Brad Neal
Forum Replies Created
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If it’s the same as the 500 (and I think it is), at a head room of -20dB, the first bar is -20dB, the second -12dB, and the last one is 0dB.
-Brad
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I use a product called Atlantis by DVFilm: https://www.dvfilm.com/atlantis/
I’m not sure it’s the best solution, but it works pretty well.
-Brad
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Hi Tim,
I know you asked for opinions from those with experience in multiple apps, but I’m going to offer an opinion anyway…First, if you are already proficient with PPro, and it is serving you well, I would question whether the other apps offer enough incentives to switch. Especially since PPro now accepts native P2 (except AVC Intra).
Second, if you are looking for interoperability between your NLE and the other Adobe suite apps, it just doesn’t get any better than PPro.
Third, if you add Matrox Axio hardware to the PPro mix, you have a dedicated HD system that will allow you to work with tons of real-time effects.
The other apps are fine, professional tools. And if you were starting from scratch, you may find one fits your workflow better than another. But I would be hard pressed to find any feature set among the others that would compel me to switch at this stage of the game.
Best of luck with your decision.
-Brad
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Hi Ryan,
I shoot pretty much the same gig as you – corporate, training, etc. We have 2-500’s and I can assure you that they are true HD cameras.For our type of work, they are truly the camera that we have been waiting for, and our clients, most of which are fortune 500 companies, love the output. Not to mention that we have the option to shoot DVCPRO 25, 50, and 100… and variable frame rates, SDI out, Gen lock in and out, and the list goes on.
One other thing to consider – their is a growing number of folks shooting with their existing SD lenses and forgoing the HD starter lenses all together. I have seen side by side stills compared, and I honestly can’t pick the one shot with the HD lens.
So if you already have SD lenses to test, rent yourself a 500 with a HD lens and do your own comparison – you may be surprised, and save yourself 8-10g’s to boot.
That said, the 500’s can’t be compared to the HPX2000 or 3000, as the more expensive cams clearly shoot superior images. But I’m not shooting for National Geographic channel anyway (not yet at least). And I am not convinced that one couldn’t satisfy even their stringent requirements with 500.
Best,
Brad -
I have an LH1700 and have never experienced those anomalies. You may want to have the monitor looked at.
-Brad
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I will absolutely agree that a $20,000 or $30,000 lens will make a noticeable difference, and greatly reduce that nasty ol’ breathing issue found on the less expensive lenses. But I must say that the stock lenses are really not that bad – especially with the CAC feature.
If you can afford the more expensive glass, then you won’t be sorry. But that kind of money would have been a deal breaker for me. I went for the standard issue Fuji glass with the 2X extender and have been thrilled with what I am getting out of it. If I do haul in a job that requires a better lens, I can rent for $500 or $600 per day.
-Brad
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David,
I have 2 500’s and I absolutely love them. I just don’t think one can find more bang for the buck, at least at this stage of the game.But if you have never worked with a tapeless workflow, do your homework as it is vastly different than tape – some of it is much better, some is not.
If you can rent or borrow a P2 camera before you buy, I would recommend it. Shoot a couple of jobs with it, especially if you are doing the post work, as I found that to have been the most challenging part of the tapeless transition.
-Brad
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Hi Kal,
Yea, I did a 2-camera 8-hour job last October, and it was a nightmare – especially when you add the other camera and the goofy naming convention that Panasonic came up with.If you don’t already have it, pick up a copy of Barry Green’s The HVX Book. It’s written for the HVX 200 but it is almost totally applicable to the 500 and well worth the money.
As for file naming, you need to make sure that you are setting up your camera with an SD card to assign your own user file name prior to the shoot. This way you can sort the files in post by the name that you assigned. Like Camera01_001, Camera01_002 etc.
As Barry points out in his book, the P2 workflow and long-form shoots may not be the best combination at this stage of the game (for the very reason you created this thread). But I have learned a few tricks since my shoot in October that have really made the process a lot less painful.
-Brad
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What Dean said works best for us. What editing app are you using?
We use Production Studio CS3, and with PPro, you can simply select all of the clips in the media bin, choose “Automate to Timeline”, then all of your clips are moved to the sequence allowing you to scrub through all of the clips at once.
A bit of a work-around, but the only solution that I am aware of. And to answer your question directly, no, you can’t command the camera to record one long clip. At least I’m not aware of any such feature.
-Brad
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I agree with Rennie. I tried the ME66 and found it too long, and the XLR cable was always in the way. I wound up going back to the stock mic.
I find that I really never use a “mounted” mic for anything critical anyway, so the stock mic works well enough in most situations, and having the cable built into the mic makes it way more compact.
It’s definitely a trade off – high quality vs. convenience. But unless you really need a quality mounted mic, I would recommend the stock.
-Brad