Mark Goldberg
Forum Replies Created
-
I have Sony Vegas Pro 11. I started with HDV in 06 with the Sony Z1 camera, and needed Vegas 7 to be able to edit it smoothly. I also bought a Dell Core Duo laptop for a little better performance. I bought a small Canon HF10 AVCHD camera in 09, and was able to edit the footage but it was jumpy. I replaced the Z1 with an NX5 AVCHD camera in 2010 and found that Vegas 8 would not handle it at all, so I upgraded to Vegas 9 and bought a new Sony i7 laptop to boot, which I now use as my main computer. I have since gotten a sports car camera which shoots H.264, and well as some still cams and a cellphone which also shoot HD video. My computer and now Vegas 11 handle all of them.
Mark Goldberg
Spectrum Productions
Annapolis, MD
http://www.markgoldberg.com -
I agree very much with Brett Dunn’s post. However, my choice was for the NX5 for business and logistical reasons. My need was primarily for social and personal event videography. THe NX5 is a very cost effective solution which uses readily available media. If I had a more demanding application like broadcast or higher-end corporate, I’d go EX-1R or beyond.
Mark Goldberg
Spectrum Productions
Annapolis, MD
http://www.markgoldberg.com -
Next to getting fed at the party, this is the most discussed topic in the wedding video community!
I think this situation cuts across all religious lines. Even though I’m a “Member of the Tribe”, if you ask me, I have personnaly had the worst problems occur with Reform Rabbis! The most extreme was a local one who did not allow photography during his ceremony, and did not allow hands on the video cam, so unattended back cam recording was the only way.
My contract says I will follow house rules, and that it is up to client to negotiate with the ceremony official regarding those rules. I also do a site check with every wedding, and that includes a meeting with the ceremony official. Most of the time, that gives me a little more leeway when the clergy realizes I respect the solemnity of the ceremony and will do all possible to be unobtrusive.
But when clergy won’t budge, I warn the client, in writing.
Next, I refuse new jobs at offending venues, and make it clear why. It is unfair to take money from a client when a good result cannot be delivered.
What has that done? In the case of the offending Reform Rabbi, I refused a few jobs at his Temple and made a complaint to their governing board. For that and other big reasons, he was fired after being there for 24 years, and his replacement is much more reasonable.
Mark Goldberg
Spectrum Productions
Annapolis, MD
http://www.markgoldberg.com -
There are several good cameras to consider in this range and application. First, let me say something about the editing end.
I now use a $1500 Sony Vaio computer with i7 quad core chip and Sony Vegas Pro 10, which edits AVCHD natively and burns Blu-ray or DVD. Vegas handles and renders just about anything and does not require transcoding. The computer is also USB3 compatible. That interface transfers 10x faster than USB2.
Camerawise, I recommend the Sony NX5 (pro version) or AX2000 (consumer version) of their AVCHD 3-chip camera which can be had in the $3500-4000 range.
A wonderful new entry is the Canon XF100, a 3-chip AVCHD cam that weighs about 2.5 pounds.
You also have to consider support of these cameras, and the latter can work on lightweight Bogen professional pods with the latest video head.
Mark Goldberg
Spectrum Productions
Annapolis, MD
http://www.markgoldberg.com -
I use two cams, a master and a wide POV. The master and POV run continuously for the ceremony. If it is a Catholic wedding, figure each gets one hour at the ceremony location, and the master gets another two hours of last minute preps and all post-ceremony and reception stuff. So figure about 4 hours total for a Catholic wedding, and 3 for a Jewish or Protestant wedding.
I rarely accept jobs with at-home coverage.
Mark Goldberg
Spectrum Productions
Annapolis, MD
http://www.markgoldberg.com -
Carol,
I have had similar problems with Vegas Pro 8, although mine occured while working in HDV and trying to render to WMV-HD and other similar formats. My workaround was to render to mpeg2 first, then bring that file into Vegas 7e, and use that to render to WMVHD.
I also found that Vegas Pro 8 took much longer to render a DVD file than its predecessor.
I had a few conversations with tech support.
At this point I suspect that the problem is related to stills or graphics on the timeline in multilayered effects. It was crashing where I had two hi-res digital stills on screen at once.
I am still experimenting.
-
So I’m not the only one! I installed 7e, and the system locked up at about 30% of the way through when trying to render a DVD file from an m2t timeline.
I reinstalled version 7d.
-
Mic depends on what MiniDisc you have. Mine is a higher level consumer unit which supplies a powering voltage to the microphone via the two-conductor tip+sleeve connection. I use a lavalier mic left over from an Azden wireless system. It works great with the MDR and doesn’t need its own battery.
If you look on the consumer part of the Sony Electronics website, you will find a model that is similar, coming with a battery compartment for standalone use or allowing powering with the recording device. I think the mic sells for about $80.
If you get a more professional ECM, then you will need to adapt from its XLR balanced connection.
-
I am also a Vegas user, having come over after many frustrating years with Premiere and its rogue’s gallery of glitches and lockups.
My suggestion for a camera for you is the Sony Z1. The move to HD is inevitable, so you might as well get some experience with a camera in that format, and with the widescreen image. It sensitivity is just a half stop less than the PD150, and I find it quite adequate for what you will face in the field. It has many professional refinements which will serve you well, and if you choose to shoot HDV, you will find that Vegas (with Connect HD) is a viable editing solution.
Of course the HDDVD vs BluRay battle hasn’t been decided, but you can put out regular DVDs for now as well has WMV-HD.
I like my Z1 very much and feel it was the right choice. Getting something not in HD would be the wrong choice.
-
I selected the Z1. It was really no contest. The black stretch and hypergain are needed for some situations, but the real deal maker is the XLR mic hookup. A few years ago I had the whole connector block break out of a camera with minijack connections. I am very happy with this camera.
Something to note is that you don’t have the same direct select switches to choose external mikes over the internal stereo. However, this wonderful cam gives you programmable buttons and a personal menu, so you can set up quick access functions to go from internal stereo mike to external mono mike bridged to both channels, or whatever you want.