Quick Help! Before i purchase..
 

Alright, this is my setup I'm about to purchase for my wedding videography business, just wanted some last minute advice.

I need to order this before Monday..

Camera: Canon XH A1
Warranty: 4 year extended by NEW Customer Service Companies, Inc.
Mic: Rode NTG2
Light: Pag C6 On Camera Light Kit (20 watt)
Case: Kata SHELL-03
Tripod: Bogen 503 Head / Manfrotto 351MVB2 Leges
Battery: BATTERY CANON BP-970 8000 mAh ACD-731 IDEAL WORLD MRKT
Tapes: Sony 1PK HD DVC MINIDV 63MIN VIDEO

Comes to about $5,000 which is my budget, anything you think I could improve on without spending much more? Anything i'm missing?

I suggest UV Haze filter (72mm of course) for lens protection. Softie for your microphone (e.g. Rycote) may a good idea if you shoot outdoors often.

http://www.amazon.com/B-W-Violet-Coa...0525014&sr=8-5

That do the trick? Is it worth saving the money and getting the single coated one?

http://www.amazon.com/B-W-Ultra-Viol...0525052&sr=8-2

Hi Jordan..........
 

It's always the little things.........

Bag for tripod/ head?

Cleaning system for lens/ filters (cloths, spray etc)?

Paint Brush? (Gross dust cleaning)

Cable(s) for mic?

Mount Ditto?

Cleaning tapes?

Batteries for light?

Coated filter? Definately!

Extra off - camera mic, stand(s) and cables.

I would suggest a Sennheiser EW100 G2 wireless mic system, but think your budget is bust.

Good luck.

CS

The B&W filter is a good one. You should also pick up a good wireless, like a Sennheiser EW100-G2. That'll come in real handy, it's my most used mic.
And don't get a single BP970--get 2, in case one gets dropped at an inopportune moment. Also check out the Lenmar rapid charger, it can be a life saver. Better safe than sorry, friend. I learned that lesson the hard way.
Also a VariZoom or similar LANC controller for use on the tripod will simplify your life, but ain't a deal breaker when starting out.
Set aside a bunch of cash for a couple computers, including external drives and softeware for back-up, and editing suite too. That way if your Computer #1 gets hit with a virus or is just feeling uncooperative the night before your deadline, you have a "Plan B" setup that you can fall back on.
Think about workflow, RELIABILITY, turn-around time when making purchases, and you will be fine.
Good luck!

Got the head / case for tripod, it's included.. Light system comes with battery , i got plenty of XLR cables. Got a lens cleaner!

Which of those lenses do you think is best?

I got a computer / editing suite, thanks for the advice.. Just waiting on advice for the lenses, 1 or 2 coats? What's the difference? (In terms of performance)

Hi Jordan.......
 

Get the best you can afford and the jobs done. Put it on and forget about it.


CS

Best camera for a wedding business
 

I know you probably are set on the XH-A1 at this point. But have you considered the XL-2? It's the same price. Or you could get two GL-2s. You will certainly need two cameras.

I see a lot of people using the XH-A1 for weddings but the delivered product is a SD-DVD. For SD-DVD, the SD DV output of the XL-2 (and maybe even the GL-2) is much better and easier than the HDV workflow.

A lot of people think they are "future proofing" their video by capturing in HDV. I used to think that too, but I have yet to ever go back to an old paid project and re-render it to HDV. I guess because almost no one has HD-DVD or Blu-Ray yet. Plus, who is gonna pay for it?

I just don't think HDV makes sense for the wedding industry yet.

On the other hand, for family video or some commercial projects, HDV is the only way to go.

even though the delivery is SD but the footage of a HDV that is later downcoverted still looks better then a SD ,when blow up three times .The details in the HDV down converted shot still stays together.

Not that it is being future proof. But when you get a better quality image to being with . You could do more in editing, especially in weddings .

I'll skip the Pag lights and get something that uses less power. Like an LED type. check out Vidled or zylights or even a sony LED camera light.
Why, Because wedding usually last the whole day. How many batteries are you going to buy to keep up and the charging time . and also the weight of the 12v pack .Where as LED lights last the whole day with one battery pack.

Also get a wireless system (a Sennheiser G2 is an entry level) or an external recorder that you can put near the Alter for the vows..

Yep, you definitely need a wireless lav mic if you're doing weddings.

It will probably hit all of a sudden, when the Blu-ray/HD-DVD competition sorts out and/or prices of players drop to the $100 price point. And it will probably happen in 1/4 the time it took for DVD to replace VHS once DVD became available for modest budget event videography). HD TV sets are already about all you see rolling out the doors in the big box stores, and Blu-ray and HD-DVD players run ~US$250.

I suspect that it is not so much future proofing the video you are shooting today or last week as it is future proofing your business so that you can compete without having to buy a new camcorder when the other HD shoe drops, which may well be sometime next year (2008), once the after Christmas prices drops happen, there is a bit more penetration of HD in the home, and the price of burners approaches reason.

All the HDV cameras also shoot SD.

You can get a HD DVD burner for like $260 and a player for $199.. I think it's pretty realistic now.

Another advantage to shooting in HDV for SD delivery is being able to move around the larger frame area to re-frame some shots in post. You can keyframe a pan or tilt, possibly saving an otherwise unusable shot.

BTW Jordan, I see you are a new member. Just know that we give our sponsors exclusive mention on where to buy because they make DVINFO possible to you. Please refrain in the future from posting non-sponsor retail links. Cheaper isn't always better. When your equipment is vital to the function of your business, the after sale treatment when things go wrong is very important. Our sponsors are hand-picked to be of that caliber.

Thanks and best of luck,

-gb-

Good point about moving the image, cropping, etc. Recently I dropped an HDV clip into an SD timeline and was able to blow it up and crop to 4:3 with no obvious loss in quality. It looked like the other clips that had been shot 4:3 with a larger chip camera.