I am researching the best camera to use for a 6 camera training video. We will be using the Tascam HD-P2 for audio capture. So timecode sync is very important. Canon XL-H1 is our first choose because it has timecode in/out. The Panasonic AG-HVX200 is the DP preference. Would like to know if anyone has used the HVX200 for a multicam shoot and what was your setup?
Looking for some advice.

I am researching the best camera to use for a 6 camera training video. We will be using the Tascam HD-P2 for audio capture. So timecode sync is very important. Canon XL-H1 is our first choose because it has timecode in/out. The Panasonic AG-HVX200 is the DP preference. Would like to know if anyone has used the HVX200 for a multicam shoot and what was your setup?
Looking for some advice.

Hi:

The HVX-200 does not have TC I/O with the exception of FW ability to sync the TC between multiple HVX-200s but this won't help you in syncing to an external recorder.

I am doing a three camera shoot for a sitcom pilot and are using a Zaxcom Deva with a standard smart slate.

Best,

Dan

A competent editor can sync multiple cameras pretty easily if there is a common audio reference. In other words, if you:

1-Create a situation in which the cameras roll only once or twice for the entire shoot, and keep rolling for the duration of the event. This works fine for concerts and maybe for your training video...or maybe not.

2-Each camera records audio, and can "hear" an audio event you decide to make a sync marker.

I routinely sync 7-9 camera converts shot on DVX in 15 minutes just using audio from the cameras. I then lay in the post produced audio over. This method gets VERY tedious if cameras break the roll though.

I would do the following if I was using the HVX:

- Set all recorders to "freerun"
- Set the TC of one camera to the current time of the clock.
- sync the TC of the other cameras to this cam using a firewire cable.

All cameras are now in sync and reflects the current time.

- Set the audio recorder to the current time and be sure its also in free run.

The audio recorder now reflects the time but is not garuenteed to be frame accurately in sync. But that doesnt matter.

- Record a slate with all cams and the audio recorder.

Now you can record all the rest of the material.

When you are done, have loaded all your material and ready to edit:

- Inspect the TC of the slate shot from one of the cams and the from the audiorecorder. Write down any offset of the slate in frames.

- Offset the timecode of all takes from the audiorecorder by the amont you wrote down.

- Auto sync all takes if you use AVID or use Merge clips if you are in FCP.