Multiple formats question

[Roberto Cerini]

The cammorders are:

SONY HDR-HC9
Canon VIXIA HF200

I wouldn’t mind finding another SONY cam with similar specs to the HC9, but price is also an issue. I am trying to stay under $600 for the second camera. I would take suggestions. The HDR-HC9 is a requirement for this project. If I had the budget I would get two of them.

thanks,

Roberto

[Roberto Cerini]

And most of our shoots will be indoor shoots.

[Vince Becquiot]

The first issue would come in matching the footage. very different lenses, dynamic range, and likely color resolution. One may even be much more noisy than the other. But all this really depends of what you are shooting. Well lit interior shots maybe the ones that will cause you the most issues.

You haven’t mentionned models, so I can’t really guess that part, but you will also want to make sure they can both shoot “true” progressive if that’s a feature you are after.

Vince Becquiot

Kaptis Studios
San Francisco – Bay Area

[Vince Becquiot]

I don’t know anything about the Sony, but I find the Vixia series (HV30 at least) to have a very noisy output indoors. I just did a setup for a theater that bought one and was actually surprised in how bad it was, especially when the dynamic range was actually pretty good. But either way, I would try to buy 2 cameras in the sane series/brand if you are going to use them together.

I would also try to find a place where you could see them side by side, do a quick recording and take it home to your editing machine before spending the money. Don’t trust what you see on the LCD viewfinder.

Vince Becquiot

Kaptis Studios
San Francisco – Bay Area

[Roberto Cerini]

Thanks, I was afraid that would be the answer to all this 😉 I may just bite the bullet and get 2 SONY’s. I’m trying to save so I can get an XLR adapter, but I guess that can wait.

A dumb question, do you know if I can plug a preamped mic signal into these cameras? I have a recording studio and could feed the output of one of my pres into the camera mic input. Unfortunately the shoot will take place away from he studio or I would just record the audio into the DAW.

Thanks,

Rob

[Vince Becquiot]

That I don’t know. As long as they have a line input it should be fine, it would in the specs I imagine, although the input option they provide may not be balanced, so that could be an issue.

Vince Becquiot

Kaptis Studios
San Francisco – Bay Area

[Brian Louis]

Both cams have a mic input with a mini stereo jack and manual vol, you probably could run low levels into them, they both work with self-powered condenser mics which are usually low-imp.
One thing with the cams is that they use different formats to record with the HC9 is HDV and the HF200 is AVCHD(mp4) which can choke the average computer, if you are going to try to mix them you might want to look at a intermediate codec like Cineform to color correct and cut them, Cineform’s NeoScene is only about a C-note you can download a demo and try it

[Roberto Cerini]

I think i’m starting lean more and more towards just getting 2 HC9’s and be done with it.

[Brian Louis]

HC9s are ok, I have a older version, a HC7, which I use as a remote cam, the only drawback with the HCs is the shoe, its a bit smaller than the average shoe so only Sony or acessories made for it will fit, what I do if I want a external mic and or a lamp is use a Bescor VB-50 bracket to mount a mic plus the bracket also helps to stablize hand holding the cam.

[Arc Nevada]

Roberto,

Yes you can edit HDV files and AVCHD files on the same timline using PP CS4. Infact you can edit them together in P2 time line or and HDV timeline. It does not matter either way. It is best to shoot the AVCHD and the HDV both at 1440X1080 that way they will match the HDV pre set project timlien better. You can do cuts only editng in realtime with out dropping frames using AVCHD in high quality preview mode if you have a good 2.66 GHZ quad Core.

As far as CC is concerned that will be your responsability and you would be best of to assemble the footage first and then add CC and effects later. The Native AVCHD files bog my system down when applying affects.