Please help me verify my purchases...(HV20, lens, M2, and new computer)

E

Evan Sherlock

Member
Alright, so I plan on getting a HV20 along with a M2 adapter, and a new computer for editing, as well as at least one prime lens for now. Below are all of my specs for everything as well as links to where I am buying the stuff. I just want to make sure I am getting everything I need as well as a fast enough comp to do editing. I plan on editing with Premiere Pro, which I already have a copy of. If you see anything out of place or anything missing, or having suggestions/advice, please (for the love of God) tell me. I am not too knowledgeable on the technical stuff so...and for all I know I might be way off on something.

Canon HV20 - Link - BHPhoto

M2 Adapter (nikon package) - Link - Redrock

M2 Shim Kit - Link - Redrock

Nikon Normal AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D Autofocus Lens - Link - BHPhoto
|>>Question: Do I need any step rings to fit this lens? (Does that make sense?
|>>Could someone recommend me a good zoom lens at BHPhoto?

Now onto the computer specs:

Name and Manufacture: Dell Dimension 9200
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor E6320 (4MB L2 cache,1.86GHz,1066FSB)
Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Basic
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DIMMs
Monitor: 24 inch Dell UltraSharp™ 2407FPW Widescreen Digital Flat Panel
Video Card: 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT-DDR3
Hard Drive: 500GB Performance RAID 0 (2 x 250GB SATA 3Gb/s 7200 RPM HDDs)
Speakers: Dell A525 30 Watt 2.1 Stereo Speakers with Subwoofer
Optional Ports: IEEE 1394 Adapter

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Ok, so obviously my goal is to be able to shoot footage with my HV20+M2 with a 50mm lens (and a zoom when I get it, any recommendations at BHPhoto?). Take the camera and hook it up to the computer via firewire. Transfer the footage, and edit on the computer above in (hopefully) realtime. Now, like I said above, I am not very techinal at all, so I may be wayy off on something.

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Oh, I forgot about audio. I am looking for two lav mics at BHPhoto (any recommendations), but since the HV20 doesn't have any XLR inputs, how exactly do I go about this?
 
O.k so you are 80% of the way there.
You will definitely need the following: 3 harddrives instead of 2 so that you have 2 drives set up as RAID 0 scratch/capture drives and 1 drive as your main system drive (where you keep programs and so on). Also depending on the redrock package you bought you should get 2 step-up rings that go from 43mm to 52mm and 52mm to 72mm. I believe that the redrock doesn't include these step rings but I could be wrong. You only need step rings for your lens if you plan on using 'cokin style' filters/polarizers etc.
You will most likely want a follow focus if you are using the 35mm adapter and probably (I find it essential) a 7 inch monitor to focus with. The small lcd on the HV20 is not good enough when using a 35mm adapter.
O.k so you might also want to get a Black magic Intensity card so that you can monitor to a HD t.v and also capture through the HDMI output (4:2:2 if you are capturing live). You will eventually want to monitor to a seperate display as you are using a 35mm adapter.
Umm as for XLR adapters there are several on the market but it depends if you want phantom power or not - if your mic is not powered by itself then you'll need it. I would get a seperate recorder to be honest - something like the zoom H4 or H2.
You can forget the things that are not essential until you realize that they are actually essential. You'll also need a very good tripod and some kind of support rig if you are moving the camera alot i.e spiderbrace or figrig etc.
Hope this helps.
 
Great reply, logic. Thanks! Couple of questions though.

I'm looking into everything you said and it all makes sense. Im not too interested in the Blackmagic card right now, but maybe in the future.

However Im not sure about having 3 drives for my HDD setup. Since I am building my setup directly through Dell, they do not have an option for 3 drives. So I am not sure how I would go about adding a 3rd drive. I guessing that the drive with Windows Vista and programs does not have to be nearly as big as the 2 raid ones, just big enough to have store all of my software? Could I possibly get a 2xFirewire 800 card and then use one port for transferring footage from my camera and the other port for an external hard drive with Windows Vista and all of my programs on? Or am I over complicating things?

I don't plan on getting a follow-focus now, but maybe later down the road. As far as monitors go, it seems the general consensus is that Marshall monitors are the way to go. What monitor do you recommended with the HV20 (whether its Marshall or not)? Does it have to be HD or could I get the job done with a 480p monitor?

I was looking into the Zoom H4 previously, the only complaint people seemed to have was that it did not sync up with video that well. So I am not sure if I should get it and take my chances or I suppose syncing it up in Premiere Pro wouldn't be too hard.

And I cant believe I forgot to add a tripod to the list. :)

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Ok about the hard drive issue. Could I just buy another, smaller, hard drive, and pop open the desktop case and install it that way. Not sure about the Dells, limitations though.
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Ok, well apparently the 9200 supports only two hard drives. Bummer. Atleast thats what it says on Dells site.
 
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You mentioned the Fig Rig, if you get that you must also consider the SiniVision Quick-Base

QuickBaseUniversal08.jpg


See more of it at http://www.sinivision.com
 
Jsinicropi - never seen that rig before but it looks great!
Evan - If you capture your hdv from your camera via a firewire connection then really it's not essential to have a RAID 0 setup except that it's much faster if you do. I would say just go for one harddrive now and then add 2 harddrives later for your RAID 0. You should get a SATA 2 drive and then adding 2 more is very very easy. Make sure your motherboard has a pci-express slot (should have) so you can add a capture card later if you need to.
The Marshall monitor is great and there are new monitors coming out that seem to be o.k - these monitors uprez the signal but actually have 800x400 pixels I think - when working with a 35mm adapter focus is a really important issue and that's why in order to see the focus you need a HD quality monitor. BUT I think really you have everything you need to make a great start and you'll know later yourself what you really need or not. I'm just talking about what I feel I need and tend to spend money on quality items that I know will last me 3 or more years. I expect to upgrade my camera within 18 months but LCD display and adapter after 3 years or more.
The Zoom H2 seems pretty good but at this stage unless you have a definite plan to film a particular subject that relies on good dialogue etc I would just leave the sound issue for now.
Enjoy your gear and become expert with it. I'm still very much in the learning phase myself and excited by the possibilities this equipment provides.
Best wishes...
 
Hey - if it's possible DON'T get Vista on the computer, go with XP instead. Vista takes way too much RAM and processing power away from other programs. If this is just an editing box you don't need the prettiness of Vista. XP will work better.

I state this only from what I've heard others say. Anyone with direct experience wanna support or nix this idea?
 
skinnyboy said:
Hey - if it's possible DON'T get Vista on the computer, go with XP instead. Vista takes way too much RAM and processing power away from other programs. If this is just an editing box you don't need the prettiness of Vista. XP will work better.

I state this only from what I've heard others say. Anyone with direct experience wanna support or nix this idea?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I'll probably just go with Xp anyway because of more compatibility.
 
Also BTW if you are going with the Adobe CS3 bundle I would get the bundle that includes photoshop cs3 extended.
 
logic108 said:
Also BTW if you are going with the Adobe CS3 bundle I would get the bundle that includes photoshop cs3 extended.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip.

I'm still not sure though about the hard drive setup, I mean, will a 500gig 7200rpm hard drive be fast enough to edit 1080p? I most likely wont be doing much effects/transitions work, mainly just cutting footage.
 
You mean 1080i right? Well I think you will get dropouts. So ideally to edit 1080i you would need 4GB Ram and a Raid 0 harddisk array. Although having the occasional dropped frame might not really be a problem.
I have a Mac Pro with a RAID 0 disk array and sometimes get dropped frames because I only have 2GB RAM. I also have a BM card.
Umm I think don't worry too much about it - you'll find out what works or doesn't when you get setup for the first time.
 
my 2 cents....

the first thing you need to work out is what sort of stuff are you going to make with this setup...

my assumption - you are getting the HV20 because you are poor but want the best looking footage you can get and can see the potential of the HV20... same as me :D

question 1. are you planning to shoot ANYTHING at night/inside?

if the answer is yes.... then reconsider the M2.
I have the HV20 and a Letus35. it loses 1.5 stops of light. it is ALMOST useless inside with ALL the lights on(even during the day) the m2 loses about 3 stops of light or something.... so if you can afford the m2 (3 stops of light loss) then you can afford the Brevis35 (0.6 stops of light loss!!!!!)

http://cinevate.com/ - Brevis website
there is some awesome footage with the HV20 and brevis combo in there forums.

2. your computer... what computer do you currently own?

do you really need a new one? - think long and hard about this one...

i edit my HV20 HDV footage on -

Processor: single core 1.2ghz - i'm using a g4 mac but the equivalent is a pentiem 4 (2-4 years old)
Memory: 768MB
Monitor: 12 inch LCD
Video Card: 32mb AGP
Hard Drive: 30gb internal + 250gb external firewire400
Speakers: awesome 2x75w pioneer ones with a nice pioneer amp - i'm an audiophile :D

you don't need THAT good a computer to run HD...
i assume that your poor like me - as said before - so you'd rather have better looking footage than a better computer... invest the extra money in other stuff.


3. external monitors....

as said MANY times.. I have the HV20... you don't need an external monitor. you can get surprisingly good focus on the HV20's lcd. the only hassle is the flipped image from the 35mm adapter... you can mod your hv20 and flip the lcd but you'll void your warranty. if you think working with a flipped LCD is too much hassle then you can get a nice CHEAP potable dvd player and use that - around $150 - there is a nice white LG one you can flip the screen on. i'm getting that one :)


3. lenses....

DONT GET A ZOOM!!!!
they lose too much light - you need all the light you can get!!!

instead get at least 3 prime lenses

one wide - anything from 18mm to 35mm will do
one 50mm
and one closeup - anything from 75mm to 150mm


that's about it for now.
 
jenningsp said:
my 2 cents....

the first thing you need to work out is what sort of stuff are you going to make with this setup...

my assumption - you are getting the HV20 because you are poor but want the best looking footage you can get and can see the potential of the HV20... same as me :D

question 1. are you planning to shoot ANYTHING at night/inside?

if the answer is yes.... then reconsider the M2.
I have the HV20 and a Letus35. it loses 1.5 stops of light. it is ALMOST useless inside with ALL the lights on(even during the day) the m2 loses about 3 stops of light or something.... so if you can afford the m2 (3 stops of light loss) then you can afford the Brevis35 (0.6 stops of light loss!!!!!)

http://cinevate.com/ - Brevis website
there is some awesome footage with the HV20 and brevis combo in there forums.

2. your computer... what computer do you currently own?

do you really need a new one? - think long and hard about this one...

i edit my HV20 HDV footage on -

Processor: single core 1.2ghz - i'm using a g4 mac but the equivalent is a pentiem 4 (2-4 years old)
Memory: 768MB
Monitor: 12 inch LCD
Video Card: 32mb AGP
Hard Drive: 30gb internal + 250gb external firewire400
Speakers: awesome 2x75w pioneer ones with a nice pioneer amp - i'm an audiophile :D

you don't need THAT good a computer to run HD...
i assume that your poor like me - as said before - so you'd rather have better looking footage than a better computer... invest the extra money in other stuff.


3. external monitors....

as said MANY times.. I have the HV20... you don't need an external monitor. you can get surprisingly good focus on the HV20's lcd. the only hassle is the flipped image from the 35mm adapter... you can mod your hv20 and flip the lcd but you'll void your warranty. if you think working with a flipped LCD is too much hassle then you can get a nice CHEAP potable dvd player and use that - around $150 - there is a nice white LG one you can flip the screen on. i'm getting that one :)


3. lenses....

DONT GET A ZOOM!!!!
they lose too much light - you need all the light you can get!!!

instead get at least 3 prime lenses

one wide - anything from 18mm to 35mm will do
one 50mm
and one closeup - anything from 75mm to 150mm


that's about it for now.
Click to expand...

Well, I guess I never even though of just editing on my laptop. The specs are below:


Dell Inspiron 1501 running Vista Business
AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-50 1.60 GHz
894MB RAM
ATI Radeon Express 1150 128MB

Only thing is it doesnt have a firewire connection, however I could get an expansion card if you thought these specs were good enough to edit with. Could I pull off real-time with this? I think I might like some room to grow into for future purchases.

After looking at the Brevis and some footage of it with the HV20, maybe that is my best bet. Im gonna look into it more, though.

What are the output options with the HV20, component?

Oh and I'm not poor...I'm just not rich at the moment.:cheesy:
 
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don't buy a computer without a firewire connection. Can you even buy them without one these days?

My opinion,,,just buy the camera first. Try it out. It will edit on imovie or something simple like windows movie maker. People are making some good video with a wide angle adapters

You might get the HV20 and you won't like it,,,then you have all that other stuff. 3 hard drives?

Keep it simple to start off then add as you see what you need or want.

and IMHO I would just move up to a better camera before I spent $1200 on stuff like the M2.
 
you need a super computer to edit HDV in real-time.... what a lot of people are doing is.... importing in HDV, doing a cut of the footage, copy that into a DVCpro HD timeline, and doing all the effects like colour grading in DVCproHD.

that seems to be the quickest and easiest way to work with HDV.

in HDV 1080... one minute of colourgraded footage takes about 20min to render on my computer
in DVCproHD 1080... one minute takes about 5min - on your laptop it should be almost twice as fast.

windows eats up a lot of RAM. so you MIGHT have to upgrade your RAM (or get XP instead of Vista..) as well as get the firewire thingy. but the rest of the specs are good to go!!

the output options with the HV20 are component, composite, HDMI and firewire

the brevis is the best adapter you can buy in my opinion... i would have bought it but i'm poor :(
 
THX 4 the info jenningsp, someone just offered to buy me the HV20 and a mini35 setup so I'm here tryingta' see whatz up...a partner in a venture actually bought one months ago at B&H when they first came out, but he's all over the map looking 4 deals so I've yet to touch the dang thing. He's not a shooter, the money was just burning a hole in his pocket when he stopped by the store. They upped him into that stupid $1,700 kit. I told him "dude, ya could've got me a camera too rather than all that crap!!!" I think he was too embarrassed to return the garbage. I'm still fuming over that one. But good info my dude, definitely a nice primer. I too was curious if my 15" G4 could handle it, I've done tons of HVX footage no prob, but wasn't sure 'bout hdv.
 
Why the M2 over the Brevis. If you haven't looked at the Brevis, you should take a look. The brevis IMO, after researching the low cost 35MM adapters is the best overall one.

Web site for the Brevis .... http://cinevate.com/

Pappas
 
Add Cineform to this mix: AspectHD, for realtime dual-stream HDV editing in Premiere.

Also agree on Vista, the most useless MS release ever. Adds nothing, takes away resources.
 
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