Yaaay! new section!

[USLatin]

Hummmm... It seems there will be a lot of people buying the HPX with the "package lenses" and hoping to rent full-on glass for budgeted drama projects...

I think if I had the opportunity to buy into a camera now Id do this:
HPX with package glass, rent glass when worth it, and Ebay two 16GB cards ASAP.

Again Barry, thank you so very much for your answers (or as I think of them: lay-outs).

How would you rate the HVX's lens on when compared to these "package lenses", SD, HD-budget and the 20k and up categories?
I know you would gain mechanic focus and iris, and that you would be looking at completely different specs and all... but in terms of quality... well, the question is still kind'of a gray as could be type of question... but if you care to comment I am sure you know what I am hoping for in the answer...

 

[Barry_Green]

Well, hmmm... not sure how to answer that, since there's no way to actually compare the built-in lens against another lens. Comparing interchangeable lenses is easy because everything else stays the same: same chips, same DSP, same recording format, the only difference is in the glass so if you see a difference, you know you can attribute that difference to the glass.

But with a built-in lens there's no way to separate it out to isolate its effects...

I'm quite impressed with the HVX lens for what it is. True manual zoom, precise manual focus, sharp images and reasonable C.A. performance. But consider that the HVX lens and camera body together cost less than any of the package lenses for the HPX500... and how do you judge?

I've only really got any experience with one of the package lenses, the Canon 7.7 with doubler. It performed decently, it breathes, it has fantastic range, but it was also a preproduction lens on a preproduction body so I don't really want to be held to saying that it's representative of what the production models will be. Fortunately production HPX500s should start hitting the stores very very soon and we'll start getting real-world reports from users as to how the final product really performs.

 

[USLatin]

Thank you for the anwer Barry. Allways learning uber fast from you.

This camera really is a killer product! If you plan to distribute to DVDs and only wonder about projection then this is an amazing deal.

Being that there is allways room for improvement no matter how ridicolously amazing things get, I wonder if there juuust might be a few things in the HVX that will be taken a step further.

It seems this is the way it will come out since it is allready spec'ed in the Pana site, but if there is still any hope for a last minute surprice... then are these even possible yet:

_ full gamut of fps at 1080p
_ 1080pn
_ 24/96 audio

The main thing for me would the the fps being available at 1080 since I really miss the 22, 26 and 60p and I really don't want to shoot 720

1080pn just sounds possible... it actually sounds easier for the hardware to handle than the 60i it does now... so why not?

The 24- bit 96KHz on camera audio would be AWSOME, but I doubt it will be implemented untill it is a super cheap thing that they can just throw in... then again! I just bought a little Tascam US-122 wich converts AND physically bypasses it's internal pre-amps... it is just a chip... so it can't be the hardware that's keeping this out of the cameras... so I guess it might be the bit-rate... is 24/96 too much info to add?


I am feeling so bitter-sweet about this camera... on one side I think that it will rent cheap and that I will be owning a 2/3 camera much sooner than I though, and that is will have all that the amazing HVX ha to offer... BUT on the other end I want to take out a loan for 30k right now!!! hahah.... sooooo tempting!!!!

[HELMET] Once/if/whatever RED comes out then the diference will be that it will have a PL, and that you will be able to grow with it even if you stick to 1080p recording till you can afford the 2k(+) workflow... but why go RED now other than the depreciation factor --which might be a big deal (!?)-- if what you are working towards is DVD release with skimp possiblilities of theatrical... unless you are overly concerned with your festival projections but if you go RED cause of that then you might be able to afford it anydays...

So for people like me and (much!!! ) further up, why not get an HPX since by the time you need RED there will be actual competition in that segment... yes there are most likelt 1001 reasons I mised... but do you guys agree that the HPX IS a deal even when/if/whatever RED comes out...

I understand it is a sore subject for many with the gargantual amount of anticipation speculation and arguments regarding RED... but... do you guys feel the same as I do about the HPX? That there will be a big amount of people who will go HPX even if they could make it a bit into RED territory? [/HELMET]