dvx vs hvx simple question

C

cineasta_dom

Active member
Hey everyone. I dont post a lot. But I READ each and everyone of your posts. Or at least I try. =)

My question is.

IF and SO in my next [low budget] project I come to the decision to choosing btwn the HVX200 and the DVX100(b), wich one do you guys think 'fits' better if I wont be using the P2 format but rather TAPE (SD).

Does the relative small diference in price justify the value? Well, actually its a big diff - like around 3,000 or something.

Sounds like the DVX(b) is a 'better choice' for shooting SD.

help! :huh:
 
The HVX is native 16x9, and will let you record in DVCPro50 SD. This means much better color than regular DV of the DVX100, because it's 4:2:2 rather than 4:1:1.

You can buy the HVX for around $5500. If you plug it into a laptop, that's all you'd need for DVCPro50 recording. Even in just MiniDV mode recorded to tape, you'll get native 16x9, and the option of upgrading to HD later on.

If you have the cash, I'd go for the HVX. If not, the DVX100b will give great 4x3 SD results.
 
Without seeing footage from both, and therefore understanding that we cannot make a final judgement:

The HVX has a lot to offer, over the DVX, as far as standard-def shooting goes. It has a wider wide-angle lens, a longer telephoto, a potentially much sharper lens, native 16:9 CCDs, and as jrv said, there's always the DVCPRO50 mode for excellent color sampling and very mild compression.

I was initially concerned that the HVX might exhibit poor low light performance or poor sensitivity as compared to the DVX (like the FX1 vs. VX2100) but the sensitivity is apparently quite comparable, and Panasonic is claiming 7 stops of dynamic range. So... pending seeing footage to verify, I'd say like jrv did: if you've got the cash, the HVX has a lot going for it. If you can't afford it, well, the question becomes moot anyway, and the DVX is a great camera that's been delivering top performance for years now, so it would obviously be a good choice. But (on paper at least) it looks like the HVX may even beat the DVX at its own game.
 
If you can afford the HVX then there's no question. Why? Because it will pay for itself by getting you gigs or renting it out because everyone is going to want to use it on their shoots. I already have people asking me if I'll have it in time for their projects.
 
I am getting the HVX but keeping my trusty DVX-100.
I will still be shooting many SD projects and two cameras
will come in handy. We will see how close the two
cameras can match up in the SD mode. Plus I have many
clients who will rent my DVX-100.
 
I'd go with the HVX200 just for the native 16:9 alone. Plus there's the future P2 storage capacities to look forward to. Though, by 2010 I'd expect there to be a much better line of cameras available than they are now, that ol' HVX200 can sure hold a lot of footage by then and will probably be the most durable of them all!:grin: :thumbup:
 
Which NLE's support DVCPro50 SD or put another way how do you get the DVCPro50 SD from the P2 into Vegas?
 
You can download the Matrox DV50 codec for .AVIs, or the Avid DV50 codec for Quicktime. Then you have to figure some way to get the P2 card's .MXF files into either a Quicktime or .AVI format. FocusInfo makes a file converter that should handle the conversion; Marcus at DVFilm.com will likely also update his Maker software to support it as well.

The ideal solution would be for Vegas to just add Op-Atom .MXF support. So far they have shown no indication of whether they're even considering it. If they would just add that, we'd be almost there as far as making Vegas a viable HVX editing solution.
 
... and if they won't, there are alternatives. Apparenly Pinnacle Liquid can do it right now, and Canopus Edius can be configured to do full native support as well. And then there's Avid and FCP also. So hopefully Vegas will get on the ball, or there may be some of us jumping ship.
 
Thnks everyone. It sounds like the HVX is the right choice [at present and for future 'p2' projects]. We'll have to initially spend a little more but I think it'll be worth it.

HVX! indeed.
 
If you will shoot to tape only with the HVX200, you can only record DV25. So I would use the DVX100b and save the money to invest somewhere else in the movie.
 
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