DSLR to replace HVX?

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daveswan

Well-known member
I can't really believe I'm typing this but it looks as though some pestilential toe-rag walked off with my HVX while I had it at work (Filming GCSE drama practicals) :cry:
I am still hoping I'm wrong and it's still lurking somewhere I haven't looked (And I've looked most everywhere)

Now, at some point soon I'll need to buy another camera, so I was thinking along the lines of a 550D to learn on using my existing Canon glass, plus perhaps a Tokina 11-16 or 16-50, whilst waiting for either Canon to get the cine right with a possible 5DIII, or for Red to get the 2/3" fixed Scarlet out. Does this seem a good idea?

I don't yet know whether the school's insurance will cover it, I already know my own insurance won't since there wasn't an actual break in, so my budget is yet to be worked out, though at the time I was looking into getting a Satchler 'pod (Perhaps a FSB 6 on Miller legs).

So any ideas? Yes I know (Theoretically) about moire and aliasing, and will also have to budget for a H4n, I also know my way around DSLRs generally, I've been photographing more years than I care to think of.

Dave
 
Camcorder in bag in my prep-room, yesterday. My asst saw it there. Not there this morning when I come to put the footage onto DVD. Didn't take it home, and no-ones owned up to borrowing it. Ergo some toe-rag walked in and walked out one camcorder heavier.

As I said I hope I'm wrong and it's somewhere I haven't looked, but I don't hold out much hope.

Dave
 
wow, man you left your $5-8,000 camera somewhere over night? I never even go to the bathroom on a shoot without taking mine (lol paranoid)

Sucks, but yeah i have read several people dumping their HVX's to get 5ds, 7ds, and even t2is ,so you should be fine. As long as you know and work within the limitatios of them. In some ways (like lighting), you will really enjoy having one compared to the hvx.
 
In the future, you might want to consider a personal articles policy. I took one out on the bag of gear that I take with me places. If the bag just dissappeared at some concert, the ins company would just cut me a check for 7K ( the worth of the contents of the bag).

If I drop it on the concrete. They pay.
If drop a cam in the lake. They pay.

They pay the full amount with no deductable. If your only doing this part time, not full time, this kind of policy should be available to you.

Hope it turns up somewhere for you.
 
Yes I definitely reconsider my insurance, I told 'em as much over the 'phone.
My trouble was, after a rather intensive Drama session, I was in zombie mode the next day so my security dropped somewhat. But my prep-room is normally pretty secure in itself. Annoyingly a secure storage cupboard was on my improvement plan. Door, stable, bolted horse.
At least I brought my 5D (old) home that night.
Damn I'm sure I'm crying "wolf!" here and I've just been stupid (My normal state lol)
Dave
 
daveswan said:
Now, at some point soon I'll need to buy another camera, so I was thinking along the lines of a 550D to learn on using my existing Canon glass, plus perhaps a Tokina 11-16 or 16-50, whilst waiting for either Canon to get the cine right with a possible 5DIII, or for Red to get the 2/3" fixed Scarlet out. Does this seem a good idea?
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550D is worth getting while you wait for the 5DIII or the Red. I can't see the reason for investing in any non FF lenses if you already had a 5D and plan to upgrade to the new 5DIII when released.
Real bummer about your camera.
 
Cheers ROCKMORE, that's pretty much my thoughts regarding lenses.
Meanwhile on to insurance....
Dave
 
daveswan said:
Now, at some point soon I'll need to buy another camera, so I was thinking along the lines of a 550D to learn on using my existing Canon glass, plus perhaps a Tokina 11-16 or 16-50, whilst waiting for either Canon to get the cine right with a possible 5DIII, or for Red to get the 2/3" fixed Scarlet out. Does this seem a good idea?

Dave
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my business partner and i have both the 7D and the T2i and we absolutely love them. there a great choice

im sry to here about the camera. that sux
 
I gotta say man I wrapped my 7th short shot on the Red One 2 weeks ago, and I just shot one on the 7d for the first time last weekend. 1 shot from the short on 7d made it into my reel and amongst all of the Red footage its hiding in there and you cannot tell the difference.

Shooting 7d after all these shorts on red was a blast, Its such a tiny little thing you kind of have like ultimate freedom. We shot like 45 setups in one day with it, because its so light and quick to move it was a blast.
 
I believe the t2i will make the perfect "bridge" cam. It may be crippled to a point of "barely usable" for everyday pro work, but I find it hard to go for a 7D with basically the same video functionality... And of course I also hope for either a 5DIII or another VDSLR that will take the video quality one step further (probably codec or subsampling wise).
That´s the single most thing I like about the VDSLRs: You can buy everything like lenses, rigs, sliders, minijibs, steadycams, monitors, viewfinders and so on ONCE.
If a better camera comes, just swap the body. It´s like being able to change your chip and DSP once a year... (oh and getting money back for selling the old stuff...)
 
Cheers guys, 550D it is then. Ha! Now to work out an affordable W/A lens, don't worry I'll do my own research there!

Best case scenario. . . I've been brewing up a storm in a teacup and my cam turns up where I wasn't looking for it.

Next best, the school's insurance pays up, and I get the £5.5k or so that went missing. Cam, charger. and a 16 gig P2 card, and not an "E" series either, ouch!

Worst case, no payout at all, and I have to fund the entire shebang :Drogar-Mad(DBG):

Dave
 
Yeah, maybe the school is interested in not having police check after anyone who had access to the room...
I have to admit, I sometimes left my tripod or lights in a LOCKED room on a venue, because I was to lazy to carry them back and forth.
But I always take the camera, not because it´s the most expensive part of the equipment, but because it´s the single most important item I need to pay the rent "in case of emergency"... ;)
Anyways, good luck mate!
 
jonE5 said:
f64, how much does that policy run you?
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I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but it was something like $1.70 per $100 dollars of value for someone earning money with their gear part time. Also, they might have given me some kind of discount for having multi policies etc.
 
I'm interested in hearing what the opinions on this are. I want to upgrade my camera eventually, and was also looking at the DSLR's but I get people who say "they are ready for film making" and others who say they aren't.
 
Azmyth said:
I'm interested in hearing what the opinions on this are. I want to upgrade my camera eventually, and was also looking at the DSLR's but I get people who say "they are ready for film making" and others who say they aren't.
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I know what you mean, but very few of these people that say that DSLR's aren't ready, have the experience that ASC Shane Hurlbut, ASC Rodney Charters and others have with projecting DSLR footage on a 40 foot screen, and Hurlbut says it looks incredible. When he used the 5DII as a primary camera for "The Only easy Day Was Yesterday" he had to sell the idea to more people than just himself. He had to sell it to Imax exhibiters as well. When they walked out of the screening he says they were just floored by the DSLR footage. ....on an IMAX screen no less!! Amazing.

City Of Lakes was just incredible, and the director says it was amazing projected.

House is coming soon filmed on 3 5DIIs.

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday is coming in the fall. It could be we'll come out of these viewing experiences saying "My god what were they thinking? That sucked." Somehow I doubt it.

There are editing programs that will now edit this footage natively (Premiere Pro CS5) without any lossy compression, so it should look even better than it does with pro res in FC.

So what do the nay sayers have to bring to the discussion other than their own frustration and lack of skills trying to get it to look how they want it to look and failing. Have any of them shot 1.5 million equivalent feet on the 5DII? Hurlbut has.

It could be that I wind up as frustrated as the naysayers, but I'll know it's because of my own ineptness.
 
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f64manray said:
It could be that I wind up as frustrated as the naysayers, but I'll know it's because of my own ineptness.
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Are you calling guys like me, Robert Ruffo, Daniel Browning, Kholi Hicks, and everyone else who sees the flaws "inept"?

f64manray, have YOU had a film on a DSLR screen in South By Southwest? I have. Have you had films screen in Slamdance, Tribeca, SxSW, CineVegas, or any other major festival? I have. Have you won an Emmy? I have.

And I say that DSLRs can make beautiful footage, AND they can make footage that looks like ass.

Has anybody ever even bothered to show Charters, Hurlbut et al what happens with a DSLR when you try to shoot anything deep-focus? I think it would be rather fascinating to hear what those esteemed folks would say if they shot one of the dozens of potentially problematical issues.

Look, use whatever you want, but don't go casting aspersions on those who happen to disagree. Especially when they've got proof.
 
Barry_Green said:
Are you calling guys like me, Robert Ruffo, Daniel Browning, Kholi Hicks, and everyone else who sees the flaws "inept"?

f64manray, have YOU had a film on a DSLR screen in South By Southwest? I have. Have you had films screen in Slamdance, Tribeca, SxSW, CineVegas, or any other major festival? I have. Have you won an Emmy? I have.

And I say that DSLRs can make beautiful footage, AND they can make footage that looks like ass.

Has anybody ever even bothered to show Charters, Hurlbut et al what happens with a DSLR when you try to shoot anything deep-focus? I think it would be rather fascinating to hear what those esteemed folks would say if they shot one of the dozens of potentially problematical issues.

Look, use whatever you want, but don't go casting aspersions on those who happen to disagree. Especially when they've got proof.
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Actually that sentence was in reference to my ineptness of which there is an abundance I assure you. I certainly wasn't referencing you in that remark, Barry. Hurlbut has talked about aliasing and problems with deep focus. It's one of the reasons he prefers the 5D over the 7D. The aperture ring isn't just the aperture ring, it's also the aliasing/moire control ring as well :-) . Still, it didn't stop him from filming 85% of his feature with the 5D. the only reason it wasn't used for more of it according to him was because they were learning as they went, but he said he had a rough few months with on th the job training with it. Until he got his work flow down, it was hell for him.

What did you think of City of Lakes?

I wonder if now being able to edit natively with the 5DII footage if that will help with any of the aliasing/moire issues?
 
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