First Time HVX Questions

[Sad Max]

So the producer of this documentary wants to shoot our last night on an HVX (everything else has been captured with DVXs) and I have three questions, to start with:

(1) What specs do I need in an external HD, to capture, well, HD off the HVX?

(2) What is the HVX's light-sensitivity, compared to the DVX? My producer thinks that he may get a stop or three extra with an HVX, but my understanding is that the HVX also uses 2/3" CCDs, so unless the optics are very different, light-sensitivity will be about the same...is that right?

(3) Are the HVX's variable frame rates available when recording to tape in mini-DV format, or are they only available when recording in HD to the P2 cards?

Thanks in advance for sharing your expertise...

 

[THoff]

A 7200RPM drive is highly recommended for DVCProHD. I assume you are talking about capturing with a computer and not directly from the HVX to a Firewire drive, because you can't do that. You'll need something like FCP, Edius, DV Rack 2.0 HD, or a FS-100 for that.

The HVX has 1/3" CCDs, not 2/3". It is less light sensitive than the DVX owing to the larger number of photo sites. My recommendation would be to complete the shoot using a DVX.

VFR are only available when shooting HD to P2 or something like the FS-100.

 

[Barry_Green]

(1) What specs do I need in an external HD, to capture, well, HD off the HVX?

You don't. The HVX shoots to the P2 cards, not to external hard disks. Unless you're capturing through FCP or EDIUS or Avid, in which case it can go straight to a hard disk. Or a FireStore, of course.

(2) What is the HVX's light-sensitivity, compared to the DVX?

320 ISO, vs. the DVX's 640.

My producer thinks that he may get a stop or three extra with an HVX

Then your producer is in for a nasty surprise. All the HD camcorders are slower than their SD counterparts.

, but my understanding is that the HVX also uses 2/3" CCDs, so unless the optics are very different, light-sensitivity will be about the same...is that right?

They're all 1/3", not 2/3". And sensitivity varies for a number of reasons, not the least of which are a) pixel size, and b) acceptable noise level, and c) interlace or progressive scanning. A PD170 is 1/3" chips, and a Z1 is 1/3", but the PD170 is two stops faster than the Z1. Chip size isn't the only determining factor, or even necessarily one of the most relevant.

(3) Are the HVX's variable frame rates available when recording to tape in mini-DV format, or are they only available when recording in HD to the P2 cards?

Only when recording HD720pN to the cards, but you can then downconvert it to tape and walk away with a variable-frame-rate standard-def DV tape if that's what you're looking for.

 

[Sad Max]

I have a box with suitable hard drives...can I capture using Premiere Pro 1.5, as well as Avid, FCD, etc? I capture from my DVX to Pro 1.5, routinely...

(although the poorer light response is already making me think this is a moot subject...)

re: 1/3" vs 2/3" CCDs...I actually knew that, but somewhere along the way wishful thinking obviously got the better of me...

 

[Jason Ramsey]

With Premiere, you will need cineform or raylight or dvrack in order to even be able to edit your footage. Premiere does not support the dvcpro codec natively.

If you get dvrack though, it is my understanding that you can do some really nice things with it. It has been well received from what I have read about it around here. And with it you can, of course, do live capture. DVrack records the footage of the hvx losslessly as avi's that can be read with premiere, vegas, etc. without having to spend time converting.

Jason

 

[Sad Max]

Okay; in terms of acquisition, and workflow, I see myself talking the director out of shooting with the HVX, for this part of this project.

Thanks, everybody!

 

[Barry_Green]

You cannot capture with Premiere at all (live capture) even if you have one of those tools.

Premiere users will require an external capture app, and obviously that capture app would be DV Rack 2.0 HD.