Need advice on buying two cameras

K

Ken1212

Well-known member
I mostly shoot events, such as wedding and seminars and would like to get into corporate videos. I would like to also use the camera(s) with chroma key and live streaming. I am looking at purchasing two cameras. My budget is about $8-12k.


First question is panasonic the ideal production solution for my needs?
Second which of the following I should go with and why:

1. AG-HMC80: I like the inputs it has including HDMI, records on SDHC, shoulder mount
2. AG-HMC40: SDHC card
3. AG-HVX200A: I like that it can record both P2 and tape
4. AG-HPX170: I like that it has SDI
5. AG-HPX370: I like that it's a full size camera, good picture and $2000 current rebate. Pluse two year financing, B&H has a kit with 32gb P2 card and a case for $9200 ($7200 after rebate)
6. Sony HXR-NX5U : SDI, HDMI, SDHC

Which two should I go with to:
1. shoot weddings and events
2. shoot corporate video
3. shoot chroma key
4. live streaming (don't plan on buying expensive gear such as tricaster, just software based and a laptop)

Thanks for your input
:cheesy:Ken

I am listing this thread also under the hpx300.
 
I haven't done weddings, but I've done a ton of events and corporate work. I'd say the #1 on your list out of all those you've mentioned, is the HPX370. Unless you really, really want to go handheld, the HPX370 is ideal for a lot of what you've said, especially in that it records AVC-Intra at 4:2:2 for keying, and it has SDI, and it has the rebate, and it can do live streaming through firewire when you put it in DVCPRO-HD mode, and it's got a slot for wireless receivers if you're going to be doing a lot of wireless work, and it can take four audio inputs, and it can genlock and sync TC for if/when you need to do multi-camera events.

Now, are you looking at getting two of the same camera? Or two different cameras to serve two different purposes? Because if you want two of the same for matching/etc., the 370 is gonna fall outside your budget range, especially when you start adding in some P2 card costs. So you could get one 370, and one of anything else on your list, and still fall within your budget range.

The question is, how different do you want the two cameras to be? The HPX170 is an ideal companion to the HPX370, it's a small handheld portable unit, its batteries last for hours, it uses the same P2 workflow, it has SDI, it has firewire streaming and variable frame rates, it makes a good companion. It's different in that it's CCD instead of CMOS, so if you are shooting red carpet events or press conferences or anywhere where a lot of flash photography is going to be encountered, the CCD is immune to flash-banding. The HPX370 has a feature for compensating for flash-banding, but it's not quite the same as having real CCDs. NBC News picked the HPX300/370 and the HPX170 as their combination for their news shooters.

However, the 170 doesn't really give you a lot of variety. Other than smaller size and CCD, it's pretty much the same as the HPX370 in terms of look, recording time, etc. The HMCs, on the other hand, are SDHC recorders and they would give you a veritable TON of recording time, for cheap. You can record 12 continuous hours of HD footage on them (although in their lowest-quality mode!) but still, hey, if you need that, you can do it. All without ever swapping a card. In the highest-quality mode you can get three hours, which is still fantastic, and the cards are pretty reasonably priced. However, it's 4:2:0 so not ideal for keying, and you can't stream that HD. On the HMC80 you can stream DV, so if you only need standard-def, it could offer it.

Between the 40 and the 80, I think the 80's got a lot to recommend it if its size works for you. It's shoulder-mount, and it has more physical controls. The HMC40 is tiny, and relegates a lot of its controllability to its touch screen. It works well and I like my HMC40 a lot, I think it's an amazing value and a great little camcorder, but I had an HMC80 for a while I was working on the book for it, and I really missed it when I had to return it. Even though the imagery is the same, I just liked working with it more. But -- it's big, and the HMC40 is tiny, and if you're going with an HPX370 then you already have a big camera, so maybe the HMC40 makes more sense to be paired with a 370. And it's substantially less expensive (although buying the XLR adapter does close the price gap some). The problem with the HMC40/80 for events/weddings is that they're not very sensitive. They're about 50 ISO, whereas the HPX170/HVX200A/HPX370 are all about 500 ISO, so they're much more sensitive. HMC40 is absolutely brilliant in daylight, but indoors at a reception, it struggles.
 
i occasionally shoot a live music show that uses my hpx170 as main cam and whatever we can find as b-cam. a couple of times somebody brought out an hmc80. that hmc80 was a complete mystery to me. it looks and feels like a vhs camera from the early 1990's the footage looks like monkey dung in low light. laid on the timeline next to hpx170 footage it kinda looked like an old vhs camera as well. we have to intentionally grunge it up to make it look intentionally bad.
 
Turning up the gain sucks all the goodness out of the image. Try it in daylight and you'll be shocked at just how good it is. It's incredibly sharp, clean, crisp, and clear. But indoors in low light, no -- not at all. At 12dB of gain it's not too bad, but by the time you get to 24dB yes, it looks like monkey dung.
 
Barry thanks for your detailed response. I definetly want the option to stream in HD and the ability to do a two camera chromakey shoots? Also I am not sure if there will be a situation when I might need to use the SDI, so do you think the HVX200a is a better choice for me (B and H has it for $3200, the 170 is priced at $3500 no card with either packages) since it would allow me to shoot wedding receptions on HDV compared with the 170. Aslo do you know anything about citidisk tapless solutions, they have a 500gb video drive for about $1400, they also have a compact flash recorder at $550, both suppose to record P2, would this be a better solution with the 170 and 370.
 
The HPX170 is, IMO, a much better camera than the HVX200A. The only reason to go with an HVX200A over an HPX170 is if you really, really need a standard-def DV tape drive. Other than that, the 170 is a lot better.
 
No kidding, I was leaning towards the 200a so I don't have to spend a bunch on P2 cards. But I don't record DV anymore.
 
I was leaning towards the 200a so I don't have to spend a bunch on P2 cards
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the "price of p2 cards" is an ongoing debate. first off, if you shoot $500 weddings, p2 probably aint for you. end of story

but it comes down to what dollar value you put on convenience and reliability. for the most part. p2 cards simply DO NOT fail.
the few cases you will come across are typically attributable to user error.

my P2 cards ALL paid for themselves in 2, 3 uses in time spent not having to deal with tape.
 
If you don't want to buy P2 cards, do NOT buy a P2 camera. It's just silly to have all the capability of a P2 camera, and then not use it.
 
I don't mind the P2 and will be using the P2 if I buy panasonic, I just will not be able to buy enough cards right away to shoot events, but will definately use P2 with chromakey and shoots that are not live. As far as weddings my prices start at $1000 to $3000. I think that the 170 plus 370 is the ideal combo, but see myself having to consider a camera like the HMC80 or 40 or the 150 with the 370
 
if a significant part of your business is 2-camera events (i.e. long shoots) and you cant afford say a 6-pack of 32gig P2 cards. i say go with the hmc150.
http://vimeo.com/groups/HMC150

or maybe a couple of hpx170s and a pair of big firestore f100s
 
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Barry_Green said:
The HPX170 is, IMO, a much better camera than the HVX200A. The only reason to go with an HVX200A over an HPX170 is if you really, really need a standard-def DV tape drive. Other than that, the 170 is a lot better.
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I dont think the 200 is that bad, but concencios says the 170 is better....the hvx200 is a lot cheaper used though. I haven't found any 170 under 2 g with low hours. You can find 200 for 1800 with low hours. Are you lookign to buy new or used? Most of these cams lose 1 g in value as they get unwrapped so i always buy used.
 
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