I really don't get it!

This is going to sound real shallow ... but I hope the GH1 does not look like a normal consumer camera. Part of the illusion of professionalism is the equipment. Granted, I am a professional photographer but to go to a wedding and pick up the same camera as Aunt Marcie has would be embarrassing. I know, I know ... its not how it looks but how you use it. I tell my wife that all of the time.
 
You would be amazed how many clients I got just because I owned a Hasselblad camera. If a art director saw that camera in your hand you were pretty much hired even if you had no clue how to put film in it. Its a sad sad world when we judge everything by its looks. Look at the 47 yo woman on the English TV show England Has Talant. She was judged the first five seconds on her appearance and then she blew them away with her ability to sing. Man that was great.
 
accentphotography said:
This is going to sound real shallow ... but I hope the GH1 does not look like a normal consumer camera. Part of the illusion of professionalism is the equipment. Granted, I am a professional photographer but to go to a wedding and pick up the same camera as Aunt Marcie has would be embarrassing. I know, I know ... its not how it looks but how you use it. I tell my wife that all of the time.
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No this is a legitimate concern, and 70% of the reason people pay for matte boxes, vs. just using their lens hood. Or gaffing a piece of cardboard to the lens hood in the rare instance that the hood won't cut all of the flare.

For me it's not such an issue because my work is not really client driven anymore. I'm looking more for a freedom cam so I can go make my own movie or experiment or test without asking anyone for money.

With the GH1, well you can see it, just google it. It does look a like a still camera, and what's worse it's a 4/3 which means it's smaller since 4/3 cameras eliminate a mirror or prism inside the camera which makes it work with the eyepiece.

As a solution, get a shoulder support, even an $80 spiderbrace. Stability can be a problem using an SLR for video given their size and front lens-heaviness, so a shoulder brace both solves this issue and makes it look more like an ENG rig.

Ad an $80 eye loop over the LCD and you are even further along.

Here's my GH1 wish list at B&H:
https://secure.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist.jsp&A=WishList&Q=showWishList
 
Your wish list did not pop up. Good try though. Speaking of Mattebox, I am thinking of a Mattebloc HD as I need something for my .7x Century WA. I have seen a video with a guy supporting a Canon DSLR/Video on a double shoulder support with double handles and one heck of a overhead mounting bar with absolutely nothing else on it. Looked cool but I am not sure how real world practical it is for stills. Back gto the Mattebloc. I like the portability, ease of attachment and the fact it can grow with the french flag (that blocks three sides).
 
GH1 is a killer cam!!!
The sub $1k cams I was talking about specifically were the Canon Vixias (HV20,30,40; HF10,100,11) all progressive and all capable of 30p and 24p
I currently own and op the HVX200a with Letus Extreme, HF100 and DVX100a. I try to use the HVX200a as much as possible but I also do a lot of favors and free work for people who can't afford to pay me but I think are talented and deserve a fighting chance. And when the money is not coming in and there is no crew but me, I really don't want to risk throwing my HVX out there. So in those cases I pull out the HF100, this will probably start a fight but it actually has better resolution than the HVX, HVX/DVCProHD just has waaaay superior colorspace and is a freaking joy to grade! Now on those rare occasions when I'm not getting paid and the person I'm helping feels too insecure to have some jackass waving a comcorder on set, I'll whip out the trusty old DVX and hope I still have some tapes lying around somewhere. I just completed principle photography on a 25 page short last night on the DVX and it looks great, it just would have had more potential if I was allowed to use the HF100.
And I can't wait to get my hands on the GH1, it will be to my HVX what my HF is to my DVX.
Also doing a favor with my HF100 won me a Remi Platinum for Dramatic Short at the Worldfest last month. So I really can't complain.
I wish you and your family the best and continued success :)
The rest of you can kiss my... I suck at being nice :(


BTW 4/3 has a mirror, micro4/3 elimnates the mirror box and brings down the flange focal distance from 38.67mm to 19.2mm. So technically micro 4/3 is not a DSLR since it has no mirror which is the R (reflex) in the SLR. It's a digital camera with an interchangeable lens.
 
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I was just talking to a girl yesterday who was embarrassed to use her homemade flash reflector on her camera and I told her that I use what ever I can find at the moment. Sometimes its the back of my warehouse membership card, a business card, kleenex or even the wedding contract. They all laugh and when I show them the photo they all shut up and smile. The bottom line is what comes out in the final. Not what it took to get there. Okay ... time to get online and play some Call of Duty 4 (thats my MS Xbox plug). Phoenix G5 is going to kick some butt tonight! Cheers!
 
accentphotography said:
houstenje I feel similar. This HDTV hit so fast and the TVs were really not there yet. There is so many problems in color range and gamut that it sickens me. The contrast ranges are from about 500 to 20,000 (please do not correct me as it is a point only). Some of the TVs do not have the imaging processing correct and distort the image so badly. Even in my area, the local broadcasts have one show with the top and bottom bars and the next has bars on all sides. Then the screen image sizes are inconsistent one show or commercial to another.

The problem is we cannot turn back the clock. I am trying to keep my eye out for those high dollar CRT HDTVs that are popping up on the used market. Then I feel I can finally find the correct monitor to look back at my work and see if the image quality is great. I could go out and buy the latest LCD or Plasma and never know if the colors are accurate.

Yes, I understand there are calibration technicians out there (expensive) and different types of stick it on the monitor calibrators (I have three from $200 to $800) but I feel it should not have gotten so difficult to view good color especially out of the box.
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This point I feel qualified to comment on. This is so true. I'm an amateur video guy with a DVX100. I did quite a bit of research on home theater before my purchase. When you play a DVD with DVX footage on a $800 plasma it might be OK or it might look like crap (cheap LCDs and plasmas are .........well they're just cheap) I settled on a THX certified 50 inch Panasonic. When you add to this a highly rated upscaling DVD player (I chose OPPO) the DVX footage looks great!

On the SD or HD thing. If I was in the Pro ranks it seems logical to go HD. You can always output SD.

Off the subject a bit: It would be fun to take HD footage into an AE 720 x 480 timeline and use the Tracker controls. On a handheld shot I'll bet you could make it look like a Glidecam shot.
 
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accentphotography said:
Even in my area, the local broadcasts have one show with the top and bottom bars and the next has bars on all sides. Then the screen image sizes are inconsistent one show or commercial to another.
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I live with both sides of this discussion, but I had to point out that the reason for the bars on the side for commercials and different shows is because the master was letterboxed or 4:3. This is because it was not shot on modern HD equipment.

I can say that this is the first year I have lost money because I don't own HD. I have to rent and I am not getting the call when the job requires HD. Whether or not the job requires it doesn't matter, it is being requested.

None of my HD clients ever fork over the $4500 in licensing fees to get started in Blu-ray replication.
 
Yep, I know the feeling on the replication. It seems that just when DV was getting a decent flow and speed the bottom fell out with HDV. Here we go again. I know I am always behind but it is because I do not earn enough from the current work to justify the HDV transition. My clients are only viewing 'Susie" in her first school play or dance recital. Yes I want to give more but my clients do not understand the cost of Blank Blu-Ray media. Maybe they should look at what the standard BluRay movie costs at Walmart before they complain. In my area everyone wants something for nothing and I know I should not give in on prices but if I don't then the next guy gets it and I am working for Walmart.

By the way ... speaking of replication, I just got a Dymo DiscPainter :thumbup: and I LOVE IT!

I am using matte media and I print a DVD at the lowest setting "1" and they come out in 45". This seems to be the fast and affordable way to print on the DVDs. I can hardly keep up with it when I am working on emails or photos. Now if I only had 2?
 
I learn something from this site awhile ago and I have been trying to keep it in mind for all my clients and projects. If you clients don't like your prices, get new clients.

Several years ago when I was still working for someone else their cubicle, editing and encoding hundreds of pieces for $12.50 an hour, I had freelance work that was paying me double. I got a call from a wife of a good friend. She was a dance instructor that what me to video a recital. Her main reason was she did not want 85 dads standing during the event. Two years later I had 5 different schools and was thinking about making it part of my business.

My main issue is I can not do boring/sub par work. This means I always spent to much time and money making it a quality product. The reason I was loved by parents and teachers is I had more then a wide and CU shot. The reason I gave up and have turned down 6 this year is listed below.

($45/DVD x 85 sold) - $5/DVD for dance school owner= $3400

4 Camera OPs x $300= $1200
2 tapes per camera x $5= $40
$2 per dvd cost= $200
2 DVX-100 rentals= $400
Expenses for 3 sales calls= $100
3 Days Post production= $1500
I know I am leaving somethings out, but you get the picture.

Bottom line is my DVD's were the best they had ever seen, they even had menus something they had never seen before, but it was never profitable. I would spend 80 hours alone on each project. One wedding or 30 sec local commercial pays double.
 
Similar story here. Fortunately my wife is the other camerawoman and we do everything in house. We own the cameras and except for the time, the cost is next to nothing. But ... post production is long, people want it fast and everyone here is competition as I live in the film capitol of the South.

Weddings are getting cheaper and cheaper as there are so many movie makers desperate for work. For some silly reason, everyone comes here thinking they will be the next Frank Capra. A lot of the work is given to out of state labor who just happen to know the people making the films here. Most of the work for locals seems to be in the independent film area and we all know how low those budgets can be.

The price of video gets less and less here but hey ... its a job. It sure beats working for Walmart (my apology to those cameramen/Walmart workers here).

Any ways ... keeping my toes crossed and hoping tomorrow pays off. Sales are on the shy side of what I consider a minimum and this particular school already had their videographer from Charlotte cancel on them due to the minimum sales not being met. Can't say that I blame them but at least I do not have the drive and hotel stay.

I hate to see their faces when this type of video moves to HD and they have to pay for that!
 
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