keeping up with the Jones e's

WiseGuy Productions

WiseGuy Productions

Member
hey Folks.

I'm certain others are in the same boat... I have the standard definition tape driven, dvx100b and a G5 "Power PC" with Tiger 10.4 OS and FCP V6.

to upgrade the camera to HD, Im afraid I need FCP 7 because of the codecs needed for HD cameras...

but FCP 7 only worked with OS 10.5 and higher AND

10.5 requires INTEL PROCESSORS! therefore I can't upgrade the OS!

I asked the mac store, "why can't I simply upgrade the board, or the processors like we did with PCs? they didn't want to hear about it. they tried to sell me on a new MacPro which quoted out at the same cost as a new SUV, (if you stack the machine)

so I dont know what everyone is doing with their DVX 100bs? I've never really got a great picture out of mine, especially in low light situations. I try to set the while balance but usually gets to be too blue, so I have to correct it in FC.

Also really need a good still camera. I see people shooting video on DSLR with good results but worried about the sound and the storage.

... and for still cameras, now we have DSLR AND these new "Mirrorless" cameras which look kewl but they use 1/4 format lenses, which means they are not interchangeable with typical DSLR lenses.

I was thinking about trying to fing an old film camera with a lens set included, then buying a D40 body.

What are you all doing out there to keep up with the Jones's?
 
Unless you plan to basically purchase everything again from scratch, your best bet will probably be to purchase either a HVX-200A or the HPX-170. Those cameras will shoot DVCPRO HD to P2 cards and that's the only High Definition acquisition format that will even begin to play nice with your setup. Final Cut Pro 6 will also work fine with these video files.

Anything else will require a new PC, whether you migrate to Windows or stick with OSX.
 
As Gary above was alluding to, your budget is a very pertinent - but totally absent - bit of information. Let us know what you can spend and I'm sure there will be some happy solutions.

And, just for your piece of mind, a stacked MacPro is definitely not necessary to edit HD footage. It's not even necessary to edit 4K footage (by proxy), especially if you have time on your hands. Nice? Yes. Necessary? No.
 
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The first and most fundamental question you need to answer is, "what do you want to do with this gear?" What kind of videos do you shoot, in what kind of conditions, and who is the audience? Do you need to shoot fast-moving and unrepeatable events, or are you more interested in a carefully planned and contemplative type of filmmaking involving complex setups and multiple takes? Where and how will your end products be viewed? Do you do this for money, in which case some of the upgrades can be viewed as a business investment that will pay for themselves over time, or is this just for your personal pleasure? When you look at the videos you're producing now, what are the major weaknesses you would want to address with an equipment upgrade? Is it sharpness, color, lighting, low-light performance, audio quality, the effects you'd like to do in post-production, what?

My very, very general advice is to try and come up with answers to these questions first, then use them to construct a list of priorities for gradual, piece-at-a-time upgrades to your equipment. Remember that you don't need to discard your existing gear even when you add new stuff. Consider used equipment. For that matter (maybe heresy to some), consider whether you're committed to staying with a Mac for editing or could move to the Windows platform, where it's a little cheaper to get in initially and a little easier to upgrade things one piece at a time.

The jump from SD to HD is a fairly big step, but other than that, most viewers don't notice minor differences in capabilities between equipment. Patience, skill and practice, along with subject matter, writing, production design and performances count for a lot more than the gear used in determining an audience's reaction to a movie. You can practice and improve your abilities with what you have, which will make it easier to determine what needs to be upgraded when you can afford it. Personally, I think you might want to concentrate on lighting and audio before getting all worried about a camera upgrade. When it's time to do that, some HD cameras will even allow you to continue shooting in DV format at standard definition to utilize your existing editing setup. Since you want a still camera too, a DSLR with video capability might be a good supplement to your DVX. Cameras using the Micro Four Thirds and E-mount lenses can still utilize many existing 35mm still camera lenses with adapters. One recommendation I would make is NOT to step backwards by getting a film camera or anything that records on tape. The all-digital, tapeless workflow is really a delight once you get used to it and will increase your productivity. And if you start buying film again, you'll be spending money that could go into other equipment upgrades.

Slow down. Think through your goals and needs. Act gradually, rationally, yet with determination and a definite plan. You'll get there!

- Greg
 
WiseGuy Productions said:
I asked the mac store, "why can't I simply upgrade the board, or the processors like we did with PCs? they didn't want to hear about it. they tried to sell me on a new MacPro which quoted out at the same cost as a new SUV, (if you stack the machine)
Click to expand...

You don't have to buy a new, top of the line, "stacked" Mac Pro in order to edit HD video or have the current versions of Mac OS X and Final Cut.

Check out used Macs at places like PowerMax, eBay and the DVXuser Marketplace.
 
Look at the Panasonic GH2, because they are:
A. Capable stills cameras
B. Capable video cameras (with some things missing, that your DVX has, like good audio, etc)
C. They shoot motion jpeg 1280 x 720 that doesn't take a lot of processing power AND standard def.

Plus when you are ready to go full HD, the GH2 can shoot very sharp HD video as well
 
lots of great info here thanks....

also watching some of the dvx100b videos on "the Tube". Some people getting fantastic results from this benchmark SD camera!

this one shows some great footage captured while using a 35mm film adapter.

Greg, not planning to go back to film. I was thinking of buying an old film camera cuz they sometimes come with a good selection of lenses... then buy a Nikon D40 SLR or the like.

I was really impressed with results others are getting from this camera! (dvx100b)

Also didn't know you can render the SD footage out to HD to get "HD" there are some experiment on the Tube like this too.

http://youtu.be/SHQMzLFmymQ -- (make sure you dial up the YouTube settings to HD) I cannot tell this footage apart from "True HD" - especially on the net -- this is coming form dvx100b!


and this... http://youtu.be/OSM6ZOSmQhc -- change default Youtube to HD, scroll forward to 37sec. have a look at the leaves! Incredible pic I think.

now granted, hes hand holding the camera and when he swings it around at 24FPS, you can see the motion blur... but when its still and he gets it right, the images are amazing!

this is SD rendered out to HD -- with the stock lens!

truly inspiring!
 
although i have a MacPro, the best bang for the buck if you want to stay with apple is the top of the line iMac 27" with the 3.4 GHZ i7 & the upgrade 2 gig GPU. that will set you back $2300. not totally cheap but way cheaper than having to buy into the MacPro line. take it to 16 gigs of ram and you are pretty jammin! thats a lot of power with a large display (although funky with reflections).

a new 8 core MacPro IMO isnt worth spending that much money with its very slow clock speed. the 6 core macpro is much of the time comparable to the above iMac. (barefeats.com) not until you get into the 12 core that you are screaming powerful but by the time you drop in the better GPU, upgrade to the fastest clock speed and take it up to 32 gigs of ram (not apple's ram but a place like OWC) then its beastly but...oops! in the mid 6k.

like i said the iMac is pretty sweet for the money.

OTOH, if you plan to get away from FCP6/7 or FCPX an go to something like adobe premiere then an nVideo (cuda) card will take you places you never thought imaginable. thats the drawback for an iMac with ATI vs nVidia graphics.

really check out barefeats.com

by the way and not to knock larry above me but those Powermax used mac prices are insanely high! ouch. ebay has better potential for used macpros i think.

david
 
I'm editing hddslr footage with no problems on a 2 1/2 year old 24" iMac. The final project renders take a while but it's not outrageous. You will not need a MacPro to do what you're talking about.
 
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