sdx/varicam info

Rich Lee

Rich Lee

I shoot Pirates.
got some q's...not sure where to put this thread...

if my final product will be standard def...is there any benifit in using the varicam over the sdx? other then being able to say "we shot that on HD"?

theres definitly no need for me to edit in hd, so i would have to down convert varicam footage to SD. from what i have read, that also would require some specific hardware to even capture varicam footage? yes?

i guess the real question is...once varicam footage is down converted to SD...is there any difference in quality compared to sdx footage?
 
It's kind of tough comparing a $70 thousand dollar camera to a $20 thousand. I'm sure there's a difference. I'm been looking to shoot on a SDX900 but when I heard about the new Panny HDX, I'm going to put that on a hold. Look, you're getting an HD 1080i 24p for less than $10k. The point is that you should wait till this camera comes out. My freakin credit card is waiting.
 
i cant use the new cam. im writing a treatment for a video that would shoot in 2 weeks. im trying to see how i could keep the cost down by not shooting on film. there is no way i could convince them to let me shoot on a dvx...nore would i want to, there is some green screen work to do. i also want the clean dof that comes with a 2/3 chip. id love to shoot it on film...but what i want to do will already push the budget to its limits....so id rather not spend the money on film/processing.

i guess im just weighing my options now...know'wut'i'mean? one part of me just says shoot it on film and deal with it, cuase it would be ****ing rad to shoot on film.

anywho...

edit: just to clarify. im not looking to buy these cams, we would rent them. we would probably be spending less then 2k to rent either of these cameras...so thats no biggie...its the post processing and ease of use and quality comparision of the final product im trying to sort out.
 
The SDX900 is a great camera and since it came out after the Varicam it has some updated features the designers came up with after the Varicam was introduced. One of those nifty features is the way you adjust white balance on the 900. It's better than the Varicam as that camera only gives you three WB presets: a tungsten, a daylight, and something in-between at like 4300 kelvin or therabouts. The SDX-900 has a scroll wheel that allows you to dial in anything between across a wide range of white balances and that makes it a simple matter to adjust camera colorimetry to what your eye sees without a terrible amount of D.I.T. work on set. It's pretty cool, really.

The Varicam uses a slightly higher compression ratio (6.7:1) but also does captures variable framerates up to 60 frames per second. The 900 is limited to 30 frames per second. Everyone I know who has used the 900 loves it and while those same people also shoot Varicam, it is universally agreed they are different tools for different jobs. I think you'd be fine with either. If you do go Varicam, all you need to edit is a 1200A deck with firewire and a G5/FinalCutProHD system. hope this helps.

brian wells
 
Do you have any slow motion in your production? Is there a large difference between rental prices?
 
shaw- no slow motion. i think i have been seeing the varicam for around 1500 a day and the sdx for aroun 800. give or take a few hundered bucks. and thats with a lens and some other gear. so the rental price difference isnt huge between them.

i just want to make sure that i dont get myself into trouble shooting on a varicam when it comes to editing. i dont have all the fancy equipment to edit with, and i do not want to edit hd, it would only be for a video, so there is no need. i will be calling around to different editors and post houses to see what they think. i just wanted to get a bit of a head start...but if i can save enough dough i can just get and editor and not deal with these issues...hahaha...

i still need to submit a treatment and shizzle...i will attack this issue harder if i actualy get the project.

peace
 
well, let us know if you do and if you have any other questions.

some very kind people in los angeles have spent time helping me understand the panasonic equipment better and if I can pass any relevant information on, the entire community benefits.

brian wells
 
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