Re: Looking to buy AF101, HPX250 and HPX370
 

Ok so... $7,200 HPX370 w/ rebate, $1400 tripod, $220 plate, $900 battery + charger, $1250 2x 64gb p2 cards, $2,400 SD302 mixer + headset + microphones, $1,200 lighting, and maybe a couple hundred more on other stuff like cables. So about $15,000 at current B&H prices, which a bit lower than what they were last year when I got the camera.

Ok, so maybe 20k was an optimistic statement, but you get the idea. When you buy a pro camera it comes pretty much naked, which can be hard on the wallet if you have to start from scratch because you don't already own any video equipment, as was my case.

14k gbp is about $22k, so Gary is clearly better kitted out than I am, though I still need more audio gear, extra battery, extra, extra, extra...

Doesn't seem so, only 2xxx and 3xxx cameras have film rec.

Ask Ikegami, they seem to be working on a new 4/3 ENG camera, so it would make sense if they also had a good idea of which lenses it would be using. But yes, if it's going to use a more than 10x zoom, I suspect there will be a lot of early footage of floors.

Re: Looking to buy AF101, HPX250 and HPX370
 

Garry doesn't necessarily have more equipment than you. Everything over the great "pond" as we call it cost way less. The lowest price that I can get on the 371 is 9000€ which equals to 12300 dollars. If I could get the 371 for 7200 dollars (+ WAT ?) which comes out at 5200€ I would buy the camera tomorrow!

As for the HPX500 I wouldn't call it a 3700 in a 370 body if it doesn't have "film rec". Wait, isn't 3700 a new camera. It's a new chip and it records AVCi doesn't it? If so than I don't see at all how the two cameras could be compared...

Anyway, yeah, a ENG lens for a 4/3 sensor would be a beast:)

Re: Looking to buy AF101, HPX250 and HPX370
 

Yes sadly everything here is rather expensive so my HPX301 with four cards and a portabrace body armour worked out at around $15k

I bought a lot of my other kit second hand and already had v-lok batteries and a portabrace case, if I were to get another 371 I would get it from the USA this time as you guys seem to get all the best deals.

The 500 and the 3700 are two totally different cameras so cannot be compared but they are both great at what they do.

Re: Looking to buy AF101, HPX250 and HPX370
 

Hmm, probably would have been cheaper to just cross "the pond" and get the stuff yourself there, I've been doing that with nearly all the tech I've been buying the last 5+ years. Unless whatever it is you're trying to stuff in the plane is bigger than a standard luggage, I doubt anyone would bat an eyelash. Just in case, I always set everything up beforehand to make it seem as something I've been using for a while, not that I need any of the bulky packing it comes in; the 370's box is big enough to fit a couple small TV's in there.

And I didn't say the 500 was a 3700 in a 370 body, I was calling the 3100 a 3700 in a 370 body, minus it's 4:4:4 recording option.

Speaking of which, I still need a Portabrace, why did I forget that?..

Re: Looking to buy AF101, HPX250 and HPX370
 

Oh, don't know why I thought you were from US. So you bought all your equipment in the US...did you have any problems at the customs? What about warranty?

Yes I see that you were comparing the 3100 to the 3700. Sorry:)

Portabrace The list of equipment newer stops!:)

Re: Looking to buy AF101, HPX250 and HPX370
 

I suppose it depends on the country in question, but in over 5 years, I didn't have problems bringing things into Russia ranging from antiques to high-tech equipment, nothing to declare at all. If anything, the TSA would be more concerned with picking me apart for nail clippers, having me take my top clothes, belt & shoes off, and going through a multitude of scanners.

I once brought a full ensemble of knifes, forks, spoons and other antique silverware through, with one of the workers accidentally tipping the box over after taking it out of the x-ray, and spilled the stuff out on the table. That bit got a few whistles of bewilderment from all nearby security workers, but they were nice about it and let me take the stuff along on in the cabin.

Warranty for equipment of this level should be world-wide replacement or bust. Panasonic cameras arguably see the most across-the-world action, what with Varicams being the tool of choice for nature videographers, so I would be surprised if anyone still bought them if they only offered service in one place.

Re: Looking to buy AF101, HPX250 and HPX370
 

It has been a while but I have finally made a decision to get a demo model of the HPX250 shipped to me for testing on a real job. We will use it along side an EX1 just for cut aways to begin with. I need to learn the ins and outs of the camera first. I am really looking forward to test the HPX250 and also its codecs as I have never shot AVC Intra before. Any good advice on how to setup up the camera, or is it pretty much ready to go out of the box?

Re: Looking to buy AF101, HPX250 and HPX370
 

Use the BBC HPX371 settings as a starting point as they should be pretty much the same for the HPX250.

http://thebrownings.name/WHP034/pdf/...nic_HPX371.pdf

I also have a set of scene files for my HPX cameras and can e-mail them to you if you wish but they are mostly BBC set-ups as per above.

Re: Looking to buy AF101, HPX250 and HPX370
 

Thanks for the BBC settings, Gary. Interesting read. Looking forward to use them.

If you have your settings available as well I sure would appreciate them. I really want to see what this camera is capable of.

Thank you so much in advance.

Re: Looking to buy AF101, HPX250 and HPX370
 

Ver 1.00-00
AG-HPX301E
SYSTEM FREQ:50Hz
TITLE:BBC FILE
<F1>
SCENE NAME :BBC-HD
00005000: 1 ; VFR : OFF
00005001: 25 ; FRAME RATE: 25 FRAME
00005002: 021C0708 ; (SYNCHRO SCAN):
00005003: 6 ; DETAIL LEVEL: -2
00005004: 8 ; V DETAIL LEVEL: 0
00005005: 8 ; DETAIL CORING : 0
00005006: 6 ; CHROMA LEVEL: -2
00005007: 8 ; CHROMA PHASE: 0
00005008: 8 ; COLOR TEMP Ach: 0
00005009: 8 ; COLOR TEMP Bch: 0
0000500A: 131 ; MASTER PED: 3
0000500B: 16 ; A.IRIS LEVEL: 0
0000500C: 2 ; DRS EFFECT: 3
0000500D: 0 ; GAMMA : HD NORM
0000500E: 1 ; KNEE: MID
0000500F: 0 ; MATRIX: NORM1
00005010: 1 ; SKIN TONE DTL : OFF
00005011: 0 ; V DETAIL FREQ : THIN
<F2>
SCENE NAME :FLURO
00005000: 1 ; VFR : OFF
00005001: 25 ; FRAME RATE: 25 FRAME
00005002: 021C0708 ; (SYNCHRO SCAN):
00005003: 6 ; DETAIL LEVEL: -2
00005004: 8 ; V DETAIL LEVEL: 0
00005005: 8 ; DETAIL CORING : 0
00005006: 6 ; CHROMA LEVEL: -2
00005007: 8 ; CHROMA PHASE: 0
00005008: 8 ; COLOR TEMP Ach: 0
00005009: 8 ; COLOR TEMP Bch: 0
0000500A: 131 ; MASTER PED: 3
0000500B: 16 ; A.IRIS LEVEL: 0
0000500C: 2 ; DRS EFFECT: 3
0000500D: 0 ; GAMMA : HD NORM
0000500E: 1 ; KNEE: MID
0000500F: 2 ; MATRIX: FLUO
00005010: 1 ; SKIN TONE DTL : OFF
00005011: 0 ; V DETAIL FREQ : THIN
<F3>
SCENE NAME :BBC-SD
00005000: 1 ; VFR : OFF
00005001: 25 ; FRAME RATE: 25 FRAME
00005002: 021C0708 ; (SYNCHRO SCAN):
00005003: 12 ; DETAIL LEVEL: 4
00005004: 8 ; V DETAIL LEVEL: 0
00005005: 13 ; DETAIL CORING : 5
00005006: 8 ; CHROMA LEVEL: 0
00005007: 8 ; CHROMA PHASE: 0
00005008: 8 ; COLOR TEMP Ach: 0
00005009: 8 ; COLOR TEMP Bch: 0
0000500A: 128 ; MASTER PED: 0
0000500B: 16 ; A.IRIS LEVEL: 0
0000500C: 2 ; DRS EFFECT: 3
0000500D: 2 ; GAMMA : SD NORM
0000500E: 2 ; KNEE: LOW
0000500F: 1 ; MATRIX: NORM2
00005010: 0 ; SKIN TONE DTL : ON
00005011: 0 ; V DETAIL FREQ : THIN
<F4>
SCENE NAME :HICOLR
00005000: 1 ; VFR : OFF
00005001: 25 ; FRAME RATE: 25 FRAME
00005002: 021C0708 ; (SYNCHRO SCAN):
00005003: 4 ; DETAIL LEVEL: -4
00005004: 8 ; V DETAIL LEVEL: 0
00005005: 8 ; DETAIL CORING : 0
00005006: 8 ; CHROMA LEVEL: 0
00005007: 8 ; CHROMA PHASE: 0
00005008: 8 ; COLOR TEMP Ach: 0
00005009: 8 ; COLOR TEMP Bch: 0
0000500A: 108 ; MASTER PED: -20
0000500B: 16 ; A.IRIS LEVEL: 0
0000500C: 0 ; DRS EFFECT: 1
0000500D: 4 ; GAMMA : B.PRESS
0000500E: 2 ; KNEE: LOW
0000500F: 3 ; MATRIX: CINE-LIKE
00005010: 1 ; SKIN TONE DTL : OFF
00005011: 0 ; V DETAIL FREQ : THIN
<F5>
SCENE NAME :BBCFHC
00005000: 1 ; VFR : OFF
00005001: 50 ; FRAME RATE: 50 FRAME
00005002: 01AB0708 ; (SYNCHRO SCAN):
00005003: 4 ; DETAIL LEVEL: -4
00005004: 8 ; V DETAIL LEVEL: 0
00005005: 8 ; DETAIL CORING : 0
00005006: 4 ; CHROMA LEVEL: -4
00005007: 8 ; CHROMA PHASE: 0
00005008: 8 ; COLOR TEMP Ach: 0
00005009: 8 ; COLOR TEMP Bch: 0
0000500A: 131 ; MASTER PED: 3
0000500B: 16 ; A.IRIS LEVEL: 0
0000500C: 2 ; DRS EFFECT: 3
0000500D: 6 ; GAMMA : CINELIKE V
0000500E: 0 ; KNEE: HIGH
0000500F: 3 ; MATRIX: CINE-LIKE
00005010: 1 ; SKIN TONE DTL : OFF
00005011: 0 ; V DETAIL FREQ : THIN
<F6>
SCENE NAME :BBCFLM
00005000: 1 ; VFR : OFF
00005001: 50 ; FRAME RATE: 50 FRAME
00005002: 01AB0708 ; (SYNCHRO SCAN):
00005003: 4 ; DETAIL LEVEL: -4
00005004: 8 ; V DETAIL LEVEL: 0
00005005: 8 ; DETAIL CORING : 0
00005006: 4 ; CHROMA LEVEL: -4
00005007: 8 ; CHROMA PHASE: 0
00005008: 8 ; COLOR TEMP Ach: 0
00005009: 8 ; COLOR TEMP Bch: 0
0000500A: 131 ; MASTER PED: 3
0000500B: 16 ; A.IRIS LEVEL: 0
0000500C: 2 ; DRS EFFECT: 3
0000500D: 5 ; GAMMA : CINELIKE D
0000500E: 0 ; KNEE: HIGH
0000500F: 3 ; MATRIX: CINE-LIKE
00005010: 1 ; SKIN TONE DTL : OFF
00005011: 0 ; V DETAIL FREQ : THIN

Re: Looking to buy AF101, HPX250 and HPX370
 

Vow. That was quite a list. Thank you so much Gary.

The camera should arrive soon.

Re: Looking to buy AF101, HPX250 and HPX370
 

The scene files are basically just a .txt file so if you just cut and paste that lot it should load up OK.

having said that if you are new to the camera it may be better to adjust the files manually until you are more familiar with it just in case the 250 is different.

f1 is for BBC HD 50i shooting
f3 is for BBC SD on DVC Pro 50i
f5+f6 are for HD 25p in two different contrast modes, note they also show 50f variable frame rate for use with 720p overcranking.

f2 Fluro and f4 Hicolour are just for messing around with and I tend not to use them much.