DVX100 - Is it the end of this cam ?

Digitally Pleasing said:
I get mine today and don't need to be hearing this.

~ Jim

forgedaboutit

The DVX is a great camera, some would say its just as great as it was last week, before the HVX was demoed.

There is little need for most of us to go to HD just yet, let the bleeding edge people spend their money, in a year the price for the memory will have dropped significantly, and the accessory makers will have caught up. you'll be able to buy a hard drive belt and shoot HD all day.

Don't feel sad, just make some kick but movies with your new camera.

I for one have no plans to upgrade, though I may try and talk work into buying one, hehehe.
 
Barry_Green said:
You're asking "Is the DVX dead?" Interesting little tidbit -- I talked to about five dealers this past weekend, and asked 'em "what's the 'ground truth'?" Meaning, what's the actual truth out there in the field, on the ground. Who's selling what? How many units are you moving of each -- or, more usefully, how is the DVX selling vs. the FX1/Z1 vs. the HD100.

Every dealer gave basically the exact same answer: the DVX is outselling the FX1/Z1 by a ratio of between 5:1 and 8:1. And the FX1/Z1 are outselling the HD100 by a factor of 3:1. And that's from dealers in the US, and in New Zealand, all over.

So -- I certainly think the DVX has got some legs still!

Yeah . . .

But the HVX has a DVX inside of it, and a 16:9 one with a 13x zoom at that. Those other cameras don't.

Honestly, I if I were looking for an SD camera, loved the DVX, and thought there was the remotest chance I'd go HD in the future, I'd be very hard-pressed to go with the DVX over the HVX with no P2 cards. The price difference, while not insignificant, is small enough, and going HD would not then require another camera purchase.

I would not be surprised if a lot of other people came to the same conclusion.

I think the HVX *will* compete against the DVX in its market.
 
I"m not sure if I would buy a DVX TODAY if I had to buy a camera (I think David makes some interesting points), but I can tell you this...if it's obselete then my client base surely doesn't know it. I'm still making a very good living off the DVX100 (yes, we're talking about the 100, not 100a or 100b).

So far this year the DVX (along with my editing work) has kept a roof over my head, paid my bills, and gotten me a bunch of great new gear (G5, wireless mic, new lcd monitors, and a few other odds and ends).

I guess it depends on where you're working, but as far as I can tell it is FAR from obselete where I am.

If I were to buy a DVX today, I'm completely confident that it would pay for itself far before I needed to shoot HD.
 
In general this is a really interesting subject on a lot of different counts. For a good majority of the users on this board $3500 is a lot of cash (if it isn't for you, well then I'm jealous), therefore we had to make some sacrifice in order to purchase our DVX and the countless thousands of dollars worth of accessories to go along with it. That sort of sacrifice and financial investment makes us emotionally attached to this piece of equipement. I got my DVX100A and a few months later found out that the B was coming out. At first I was pissed off that they are coming out with a new unit, but that did not make my unit any less valuable.

Regarding the HVX coming out, it gives me gear lust. I don't know if I'm the only one who keeps the EVS catalogue beside my toilet and reads it like it is porn, but this camera gives me serious gear lust. Do I need it? No. Do I want it? Yes. Am I going to buy it? Not for most likely 1-2 years. I don't care about the price coming down, but the investment to edit HD and my comfort level with my talent as a filmmaker isn't there to merit a purchase of that dollar figure. I am curious to see what the footage would look like, but by no means do I think that the camera will make my short films look any better. I need to invest in more lights rather than a HD camera.


Damn I still want it though...

Regarding David's post, he's right. The price difference isn't significant enough to deter people from choosing the HVX over the DVX. If you can get an HVX for 5999 vs. 3499 the extra 1500 is worth it (especially if you factor $700 for the anamorphic).

It will compete with the DVX and I'm sure initial sales will be strong. I am still happy with my DVX, but if I didn't own one then I would be looking at the HVX for SD use (HD is just too expensive right now)
(I feel like I'm becoming the resident rambler with my posts lately, sorry)
 
I see this as an opportunity to get all the things I wanted to get but couldnt afford them as people sell of their equipment for the upgrade.
 
NO CA$H said:
What kind of work do you do with the DVX Luis?

I do a lot of corporate and nonprofit work.
It's kind of all over the board.
I've been doing a lot of fundraising/award recipient videos for a few nonprofits, as well as a few instructional type videos for corporate clients. I've also started doing a lot of internal use videos for a company here in town (i.e. archival type stuff, presentations, etc). And, I've got a few clients that I do local and regional TV spots for, just simple straightforward stuff that they update every 3 months.

Then every now and again I actually get to do something fun, like a music video or the like.


Don't get me wrong, like most people on this board I would LOVE an HVX right now, and I might get one sometime next year after I get a chance to try it out for myself first. But, all I'm saying is that I think the DVX still has alot to offer. Most of my clients can't take advantage of HD right now, and don't seem to have any interest in it. I think anyone who can turn around a decent product can still make a good living with a DVX.

As a side note, it's not even the HD that has me so excited about the HVX as much as the ability to shoot DVCPro50.
While most of my jobs wouldn't require HD, many of them could benefit from 50Mbs, 4:2:2 and a lower compression rate!

(now I'm drooling again)
 
Mythfit said:
Don't feel sad, just make some kick but movies with your new camera.


Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not sad at all. I'm just sitting here at work, waiting for the clock to reach 5:30 so I can get home and start playing. In the meantime, I'm cruising this forum hearing whispers about the camera I haven't even touched yet being a thing of the past.

I know it's not true... I have seen what the DVX can do I know that to normal people (us being abnormal video geeks) they probably woulndt even notice the differance... Especially since I only know 3 people who actually have an HDTV.

I wouldn;t have been able to dish out the $ for the HVX. I bought a used DVX100a with under 20 hours on it plus some really nice accessories (great tripod, case, wideangle lense, cinetatics mattebox and others) for $3200. I plan on building my reel and working with this camera until the time is right to move on up.

Needless to say, I think the DVX will serve me just fine.

NOW I JUST NEED TO BE HOME!

~ Jim

(Avatar coming soon)
 
Luis Caffesse said:
I do a lot of corporate and nonprofit work.
It's kind of all over the board.
I've been doing a lot of fundraising/award recipient videos for a few nonprofits, as well as a few instructional type videos for corporate clients. I've also started doing a lot of internal use videos for a company here in town (i.e. archival type stuff, presentations, etc). And, I've got a few clients that I do local and regional TV spots for, just simple straightforward stuff that they update every 3 months.

Then every now and again I actually get to do something fun, like a music video or the like.

Thats pretty cool.

I hope one day my DVX will keep a roof over my head. I'm thinking about shooting some weddings but I have to get more comfotable with Vegas first.
 
NO CA$H said:
Thats pretty cool.

I hope one day my DVX will keep a roof over my head. I'm thinking about shooting some weddings but I have to get more comfotable with Vegas first.


I guess to be clear, I would say that more of my income comes from editing than it does from shooting. BUT, I wouldn't be editing these jobs if I wasn't shooting them.

So, I consider all of that work stuff that I did with the DVX, even if the budget I pitch the client is 1/3 for shooting, 2/3 for post or something like that.

Point is, if they didn't hire me, they'd find another guy who was a 'one stop shop' so to speak.
 
Barry_Green said:
So -- I certainly think the DVX has got some legs still!

For a couple years yet for sure!


David Jimerson said:
Yeah . . .

But the HVX has a DVX inside of it, and a 16:9 one with a 13x zoom at that. Those other cameras don't.

Exactly - Meaning the dvx is still of great use - If budget serves, the HVX would rock, but if you can only afford the DVX you are not by any means outdated....
 
Digitally Pleasing said:
I only know 3 people who actually have an HDTV.
Jim,
Shoot some footage with your new camera and bring it to one of your HDTV friends. When they watch it, they'll ask "You shot that with your camera?!"

Trust me. They'll be impressed.
 
dakotapod said:
Exactly - Meaning the dvx is still of great use - If budget serves, the HVX would rock, but if you can only afford the DVX you are not by any means outdated....

As I said, I don't disagree. No reason to get rid of the DVX -- not by a longshot.

All I'm saying is that given the relatively small difference in price between the two, and what you get in the HVX on top of having a 16x9 DVX, I'm guessing a lot of first-time buyers will opt for the HVX. I suspect it will impact DVX sales in ways the other cams couldn't.
 
Now is the perfect time not to buy a new camera. Pick up a used Kino Flo or HMI. Watch some DVD's. Study Kaminski's cinematography (I admire his work). Go out and shoot. Set boundaries and limitations. I.E. - Light a short film with only two 60W light bulbs and some aluminum foil. Make the most of what you have. Etc. Now is the perfect time to hone your skills. Some people are too obsessed with technology to develop their craftsmanship, which is why we're hired, after all...
 
Even though I want to buy an HVX, I won't dispose of my DVX.
I can't get rid of my babe. Come on! I can have two babes, and I believe the DVX won't be jealous.
 
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