XF100, XA10, or NX5U for potential broadcast usage?

T

thoomp

Member
XF100, XA10, or NX5U for potential broadcast usage?
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Hi Gang,

Here's the scoop.

1) What I'm doing:

Basically, I'm putting together a TV show pilot, where I'll be traveling around the country with a skeleton crew of freelancers/interns and doing a bunch of interviews...and will be shopping out my show to networks after getting the first few episodes and sizzle reel footage in the can for Season 1...instead of waiting for it to be commissioned in advance and picked-up. (Yes... I recognize that this may be a foolish way to go about doing this, but I'm following my dream and the adventure will be a blast regardless. I have to see this through.) This is my first time at the rodeo, and please chime in if I'm heading for trouble here, as I'm just starting my tiny in-house production company that will be dedicated solely for filming this particular program.


2) The siren call of the HDSLR world:

Anyhow, I will also admit that I got very into the whole HDSLR thing for the past 18 months, and plunked lots of money down on a used 5D and a refurbished 60D...and spent a lot more on wonderful used lenses, HDSLR rig equipment, good lighting, good sound, and so forth. Nothing has been a waste so far, as the HDSLR photography has been mind-blowing in the least bit -- and the resale value of much of it is still the same if things are a bust.

If I was putting together a narrative driven film, I'd be all set. However, this is television, with a lot of running around in addition to the interviews. I know that the standards of many networks are a minimum of a 4:2:2 color space. Additionally, the rolling shutter and lack of auto-focus with the 4:2:0 HDSLR cams aren't acceptable with fast footage (such as outdoors, or from a moving vehicle). I'm coming to realize that I'd really benefit from a good "A" cam to use in conjunction with the HDSLR stuff I've got, and I'm worried that no network will take my project seriously unless reasonable equipment is used.


3) ...which leads me to the subject of this post:


That being said...do I go with:

- a used XA10 (4:2:0), maybe around $1600?
- a used Sony NX5U (4:2:0; 4:2:2 HD-SDI out but would require an astronomically expensive recorder) about $3K.
- I could just go buy a new XF100 (4:2:2) for $3K.

Any thoughts out there on if I should just get a XF100 and be done with it? Given that I'll be on the road a lot, renting doesn't seem worth it. If the show is a bust, I'd rather just resell any cam to recoup as much money as I can. The XF100 is the same price as the NX5U, and has one chip instead of three... but has the 4:2:2 color space that higher-end networks want to see. Plus, the NXCAM has been out for 2 years now.

Or, am I better off just spending about half and get the used XA10, and worrying about upgrading if a network picks up my show? Obviously, a XA10 would be a LOT easier on my budget.
Or, maybe I'm better off spending about double and capturing 4:2:2 from the very start?

***********************

Again, I've learned so much from the online forums here for the past two years, and I'm finally making my "in-house" production team and show a reality. I'm just at the point that I'm recognizing that my HDSLR workflow will look great (heck..."Portlandia" was filmed using the 5D and it looks amazing...but it's narrative and not docu/reality-style) but I don't want to cut off my options as to what networks might pick up my show if it's not recorded correctly in the first place.

Any thoughts on any of this, please let me know. I'm here to learn, not a film-school grad, and have big dreams (and a limited budget like everyone else.) If I go over $3K on the camera, I'm pushing my luck with paying for the rest of the production as a travel-based show is obviously expensive.

Many thanks in advance!

- Seth
 
Honestly, any of them could be a decent choice, and have found a place within broadcast workflows somewhere out there. But if your ultimate goal is broadcast, I'd edge towards the XF100 or NX5U. Of course, there is also the option of recording the HDMI output of the XA10, as well, via something like the Atomos Ninja. Then you have the option of ultra-long record times with on-cam codec, or broadcast quality compression via the external recorder. That being said, what you're really going to need to is to try out each camera and see which one feels right. If you're going to be spending months with a camera and shooting a lot, get the one that ergonomically fits your style of shooting. That way you don't feel like you're constantly fighting with your tool, and instead, it just gets out of the way and lets you get your shot.
 
xf100 would be a good cam. you only have to worry on low light situations.
if youre getting the nx5, might as well get the ac160 or ac130 by panasonic which is much bang for the buck
 
Get the XF100. It had robust built in codec and is discrete. Quite a power house packed in that little body. Then, keep your 60D for the lowlight that Dcloud is so worried about. (It actually isn't all bad in low light situations). The other cameras with and external recorder will cost you more than just the XF100 alone. Why worry about more devices, batteries, and potential problems when you can just have a self contained unit. I have the XF105 and love it to death!
 
Thanks, guys. I think I've pretty much made up my mind on the XF100. I think that the NX5U (4:2:0) would be way too costly, even used at $3K to do 4:2:2 out... when I could just do a brand new XF100 at $3K without the hassle. Also, I'll keep the DSLR stuff for the shallow DOF shots and the low-light when needed.

Any thoughts on matching the XF100 to the Canon HDSLR?

Thank you again! :)
 
I have used both XF100 and NX5U extensively combined with HDSLRs(Canon). XF100 is a better camera both in design & the image it produces.

Any thoughts on matching the XF100 to the Canon HDSLR?
Click to expand...

It is very easy to match the XF100 and 5D mark II; in fact amount of image control settings in a small camera like XF100 is unbelievable. Even out of the box just by matching the white balance between the two camera you'll get almost identical skin colours.
I do not recommend using ND filters on XF100, image softens big time. Although it is good upto 6db gain in low light(12db is acceptable if you are not picky) XF100 shines when you have proper lighting.
 
Wondering if anyone knows of a good thread that talks about low light and things like the db gain that is mentioned in this thread? Would be super helpful and appreciated. Thanks.
 
The XF is a great little came. I did a write-up that Canon is using on it's reviews segment on their site. The 105 is a great choice since it adds SDI and gunlock. You could go to an external recorder then when needing an even better, less-lossy CODEC.
Shameless plug (hope I'm not defiling the rules), but I have an extra 105 for sale on the classifieds here for the same price as the XF100. Very low usage for a single project
 
i have a xf100 almost brand new that i am selling along with 2 hoya filters and the BP-975 battery pack ($300) alone, and also a sandisk 60mb/s extreme 32gb card. if you havent bought your xf100 i can save you some money and you could get a bunch of accesories!
 
The XF codec - 50mb, 4-2-2 color MXF file - which is used on the XF100 & 105, XF 300 & 305, and the EOS C300 is a broadcast codec approved by the BBC & Discovery.....and much better for green screen than the others.

Jim Martin
Filmtools.com
 
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