Depth of Field & HVX-200

L

larryz22

Member
Hello all,

I'm have a shoot coming up that needs more of a "film" look with more depth of field that the standard HVX-200 can handle. I've researched a few options, but I don't have any experience with the products.

What type of adapters give that good DOF look?

Thanks for your help!
Larry
 
shoot35, brevis, redrock micro, letus. all popular brands of DOF adapters.
but to be truthful, with any of those youre going to also have to by a rails setup, lens support, not mention LENSES.

in the current market, id just buy a DSLR camera
 
That's what I was starting to think! After you price this stuff out it ends up pretty high! You can buy a Canon 60d or 7D for about the same price depending on the lense.

Thanks for the info!
 
Bear in mind you're trading 3CCD for CMOS with a DSLR. Do some research to make sure you're okay with the compromises and with what you are giving up (like under/over-cranking). Keep an eye on ebay and the for sale section for 2nd hand adapters. It generally works out cheaper buying someone else's set complete than assembling it piece-meal.
 
With a camcorder style and an adapter, you need lenses and rail support. Then, take all of those lenses, and add a stop or two to them... if they were 1.4, they're now between 2 and 3.4, depending on the adapter. If you have projects where the shallow depth of field isn't necessary, you've got a camera behind all that stuff, one that has been used without an adapter for thousands if not millions of professional projects. It's balanced, it works well handheld, it's got image stabilization, it's got all of the manual controls and options you need right there.

With a DSLR, you've got a shallow depth of field from the get-go... if you've got lenses. The image is unstable, and you'll need IS lenses or/AND a stablization rig if it's not on a tripod. THEN, you'll need a myriad of other accessories to get it to where the camcorder starts out at as far as user friendliness, stability, balance, and manual control.

You either start with a usable video camera without a shallow depth of field and work forward, or you start with a camera that isn't intended for video with a shallow depth of field and work back. Either one is going to cost.
 
i agree with pulps opinion, i bought a Canon 7D first and then after a year i got me a hvx200 with an letus extreme... the differences:
+ HVX - change between DOF and no DOF
+ DSLR is lightweight, HVX with Rod support, Mattebox and so on is about 6-8 kilograms...
+ CMOS has rolling shutter and moire but is better in lowlight than HVX
+ Manual Audio Gain on the HVX - DSLR NOOOT!
+ handling is a matter of habit - both have its benefits
+ Overall sharpness is slightly better on DSLR - Colours are better on HVX
+ €/minute of recording much cheaper on dslr
+ multiple framerates and recording formats on HVX
+ PAL - NTSC switch on DSLR
+ The HVX is looking more aesthetic if its built up ;)
 
I too agree with Pulp and Stefan. I personally never bought into the whole DSLR bit since I got my hands on a HPX170 and had such a great experience. In all honesty, I don't look to let go of it for a long time to come (that is, if I ever do). The camera is extremely reliable and from what I know about DSLRs is that they are not always the best piece of equipment to count on, at least comparatively speaking. With even a camera like the HVX you are still getting plenty of the benefits a "real camera" has to offer.

I can understand why so many people are so captivated by DSLRs, however. They're cheaper in most cases if one needs to be replaced, they're small and concealable, AND they give you the sweet bokeh everyone is looking for nowadays.

Although I personally own a 35mm adapter myself (a Brevis), there's a reason why they've started to die out in most of the smaller productions. I guess it'd be a good idea to ask yourself what the majority of your work consists of and weigh your options from there.

OR --- if your budget allows it, why not stick to both.:thumbsup: You could always purchase a set of lenses that could fit BOTH set ups, if necessary, with the right adapters. I wouldn't recommend it though, since you might suffer loss of quality with certain adapters to make it work (but it is possible). I guess I've stated the somewhat obvious so if I had to choose I'd go with the HVX. In my opinion, it's just a better all around VIDEO camera to work with...

... unless your Shane Hurlbut of course.
-B
 
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