DVX100a, computers, college, expenses...

[Riley Harmon]

Okay, so here's my delima...I am going off to college next year to study film/video within the School of Art at my college. They use FCP for editing classes and workstations.

I currently am using premiere pro 1.5 on a fairly high end PC. I figure it is probably smart to get a power book or a lower end g5 with FCP so that I'll be compatible with the school and be able to exchange files, etc. I currently have a PVDV953. As powerful as that camera is, it is no where near the DVX100a.

The school has vx2000 and xl1's to check out from equipment storage, but I figure if I'm on the go, running and gunning, I'll want to have my own camera by my side. So here comes the dilema...a DVX100a is 3k + mac w/ FCP = lots of expenses.

I plan on getting a summer job and my highschool is working to get me some big discounts on the mac, but its all expensive along with college expenses and needing to have money to support myself.

I'm sure it sounds like I'm whining, but I guess I'm just ranting my frustrations and asking for any advice from all you experienced ones out there. Thanks

[Tim Brechlin]

Where are you going to go to school?

Are there any videography/production outfits in the area? Oftentimes, you can rent equipment from these outfits for a much cheaper cost than you would encounter by purchasing the equipment outright.

Granted, renting a DVX-100 from, for example, Full Compass costs a hundred bucks a day or $220 per week, but it also depends on how much work you think you'll be needing it for.

An XL-1 is a fine camera, and it was a tough decision between it and a DVX-100a.

My suggestion would be to buy the computer first (assuming you can take the equipment home for capturing) and use the school's equipment until you no longer have a choice.

[Bob Costa]

Get compatible with the school computers and borrow a camera like everyone else. Bythe time you can afford a camera, maybe you can get an HVX200 instead !! THAT would be worth the educational expense.

[Richard Alvarez]

Good rule of thumb regarding electronics purchases... IF you can afford to wait... wait. The later you wait the cheaper it will get/and or the better the gear will become. IF you need the gear to make money now, BUY it now. The money you make will offset the cost, and you can resell the gear later and trade up.

[Meryem Ersoz]

if you are not going until next year, i would not buy a thing right now, not in the midst of a video production revolution which will change all the price breaks on all SD and possibly even HD cameras. the game will have changed by then, and you will be stuck wanting even the next new thing. your panny will then be yesterday's news....a lot will probably change in this field the coming year.

why not go to school and check out the convenience/inconvenience of using the school stuff before leaping to any conclusions about it? it can't hurt, and the money you can save meanwhile can apply towards whatever upgrades you actually need, instead of the ones you want? it seems like determining your needs before you even get started is a bit of putting the cart before the horse.

[Xander Christ]

Don't be in such a rush to buy new equipment when you're not going to school till next year. You'd be surprised how similar Final Cut Pro HD is to Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5. I'm learning Final Cut in school, but I actually use Premiere Pro at home and edit all my assignments on it (more convienent for me then spending hours in the lab). I got my certification in Final Cut even though I barely used it, it's that similar.

[Riley Harmon]

What school did you go to that got you certified as a FCP user? Do most colleges that having editing courses with FCP get you certified?

[Xander Christ]

Minneapolis Community and Technical College (www.minneapolis.edu) teaches both traditional filmmaking and narrative storytelling via video. I'd recommend the Video and Digital Arts Program as they are really big into narrative filmmaking with DV and are now getting more into HD. This is the program that teaches you Final Cut Pro HD and at the end of the program you have the option to take the certification test.

If Avid or Premiere Pro is more your style, you might want to look into MCTC's Media Production program, but I don't know if they do Avid/Adobe certification, but from my experience the Media Production program is the more technical of the bunch (not as creative focused).

With either video program, you can't lose.

[Marcin Tyszka]

Remeber that dvx100a uses 24p by cheating . You can get the same effect in post production. Well if you consider the price I believe it is ok. It is good camera though.

[Barry Green]

There is nothing true about that statement.

The DVX achieves 24p by actually running its CCD at 24hz, and sampling a full progressive frame every 1/24th of a second. It is as legitimate as any 24fps capture system, whether XL2, SDX, VariCam, CineAlta, F900, or film. They all capture one distinct frame, progressively, every 24th of a second.

And that's something that you cannot simulate in post to nearly the same degree.

[Marcin Tyszka]

Well maybe it is 24 f ok but it doesn't look as real 24p should look. I forgot the technique thay used to get 24 p but I will write about it later.

[Bob Costa]

(insert smileys here)

[Joe Kras]

As you already probably know, there is MUCH more to making a film than the camera. Sure, we'd all like to walk around with a Varicam or better, but that's just not going to happen.

Concentrate on telling a story, working with lighting, and recording sound accurately. The 953 will serve you fine as a "pick up" cam and a second cam when you check out one of the school cams.

Similarly, wait and get the lay of the land as to computer access and the workflow at school. A new computer may or may not be important next year, but that decision should wait until then, as today's computers will be cheaper, and you may find that something else may be even more important.

[Daniel Hollister]

I think Marcin just doesn't understand the pulldown...

But yes, Riley, I tell you from experience as a fellow college guy with big dreams, that you should definitely WAIT until you need this. I'm not even joking on this one. The summer before last, I figured I'd need a good camera going into school, so I bought a GL-2. Shot like one film with that because I was too busy. So this past summer I sold it and then assumed this year would be so much better, so I bought a DVX-100A and the anamorphic lens. (Lost about $1000 from selling the GL-2 used, and then lost another $3000 for the DVX + extras. So in total I lost about $4000 by switching cameras.) Since last summer, I've usesd the DVX a lot, but nothing I couldn't have used the GL-2 for. In fact, if you look at the topic I just made, I'm just now starting to question even using the anamorphic lens.

And to think, just about a month ago, I had my heart set on buying an XL2. When in reality, I don't need any of it.

So hold off. Buy a computer, the computer actually is quite important, and it's definitely important to be compatible with what you're working on at school. (Plus FCP is just a better system in my opinion.) But as far as cameras go, sure, the DVX is nice and all, but it's not the best, and if you wait a few months, there will be even more good stuff out. Buy it when you need it.

[Barry Green]

Originally Posted by Marcin Tyszka

Well maybe it is 24 f ok but it doesn't look as real 24p should look. I forgot the technique thay used to get 24 p but I will write about it later.

Again, I have to 100% disagree. It looks *exactly* like 24p should look. The motion rendition is absolutely identical to the motion rendering of 24fps film.

To determine that, I strapped a DVX to a 16mm film camera, and shot side-by-side footage of identical subjects, identical framing, panning and moving the camera, getting identical footage from each camera. I transferred the film to video, and split-screened it, and put the results on The DVX DVD, where anyone can look and see for themselves whether 24p footage looks like film-transferred-to-video. The results are identical -- the strobing, the motion, it's all exactly 100% like the film footage. Sure the colors, depth of field, overall sharpness etc. are different, but for 24p motion rendition, they are IDENTICAL.