OK, so I'm sure everyone's trying to figure out the camera scene that works for them, but I thought I would pose a question that may be relevant to many documentary filmmakers. What are the pros and cons of going with the first of a series of new technology (HD) cameras, vs. going with the pinnacle of prosumer "old" technology, the DSR 450. I have been planning on spending about 10k on the HVX, including cards and cineporter, I already have a powerbook running FCP 5, but I may upgrade depending on what happens next week, I generally do medium-length to feature length docs, with massive shooting ratios.
Here's how I see how the chips (no pun intended) fall:
DSR450:
2/3 Chips, no compromise for lighting
I have a 370 already, and it needs very little light to create a beautiful, undetectable noise, saturated image. It's only faults are that it's 4:3 and it can only do NTSC SD (60i)
24p
Heavy sumbish(I know I know, comparatively, yes, I have shot with Beta SP, and DVCAM is a major weight improvement), now a problem since I recently suffered a severe spinal injury in my lower back which does not seem to be improving.
3 hours/tape
Easily editable in the field with current hardware, I have a DVCAM feeder deck, SD production monitor, good mics, etc.
Cost, with really crisp 20x glass and batteries, 14k
Instant archiving on DVCAM tape, fairly resistant to dropout.
HVX
Smaller, easier to transport.
Less sensitive to light, without a doubt.
Can shoot HD, using a tried and true codec, DVCPro HD, which is just 4 DV codecs ganged together.
Variable frame rates
Limited storage space on camera cards, but possible to overcome with a variety of hard disk solutions
pain in the @ss to archive
No Dropouts
Unknown glass quality
Will need new Production monitoring
will need to tote more lighting gear
So what do we think? In the end, what will produce a better image, a 850-line 2/3" CCD limited to SD resolution, or a 1/3" CCD of unknown precision, shooting up to 1080 resolution? I also know it's going to really hurt not having 2-3 hour tapes that are 40 bux a pop and can sit on my shelf until offlining or onlining. If we upres the 450, will it look significantly worse than the HVX, particularly if we use the 24 p mode? I also have to figure this is my last camera purchase for probably a minimum of 3 years, unless I come into some unforseen money and have a project at hand that requires better hardware. Am I going to be kicking myself that I got a DSR, when everyone magically shifts to HD, just like they did with DVD, or am I going to be bummed about the low-light performance of the HVX, the greater resolution of which can only be seen by about 5 percent of my audience. Hmmmm.
Here's how I see how the chips (no pun intended) fall:
DSR450:
2/3 Chips, no compromise for lighting
I have a 370 already, and it needs very little light to create a beautiful, undetectable noise, saturated image. It's only faults are that it's 4:3 and it can only do NTSC SD (60i)
24p
Heavy sumbish(I know I know, comparatively, yes, I have shot with Beta SP, and DVCAM is a major weight improvement), now a problem since I recently suffered a severe spinal injury in my lower back which does not seem to be improving.
3 hours/tape
Easily editable in the field with current hardware, I have a DVCAM feeder deck, SD production monitor, good mics, etc.
Cost, with really crisp 20x glass and batteries, 14k
Instant archiving on DVCAM tape, fairly resistant to dropout.
HVX
Smaller, easier to transport.
Less sensitive to light, without a doubt.
Can shoot HD, using a tried and true codec, DVCPro HD, which is just 4 DV codecs ganged together.
Variable frame rates
Limited storage space on camera cards, but possible to overcome with a variety of hard disk solutions
pain in the @ss to archive
No Dropouts
Unknown glass quality
Will need new Production monitoring
will need to tote more lighting gear
So what do we think? In the end, what will produce a better image, a 850-line 2/3" CCD limited to SD resolution, or a 1/3" CCD of unknown precision, shooting up to 1080 resolution? I also know it's going to really hurt not having 2-3 hour tapes that are 40 bux a pop and can sit on my shelf until offlining or onlining. If we upres the 450, will it look significantly worse than the HVX, particularly if we use the 24 p mode? I also have to figure this is my last camera purchase for probably a minimum of 3 years, unless I come into some unforseen money and have a project at hand that requires better hardware. Am I going to be kicking myself that I got a DSR, when everyone magically shifts to HD, just like they did with DVD, or am I going to be bummed about the low-light performance of the HVX, the greater resolution of which can only be seen by about 5 percent of my audience. Hmmmm.
, good thing you quoted me)