HD vs SD
 

I was wondering if I should even bother selling my dvx100b and buying an HD camera. Is it worth it? Have the prices dropped enough for a indie filmmaker to be able to purchase a good consumer HD camera?

If you are producing material for the web or direct to dvd I think you have a great camera for that purpose. Your file size and workflow will be much easier with this setup.

I started with a pair of dvc30s and I recently bought a Sony EX3. I still use the dvc30s for web and dvds. The worst thing about the miniDv format is running the tapes into the computer in real time, it's so nice with cameras that use solid state memory because it only takes a minute or two to download an hours' worth of video.

The bad thing about solid state is you don't have a tape for archive, it will cost more to backup the material you shoot.

The big reason to upgrade Yousha is 16:9. The DVX was a mighty fine camera in its (4:3) day, but the inbuilt 16:9 modes are so poor Panasonic listed an expensive anamorphic to help it along.

So no need to buy an HD camera for HD, merely to get proper 16:9 chips on your side. Tape or card matters not a jot in my view. Shooting SD 16:9 for web and DVD will make your footage look so much more up to date.

tom.

It's not going to be a really long time before most web video is HD.