HD newbie Looking to get the HVX200

LuckyStudio 13

LuckyStudio 13

The Tapeless One
hey guys,

Wanting to get my first HD camcorder here. I owned both the 100b and XL2 before and since have sold both of the cams and looking to get into HD.

Having preordered the XH-A1, now i have doubts about HDV. I have been looking seriously at the HVX200 with the firestore option here. Can you guys convinced me to drop the A1 and get the HVX ??

I can still cancel my Xh-A1 anytime. Right now the best price i found for the HVX is $5277 and firestore for $1800.

I dont mind paying a little extra for more superior cam.


thanks again
 
Just read the forums, and watch the footage. That is all the convicing that you need. DVCPro HD, and DVCPro 50. I would recremend getting 2 4gig P2 cards, and wait till the ConePorter comes out, Look at the top line in the Hardware thread to get more info on that. P2 is the only way to go.
 
the HVX is a great camera no doubt about it.... it beats the hell out of the HDV cams for sure... however, it is still a "PROsumer" grade camera, it wont do miracles right out the box

that said....

if you are creative/have a good eye (for design and composition and lighting)/solid storytelling skills then this camera will be perfect for you

its not RED but its also not nearly the cost either and always remember that the most important thing is story man
 
It's hard to convince you of it over the A1 since the A1 isn't out and hasn't been tested. We won't know how close it performs to the XLH1 untill we test them.

Assuming that the A1 gives similar picture to the XLH1, then the HVX200 pros are the follow:

-Variable frame rates=true slow mo
-Pansonic's Gammas and Color just look more filmlike to a lot of us.
-HDV is a 25mbs codec with half the color space as DVCProHD (100mbs) and interframe encoding which means motion compression. Motion compression is very bad, literally a step backwards from miniDV. It also requires more processing power to edit.
-P2 workflow, while expensive, is a dream of convenience and ultimatly saves you money on matinence costs and not having to get an HDV deck to capture.
-HVX200 is more sensative and has a higher lattitude (can handle a great range of lights and darks).
-HVX200 has true progressive chips and true 24p (though, to be fair, Canon's 24f looks pretty damn good).
-HVX200 records 4 channles of audio.
 
Friendly advice sprinkled with a bit of rationale:

Wait until the A1 actually hits the market... check out some footage honed by others hopefully used in scenarios that you'd be using yours in (narrative, documentary, home video, etc.) and then base your decision on that.


I wouldn't be relying on anyone else to tell me how to spend my thousands of dollars. You might be happier knowing you chose the right one for yourself with your own eyes.

That said--

HVX offers a lot of nifty options, albeit at a higher price-tag. It's base price maybe just under 5.5k ... but you have to tack on P2 Media which pretty much sets you at just under 6k. A1 is about 4k + Tapes to start your HD adventures.


Not sure why you've been scared away from HDV. I'd just say wait until you see the A1's footage before arriving to a conclusion; that's what I'm doing.
 
The HVX's greatest strength and alternately its greatest weakness is P2. I suggest looking closely at Firestore and P2 workflows before deciding. If P2 or Firestore passes *your* litmus test, then it's hard to go wrong with the HVX200.

The wide lens, variable format (esp it dv50 capability) and compact size make it a cool package.
 
Most everyone here is going to convince you to go with the hvx :)
I just ordered 2 of them.
About the cineporter, go the the hvx hardware section and take a look at the cineporter faq. it is a sticky at the top of the page. I'll be getting 2 of those as well :)

Oh, yeah. and the price you mentioned. just be careful. make sure you get it from a panasonic authorized dealer. You will be safer that way. It is a good idea to pay 100-200 more for some peace of mind.
The cheapest that I know of right now from an auth. dealer is from spec-comm, the makers of the cineporter. they have it at 5399 currently. Check it out. you also get their long life battery with it as well.

Jason
 
well the main difference between the cineporter and the firestore was the cineporter could record in native frame rates, now with the new firmware coming out for firestore, the fs can now do the same. then you figure FS is about 1800 and available now but only at 100GB. Cineporter aint even out yet but for 400 bucks more gives you 60GB more.
 
There is also a 320gig version of the cineporter.
Also, keep in mind battery life. The fact that you can use the same scpan batteries from spec-comm that you would use to operate your camera is a plus to me over the firestore. I can buy as many scpan batteries I want at a 100 bucks a pop.
 
The Cineporter sound great on paper, but keep in mind that it's not out yet, nobody has use one yet, and it hasn't been tested... so not really an option. I think p2, at least for me is the way to go. I have yet to find someone that actually think the firestore is great. As far as the quality, the HVX is unbelievable, the 4:2:2 color space make a huge difference, but as mentioned, the HVX is not magic, you still need to have good photographic skills to create beautiful pictures...but I guess it's true with any cameras.
 
hoofandmouf said:
its not RED but its also not nearly the cost either and always remember that the most important thing is story man
Click to expand...

Please don't plug or compare a camera that hasn't even been released or shot on yet. It's looking like a stretch for most in terms of owning one or developing any kind of affordable workflow for it. Plus, you shouldn't compare a 45,000 dollar camera to a 5,000 dollar one.
 
Now that the FS100 will soon be able to do native frame rates, the differences are as such:

-Cineporter will act as a giant P2 card. Meaning all the menues and functions will work just as if you were shooting to P2. You can play back clips on the LCD and everything. The FS100, still goes out through the firewire port so you'll have to control the recording through it rather than the camera to some extent. You'll have to view your clips through the FS100 and also can sometimes run the risk of thinking it's recording when it's not.
-The FS100 has been out a while and thus has been fully tested and upgraded through several firmwares. Not to mention Focus has been making similar products for a while. The Cineporter will be a brand new product and thus is more a fisk.
-The smaller Cineporter will give you an extra 60 gigs for an extra $400 (though the FS100 price may drop by the time the Cineporter is released).

It really comes down to convenience and reliability. The Cineporter looks to be easier to use but the Firestore has a more proven track record.
 
DavidBeier said:
The Cineporter looks to be easier to use but the Firestore has a more proven track record.
Click to expand...
The Firestore HAS a track record, the Cineporter has none.

Also, the FS-100 can be used with any camera that outputs SD DV25, the Cineporter will be limited to being used with P2 cameras.
 
i avoid all things HDV like the freakin PLAGUE! i see it as a crap format period.

i sold my XL2 to get the HVX and ive never been happier
 
Avoid HDV, with the new A HDC codec or whatever its called by panasonic and sony, i think HDV will be gone soon, but even so imo its honestly a terrible codec. Pick up an HVX and love every minute of it.
 
Yeah, there are some big productions that would rather use miniDV over HDV because of HDV's motion compression. I don't think it'll last too much longer as a format either (at least not alone; perhaps the new Sony's will offer both HDV and AVC).
 
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