DVX still worth it?

T

TruEstar

Member
Hey guys!
I learned how to shoot on my dvx100b and I love it.

The only problem is that I want to start making more professional type videos, and I was thinking of upgrading to an HVX200.

I need my real to be in high definition....

Do you all think it would be a good idea to sell my dvx and upgrade to the hvx?
or in your opinion, are there cheaper brands?

- Danny
 
If you want HD then maybe invest in a Canon 7D and H4N Zoom for audio. If not then try Instant HD for After Effects which makes your footage look like its HD
 
I don't think your reel needs to be in HD. My reel is standard def and it's won me many, many jobs because it's more about the cinematography (or directing if you're a director) than the resolution. If you're going to upgrade from the DVX, do it because of the headache of capturing from tape!
 
3rd and 4th films were shot on the DVX. Second film was shot on 16mm, standard def.

I'm not saying you SHOULD stick with the DVX, that's a personal decision. What I am saying is your reel doesn't NEED to be HD for you to get work. I switched to an HMC150 because the tapes were too expensive and I was getting too hassled with capturing from the tapes constantly. The DVX100 is more than capable of doing professional quality work, and I feel people are losing sight of that in favor of resolution.

http://www.vimeo.com/26852558
 
I personally feel that considering how competitive jobs are now a days you should strongly consider HD. The Dvx is quite old and cannot deliver native 16:9(yes I know about squeeze

mode) but these things must be considered when making an investment, besides do you really feel it is a good idea to invest in dated technology? My money,if I were shopping now, would

go towards the T2i or HMC150.

My 2 cents.
 
If you know how to shoot you can make a dvx or hvx look amazing. Not everyone needs a dslr to achieve great looking footage. If fact, I been shooting with a camcorder instead of my dslr's just to re challenge myself and relearn technique that went out the window with a dslr. Dslr's can make you lazy. With an hvx, xha1, dvx100 you have to work to get shallow dof, or really get creative to shoot in low light. But it's fun to challenge yourslf in ways you dont need to with a dslr and fast lens.

To tell you the truth, nicely shot sd looks as good as high def, it all gets down to how it's lit, framed and post processed. Magic bullet has an instant hd plug in that actually works well. Something to look into.
 
Since shooting more and more with the t2i (and unexpectately earning very good money with it), I just can´t see myself upgrading from my HVX to another 1/3" camera. I use the HVX mainly for ENG stuff, but anything that needs to be "edgy" or "cinematic" I take out the t2i and record sound seperately if necessary. Don´t get me wrong, I still shoot more on the HVX and and there are many situations, where it still outperforms a DSLR, but if it´s just for the HD the HVX isn´t worth the money in times of the HDSLRs.
Get a t2i and for the money saved compared to a used HVX, upgrade the rest of your equipment, such as sound, light, grip aso
 
Much as I loved my DVX, it was a T2i/HMC150 combo that won me over.

For working gigs, your clients are going to want Hi def, even if they don't quite know what it is;

Just about any modern Hi Def cam will give you much more grading flexibility than the DVX - that footage falls apart pretty quickly (and yes, you should be able to get footage in the can that's 99% there without grading, but man, all those extra pixels...)

Shooting with the DVX takes you right out of keying and effects workflows. Even the pixel shifted 150 can pull some impressive keys.

It may sound odd, but a DVX could be the best field audio recorder you ever had; the ability to capture very nice audio... with a video reference track... is very very cool. The DVX preamps and converters are not just clean & pristine... they have a nice sort of mojo for a camera. I've recorded sessions for multitrack mixing and the DVX audio (say, a ribbon mic on a guitar amp) was just kickin'. You're still jacking with tape, but if you already own one, it could be handy.

But man, the 150 really blows the DVX out of the water in many ways... HDMI, WFM, etc. Or consider the AG-160 with a true 1080 chip and even more features.
 
I'd say go HD. I'm on the verge of finally making the switch, I'm just not quite financially there yet haha.
Maybe just for the heck of it wait till Nov 3rd and see what Red and Canon are going to throw on the table?
 
maranfilms said:
If you know how to shoot you can make a dvx or hvx look amazing. Not everyone needs a dslr to achieve great looking footage. If fact, I been shooting with a camcorder instead of my dslr's just to re challenge myself and relearn technique that went out the window with a dslr. Dslr's can make you lazy. With an hvx, xha1, dvx100 you have to work to get shallow dof, or really get creative to shoot in low light. But it's fun to challenge yourslf in ways you dont need to with a dslr and fast lens.

To tell you the truth, nicely shot sd looks as good as high def, it all gets down to how it's lit, framed and post processed. Magic bullet has an instant hd plug in that actually works well. Something to look into.
Click to expand...


I strongly agree with this statement. You can make the DVX look really good if you know what you're doing. BUT if you dont want to go through that trouble, I suggest purchasing a 7D with an external audio recorder.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top