Surf/Action sports videogrpahers
 

For those of you using the GL2, do you find yourselves out at the extreme end of the zoom range quite often? Do you ned to put on a TC very often or is the 20x plenty? I'm wondering if a DVX100 and a 1.7 tc would be enough for most work.

The 20x zoom is a good starting point for action, but I do find myself using a 1.7x extender quite a bit. I do a lot of wildlife filming and the 34x total zoom is definitely nice.

Not at 1st Peak, but definitely at Monster Hole. ;)

(ex-1st Peak crew)

Well, I use an XL1, and have on occasion wished I had the extender for it, but 80% of the time I'm fine with the stock 16x lens.

We'd probably try and shoot from a jet ski or zodiac at monster hole.

The camera won't be specifically for action sports, so we're tossing around the DVC30, GL2, and the DVX100a. The 100a is admittedly more pricey, but I love it's look. The short lens is the drawback.


Thanks for the replies!

Why not the PD150/PD170?

Personal aversion to Sony products. Irrational, I know. I know these cams have larger ccd's, any other big pluss on the two sony's that I should know about?

Don;t worry, I have the same aversion to Sony products (sorry Sony guys). I'd pick one over the DVX100 for sports shooting. Bigger lens is the main reason. I'd argue it's more rugged, but that's just an opinion and isn't backed up by fact.

you want all the reach you can get for shooting surfing from land.

i shot the pipeline in hawaii, and the xl1 15x w/2x extender was barely enuf... it is enuf lens for local beach break here in california, but when you start shooting point breaks, you'll want more.

point breaks won't be an issue in florida, tho, 'cause there aren't any... but more lens will come in handy for p.r. or the bahamas.

i have shot surfing from boats, the best results by far come from shooting out of a slow-moving boat that's running parallel to the surfer... it looks like a dolly movement, pretty cool stuff... you'll want optical, not digital, stabilization for boatwork.

Go with the TC. If all you want is wide or full frame shots maybe you can live without it but that gets pretty boring pretty quick. You really want those close ups of boogers and things.

Cheers
Mike

There's also a couple of decent housings avaliable for the GL which would allow you to get into the water. I'm not sure about the DVX though.

surf shoots
 

we use both the gl2 and xl1 for surf shoots. Some days when its big and breaking way outside. (Which usually means its cold and stormy here, so I'm tucked up the beach out of the rain) I need a longer lens then the stock. However be careful when getting longer. With the faster action it's harder to keep the shake down when you're using telephoto. Obviosly the Gl2 has cheaper options for housings then the XL1. Sony usualy has pretty cheap housings for their cameras but Sony Bleah! Sorry guys I'm not a fan either.

I'm really still enamoured with the panny dvc30.......the 16x scares me a little.....florida is mostly beachbreak and when it gets big it's breaking way out there. The GL2 would be more immediately useful, but the camera isn't solely for surf work.