, the HPX170 is a better fit, and I just like the look of the image that comes out of it better, and for me that's as much of a bottom line as anything else.
When the EX1 came out I thought it was the bees knees, but having used one (or the EX3) I'm no longer much a fan of it's look as well. I still think it's a nice camera for the price, very sharp, and the 1/2" chips are nice, but for my needs and desires, the HPX170 is a better fit, and I just like the look of the image that comes out of it better, and for me that's as much of a bottom line as anything else.