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Good deal or not? HMC40, used $1,000
- Thread starter xavpil
- Start date
pulpfiction007
Veteran
That's a very good deal....particularly when you consider how much the hmc40 has going for it! Very sharp footage, 24p, 30p, 60p at 720...all the dvx and hmc150 picture controls. If I were you I'd grab that deal.
I believe I just bought this very deal on Dec 16 craigslist. He still has the ad up and reads DVXuser. The camera had 48 hours on it. There were a few minor parts missing. Some will be tough to replace, since I can't figure out the part numbers. The little gadget that attaches the mic holder to the XLR adapter is missing a 3mm screw. The XLR input to the camera should have a cap and is missing. The ferrite cores are missing. No HMC40 system disc. And no warranty papers.
I tried to register the camera but the original owner still has it registered, not this seller, he bought it from another seller 3 months ago.
Anyway I'm very happy with the camera so far. It is a little "used", but this makes it easier to just get out and shoot.
I'll be curious to see how low these cameras sink on the market. They seem to be gravely underrated. Possibly the physical design makes it seem old fashioned. Which it is. But the results are very good.
The usual problems with it also may be the reason it isn't more popular, no wide angle, and poor low light.
I also own the GH1/GH13 with 14-140, pancake 20, minolta 50 1.4, minolta 28 2.8, Vivitar System 1 28-90 2.8-3.5, and a few more primes not so significant. All in all this seems to be a nice setup for my uses. I also have a Libec LS22 tripod and fluid head, and a Giotto carbon monopod for heavy camera, and a Sennheiser ME64/K66 mic plus an Olympus LS10 recorder.
I wanted to get a used HMC150 but just couldn't justify the cost given I already had the GH1. I really want to get the Marantz 661 digital recorder next, but the GH2 competes with it for the next deal.
Anyway, this little camera at prices in the low area of $900-$1250 seems to be a nice deal, especially with the XLR adapter.
I tried to register the camera but the original owner still has it registered, not this seller, he bought it from another seller 3 months ago.
Anyway I'm very happy with the camera so far. It is a little "used", but this makes it easier to just get out and shoot.
I'll be curious to see how low these cameras sink on the market. They seem to be gravely underrated. Possibly the physical design makes it seem old fashioned. Which it is. But the results are very good.
The usual problems with it also may be the reason it isn't more popular, no wide angle, and poor low light.
I also own the GH1/GH13 with 14-140, pancake 20, minolta 50 1.4, minolta 28 2.8, Vivitar System 1 28-90 2.8-3.5, and a few more primes not so significant. All in all this seems to be a nice setup for my uses. I also have a Libec LS22 tripod and fluid head, and a Giotto carbon monopod for heavy camera, and a Sennheiser ME64/K66 mic plus an Olympus LS10 recorder.
I wanted to get a used HMC150 but just couldn't justify the cost given I already had the GH1. I really want to get the Marantz 661 digital recorder next, but the GH2 competes with it for the next deal.
Anyway, this little camera at prices in the low area of $900-$1250 seems to be a nice deal, especially with the XLR adapter.
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I believe I just bought this very deal on Dec 16 craigslist. He still has the ad up and reads DVXuser.
Where did u buy the camera? CaliforniA?
anyway thx for reply
Currently: for going on 11 years I've been doing an improv philosophy/storytelling performance once a week; over 600 shows each one different. Quite a few have been recorded and in recent years lots of video. None of it particularly good.
So I'm setting up to make better video in the small coffee house venue. It's been a lot of work setting up the GH1 locked off just to find that the framing I like drifts because I drift out of frame. The few people there who might be able to use a camera find the GH1 near impossible to use; as we know it's great for precise setups especially in the context of narrative.
I believe the HMC40 will be easier for them to use. Strangely, none of them can really use a tripod. However the HMC40 on tripod will be easier. I'll use my Sennheiser G2 wireless setup to power one channel, and ambient for the other.
Last year I finished a feature length creative project "Dangerous Ideas: Enlightenment in 12 Acts" filmed on a rented stage with a DVX100B and with the same camera a small scripted piece in a rented studio. The bulk of the film was at mutiple exterior locations in Japan and Hawaii. Since I was extemporaneous in almost all of this I could lock off a little miniDV Sony PC350 (recommended in DVXuser about 5 years ago) attached to the wireless G2 and simply walk towards camera. Sometimes I'd find some local friend to use the zoom and small tripod. Eventually I cut together many takes to build a sequence.
I chose this project because the talent was cheap, me and free. I improvised most of the music on piano, used many pieces of my own artwork coupled with free copyright artworks, mostly classical, from the net. Took several years to edit, teaching myself Avid Media Composer.
I spent years in the film business, worked in many different capacities on features form editor to producer, 1st AD to Director, cinematographer to writer. In this modern era you don't need a green light. You just need a commitment to a vision, a little money, willingness to do something regardless of whether you appeal to a popular taste, and the boldness to continue.
Sure, I'd like to put together some folks and make one of my narrative screenplays; the amount of work is monumental. I've done a lot of it, I know. Right now I'm happy doing work totally under my own control.; only I have to show up, sometimes 1 other.
Next step will be to get footage from my weekly performances, edit them and release on youtube linking back to my website. And also I've already begun shooting new materials for short semi performance / semi image montage pieces, some just in the car traveling... Digital Haiku, also for free distribution. These will be shot with both the HMC40 and the GH1/13.
Keeps me busy. Probably more than you wanted to know. However...
So, what are you making?
So I'm setting up to make better video in the small coffee house venue. It's been a lot of work setting up the GH1 locked off just to find that the framing I like drifts because I drift out of frame. The few people there who might be able to use a camera find the GH1 near impossible to use; as we know it's great for precise setups especially in the context of narrative.
I believe the HMC40 will be easier for them to use. Strangely, none of them can really use a tripod. However the HMC40 on tripod will be easier. I'll use my Sennheiser G2 wireless setup to power one channel, and ambient for the other.
Last year I finished a feature length creative project "Dangerous Ideas: Enlightenment in 12 Acts" filmed on a rented stage with a DVX100B and with the same camera a small scripted piece in a rented studio. The bulk of the film was at mutiple exterior locations in Japan and Hawaii. Since I was extemporaneous in almost all of this I could lock off a little miniDV Sony PC350 (recommended in DVXuser about 5 years ago) attached to the wireless G2 and simply walk towards camera. Sometimes I'd find some local friend to use the zoom and small tripod. Eventually I cut together many takes to build a sequence.
I chose this project because the talent was cheap, me and free. I improvised most of the music on piano, used many pieces of my own artwork coupled with free copyright artworks, mostly classical, from the net. Took several years to edit, teaching myself Avid Media Composer.
I spent years in the film business, worked in many different capacities on features form editor to producer, 1st AD to Director, cinematographer to writer. In this modern era you don't need a green light. You just need a commitment to a vision, a little money, willingness to do something regardless of whether you appeal to a popular taste, and the boldness to continue.
Sure, I'd like to put together some folks and make one of my narrative screenplays; the amount of work is monumental. I've done a lot of it, I know. Right now I'm happy doing work totally under my own control.; only I have to show up, sometimes 1 other.
Next step will be to get footage from my weekly performances, edit them and release on youtube linking back to my website. And also I've already begun shooting new materials for short semi performance / semi image montage pieces, some just in the car traveling... Digital Haiku, also for free distribution. These will be shot with both the HMC40 and the GH1/13.
Keeps me busy. Probably more than you wanted to know. However...
So, what are you making?
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