I hate the back button!  -- Need opinion!

F

Flintstone

Well-known member
I took about 45 minutes to write a long story, only to hit the friggin back button on my stupid mouse. I reaaaalllly hate that back button!!!

OK! Long story short!

I'm just a few short weeks before I get my hands on my very own DVX100.

But today, I found this deal on a new pro JVC DV500U ½" 3CCD shoulder mount camera, with a 14x Fujinon lens, and battery belt, for the same price of the DVX. Granted the model is discontinued, but packs big ½" CCDs, does superb DoF, looks really pro, and has full warrenty!

It has no progressive scan, no auto focus, no color LCD, no optical image stabilizaion, no wide, it's big in tight spots, price of peripheral equipment is high.

The hickup? I have no real experience with shoulder mount pro cams, and I often do run & gun shooting; and right now, fast manual focus is not my forte. But practice does make perfect.

If you didn't have your DVX100, and progressive was not an immediate concern, would you go for it? Or would the DVX still be your choice for your normal every day shoots, and only when the occasion demands it, would you rent a pro cam?
 
Re: I hate the back button!  -- Need opinion!

Oh for cryin out loud Flint!

24p baby.

Haven't we covered this? :)

You do whats right for the Stone. We'll miss you if you bail.
 
Re: I hate the back button!  -- Need opinion!

I started calculating all the extras to equip a pro cam, and man... what an amount it comes to.  With that money, I'd have a massively equipped DVX (anamorphic lens, matte box, shotgun mic, strong tripod, wireless lavalier, etc, etc, etc...).

No progressive?  The more I watch 24p material, the more I'm convinced its the way to go.  Also the result on computer projection (WM9 or QT) is amazing (deinterlacing 60i has always bothered and annoyed me greatly).  I was temporarily attracted by the savings, and blinded to what really mattered.  I tossed and turned part of the night, calculating, and picturing myself with an 11lbs cam on my shoulder for a whole day with no optical image stabilization; as well as a whole slew of other issues.

Well at least, knowing that I keep gravitating towards the DVX truly means that, in the end, I will be entirely satisfied with my choice; without any regrets.

If I ever doubt myself again in this board before I buy the DVX in the next few weeks, please remind me why I keep coming here for.   :)
 
Re: I hate the back button!  -- Need opinion!

We will line up and virtually slap you the next time you consider anything other than the DVX.

:D
 
Re: I hate the back button!  -- Need opinion!

You know it's funny. We hear so many concerns about the DVX100 not being the 'run and gun' camera and more suited towards a shooter who wants absolute control over the situation.

I am by no means even close to becoming the expert, but one thing is for sure, the more I experiment with this camera, the more familar and second nature it becomes.

I assume in time it will be like an extension of one. Suddenly, there is a 'run & gun' capability due to the simple fact that you know it like you know your girls...

Well, you know what I mean.
 
Re: I hate the back button!  -- Need opinion!

Flinstone you will never use that big ass camera.. trust me. It's so big you will gawk at the thought of lugging it around. The only good place for that camera is on a tripod.

that said, Its a very good camera.
 
Re: I hate the back button!  -- Need opinion!

Yep! That was basically the conclusion I arrived to (with some help from all of you). 11lbs for several hours will seem like 110lbs at the end of the day. After handling it for about half an hour, my shoulder started complaining, and so did the footage, I had a tendency to compensate for the ache, and the shakes were too pronounced. Not having an optical image stabilizer didn't help either!

I've come to realize that even though I'll soon own a camera that will do most of the work, I can still continue to rent other cams for specific purposes. There are always situations were a tripod mounted 2/3" CCDs camcorder is needed. I'll try to find an SDX900 to match my 24p footage when and IF it's ever needed.

Plus, I don't see myself on a weekend with my kids at the park, or the zoo, with that big ass camera. Looks "slightly" overkill! ::)
 
Re: I hate the back button!  -- Need opinion!

The DVX gets hard to lug around with all the toys you will want to buy for it. Right off the bat you are going to order at least 3-4 batteries from Zoom. Then you will want to get filters, something to white balance ( i bought the wallace expo disk ). Tapes, charger, pens and paper, release forms, a small screw driver, lens cleaner.. you get the point..my arm kills just getting to where I have to go.
 
Re: I hate the back button!  -- Need opinion!

he heh .. maybe we should start the DVXuser.com Gym in Brooklyn :)
 
Re: I hate the back button!  -- Need opinion!

1/2" CCDs are the real draw in my opinion. Like Zoom said, that is a very nice camera. Also, many of the drawbacks you mentioned in your initial post I would probably count as advantages (especially no auto focus, no color LCD, no optical image stabilizaion). I never use auto-focus on any camera ever, it just has the tendency to 'decide' that it needs to refocus at the slightest movement of your camera. Learning how to quickly find focus is much more efficient and rewarding IMHO. Like you said, practice makes perfect.

HOWEVER, if portability means anything then the DVX is a godsend in contrast to the JVC. Sure, you can do most anything with both cams. Heck, I once climbed a (small) mountain with an big 'ole ENG cam. But then again, I almost died in the process because I was doing it with one hand with the cam on my other shoulder (stupid? who knows?). Had I a smaller cam (such as the DVX), things wouldn't have been nearly as perilous.

You've made the right decision, let us know if you ever need a kick in the right direction should you ever feel swayed to change your mind...perish the thought.
 
Re: I hate the back button!  -- Need opinion!

you can also buy a shoulder mount for the DVX100 and some 5lb weights and a 6x6 mattebox on a couple truck boxes and attatch them all with a cheese plate if you feel the need for ENG.
 
Re: I hate the back button!  -- Need opinion!

I need to go to the GYM too. This computer stuff is giving me a gut.
 
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