Got my HVX - thanks Rush!

S

Stas_Tagios

Well-known member
Been following the noise/macro blocking threads the last few weeks and debating whether to buy the camera or wait a while, but when Rush called Friday and said my camera was in, all my trepidation vanished, replaced with the excitment of a kid getting up Christmas morning.

A brand new shiny HVX is finally in my hands and I couldn't be more thrilled. Can't wait to start shooting (though I first need to get a card -- EVS only had the 4 GBs and I wanted an 8).

A big shout out to Rush for the great (and multi-lingual) service! Glad I waited and bought from EVS. Anyone considering buying from them: do. They're terrific. :)

No comments on the macro-blocking issue, since I haven't shot anything yet, but here's a few first thoughts (mostly to do with the camera design and operation), based solely on the hour or two I've had the camera on and out of the box...

This sucker's heavy, at least in comparison to the DVX. Bulk up those forearms for extended shooting. Its heft is closer to that of the XL-1 than the DVX. The camera body's very solid and sturdy, more substantial than the DVX, which itself was no slouch in robustness.

Love the wider and longer lens (4.2 - 55 mm), though the longer travel on the focus ring makes it harder to do a smooth focus pull if your two focus points are far apart (it requires more turning of the ring). Probably need to get a follow focus. Focus pulls on the DVX were easier.

The lens does breathe quite a bit when focusing in the macro range, more so than the DVX (at least so it seems from my initial testing. Have not compared them side by side).

Manual zoom is nice and smooth, and I like the slower slow speed of the servo, though I wish Pana had also made the fastest speed faster, a la a professional servo lens (or even the servo control on their DVC30).

My only real disappointment so far is the LCD, which is surprisingly unsharp, even with the peaking on, especially at wider angles. The DVX LCD sharpness was not great, but the DVX100A's LCD with peaking on is superior to that of the HVX. I'm finding it impossible to judge focus at all at full wide, unless the camera's all the way in macro -- only then does the LCD image look defocused. Focus assist is terrific, but it's not much help if you're fully wide.

The VF, though also not great, is sharper than the LCD (whereas on the DVX, I found the opposite to be true -- I never used the VF, because it was impossible to judge focus by it). This is one of the main things I hope Pana improves in the next version of the HVX; cameras of this form factor are so great for doc shooting, but they need better LCDs/VFs so operators can judge focus on the fly better without having to toggle focus assist all the time.

Having distance displayed in feet and inches is a saving grace, and should work well for run-and-gun shooting/focusing, when you don't necessarily have time to get precise (or any) marks or zoom in to check focus -- you can ballpark it.

A minor thing, but... I love the new lens cap. No buttons to push, it just pulls right out of the lens hood and fits snugly back in. Good design.

Anyway, just some first thoughts on the HVX. Will post more once I actually get a P2 card and shoot me some HD!
 
Awesome Stas!

I'm finding it impossible to judge focus at all at full wide
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Zoom in ............................................... Focus

Zoom out .............................................. Done
 
It's impossible to judge focus at all on these LCDs. The very best you can do is ballpark; it's mathematically impossible to focus a 2-million-pixel image on a 200,000-pixel display device.

If you need precise focusing you will HAVE to use something other than the onboard viewfinder/LCD on *any* small HD camera. Even if it's just the magnified focus assist, or the peaking, or something like that. You cannot just look at the LCD and judge whether the image is in focus on any small HD/HDV camera.

With the HVX you can easily get in the ballpark by using the distance readout; if you can guess distances you can get the focus fairly close and let the deep depth of field cover the rest. On a wide shot you're going to have fairly infinite depth of field anyway, as long as you set the focus ring somewhere in the ballpark you should get razor-sharp images.

If you have time, pop on the magnified focus assist, it's extraordinarily helpful in nailing down precise focus.

In fact, I keep hearing about focus issues, so I think it's time for a sticky... ;)
 
John_Hudson said:
Zoom in ............................................... Focus

Zoom out .............................................. Done
Click to expand...

Well... yeah. But in doc/reality situations you don't always have the luxury of checking your focus via zooming in as action is unfolding, so all you've got is your poor res LCD/VF and a guesstimate as to distance from your subject (thank God for the distance readout!).

It's funny that the consumer video cameras of yore (that would be the 80's) had superior viewing systems; before LCDs took over, even the lowliest consumer camera had a CRT viewfinder that showed focus a lot better than the LCDs on low-end pro gear like the HVX.

Of course, the camera had to be tethered to a shoulder-slung VHS deck, the camera's imaging tubes (yes, tubes... anyone remember those?) ghosted and smeared like hell, and the recorded image topped out around 250 lines of rez. No variable frame rates, no 24p, no HD.... but damn it, you knew if you were in focus!:)

Even if you were in focus, however, the image was so low-rez and crappy, it didn't really matter.

So much progress has been made in most areas, but not so much in the viewing system. Oh well. Think I'll still be quite happy with my brand new electronic baby.
 
John_Hudson said:
Of course; my tongue was in cheek somewhat
Click to expand...

We really need a "tongue-in-cheek" smiley for just such situations. :)

As many smilies as there are, there never seem to be quite enough to convey nuances of meaning. Damn internet! (tongue-in-cheek smiley)
 
Just wrapped up another night of second unit for my movie, and by God, I am more in love with the HVX than yesterday.... :)

It did so well in lowlight, even when I had my main actor run across the street and sit in a dimly lit pizza place. We did it guerilla style, setup the camera across the street on top of a car, and stole the shot. I picked up every detail in his face with existing store illumination.
 
I received my HVX.....opened the box....read the instructions........overwhwlmed.
Barry when is your course for DUMMYS.............
I am out of the door to attend the seminar by Aplle in Austin with Panasonic.
I know the initial inhibition will wear-off and will start posting what the DUMMY found.
Incidentally your book did not show-up in the box....I wonder why?
Isn't Panasonic including it in the package?
 
Barry will be making his book available soon, for all of us :) We just have to be a bit patient.

atomic, I used Cine-V, Cine-matrix, no gain, Filmcam 180d. Cine-V is the most filmic of Gamma settings, though it has the lowest gamma. It looks gorgeous in the right situations, just like fast 35mm film pushed one stop. Rest of the time, I have been generally using Cine-D, with Cinematrix usually, or Fluoromatrix (for softer pinkish pastel-like tones).
 
Rush said:
Just wrapped up another night of second unit for my movie, and by God, I am more in love with the HVX than yesterday.... :)

It did so well in lowlight, even when I had my main actor run across the street and sit in a dimly lit pizza place. We did it guerilla style, setup the camera across the street on top of a car, and stole the shot. I picked up every detail in his face with existing store illumination.
Click to expand...

Sounds great. Can't wait to start shooting with the HVX.
 
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