How much is enough?

[Brian Doyle]

How much is enough?

I'm in a situation and would love some feedback from the community here. I just got back into wedding videos. I used to shoot them for many years back home. I have been shooting wedding and plan on for the rest of the year, for a huge discount ($500-$1000) to get great footage for promotional use. I then hope to start booking summer dates at a rate closer to what I feel I'm worth ($1500 and up). I'm using a XL-1s. I love it but I need something for a second camera. (Everything this year I'm selling as a one camera shoot.) Of course I'd love a XL2 long term but money's tight and I feel that I need something short term (GL2 maybe?) to get the most out of these discounted shoots. After all I'm doing these to get great shots. I still some small stuff but can't stop thinking about the XL2, about how the smart money would do what it takes to get that and maybe the 3x zoom while there's a rebate on it. Also how much help is a $1300 GL2 if you are going to trade up to a $3000 XL2 as soon as you can? Isn't that just wasting $1300. I do creative projects on the side and keep looking at this great video of the beautiful results with the XL2. http://www.dvcreators.net/.

Am I tricking myself into keeping up with the Jones or want a new toy? Am I letting the creative advances of the XL2 get the better of me and over take the practical nature of a GL2? At what point do our tools become toys?

I'm new to this site and love everything I've learned but I worry about losing myself in the toys, the matt boxes, mini35, extra lens. Everyone is selling us something that will "change the way we shoot forever". (I guess that's why I love to see stuff like this here http://www.dvinfo.net/articles/lighting/spears2.php) For owners of both Xl-1 and Xl-2 is it that much of a jump up for something like weddings? How about GL2? And I guess a question for us all is in a society that is desperate to sell us stuff we don't need where do we draw the line? How much is enough?

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

Hello Brian,

Although I believe the XL2 is undoubtly a great camera, far superior to the GL2, I think a GL2 would fit your needs better.
If you are doing such weddings, the cam will pay for itself fast.
I think it's easier to match an XL1s with a GL2, then to match a XL1s with an XL2.
Best regards,

[Richard Alvarez]

Brian.

Figure out how many weddings you will shoot, "On the cheap". Figure out what it costs to rent a cam (xl2, gl2, whatever) for each of those days. If it's cheaper to rent... then rent.

At the very least, rent for a shoot or two to see how the two cam system is going to work for you.

[Greg Boston]

Or better yet, find someone in your area that has the camera and hire them to help you shoot. Still cheaper than buying and helps support your fellow videographers.

=gb=

[Glenn Chan]

At the end of the day, I think it's the ideas that count.

2- The following person apparently shoots only with a single camera (shoulder mount DSR-something). It's the most beautiful wedding stuff I've ever seen.

http://www.bluecoremedia.com/movieclips.html

*They probably have ~$1500 or more worth of special effects / compositing software.

3- Certainly I think there's situations where the second camera would help (i.e. the ceremony, and you want to get close-ups).

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

Hello Brian,

Although I believe the XL2 is undoubtly a great camera, far superior to the GL2, I think a GL2 would fit your needs better.
If you are doing such weddings, the cam will pay for itself fast.
I think it's easier to match an XL1s with a GL2, then to match a XL1s with an XL2.
Best regards,

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Glenn Chan

At the end of the day, I think it's the ideas that count.

2- The following person apparently shoots only with a single camera (shoulder mount DSR-something). It's the most beautiful wedding stuff I've ever seen.

http://www.bluecoremedia.com/movieclips.html

*They probably have ~$1500 or more worth of special effects / compositing software.

3- Certainly I think there's situations where the second camera would help (i.e. the ceremony, and you want to get close-ups).

Absolutely Glenn. I stumbled across their site and my jaw drops every time I watch the sample videos. I downloaded their samples and review them every so often to see just how good wedding video can be. I didn't think it was all single camera because in one clip, the other camera operator gets in the shot briefly.

-gb-