Anybody Have Both?
 

Does anyone here have both of the P2 cameras?

From a user's standpoint, which one do you prefer to use?

I know it's an obtuse question, but I'll take whatever I can get.

Thanks!

There's something like 7 different P2 cameras out there; HVX200, HPX500, HPC700, SPX800, HPX2000, HPX2100, HPX3000... I may have forgotten some... which two do you mean?

Thanks for clarifying, Barry. I made an assumption, and you know what happens when... aw, you know the rest. : )

Anyway, the two I had in mind were the HVX200 and the HPX500.

Thanks again.

I needed both so I have both.
I do action shots on my bikes, I can even shoot good on rollerblades, so I use HVX200 for that. But I wanted better image and more professional control, so I got the HPX, too.

I've got a 200 and spent quite a bit of time with the 500. The answer is: depends on what you're shooting.

The 500's better in almost every way -- more sensitive, shallower DOF, more audio controls, more dynamic range, sharper, just better better better. But it's also massively huge and heavy in comparison to the 200, and that can cause problems. Last night we were getting some car shots on the 500, and I'd much rather have used the 200 for those.

But in most production circumstances I'd go for the 500 every time. Of course, the 500 costs four times as much, so it's a case of getting what you pay for. The 200 can come incredibly close to the 500 in daylight circumstances (other than DOF) and costs 1/4 what the 500 does, so they both make strong cases for themselves. Depends on what you're shooting.

Barry's right (as usual); there's no such thing as a one-camera-does-all platform but the nice thing about the 200/500 is because their design philosophy is similar and they're achieving HD output similarly their resultant output mixes very well with each other.

You can't say the same for trying to intercut clips from say the 200 and 2000 and especially 3000; the 2000/3000 cams have significantly higher quality output (and they should for their respective pricepoints) and would make the 200 footage obviously inferior from any perspective.

Many producers, both myself, Barry and host of others have delivered commercial and full-length feature projects using solely the 200 with superb results, the 500 has taken our P2HD projects to the next level with it's added capabilities but as I'm fond of saying having the best camera in the world doesn't guarantee the best output. If you don't know how to use the equipment, then it's a wash.

Read Barry's book on the 200; rent the 500 and judge for yourself which one fits best for your shooting style and prodution needs.

Jason: I'm a little different than most in that I bought my HVX200 two months after getting the HPX500 - I make documentaries, and got the 200 primarily to shoot in cars, which I do a lot, and believe me the 500 is a monster to move around in tight spaces...

However I just returned from an intense 2 week shoot in NY and opted to take only the 200 - primarily because I didn't have an AC for the many moves we needed to make, and, again, I would be shooting in a lot in cabs - and I'm glad I did...

For documentaries, if I had to pick one over the other, I would chose the HVX200 - it is miserable in low light and is not ergonomically friendly, but it doesn't draw quite as much attention (although it still draws more than I like) and is easy to transport, set up, and it can sit in your lap while you grab a meal in a restaurant... And for those that like using a flip-out screen (I don't) it is superior...

But the HPX500 delivers a noticeably better image under almost all conditions, and is a much better handheld camera once you haul it up on your shoulder... As many have mentioned, the flip-out screen is really only useful for checking clips or shooting on a tripod, and the finder is B&W, which puts some people off... But the pictures are terrific...

So it's really a matter of which features fit best with your shooting needs.. If the resolution of the final image is a priority, go for the HPX500 - if ease of use is the motivating factor, it's the HVX200...