[Chip Thome]

Thanks Steve,

I looked at their site before, but it appeared their videographer coverage appears to be limited to WEVA members. Do you know if that is the case ???

[Chip Thome]

I too am looking at the DVX100B and asked a buddy from Australia who had one his opinion. This is part of what he sent me today:

Hey Chip,
I say go for it. They are awesome cams, probably the best SD cam ever produced.
Low light is amazing, also because they are “B” models, they have 16:9 squeeze mode, which is how all the GS series cams achieved their widescreen pictures…….Just shoot in squeeze mode and you’ll get perfect 16:9 footage for web upload or DVD.

I then asked him about a clip from his site, and he said it was shot with his DVX last year. Here’s the link:

https://www.bridalmotionfilms.net/Becs%20morning.html

When I was researching this whole “squeeze mode” discussion, it had me confused and hesitant. To me, it sounds like a poor choice of wording, for what the results are. I am very close to going ahead with my DVX purchase now.

[Chip Thome]

For all around work, you want the stereo Videomic.

I took the “cheap” route and went for the Videomic first….and three weeks later went for the right one that’s best for most of my uses.

I am not unhappy I now own both, but for anything music related, the shotgun is not the answer at all. The Videomic is primo for spoken word, but just about sucks when it comes to recording live music.

I got mine from one of the bigger online houses, mostly becaause I knew one of the sales people personally. He sold me the Videomic with reservations. But when it came to going to the Stereo Videomic instead of one of the others, he pitched them all but in the end told me the Rode Stereo Videomic would be best for on cam use.

I have never been sorry I chose it.

[Chip Thome]

From everything I have learned and seen, Audio is at least HALF of what you are creating. Poor audio has ruined more than one production, regardless of what comprised the rest of it.

Although you might not wish to, look at it as “do I want to gamble all my investment in travel, time, footage etc, on a cheapie route for the narration ?”

If you are shooting for “professional quality” labelling for your project, you have to present that in every aspect of your project or risk dooming it to failure.

[Chip Thome]

Those described will do it, and your first time out, forget getting it right, if you do it’ll be a miracle.

You are going to be subject to distance and the cable to your cam. If you are using a stationary cam at a fixed location, you have a shot at it. If you think you are going to be mobile and hooked up, chances are good something will go wrong.

I have done it quite a few times, and the cables and connectors they talk about, I have probably $100 invested right now and don’t have all that’s described here. You also are going to be subject to the mix, and if the mix is crap, so will your audio.

My biggest complaint with a board feed is it is exceptionally “sterile”. If you watch more than a few board feed clips, sooner or later they are going to see they come off as “phoney” or “canned” or “unnatural”. I have heard some that you almost could have swore were dubbed in at a later date it seemed so off from the rest of the audio in the presentation.

My preference is to use my Rode Stereo Videomic, and a board feed to two different capture sources. The Rode gives me the ambient from the room , and the board feed gives the clarity in the audio you seek. I mix them in Audition and clean them up as needed.

I am a firm believer that if you can see something in the clip, you better darn well hear it too, if there is a sound associated with the action or person. Case in point, clapping at the toasts, or clinking of glasses that results in kisses, isn’t going to come through the PA more than likely.

In your case, should you use your on cam mic and then a board feed to a Zoom or some other such recorder, and mix in post, you are probably going to be very happy with what you receive for an outcome.

[Chip Thome]

It could be just as illegal, but I am not a lawyer, so take it for what it’s worth.

If the song is being performed, the venue or performer needs to have a license to perform it. Most commercial institutions have a blanket license, that is based on their capacity. I would assume most other venues would have something similar.

If you mic up the performance or tap into the PA source for your audio, you are functionally going to be recording the performance.

If it would come from your on camera mic, then it would be part of the ambient, and not probably considered illegal as long as the clip that includes the song, isn’t of the performance or just the length of the performance.

[Chip Thome]

I’d have to agree and am guilty as charged.

My TV has three settings for viewing, one normal, one expanded to fill the screen and one stretched to fill the screen width wise. The last one really does screw up the picture and have no clue why it is included as an option.

[Chip Thome]

Hi Don,

From my experiences with Manfrotto, even the low end fluid head is going to be so much better than handheld, most likely it will be enough to have you satisfied. The only disappointment I have had with Manfrotto was their bottom line Modo…. makes a good table top pod as long as you don’t have to move the head.

If this is going to be primarily used while hiking, you really might want to look at carbon legs to keep the weight down and strength up. I’d be inclined to bump up the cost of the legs now and cheapskate the head for the time being, to upgrade later. I have been watching some lower end Manfrotto heads on Ebay. They are returning most of their new cost when they are sold as clean used.

My favorite weapon of choice is my 561B, but I primarily shoot indoors too. It does a great job for what it is, but it is not a rock like a tripod and never could be, being it’s a mono.