HVX200, 150, XAh1 or EX1

J

jackal2513

Active member
I want to pick up a secondhand camera to partner my 5d rig.

I want something that autofocuses well and is more fire and forget with no rolling shutter issues and good for times when I have fast moving or unpredictable subjects and more documentary type work.

My requirements are 1080p and 25fps. The next important thing is good quality and a reasonably filmic look like the old Cinegamma settings of the DVX100 which I used to own.

My first thought was to pick up a used HVX200 as there are a few bargains out there but then I remembered its supposed poor performance with noise in dark areas under low light. I also notice that the 150 shoots on SD card but then i'm not so sure if it will do 25fps ? Then there is the Canon and the EX1 which I know is well rated. That said, I believe that the Canon is HDV which would rule it out for me as i've worked with HDV on Z7's before and thought it was awful quality.

Does anyone have any guidance for me ? Any pointers on the pros and cons would be appreciated.
 
First off, I'm guessing your looking for 24 fps...Unless your in pal land almost nothing shoots in 25 fps. (correct me if I'm wrong here) The hvx 200 will give a similar look to the dvx100 except its hd. I would recommend reading barry's book because there is a whole chapter on this...but...24p film like cameras are not meant for quick pans and will have issues with fast movement. There is even a guide showing how slow you have to move the cam to avoid streaking.

That being said...I've never had noise issues with the 200. With proper lighting it's a great cam. the 150 is a consumer grade camera, not prosumer so i would recommend against it. If your really worried about noise, buy the 170 or the 200A. The 170 is a 200 w/o a mini dv deck and better low light capabilities.

So, the auto focus. Its not the great, but it works. In most professional shoots you wont use auto focus. It works pretty good but is susceptible to focusing on the wrong thing or going slightly out of focus while finding focus on a moving target. It's nto super fast at focusing either, but its as good as you will get on a semi pro cam.
-Cody
 
in what way is the 150 consumer grade? if you're used to the dvx100 & its gamma settings & want 25p then i think the 151 would be perfect & the cheapest option, again they can be had 2nd hand at decent price & its a much cleaner image & better in low light than hvx200. It is basically the same image as the hpx170 but uses much cheaper sd cards compared with the p2 system the 170 uses
Also the panasonics are ccd so no rolling shutter
 
My bad, I must be getting my models mixed up. Sorry. The 150 is in panny's pro video part of their website. Ade4all is right.

That being said, the 150 only has one sd slot. This means you can't continuously record forever like you can with the 170 that has 2 slots. (swapping out p2 cards)

Also the 150 does not record in dvcpro HD. Barry's resonce in this thread explains the difference pretty well. http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/archive/index.php/t-106033.html

if your recording in the higher quality settings it can use a gig/min just like the 170. If your using a gig a min on a 32 gb sd card your limited to 30 min - an hour depending on quality settings. Like i mentioned earlier the 170 has no limit.

That being said, sd is a lot cheaper then p2 so it may still be a better option depending on exactly what you need.
 
sorry but you're wrong again, at the ph highest setting i was getting 98 minutes on a 16gb card, so thats 196 minutes on a 32gb etc.....
 
hpx170 is the less noisy and better lowlight performing bigger (yet smaller) brother to the hvx200. and AFAIK it comes in a PAL version or you can order an NTSC/PAL switchable option for an additional cost. though being a P2 camera, some people (mostly lower-budget, wedding and event shooters) complain that storage is cost prohibitive.

There is even a guide showing how slow you have to move the cam to avoid streaking.
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the "streaking" has to do with shutter speed (1/24 and slower) not frame rate. the "24p cadence" or "stutter" on pans is what youre referring to.

I've never had noise issues with the 200. With proper lighting it's a great cam.
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well, noise is only like THE most common complaint about the hvx200... but maybe we dont read the same forums ; )

the hvx200 is inherently and admittedly a noisier camera than some people are comfortable with. i would NOT suggest it for event / wedding shooters. in darker situations, where you cant control or add light. you absolutely WILL see considerable noise.

id definitely look into the hmc150. the whole consumer / prosumer conversation is more or less hogwash anymore. especially in the $2500-$6000 range. if you were comparing an hmc150 to an arri alexa, sure. but at this level it usually comes down to gadget-snobbery ; )
there are trade offs between an hpx170 and hmc150. but people looking for a good image and affordable storage seem to like it.
 
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i dont think that the 150/151 does variable frame rates. if that kind of thing is important to you - you should check the literature to verify
 
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