my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » Film-Yak   » Which 3 CCD camera is better? (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Which 3 CCD camera is better? Shane Hoffmann Film Handler Posts: 68 From: Fond du Lac, WI, USA Registered: Feb 2003 posted 04-01-2004 07:50 PM                     I've been researching lately, and I'm trying to make my decision. I don't want to spend more than $3000 at the very most. I have pretty much narrowed it down to the Panasonic AG-DVX100 or the Canon GL2. Has anybody worked with either? I would like to make Indie Movies with it, so I've been leaning towards the Panasonic with the 24p and CineSwitch features. Hopefully I don't get lynched for trying to make video look like film. I will also be using it for side projects (If I can get them). I will be doing a friend's brother's wedding this June, so I want to take projects like that into consideration. Also, I am assuming that I will need to upgrade to FCP 4 to edit in 24 fps. Am I wrong? Any other cameras that I should be looking at? Does anybody have experience recording events like weddings? Any suggestions regarding that would be appreciated. Thanks for the Help!  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 04-01-2004 08:40 PM                        Try some of the Creative Planet Community filmmaker user groups: http://www.uemforums.com/2pop/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?Cat=&C=12 And consider moving up to film: http://www.kodak.com/go/student http://www.kodak.com/go/16mm  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 04-01-2004 09:01 PM                  Actually Panasonic is bringing out this month some REALLY hot 3-chip HD cameras for very low $$$. Check out their website. >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 04-01-2004 10:36 PM                        The DVX is better than the GL2 but it still looks like video, even at 24p, unless you do some major color tweaking. Don't move up to film. John P doesn't really need his job. You can edit 24p in any video editor since it records jitter frames. But to capture and edit in true 24p you will need Final Cut Pro 4. This way it remains in 24p the entire time without any generation loss. Final Cut Pro is the only app that I feel comfortable messing with the colors in. Adobe Premiere is horrible, iMovie is a joke, but After Effects isn't too bad. Just not as nice as FCP4's color corrector. Be sure to get the newer version of the DVX100. I don't remember how you can tell the difference on the model number, but there is a difference. The old-school DVX can only shoot in 4:3 mode. The new one can at least has stretch-to-anamorphic. You can also get a true anamorphic fully zoom through lens for the DVX. Avoid the .7x (or was it .6x?) wide angle lens adaptor unless you want to clean the lens every four seconds. You can see every speck of dust on that thing and you can't zoom with it, plus has evil barrel distortion.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 04-01-2004 11:12 PM                     I looked at the Canon GL-2 when it first came out nearly two years ago. It has some decent features, possibly the best being the 20X Florite lens. However there are a few big drawbacks. One of the most annoying design flaws with the GL-2 is its XLR style connector for hard wiring sound. You have to remove the top mic to reveal the connector and plug in the cable there! Ugh! Total crap. At least with the Panasonic DVX-100 the XLR connector is where it is supposed to be: near the back of the camera just like on many full sized professional video cameras. At the $3000 level, you're probably best off with the DVX-100. The only other model out there I might consider buying near that price range is a unit from Sony (I forget the model number) which shoots DVC-PRO format. It can shoot in native 16:9 mode. But no 24P. I'm personally a little gunshy about buying a camera that does DVC-PRO (or DVCAM) even if it costs under $5000. Not all "affordable" computer-based video editing software will handle those pro formats. But Final Cut Pro might do it.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 04-02-2004 12:02 AM                        Final Cut Pro can handle both the standard 25mbps DV and the DVC-Pro 50mbps formats. And HD!  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 04-02-2004 01:01 AM                       quote: One of the most annoying design flaws with the GL-2 is its XLR style connector And it won't do 1080p, either.  |  IP: Logged Kevin Baglow Expert Film Handler Posts: 135 From: Yeppoon Qld, Australia Registered: Dec 2000 posted 04-02-2004 08:06 AM                        I just saw a 3 chip camcorder announced in a Thai Newspaper made by Matsushita Electric: mode lNVGS200K. To sell for about USD1100 I couldn't find anything on the web, but believe the producing company may sell the unit through a different brand name.  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 04-02-2004 08:22 AM                     Kevin, it is probably Panasonic in North America and National in some other regions...same company. NAB trade show in Las Vegas will be in a couple of weeks and there should be some new, less expensive toys displayed.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-02-2004 08:41 AM                        Don't forget to budget for lighting equipment and good-quality microphones and other sound gear. This can all be purchased or rented as needed. Lighting and sound are tremendously important and are often overlooked by low-budget video makers. This stuff isn't cheap, and neither is a decent tripod (figure on upwards of $1k ). The good news is that all of this equipment can be rented and, if you want to purchase top-quality stuff, should be pretty much a lifetime investment (unlike the camera). Also, for serious production work, you'll need test equipment (most importantly, a waveform monitor and vectorscope), which isn't cheap, either. This can be rented, too. Check out Ebay and your local rental houses before buying anything new, and decide carefully what you will use often enough to actually purchase. If you know anyone at your local cable-access station, you might be able to use some of their stuff, depending on their policies.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 04-02-2004 08:47 AM                        quote: If you know anyone at your local cable-access station, you might be able to use some of their stuff, depending on their policies. Volunteering to work at your local community cable-access channel is a good way to "learn the ropes" and have access to the equipment: http://www.penfield.org/community/ctv/index.php quote: Penfield Community Television operates channels 12 and 15 for the Town of Penfield. Any resident can use the available equipment at no charge and receive training on the operations of remote and studio television equipment. PCTV also accepts programming of general interest to the residents of Penfield.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 04-02-2004 09:48 AM                     quote: I just saw a 3 chip camcorder announced in a Thai Newspaper made by Matsushita Electric: mode lNVGS200K. To sell for about USD1100 That camera is probably not much different than the camcorder I'm holding in my member photo: a little Panasonic PV-GS70. It's the first 3CCD MiniDV camera priced under $1,000. It's a decent little camera, and the image quality (particularly color quality) certainly makes it worth the price. Another thing I like about the camera is it can focus on objects extremely close to the camera. I can butt the lens up to a printed sheet of paper and it will focus perfectly on the type. Not quite like true macro function, but kinda cool anyway. The camera has its own drawbacks though. The CCDs in the camera are not very big (380,000 pixel if I remember correctly) and do not do well under low light situations. Forget about using this camera for still pictures either. Sure, you can record stuff on a SD card, but still images look like crap thanks to the low resolution CCDs. I have a 3.1 megapixel Kodak camera for real digital still camera work. Sometimes video from the PV-GS70 can be a little on the soft side. The camera has some auto sharpening stuff to compensate. Another thing I don't like is the Electronic Image Stabilization system. Optical Image Stabilization is far better than any EIS system. You have to pay $500 more for a 3CCD Panasonic camera with optical image stabilization (the PV-GS953). The EIS deal can really be a problem when it comes to the camera's auto-sharpening system. Ringing and other halo type effects typical of auto-sharpening can mar video quality. I would not recommend doing a lot of hand held stuff with this camera, at least not if you're doing stuff for any professional use. As long as you have a tripod and good lighting, you'll get good looking video from the GS70.  |  IP: Logged Ron Yost Master Film Handler Posts: 344 From: Paso Robles, CA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 04-02-2004 11:59 AM                     Why buy one at all, unless you're rolling in dough? Rent the latest-and-greatest when you need it. So-called prosumer video stuff 'improves' too often to justify the investment, IMHO. Ron Yost .. definitely 'old-school'.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 04-02-2004 12:08 PM                       I want 1080p, dammit!  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-02-2004 01:09 PM                        Tim -- if you really want to downgrade from 35mm to HD, you can rent the HD stuff here when you're in the Boston area next. You don't want to look at the prices. Shooting HD vs. 35mm really doesn't save any money unless you have a really high shooting ratio. On the other hand, the HDCAM equipment is lighter in weight than most 16mm sync cameras.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.