HVX's MiniDV (URGENT!)

S

silentsmith

Member
Standard question here.

If I choose to shoot on MiniDV with the HVX200 for the time being, will the image quality and features be the same as the DVX's?

I ask because I can't afford the P2 card now, but sacrificing quality temporarily is something I'm willing to do so long as the MiniDV recording on the HVX200 is equivalent to the DVX.

Hi-Def is crucial, but not right now. For now I'll be satisfied knowing that I have a camera that's getting the same image with the same features as the DVX, with the capability of being upgraded later with a P2 purchase.

Thanks!
 
The tape will record normal miniDV (i.e. SD) quality.
From what I've read, it will be very similar to the DVX,
just a little better! Have fun.

Les
 
Have you considered renting a card for the time being perhaps? I know some local owner / operators might give you a good deal for when you want HD footage. It seems kind of a shame to have such a good camera and be shooting to MiniDV :(

eBay also might have some deals for older 8 gig cards.
 
The HVX200 is a little slower than the DVX100 beacuse it's HD.

Other than that, it's very similar in 4:3 .. and slightly better in 16:9.


- Mikko
 
Agreed. Because the HVX chip is native 16:9, it records widescreen slightly better than the DVX, but records 4:3 letterbox slightly worse. Also, because of the quality of the lens, some images are a bit sharper in my experience. But, for the most part, you're simply getting a DVX on steroids when you shoot DV.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong but the HVX should'nt be slower in DV25.
It's feeding the same size chips at the same resolution.

It's not until you shoot DVCPro HD that you are spreading the same amount of light over more pixels therefore losing a significant amount of speed.

Please point out any flaws in this logic, I'm not an expert.

Thank you.
 
It actually has to do with the pixel fairies inside of the camera. There are thousands of tiny little pixel fairies that sprinkle their magic onto the recording media to make a great image and if the pixel fairies are angry or you mess with the settings in the wrong way, they misbehave. The best bet is to make daily sacrifices on behalf of the pixel fairies to appease them -- they can be really temperamental but I find that a goat every day usually appeases them sufficiently for a day's filming. ;)
 
the SD DV on the HVX is VERY sharp. When you get a p2 card, try the DVCpro50... its AMAZING. its so crisp clean sharp and luscious looking. i love it. but the DV on the HVX is more than enough for most applications.
 
Thanks to all that replied, I sincerely appreciate it.

In regards to Siniarch's comment:
While I'm aware that the Panasonic website offers the $5,000 HVX200 with a free 16GB p2 card, I'm also aware that I can get the HVX200 without the P2 card for $3,500 from broadwayphoto.com. So it's not so much that your getting the P2 card for "free", it's just included in the price and labeled that way.

Unless of course, I'm overlooking something.

Thanks again guys.
 
It is included for free, it isn't included in the price. A true, non-gray market HVX200 is a $5,000 camera. So if you're getting it for $3,500 something is wrong with it, either it's used, or it's missing parts, or in general buyer beware. I'd be careful with that if I were you, too many people make that mistake and come to these forums asking about it. An HVX200 costs what it costs. You can get one used for a bit less, that's a risk, you can buy gray or black market, hehe, but that's a much bigger risk still.
 
Yeah, I wasn't aware of anyone selling the camera for that price. If its an authorized Panasonic dealer, I think they are not allowed to sell it for less than a certain price. With or without a P2 card.

But maybe broadwayphoto has a different contract with Panasonic (which I doubt) or like JonathanLB said, its grey market, black market, or used. (or a demo unit or a returned item???)
 
Awful in low light

Awful in low light

The HVX is a great camera, but if you're going to be shooting mostly in SD, you're better off with the DVX.

The biggest problem is how the HVX-200 performs in low light. When I say low light, I'm talking about unlit situations that the DVX100 would never have a problem with. With the HVX, you will have problems. It simply can't handle them as well, meaning that you'll be bumping up your gain on a regular basis.

There are a number of other issues, but that's the big ones.

HD is changing so fast. Unless you need an HD camera right this minute, why not just wait?

Good luck.
 
This is why you should always be wary of "too good to be true" offers. I figure if everyone else is paying X amount, and I see a deal for Y amount that's a lot cheaper, like at least 30% cheaper, there may be something up or some reason everyone else isn't flocking to this place.
 
Broadway Photo

Bwaahhhh, ha, ha, ha. You have obviously never heard of the legends of the Brooklyn ripoff houses. Next time you are in New York, take a cruise over there and look at what all of these places are like in the cold light of day. AC adaptor, cha-ching, owners manual, cha-ching, stock battery, cha-ching. Sorry we are out of stock, yeah I know we already charged your credit card. Nope, don't know when we will be getting them in.

There's a sucker born every minute...
P.T. Barnum 1810-1891

Dan
 
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