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$4000 for HD camera, not sure which to get, yet.
Hello, My name’s Dylan and this is the first time I’ve posted to this site. I am a filmmaker and I am looking to spend $4000 on an HD Camera. The features I’m looking for are 720p 24fps & 60 fps , PAL ( 25 & 50 fps ), interchangable lens mount ( PL or Bayonet ), 16:9 LCD, and preferably a wide stock lens.
I am leaning towards the JVC-GYHD200U , but I am unsure if that camera has a 16:9 LCD and I am also unsure how wide the lens is. I still don’t get what 5.5-88mm means in terms of actual field of view. If anyone can explain the 5.5-88mm description in terms of if it’s equivalent to 18mm,28mm,35mm, 50mm etc at 5.5mm I would greatly appreciate it.
I really like the Sony FX-1’s lens ( 28mm ) and 16:9 LCD but I have to buy a camera that shoots progressive and not interlaced.
Thanks in advance for any help and if anyone has other camera suggestions for $4000 let me know, I’m all ears . .
Dylan .
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6 Replies
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I believe the 35mm equivalent focal lengths of the GY-HD200U would be approximately 39.6-633.6mm, if my math is right. If you’re wanting wide angle, that’s not it.
It’s gonna be tough finding another camera in that price range with a removable lens, in fact the JVC is probably about it. The XL-H1 would probably be next closest. Remember, better HD lenses for those cameras are NOT cheap. A lot of people are using the 35mm DOF adapters on fixed-lens cameras with great results… I’ve never messed with them but it may be an option for you.
Do you have any other requirements or preferences toward your camera? HDV tape or solid-state memory recording? You may want to research the RED Scarlet that’s supposedly being released soon; it will be a monster of a budget film-making camera.
Also check out the video DSLRS like the Canon 5D mkII and 7D. They may or may not be what you need, but they’ve got some impressive features for dirt cheap and you’ll be able to get killer wide lenses, since this seems important to you.
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Hey Micah, thanks for the feedback !
What is the math used to figure that ?
I’m going to go with the JVC GY-HM-100 . Any notes on wide angle lens convertor for that camera?
I like the JVC’s 1080p24fps, the 1/4 ” CCD’s ( colors, dynamic range ) , the EXCAM codec, the SDHC cards and the 16:9 lcd.
Thanks again,
Dylan -
The math for the focal length is to multiply the lens’s actual focal length by whatever the crop factor is for the size of the sensor (these can be found on Wikipedia or elsewhere under crop factor.. For a 1/3″ it’s about 7.21).
I played with the HM100U at NAB this year… It seemed like a cool idea but make sure it’ll fit your needs. The SD cards are wonderful and the codec is good as well. The camera is TINY, very light and maybe a bit flimsy. The sensor size is rather small and you’ll need some sort of wide angle adapter hanging on the front of the lens. For filmmaking, I’d probably want to use it with a DOF converter and better 35mm lenses, since the 1/4″ chips give a very wide depth of field. Your mileage may vary.
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Hey, thanks a lot for the multiplication formula. That makes a lot of sense.
I definitely see your point about the camera being tiny, but I figure that can be an advantage and I can always put it on a shoulder mount or tripod if I need something bulkier. I’ll definitely pick up a .7x magnifier. I also am still a little concerned about the signal/noise ratio in low light.
What are you thoughts on the 150?
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As soon as I hear about the RED Scarlet I thought it would be the obvious choice for any minor/no budget filmmaking, but there doesnt seem to be even the smallest inkling of its release date or availibilty… So I guess the real question would be how long are you willing to wait ?
Power Out Production
Chester, UK
http://www.poweroutproductions.com -
Hey Gary, thanks for weighing in! I have to buy the camera this week, as I have a lot of shooting coming up. I’m not convinced on the Scarlet yet, I’m going to wait awhile on that.
I’m looking at a SunPak .5 convertor for the hm-100. Does anyone have any experience with this conversion lens ? I have to have a wide angle lens for the shoots, but I’m concerned that the $50 SunPak will cause bending or distortion in straight objects. Any thoughts?
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