Hi Paul,
Will your high end guys accept the new PMW350 with the Nano? |
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I have been looking to buy 2/3" for over a year and finally the right camera has come along thanks to Sony and Convergent Design. |
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Since P2 media is more expensive than SxS (about 4x as much on a per minute basis), a given amount of recording media will cost significantly more for a 301 than a 350. And since the power consumption of a 301 is significantly higher than a 350, you may need to spend more on batteries for a 301. So compare packages rather than basic units and the price difference is much less great, even more so in percentage terms. You may get two Panny 301 bodies and lenses for not that much more than a single 350 - but not two working 301 packages compared like for like with a 350. And for professional use the 350 is a far better camera. The differences may not be so obvious in simple pixel counting resolution ways, but the 350 is several stops more sensitive in low light, and the 2/3" chip v 1/3" gives far more flexibility in lens options. |
Another thing the bean counters will need to consider is that at this point in time many broadcasters are gearing up with HD cameras but using them to shoot SD. In this case they will be able to use existing 2/3" lenses on the 350's saving further money.
I got confirmation of the price of my 350 yesterday and was shocked. Now I do have a very good relationship with my dealer, so he cuts me a good deal, but even so it's £2K less than I was expecting to pay for a 350K. |
Alister I agree nice price and more good news. I am picking up my 350 next week.
If you have any PP setting that you are willing to share let me know. I will start testing the camera over the holidays. I am sure I will receive a few looks from my wife but she really does understand. Now in a hurry to choose the right tripod set up. |
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Steve |
Steve, no need to jump in with both feet. I was referring to the new edict that the Beeb and others are implementing that dictates native 1920x1080 cameras, 1/2" minimum chip size, and 50Mb/s minimum datarate. The 2700 fails on the first count because it is natively a 720p camera.
The 2700 might be okay at the moment, but 720 native cameras are gradually going to be falling out of favour with those sorts of stipulations being bandied about. This isn't about whether the 2700 is 'good enough' for me personally. I'm just going on the EBU recommendations that the BBC and Sky seem to be bent on implementing as a requirement. No need to shoot the messenger! I didn't say I agreed with it!! |
I realise that Simon, I wasn't on the attack! It's worth noting though that as with the old Varicam the 2700 is on an exceptions list, allowing its use whereas other 720 cameras might be banned. The projects the 2700 are being used on are for delivery several years down the line too and for international sale so they are obviously happy that they are going to be fine.
Steve |
Steve the 2700 is a great camera and has shot some of the best productions I have viewed. I was close to buying when they had their great deal going this year. But switching from XDCAM to Panasonic is expensive. As for my client who said it was iffy that does not mean he has the best knowledge base. But it does mean he helps pay my bills and I need to keep them happy.
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Natural History is only a very small part of the world of HD TV, while the BBC NHU's programmes are certainly of very high quality they are not the be all and end all of HD TV. Natural History employs a very small number people and uses only a small proportion of all the HD cameras in the world. Just because the NHU have chosen to continue to use their existing cameras doesn't mean that these are the only cameras that are any good.
While the overall budgets for many of these programmes may run into millions, the rates the crews get paid are rarely particularly high. The programmes cost so much because of the amount of time it can take to get even the briefest of sequences. Because of this any savings that can be made, say through the use of in house kit are welcomed. As I understand it the BBC NHU cannot afford to stop using the cameras they already own, that's why they are allowed to continue to use 720P despite the BBC's general requirement for 1080. If budget was not an issue then surely they would be using SRW9000's or HPX3700's at 1080P. The reality is that even with these mega budget programmes the cost of the equipment is a major factor and when you have a fleet of cameras that you were given for almost nothing then the impetus is to continue to use them as long as you can. This doesn't mean they are technically the best cameras to be using. Clearly they do a good job, but how much longer can they continue to use 720P? |
All the more reason to use EX3s then surely, they'd save a fortune. A lot of these NHU productions are not using the same gear that they've had for ages, the old tape Varicams, they're buying lots of new 2700s.
Of course budget is an issue, and that's why they're not getting fleets of SRW9000s presumably, but if all was equal between the EX3/PMW350 and the 2700 then surely they'd go for the former as they'd save a fortune (ie a standard or wide lens for the 2700 will cost more than double what the EX3 with lens costs). Steve |
Steve,
Do you have any information on what NHU backup/archiving strategy is when filming with the 2700s? With my previous experiences, I feel solid state media acquisition involves extra work and a certain level of risk to loose files especially when looking at extensive projects with multiple shooters and locations. Thierry. |
Steve I think the 350 over the EX3 will offer a better picture and more lens options for big productions where the right glass matters.
Thierry I feel the same the solid state archive scares me with DVD's and hard drives. This is the reason there is a new big box next to me with a U1 and Optical disk. Agree it is a extra step but offers delivery with proxies and meta data along with very long safe shelf life. |
So, do you just backup your EX material as 420 MXF files on prodiscs? That is how you end up with proxies right?
T. |
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