EX1/ Macbook Pro - New Kit

Outcaste

Outcaste

Member
Hi folks,

Building a EX1/ Macbook Pro Package for international documentary project.
Been that done there before. Now need a new kit. Currently in Canada, prices from B&H.

This is a rough list. Please feel free to comment on anything you feel could improve the kit or that could be switched out for something better :)

SHOOT

Sony PMW EX1
$6449

SBP-16 16GB SxS PRO Memory Card for XDCAM EX Camcorders
$875

Century Optics
.75X HD WIDE ANGLE CONVERTER EX1
$994.95

Century Optics
.6X WIDE ANGLE HD ADAPTER EX1
$399.95

Sony
BP-U60 Lithium-Ion Battery - for PMW-EX1 Camcorder, INFO Function, 56 Wh
$234

Libec
ZC-9EX Zoom Control PMW-EX1
$269.95

or

Manfrotto 521-ex (New and very cool)

CVP SM1 Shoulder mount ( Dubbed the "el-cheapo") camcorder support bracket system - Ideal for most for handheld DV / HDV camcorders
$103.58

Tripod/ Support

Vinten VISION 3 Fluid Head (75mm Ball Base) with Spring #2 - Supports 4.4 lbs

Gitzo G-1380 Video Fluid Head (75mm Ball Base) - Supports 2.2 to 22 lbs
999.95

Miller DS-20 Fluid Head (75mm Ball Base) - Supports 20 lbs
$1159.95

Gitzo GT3530LSV Systematic Series Two-Stage Carbon Fiber Video Tripod, with G1422 75mm Bowl Adapter (without Column) - Supports 39.7 lbs (18 kg)
$649.95

SOLO DV Carbon Fiber 2-Stage Tripod Legs (75mm Bowl) - Supports 44 lbs
$682.95


SOUND

Sennheiser MKH-416 - (P48) Super-Cardioid Short Shotgun Condenser Interference Tube Microphone
$1099.95

Sennheiser SKP500G2C Wireless Plug-In Transmitter for Evolution 500 Series Wireless System (C 740-776 MHz)
$465.95

Sennheiser EW112P-G2 Evolution Wireless System
$629 CAD

Rycote 18cm Small Hole Softie with Mount and Pistol Grip - for Beyerdynamic 716 / 726, Sennheiser MKH 416 and Sanken CS3.
Rycote Medium Hole Softie Mount with pistol grip.
$229

Shure FP-33 Stereo Mixer for Field Use
$1274.95

Need Mic Mount for camera (EX1 rubber mount is too small)

EDIT

Macbook Pro 17" Loaded
$3648

G-SAFE 1TB
$1,199.00

Sonnet Fusion D500P (5TB)
$3695

Sonnet 640 Gig RAID Drive
$895

Tempo SATA Express 34
$99.95

Sonnet FireWire 400 Adaptor
$15

LaCie d2 Blu-ray Drive USB 2.0 & FireWire
$729.99

I will be add to and updating this list over time.
Rock and roll.....
 
You my friend just spent a small fortune....

Did you have to?

Could you have been more efficient with some of the routes you have taken?

At that price point why not get a red?

I mean to many extents the EX1 will be outdated a year from now when scarlet comes out - the red won't -- and you can get it at this point. (for a documentary you might be better served with the sony... however you should really consider some cost saving measures with your endeavor -- it feels as if you have have gone way beyond what was needed -- even for your professional venue.)

Do you need a 3700 dollar macbook pro? Personally I wouldn't even get the 17" - rather opting for a 15 and then an ext. monitor (23" +) for the editing suite.

In addition -- with the varied optics you are purchasing -- why not just get a 35mm adapter instead of the wide angles? Thus allowing you to use preferable optics in comparison to the crap they give you with those W.A. adapters. (The new brevis looks tantalizing) Leica Lenses are god -- "not just good ;)", Nikon lenses are great -- everything else in my mind is meh... but i'm biased.

Why so many different tripods? If I read correctly you are only using a single EX1 - therefore it does seem sort of redundant to purchase 5 tripods for the single shoot.

The last thing I would have to say is you probably don't need such hardcore hard drives to properly work with/store ex1 footage. You could probably have 1 large (fast) drive for your entire system and then use that as your "working" drive. You can store ex1 footage on 5400 rpm no problem... it's just working with it in edit that requires any speed (note the default drive in my g5 works perfect for this function). Thus you can therefore save 100's of dollars on multiple tera drives as at one time you will probably not need all of those drives to be active. The way I see it, through selection/condensation of material, you could get your project down to 3 hours of footage (which for a final cut is even much), and it won't be much more than 80 gigs of hd space. (note the sxs cards allow 25min of HQ footage at 8 gigs)... take into account some compression being unpacked... you still aren't talking over 100gigs active for a particular project when it comes to edit.

Read yourself this book http://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Without-Crew-Robert-Rodriguez/dp/057117891X. Granted he isn't talking about docomentary filmmaking, however much of the same concepts apply.

I guess what I'm saying is this... the point of going digital as supposed to film is to be able to be as efficient as possible (better for the environment/less physical waste/less economic waste/far less upkeep). It just seems counterintuitive to be wasteful (and I do not say this with any offense) when you are moving towards an unwasteful medium.

Let me put it this way -- I do 1/2 of my editing in cam (one of the reasons I love this cam) that way when it comes down to FCP, I don't have to watch over the same clips to fill into my storyboard -- I already have the best takes just waiting for me.
 
Second the last posters opinion for the 15". I own a Powerbook 17" and it is justified merely because of the lower resolution screen. With current 15" screen resolution, the 15" is a much more affordable, portable, and overal efficient tool for on the move projects.
 
I've only picked up the camera..... nothing else yet.

The purpose of this post is to solicit comments/ ideas on items as to their market availability/ functionality/ compatibility/ quality. Sorry, I guess I should make that more clear even though I did say "rough list."

Scarlet? That's like a year or more away and don't kind yourself about what it's going to get it running..... maybe it'll even record sound..... maybe not. Maybe it'll come with some sunglasses and protein shake powder.

As far as a 35mm adaptor goes....... Have you ever misses a shot because you were messing around with something when you should have been shooting? I threw the century optics lenses in there but I don't really see them as being necessary. If the light is right, the camera sings with shallow dof.

I love my 15" powerbook. I've rough cut all my stuff on it and the size is great. However I am entertaining the 1920x1200 res of the 17". Still I think it's kind of big but once you have it..... you have it and you make it work.

Hard drives? For documentary I never throw anything away. Standard procedure the world over. I'll be overseas for as much as 3 years. Back up is essential.

Cool.
 
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go with the 15" mac book pro, i did, got it with my EX,

the 17 would just be too big for me, if i want more real estate when editing i have a 22" LCD on my desk to hook up too ;)
 
Hey, I only have a DVX but this thread got me wondering: When shooting in HD, what kind of field monitor is needed? If the 17" MBP (with HD screen) could be pressed into that role, would that be a good justification for going 17" vs. 15"?

I ask because I'm starting to look for a MBP and may jump to HD at some point. I'm inclined to go with a 15" MBP, but have heard one or two people mention using a 17" laptop as a field monitor so I'm wondering about this angle.

Also, what is the practical difference between 256MB of video RAM vs. 512MB?

Gracias
 
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RAM = Random Access Memory.

The practical difference would be that 512MB of RAM would make applications run twice the speed than 256MB of RAM, making your MBP work more efficiently. 1GB of RAM is twice as fast as 512MB of RAM.

RAM is like a 'chalkboard' that can temporarily hold information, every time you open a software, it is opened by the RAM. The bigger the 'chalkboard' the more information it can process at a time. The bigger the better.
 
I'm sorry if I did not make my self clear in my last post. What I was saying was if you are ready to shell out the 27 grand (I'm not quite sure if you are) it will cost for this package -- why not shell out the "comparatively" little extra dough it will take at this point to get a full-functioning red one system. On the infrastructure end (now I may be wrong) despite the larger image size, I have read that Red files are extremely easy for your computer to edit due to their lack of compression.

The point I really was making was, what is your intended market for this, dvd? You are going overseas for a few years to put a lot of time and effort into a project, what is the payoff? If it is distribution, you would be hard pressed to just release your product in western countries. Asia is a huge market and by the time you are done with your shooting/editing/etc. they will already be 1/2 way to UHD - making Red still extremely relevant, but putting the EX1 in the same grouping as our modern HDV. Past formats still utilizable, however not preferable as your primary camera/source of footage.

I have heard good things about the Miller tripods, the U60 is essential, the shotgun you got there should be great (haven't ever gone wrong w/Sennheiser), the mac shold be a 15" as the footprint of ext. monitors are so small nowadays it really can't be an issue, and the hard-drives should be overkill for what you need.

I hope I am of some help.
 
I got the 17" High Res with the plan of doing HD with it. I have good vision, but I can not do proper hd work on it unless its on my lap or on the edge of the desk, pixels are way too small!

I'd opt for the middle 15" and a 23" cinema or a 24" dell display.
 
EDIT-XTREEM: You realize you can change the screen resolution don't you? Just go to System Preferances>Displays and choose one of the smaller resolution settings.
 
I can't speak for Outcaste, but for those who are suggesting him getting a RED One camera, it may be that he's trying to go light and mobile. A fully outfitted RED camera is in a different shooting category than the EX1, size and complexity-wise. I'm going with the EX1 and, when it comes to market, the Scarlet. As much as I love the RED camera, I'd hate to haul that thing around on adventures.
 
Well said Buck.

"The point I really was making was, what is your intended market for this, dvd? You are going overseas for a few years to put a lot of time and effort into a project, what is the payoff? If it is distribution, you would be hard pressed to just release your product in western countries. Asia is a huge market and by the time you are done with your shooting/editing/etc. they will already be 1/2 way to UHD - making Red still extremely relevant, but putting the EX1 in the same grouping as our modern HDV. Past formats still utilizable, however not preferable as your primary camera/source of footage."

Intended market: Broadcast/ Festivals/ DVD

Hi Alex, I appreciate your comments but really..... in the end it always comes down to story. They will broadcast a crap image if the story is great. Darwin's Nightmare (2004) was shot on a Sony PD100... I just love the totally blown out shot of the 2 little African kids against the sky.... amongst others. Seen Iraq in Fragments? DVX100. If longley, as a one man band, was juggling a crate of red gear..... he'd be dead. Nuf said. Gotta' watch all the tech-talk.... keeps one from actually using his camera. Simple.

"You are going overseas for a few years to put a lot of time and effort into a project, what is the payoff?"

A life lived and the thrill that goes with it! Something I've been doing for years now :)
 
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