Help! DVX100B vs. HVX200

T

timwhanson

Member
I know at first glance this may seem like a no brainer, but hear me out. I have a choice to make between a dvx or an HVX. The way I see it I neither have the means nor the equipment to produce any HD material in the sense that most of what I do is output to DVD. I can't burn HD, nor can I play HD on any home equipment. Most work I would use it for would be downresed the way I see it for the foreseeable future. So that being said is the picture going to be that much better filmed on an HVX if it's going to be downresed anyway? Worth the extra 3 grand better picture? I mean could I just buy the DVX and work a bunch in the meantime, and by the time HD DVD players and burners are cheaper so too would the HVX be? Sorry about my phrasing, I've been watching Deadwood on DVD for the last 3 hours lol It's enough to jack up your speech patterns.

Also factoring in if I buy the dvx I can afford to get an M2 with the Follow focus, a Firestore and other options should I choose for example an underwater housing (surfing fanatic), or I can buy an HVX and maybe a firestore for the same price.

Should I buy the whole working DVX package and get experience for a year or two and then buy the HVX, or should I bite the bullet and get the HVX? If the picture is that much better even on SD then I'll go HVX but I don't want to get the pretty pony just to stare at it, I want to ride the sucker for all it's worth.

Thanks!

Tim
 
Thats a decision you have to make for yourself. I'm struggling with it myself, will I use the features all that much to spend the extra money? Will I miss them when I want them? The HVX SD is very good and I would argue its better than the DVX by far. Not to mention with P2 you can record SD DVCPRo50 which kicks standard DV SD butt. Its worth the money I think for all the options you get but in my case I need to think about accessories also. An HVX with crappy lights (which it eats up), no mic, and a wobbly tripod is pretty much good for nothing but a poorly shot 16mm looking HD image.

- Kyle
 
These thoughts were milling around my head a year ago when I took the plunge and put down for my DVX. Various accessories plus the camera set me back about where the HVX price point was at, minus a P2 card. I was on a budget, and the money I saved on going the DVX route freed up some cash for some nice essentials.

Make a shopping list. One for the DVX + extras and one for the HVX + extras. If you can afford it, go for the HVX. All the various recording options is very attractive and you will be future-proofing yourself for when HD is more accessible.

Think of it this way...if you buy an HVX, you will probably be shooting mostly SD for the mean time (until you can burn HD-DVDs). So why not get the DVX + a 35mm adapter and all the other stuff, start shooting, and a year from now you will be an experienced shooter and (hopefully) making money. By then HD will be more settled and you will probably have a few new cameras to choose from.
 
I had this same dilemma. I went with an HVX, just now got a couple cards, and a nice little Sachtler that'll need upgrading later just before those. I've got two HD shoots coming up because there's HD post available for it, and a number of music videos on which I'll probably mix DVCPRO50 with 720 Native modes for the frame rates. I'm not where I'd like to be equipment-wise, but I will be soon....and I'll have more experience with my choice camera. And I don't regret my decision at all, I love the camera. I'm sure I don't need to list its many awesome features.

On the other hand, I sometimes wish I had a DVX. The DVX is lighter than the HVX, and it's more sensitive to light. The HVX is a light hog. Overall the DVX has more to offer for the run and gun shooter, and I plan to get one eventually to supplement my HVX.

So, I guess my personal opinion would be...the DVX is a sweet camera, but the HVX is six pounds of pure sex. Give or take a pound.
 
The DVX is an amazing tool. If you don´t need HD or variable framerates then the DVX is giving you all you need and more. You can have DVX, get accessoires, a good tripod and light and still be cheaper than with the HVX. I don´t think you will see that much of a difference in SD on a DVD.
One advantage the HVX has is the native 16:9 image. But I have always filmed 4:3 and then went to 16:9 in post and delivered to BBC and other major networks without any complaints ever.
 
It all depends on what you'll be shooting. The DVX is better in low light, and in SD interlaced. These two factors alone keep me from using my HVX rather than my DVX on about 75% of my gigs. The HVX takes more time to set up, focus, etc.; and of course shooting HD OR DVXPro50 requires a additional hardware or a P2 workflow, which may or may not suit you.

I'm happy to have both for diverse situations, but my main workhorse for the foreseeable future remains the DVX
 
I had the same issue a while ago but I went with the HVX200 for the following reasons:

1. Even on an SD-DVD which is how I deliver the vast majority of my stuff to clients, the HVX200 delievers a better image. It's sharper thanks to a true 16x9 CCD, it has more lattitude, it has a larger zoom range, and it has twice the color sampling. Barry did tests showing that, even when burned to a DVD, he HVX200 looked nicer.

2. Variable Frame-Rates. Speaks for themselves huh?

3. A Little extra resolution never hurt anyone. Say there's a boom in the shot and you want to re-frame. Doing so with 720p means you won't blur the image to hell.

4. HD as an option is useful. My last job was two training videos. I delivered them on a standard DVD but I also gave my clients a copy of the videos in 720p format (QT H264) which made for a sharper image when they projected them for their classes. This was a cool service that I could offer that competeing people in my area couldn't. Some networks are also going to be willing to pay for HD content.

7. HD will last you longer. We all don't know what format will take over as far as HD goes but I think that everything is AT LEAST going to make it to 720p eventually. I wanted to invest in a camera that would still be viable when that day comes.
 
timwhanson said:
does anyone know if you can use the 100gig firestore sold for the hvx on the dvx?
Click to expand...
The FS-100 can also record DV25, so you can use it with either the DVX or HVX in DV mode.
 
I bought the DVX simply because I could easily afford one PLUS good kick ass audio gear. Once I discovered I could make a killing on Ebay which helped me pay for most of my audio gear, I traded up, sold the DVX and now own the HVX. I would do it all the same because if you end up with crappy audio gear, what does it matter if your picture is in hd or not?
 
im in the same boat and im leaning toward the dvx for now cuz i have all the gear already i just have to strip my 80 and basically i cant afford the hvx and its workflow that it demands of my computer. i also took into consideration the time table to shoot sd is still there cuz hd wont be prominant in every house just yet espically where i live ppl here cant even spell hd and i figure by the time hd is the only option ill finally afford the hvx or whatever else is out there in another yr or 2.
 
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