I have $10000 to spend help me with picking my equpment

hdjuan

Member
hey guys i maybe a lucky man my boss has given me a 10,000 to 12,000 spending limit. My boss went out and bought 2 hvx200, 2 fs-100, 2 sachtler tripods, and a bunch of other stuff. Just for fun he wanted to shoot stuff on the weekend with his friend.

His friend is out of the picture and now he has all this equipment with nothing to do with it. Being a ameature videographer myself this is my dream come true i have 1 dvx 100 and 2 80's that i own and shot with plus a macbook pro.

Anyhow he is getting me private tutoring for final cut and i need to get equipment for editing and two complete the video kit.

Here is what i got so far, final cut pro studio 2, and g-raid 1 tb hardrive, a 46 inch HDLNT71f Samsung tv plus the above.

I am waiting for the Nebtek monitor to get fully ready to ship spoke to Rob yesterday.

I need a proffesional computer monitor to edit with 24inch plus or can i use the 2600w?

I need a MacPRO configuration?
On board Camera light
Light Kit
DV,hd playback and recorder deck


Can you guys tell me if I can use the Panasonic BT-LH2600w as my main computer monitor to hook up to the mac pro and edit with final cut. Or is it just a reference monitor.

And what ever else im missing basically my boss likes the best stuff in time we will learn to use it all. I start film school in a few months i apoligize fot the lack of knowledge and will apreciate any help from the pros.

thanks

juan
 
Drop a good portion of that on sound and definately pick up a steadicam - you'll use it heaps (I have a glidecam 4000 with arm support and it's brilliant).

Maybe a matte box, nds and grads.

35mm adaptor and lenses (budget about 2k).

You have transport cases?

btw, you are a LUCKY man!
 
Forget the Steadicam and the 35mm adapter. When you need them, then you will know to look for them.

Once you are set with good sound, you'll still have enough in your budget to get some good lighting and basic grip gear - and that could just about eat up the majority that remains of your budget.

- Mikko
 
for sound I STRONGLY recommend these 2 items:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ser_EW100ENGG2_C_Evolution_G2_100_Series.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/421933-REG/Sennheiser_ME66BK_ME66_K6_Shotgun_Microphone.html

This is the setup that I use with my HVX and I love it. You can also have multiple cameras with multiple wireless systems attached to it and be able to have 1 boom set to capture audio for every camera, it's great when doing multiple setups, OR You
can have the lav and boom setup on different cameras for variation in sound. No matter what you do GO WIRELESS you will thank yourself later for it. It's just simply amazing.
 
I'll second everyone on sound - and what Mikko suggested -
Forget a steadicam and 35mm adapter, and concentrate on lighting/grip gear (after you get your sound gear).
Camera, sound, lighting and grip are things you need for every single project - everything else is kind of a luxury item. Get your basic kit together first - and learn how to use it....then you can move into more exotic stuff.
Just my 2 cents.


I would highly recommend checking out the audio forum here and reading all the stickies - there is a ton of information in there from people much more knowledgeable on the subject than I am.
:thumbsup:
 
Sound is the most important element of shooting well.

But you also have to monitor when you edit. If you have the LH2600, you need some way of displaying its output from FCP when you edit. Since you have no capture needs, I strongly recommend the Matrox MXO, which will give you DVI, SDI and component out.

Hook both a second DVI monitor to the Matrox as well as the LH2600.

Ned Soltz
 
Thanks for the great advice, man i was not even thinking to much about sound. My boss bought two audio technica mics at4073a series.

OK i will look into getting a good wireless system, and lights as well.
 
The question is: What will he be shooting?

The advice so far has mostly been for shooting 'video'. If that's what your boss wants then the previous advice is fine. For lighting, get 2+ Omnis a soft box fixture, and a few bounce cards: key, back, fill.

If your intention is to make cinematic footage then you will need to delve into a 35mm adapter, lenses and accessories. The previous post of $2000 is low, think more like $3400 for the adapter, 3+ used prime lenses (28mm, 50mm, 85mm), a zoom lens (100mm - 200mm), follow focus, and matte box. Be warned though, with the cinematic setup comes the requirement for a focus puller if you want to catch a moving subject. If he wants jaw dropping footage this is the solution, but it is also a lot of work.


Bob
 
In a cinematic situation, good sound is even MORE vital.

Far more vital, at this stage, than an arsenal of lenses. It doesn't matter how pretty it looks if it sounds awful.
 
Can you guys recommend a good light kit? How about products from Cool Lights?
Onsite Monitor?

Again thanks for all the advice!!
 
We're talking two areas here-- sound and editing. Sound is essential for good video. Proper editing is also essential and you must be able to monitor accurate color. The computer screen is not accurate color. Therefore you need something like Intensity (low end) or MXO or capture card to output. Since you have the LH2600, you need something like a capture card or MXO to output SDI to the LH2600. Don't even think of editing properly without proper monitoring.

Light kits-- Lighting is a tool. It's like asking-- what kind of screwdriver do I need? Well, what are you doing with the screwdriver? Shooting scenario is everything. Doing outdoor work in big production-- you need those big HMI lights. Of course, you're not shooting a major studio production, but hope you get my drift. A general purpose Arri kit is expensive but really top notch. The LED lights sold by a member of this forum as the Vidled lights are the best buy in LED for the money. But it is only a good buy if that fits your needs.

Ned Soltz
 
nsoltz,
can we use a color calibration system (Spyder2PRO by example, colorvision.com) for the computer screen to get accurate color instead of a video monitor?
 
nsoltz,
can we use a color calibration system (Spyder2PRO by example, colorvision.com) for the computer screen to get accurate color instead of a video monitor?

AFAIK, a calibrated computer monitor is important (when working with software like PS and AI and going to out to print you need a complete color managed system). So, yes, calibrate your computer monitor. But your computer monitor and a NTSC monitor are two different animals. If you want to standardize your video output to television (even though consumer TV monitors are all different in their color rendition), then you need a good NTSC monitor (and SDI out to the monitor from your computer)

If you are going to print to film, the colorist can take care of most of all that.

btw, Integrated Color is now selling their industrial grade calibration software at a reasonable cost: http://www.integrated-color.com/ Used to be they sold BasicColor (A German company) but now market their own.
 
The question is: What will he be shooting?

Hmmm, yeah, that's kinda it: "what will he be shooting?"

Why are you trying to buy everything at once? There are different tools for different end products. Maybe try and imagine what your end product(s) will be. Once you define that, then work backwards to figure out which tools you might want to acquire.

And forget so much about "what's the best *brand *name" questions, but instead think "what is the *kind* of equipment" that will best help you do the job. Once again, define the *type* of equipment and THEN figure which *brand* using a cost/performance basis.

I think you could get some more specific responses from people if you they know what you're trying to accomplish; otherwise it'll be all over the place.

And you could easily end up with stuff you don't need and/or stuff that doesn't do the job you had in mind.

Anyway, that's just my opinion.
 
As has been pointed out, a computer monitor is not a broadcast monitor. It operates in a different colorspace.

While I definitely think you are working very hard, I must say that this is a tremendous amount to try to learn just by posting questions on internet forums and then just experimenting through very expensive equipment.

Slow down. Learn one skill at a time. Shooting, audio, editing, are all very different skills. It is not what brand of equipment is good, it is what your use for that gear is. Very talented people can do great things with less than optimal gear. Just throwing money at it doesn't make you a shooter or an editor.

Advice to someone who seems like you may be young from someone who is old-- slow down and don't try to accomplish it all so quickly...

Ned
 
Again thank you all for the advice and thoughts. I really appreciate them all. I plan on shooting a few music videos, i also plan on a MTV TRL sort of show. Also a doc and short film that are both on the works.

I realize the great amount of work and study ahead of me.

I settled on these few things for now;

Computer Monitor: NEC 2690
Edit Software: Final Cut Studio Pro 2
Mac Pro
MATROX MXO
LOWELL Light KIT
Samsung 46inch HD TV LNT71F
Panasonic LH1700W
Audio Technica Mic's
Carbon Fiber Boom MIC


Here goes nothing i will stay in touch with you all and share my projects in the future
 
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