HAVE COOL HVX200 & some dumb questions

thefilmaddict

thefilmaddict

Veteran
So I just got my HVX200, but no P2 cards. In the meantime, before I can shoot HD footage, I am trying to learn the camera and get all of the gear in working order. I have a few questions I'm hoping you can help me out with...

1. I purchased a Petrol Case for the camera and it comes with this extra octagon shaped item with a square in the middle of it. It's black and has 2 straps on it. It also comes with a plastic W shaped item with velcro on it. What are these items for? How do I use them? This is probably a very stupid question (sorry if it is).

2. I use a miller tripod. My old camera was a full sized pro camera and the tripod plate used 2 screws that entered the camera (one was fat and the other was skinny). The holes for the HVX200 are different. They-are similar to still camera holes (one skinny screw hole and one hole for a non threaded insert -- probably the second non threaded hole just acts as a way to keep the camera from rotating on the tripod and is not intended to hold the camera to the tripod plate). Can I buy something that I can use with my miller tripod to fit that second non threaded hole? I'm sure this is another silly question (please don't kill me)!

3. I want to shoot in 720 24p. I know that the different 24 modes on the camera do different things (one just uses the 24 frames shot and saves a lot of space on P2 cards and the other adds pulldown). Is there any danger in shooting in the 24p mode that just shoots the 24 frames? Will this cause any problem when making a quicktime file for DVD distribution later (SD)? Will Final Cut Pro HD take this footage and add the pulldown for me so this footage can be outputted to non HD devices? Will 720 24p shot footage without pull down playback on an HDTV? I'm sure you've heard these questions a million times before. The manual tells you what the different modes do, but not why you would want to use them and their advantages and disadvantages. Damn, I'm an idiot!

THANKS!

PS
I will give a report on the camera as soon as I get the P2 cards. I don't think that it's fair to judge the image just going directly out to a monitor. I did hook it up to my 50 inch Sony HDTV and the image is very nice. I've also noticed that this camera loves light. I popped one light on and the results were OK (a little noisy in the dark areas using the factory default settings), but as soon as I brought up the ambient light in the room (with another bounced light), then added more lights to the image, things started looking very nice (even when lighting in a dramatic way).

NOTE:
Lots of footage posted on this site is outdoor footage. I love seeing this type of footage, but for those of us that will be shooting a lot of indoor lit shots with the HVX200, it would be great to see some of that type of footage. I will do that when I get the camera. Please send me my P2 Cards B&H!!!
 
Congrats on the camara. Until the P2 cards come in, you could stream to a laptop or such in the meantime.

I do have a bit of advice for the tripod. Basically, I bought a used bogen tripod that only came with 3/8 inch screws. So I ordered 2 replacment screws from Bogen through B and H. You do need special plate screws which will cost like 10 times what they should.. from like a Lowe's or something. For the HVX, you'll need the 1/4 inch screws. You should be able to contact Miller to get the exact screws you'd need. Also the other smaller hole on the bottom is used sometimes for beachtech XLR adatpers and plates and whatever...

Hope this helps.. and keep us posted with your camera and what ya get up to...
 
Miller sold me the parts I needed for around $50.00. That's a lot of money for a few screws. I went ahead and paid it. I don't want my camera to fall off of the tripod!!!

Any takers on my other questions (please)?
 
That's a classic case of supply and demand.
The great economist Keynes was once asked "what's the just price for a product" to which he replied "the price you're just willing to pay".
You were willing to pay $50 so "market forces" came along, kicked you in the ass and got you to fork out the $50.
Doesn't capitalism make you sick?
 
No way!
I was just being a bit ironic but you do feel you're being screwed when you have to pay $50 for something that costs 50 cents.

Try and imagine an economic system where you buy everything at its cost price + a small profit. :) The screws would cost about a dollar. The HVX200 would cost about $2000 and the 8GB cards about $20!! :D
 
Glad it worked out. Similar thing for me with Bogen. I think that the market is so small in the film and video world.. that manufacturers have to charge a exponentiall more to make it worth their time and effort... and then we get worked more than most. I mean come on.. why the hell is a magliner 1500 bucks... why are matte boxes so friggin expensive.... and it's because people in this biz make more when it's a good job then plummers..even... That's livin'
 
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HAVE COOL HVX200 & some dumb questions

The questions aren't dumb. It's more the people who ask them. :)

Only joking filmaddict, and I'm out of here before you get out your poison pen

Goodnight
 
Terence,
Looking back, I don't think that my questions are that dumb. I couldn't figure out how to modify the topic of this thread. I did (and still do) think that not knowing what those extra items are for (from the camera case) is kind of silly.
I don't mind if you make fun of me. I can tell its just for fun and not meant to be a personal attack. I enjoy a humerous comment from time to time and with my original post, I think I deserve a little backlash.
Can you answer those other questions?
Thanks!!!
 
Of course it was only a joke.
I believe totally the contrary. The only people who are dumb are literally that. They don't speak. They don't ask questions. They're the dumb ones.

Unfortunately I cannot help with your questions. Some are NTSC specific and as for the tripod I just know there are standard screws for medium sized video and photo cameras. Sorry
 
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