Sell the HMC for a second dslr? or shoot with dlsr AND the hmc?

G

GRIMWORX

Well-known member
Hey guys!

So its THAT question again really, but with a twist I cant find the answer to.

I used to shoot all my music videos with the HMC. Long story short I picked up a 550d to see how I liekd the whole DSLR vibe, and fell in love. Ive recently expanded the business a little and have used a second shooter (complete with his own 550D) to dual shoot on my last couple of projects. This really speeds things up, and allows the vibe on the day to stay posi and generally makes the whole situation more pleasant.

My problem is I would like to own a second camera myself, and not have to rely on someone elses equipment. The HMC will HAVE be sold in order to fund this second camera (and lens, hopefully a second hand 24-70 L) and this leaves me at a bit of a tough situation.

Many people seem to be able to use the 150 with dslrs, and get great results. I however have always had a real problem matching the footage. Matching the white balance and the the way the cameras interpret colours seems to be pretty tough going.

My heart tells me to pick up a 60D and new lens, and make great use of its variable screen and audio monitoring. Seeing as thats really the only thing my panny gets used for these days (long shot, audio capturing at live shoots) it seems as tho the 60D would be a pretty good choice. My head tells me that by selling the HMC to funbd a second DSLR im losing out on having a far more flexible camera that MAY (although it seems not now) come in handy.

So do I offload the HMC for a second dslr, or should I stick with having more variety and choice in cameras? Also, is there any good way of getting these cameras to match far more closely? IF there was, I would probably keep it!

Cheers
 
As a production company owner, I couldn't imagine not having a camcorder to shoot for specific jobs. It's an absolute must in my eyes. Dslr's have their strengthes, but so do camcorders. I say keep it for event, or any gig that needs more than 4 gigs of memory, which many do. versatility is key in this biz.
 
Hey

I dont currently shoot ANY corporate style stuff. I wont have the funds at any time soon to afford to buy a HMC or equiv again so thats another worry.

That said, I need 2 cameras for my current projects. SO if the HMC is to stay, I need to figure out a far better way of making it play with the DSLRs. It currently sits in my wardrobe, and if thats all it will continue to do, it may as well be sold for a second DSLR.
 
I use both cameras. If all I were doing was arty, edgey or cinematic stuff... I might drop my HMC. Might. And if you're thinking of selling a 150, now's the time... supply is thin and it will be replaced in a matter of weeks.

It's far better for greenscreen work IMHO, if you ever do such a project (the 160 should be even better). DSLR Audio can't approach what the 150 can do. All the exposure tools, bars, etc. are very useful.

But again, if I had no "regular everyday video" gigs (not my favorite things) I'd keep a 150 or 160 in my tool set, since I do enjoy doing effect-ey stuff from time to time. If you're staying more "organic", think it over.

And... in that artsy scenario... I'd look into adding a "real film" camera, 16, super 16, super 8 - as your client budgets increase to be able to afford film, processing and scanning, that could really give you a competitive edge, with visual style and bragging rights ("my new song was shot on film, man!")

I've got a nice super 8 camera on the way... pretty psyched to start testing with it! I think I could easily shoot a super 8 video for under $1k in hard costs. Just have to find my old Sekonic light meter.
 
I used to have two HMC150s and 1 GH2. I sold ONE of my HMC150s so that I could have another GH2... Honestly, I use the GH2 for almost everything, but there are situations where the HMC150 simply can't be beat. ND filters, no rolling shutter, XLR inputs. Unless you are ready to haul around a bunch more gear to do tasks that used to be simple, its hard to beat the HMC for form factor and practical application.

In short... I use my HMC on my Glidecam and wouldn't dream of putting my GH2 on it! Rolling shutter is my enemy! I always shoot 720p/60fps on the HMC, so that I can get beautiful slow motion any time I want. Whether its a wedding or a concert, this is of great benefit. The GH2 serves as my sharp, depth of field, beautiful impressive footage shooter. That means its on a tripod almost all of the time, doesn't have servo-zoom, so forth...

Big suggestion: Borrow or rent two DSLRs that you like and go do a shoot. See how it works for you, how long you have to adapt your technique to get things up and running.

HMC150 + wireless audio = done
DSLR + field recorder + wireless audio = halfway there. Now add the fact that there is no servo zoom, ND filters, slower autofocus, slower lenses (the HMC is LIGHTNING compared to most zoom lenses.. unless you go 20mm fixed focal), form factor, so forth...

For me, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my GH2s, and the image they produce is stunning compared to my HMC, BUT I don't use them all the time. For lots of gigs the HMC is absolutely the best choice. Put a shotgun mic on it, fresh battery, cards in my pocket and I can go all day. With the GH2 I can't just run around and do interviews, I have to set them up! Today I did just that... I went to a festival and followed a lady around as she asked people questions. With the HMC I just gave her a lav, mounted the audio receiver in the shoe, and had a shotgun mic on the cam. BAM. Done. If I had done that with my DSLR I would have had to carry a field recorder along with the receiver and somehow had a rig for my shotgun mic to go along with my cam. Or I could buy a little Rhode video mic or something I guess. None of it would be a professional solution. Even with something like a Halo rig, you have to add an incredible amount of equipment to a DSLR to make it a run-n-gun solution...

My long-winded two cents from experience! :cheesy:
 
carter12 said:
Great minds think alike ... You're terrific ...
swg credits,
Click to expand...

Game on brother! Btw, is your day job selling gold? (swg credits.. link in your sig)

I have never shot on film, ever. If a client asked for it I'm sure I would hustle to get something, but I can't even begin to imagine the hassle of capturing the footage properly! I LOVE working in a tapeless environment.
 
In the exact same boat. I had an Canon XHA1 and a T2i. Sold the XHA1 and got a HMC80. Returned the HMC80 and got the HMC150. Now, I'm going to sell the HMC150 to get a Canon 60D and all the things that make it tick to complement my T2i. The work around DSLRs is a big pain, but with proper gear, practice, and talent, the quality/result was WELL WORTH IT! I thought to myself, hey, if I ever need a real camcorder, just go rent one for the day. Why let one sit in the closet and lose value while waiting for that ONE gig, when you can use the DSLR rig that you need NOW.
 
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