DVX100 or HV20 as starter camera?? Help

S

siddharth

New member
Hi guys,
I'm going to be in singapore this weekend , I'm very new to film making and have been checking out this site for the last six months. Now is the time to strike and get my hands on a real camera for some hands on experience:)
I am thinking of an Canon HV20 plus a wide angle lens , extra battery and a tripod. will cost me around 1800$US . If I stretch my budget to around 3000$ I can get a DVX100 , without any additional lenses , extra battery + tripod+ rain cover and backpack.
Now should I save my 1200 bucks , experiment with the HV20 and in a years time go for an HVX200. Or right now get the DVX which is sd and has been around for 5 years now.
Is it worthwhile to buy a camera which is not hd?? I'd like to go for something which I can keep for atleast 4-5 years in the future.
I am primarily an audio professional/musician /sound-engineer. I'd like to be able to shoot music videos and short films in the future.
NEED SOME ADVICE :undecided
THAnks
 
If u want to learn how to make a film don't get a hv20. (inless you are doing documentaries) Try the dvx or for 150.00 more the canon a1.
Just my 2 cents.
 
I like shooting HD, and do so using my HV20. It's a great little camera.

That said, the DVX is a much more professional device and I really miss its manual controls. It's nice to be able to tweak the image in camera. If you are just learning filmmaking, I'd lean toward the DVX for its focus ring, zoom ring, ND filters, iris ring, CineGamma, and so forth.

As far as keeping it 5 years...that's a pretty long time in the video camera world. I agree that a Canon A1 is probably going to have a longer shelf life than a DVX.
 
Well you can learn to shot professionally without having a professional camera. You really just need to get the lingo down and get some practice. It is just that you have more options to get a better looking image with a more professional camera. Don't be fooled into thinking that most people don't just find a preset they like a stick to that or modify it slightly. HV20 is a great way to start. As someone who has rented a dvx and owns a HV20 I think you should get the hv20 this late in the game. Essentially 90% of the shots you see with a XLH1 or A1 you can do with a HV20 and some post work. Plus you said you are just starting. In the future you can upgrade to a A1 and use your hv20 as a deck or B cam or crash cam.

Or even better pull out the trump card and buy a 35mm adapter with that leftover cash.
 
You would be doing yourself a disservice by not getting the DVX. To learn the controls on the camera and how they interact with each other is crucial if you want to be a good shooter. Great thing is, everything you learn on the DVX will translate over to any professional camera you use.
 
Thank you for your responses , I just checked out the A1 and its $4200 in singapore, (the pal version) , way beyond my budget as of now , but seems like a great choice ...records hd , no need for p2 media etc.
Nik I think I'll go and get the HV20 :) and later upgrade to the A1. I am going to be in Laos in October, and plan to shoot my first video , and have been working on a story board. For that I need something very portable , that was one of my concerns. Also a wide angle lens to capture the natural surroundings.(The shoot will be all outdoors.) And as I understand the HV20 works well in daylight.
I think I need to first figure out if I can actually tell a story successfully in the visual sense.
The reason why I'm excited about film making is because it is so much like song writing. At first a great idea in the head, then the arrangement and then the actual recording session.
I think I'll first learn the art of seeing a picture, an emotion in my head and getting down to capturing it , in a very elementary way. If I can do that, then I'll pump in some more cash. Will need to save up :)
Thanks for your suggestions , keep 'em coming
Cheers
 
siddharth said:
I think I need to first figure out if I can actually tell a story successfully in the visual sense.
I think I'll first learn the art of seeing a picture, an emotion in my head and getting down to capturing it , in a very elementary way. If I can do that, then I'll pump in some more cash. Will need to save up :)
Cheers
Click to expand...

Exactly! Get the art down first. HV20 will have you up and running in no time because it doesn't have enough options to confuse you. :thumbsup:
 
sissharth....I am a musician just like you. Been doing it for years. But let me tell you I've had friends attend professional audio schools out here in the Orlando area..spent big bucks...others working in studios million dollar SSL boards etc and some of them can't write a song to save their life..all that training...and nothing to show for it (in a creative sense that is). But I have other friends and associates who have made millions of dollars using a $250.00 TASCAM analog recorder....go figure. Same scenario with video. The point is...it's what you do with what you got. I think for what you are looking to do the HV20 iwould be more than just a great starter HD cam. With its features its basically a consumer cam with prosumer aspirations.

Every camera is different..whether its a DVX, HVX, balh blah blah...I don't think you will be selling yourself short if you bought a cam like the HV20. As I tell other people...when you use an adapter with any of these cams then the cam turns into just another camera head...and you wind up using the controls on the adapter more than on the cams body. Tweak in post. If you are ready to go out there and shoot something now...then get the HV20 and as Nik Manning stated it doesn't have enough options to confuse you. Or...attempt the learning curve with the DVX...you will learn some things..but what is it worth to you? Buying an expensive cam is not necessarily going to make you a Speilberg or Scorcese(sp). It all depends on how you want to go about it..

Good luck on your decision.
 
i have a hv20 also and i feel there are alot of workarounds. You definitly can get professional result if u work hard but i wouldn't want to learn on it. I would rather learn with a camera that works more like the professional cameras i would be using in the future. Many may disagree but just my 2 cents again:)
 
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