Shopping Cart: good or not for wedding video? Please some advice
 

Good day guys! I´m brand new here, so let me introduce myself. My wife and I are ready to start into the wedding video bussines because we have some experience in wedding photography and here in Peru, photography and video are related. So we want to invest $5000 maybe a little bit more (tax included) to buy the video equipment, we´ll travel to Ft. Lauderdale (´cause we work together on a cruise ship) next week and we´re going back to our country this November. We would like you guys to give us some advice, we already have a list and if there´s something that you would swap or change or remove, it would be a lot of help. Keep in mind that maybe we will do corporate video and some tv commercial as well. We have studio lights for fotography, backgrounds, and all the neccesary equipment for photography. We also have at home a PC computer with this config.: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 processor, ASUS P5W DH Deluxe motherboard, 4 gb of ram, one 120gb hd for system and two 320gb on raid for files, two DVD burners and 7300 video card (I guess the video card is not so good for NLE).

Well, here is the list from BH, and thanks in advance for the replies.

-Sony DSR-PD170 3-CCD Mini DVCAM Camcorder with Wide Angle Adapter Included ($2600)

-Sony NP-F970, Battery Pack (7.2v, 6600mAh) (2 units) ( $210)

- Bescor KLK-624 20/40w 6v DC On-Camera Light Kit ($70)

- Sennheiser Evolution G2 100 Series Kit ($600)

- Electro Voice 635A - Omni-Directional Handheld Dynamic ENG Microphone ($110)

- Audio-Technica AT897 - Short Condenser Shotgun Microphone ($250) This is to replace PD-170´s shotgun mic.

- Behringer XENYX 1002FX - 10 Channel Audio Mixer with Effects Processor ($90)

- AKG K 44 Circumaural Closed Back Stereo Hi-Fi Headphones ($30)

- Remote Audio Coiled 3-Pin XLR Male to XLR Angled Female Jumper Cable - 18" ($35)

- Audio-Technica 3-pin XLR Male to 3-pin XLR Female Balanced Cable - 10 ft ($15)

- Smith-Victor Propod V Aluminum 2-Stage Tripod with Pro-5 2-Way Fluid Head ($200)

- Smith-Victor Universal Tripod Dolly A with 3.0" (7.6 cm) Wheels ($60)

- Smith-Victor TB-990 36" Tripod Bag - Large ($15)

- Bogen / Manfrotto 679B (3216) 3 Section Monopod ($42)

- Bogen / Manfrotto (for my Nikon D80 w/ Nikon 18-200VR) ($100)

- Sony DCR-HC48 Mini DV Camcorder (as DV Deck) ($365)

- Sony NP-FH70 battery pack for DCR-HC48 ($70)

- Contour Shuttle-Pro 2 NLE Multimedia Controller ($80)

So, change it or make your own list. Remember: $5500 max.

Regards from Peru.

Welcome aboard Jose,

My advice to you is don't concentrate too much on the equipment (a mistake made by many including me.) Any prosumer gear you buy will be more than adequate for wedding & event work, however you need to ask your self how serious your plan for work in the corporate & broadcast TV sector as these have a world of their own in terms of their philosophy & technical requirements.

The best place to start is by developing a good business plan. Once this is developed the rest, including what equipment you should buy will follow naturally.

Jose,
That's a pretty good list, but I would think about a different camera. For $1300 more you can get the Canon A1. That way you can shoot sd and hdv. I know that the pd 170 is an excellent low light cam, but at this pointin time I wouldn'y ever buy an sd only cam.
I do weddings and use a lot of the gear you mentioned. I shoot with a Canon XLH1, Sony FX1 and a Canon HV10 as third cam. I'd like to replace the Sony with a canon A1.
I also shoor photography and have a Nikon d80. How do you like the vr lens?
We're in Fort lauderdale, so if you want, give us a call. I also speak Spanish.

Bruce S. yarock
www.yarock.com
954-430-1616

Jose,

IMO your list looks great for weddings and shows some careful research and planning on your part. If you're setting a limit around 5K, I don't think you should go HD yet. In the high-end wedding market HD may be expected, but a quality SD camera (like the PD 170) should serve you well for 2-3 more years.

I recently sunk 5K into my start-up equipment. In retrospect, I might have spent less on my capture deck (Sony DSR-11) to free up some money for the wide-angle adapter and a couple other items. I do love my Sennheiser G2 wireless. Are you getting the set with the plug-on adapter for handheld and shotgun mics? Have you considered a couple lens filters?

Just my two cents.

Good luck!

Bill

Thank you Paul, yes, I was thinking on getting into the corporate and broadcast as well because we have here like "wedding seasons" and when the wedding contracts are a little bit down I need to think in another way to make some money with video, that´s why I choose the PD-170 because of the DVCam feature, BUT here in Peru a lot of TV mini series and commercials are beign recorded with HD cams and I wouldn´t like to stay behind them.

Thanks Bruce!, last night I was thinking on the Canon A1 but the low light enviroments of the churches here (and I guess everywhere) is my main concern, is it that far?, I mean the low light capabilities of the Canon A1 vs. the PD170? and about the Nikon 18-200VR... what can I tell you.. it was the best $800 invested last year, great lens, no need to change lenses and miss shots because of that and the VR is great! I will give you a call when I get to Ft Lauderdale next week.

Hey Bill! yes, I´m getting the plug-on adapter, that´s why I´m getting the Electrovoice 635 and as filters... I was thinking about the Tiffen DV set? I don´t know.. is like $200 more and I don´t think is really worth it

Yes the PD170 is a good choice as would be the DVX100B. Most of my local broadcast TV stations only accept submissions in DVCPRO50 format, which means I'd have to invest in a HD VTR or an HVX just to get a foot in the door.

Take heart though, doing work for private companies is nowhere near as technically demanding as broadcast TV.

E viva!

Jose,
While the A1 will never match the low light ability of the pd170, it allows to create unlimited camera presets. I have a good low light pre set on my H1 (you have to then add contrast in post).I do however often shoot with 12db gain in dark churches. yes there's a little grain or noise, but it's minimal and shooting in hdv gives you a much better image, evn when you down convert to sd.
talk to you next wek.
Bruce S. Yarock
www.yarock.com

I´ve seen a lot of examples pf the Canon A1 and they´re just amazing! And what about a shotgun mic for the Canon A1. I choose the AT897. Is it good?

I first bought the 897 to use on my canon GL1, then used it on my XL2, and now on my XLH1. It's an excellent mic for the money. I wish I had an akg "blue line" kit to be able to change capsules on cam.
Bruce S. Yarock
www.yarock.com