PDX10 accessories
 

So, I've decided to take the plunge and get a PDX10:)

Now I have to put together some accessories, and after doing a bit of research I got down to this list:

1.Wide-angle adapter: Tiffen MegaPlus 37mm 0.56x
2.NP-QM91 - battery
3.Tiffen 37mm Video Intro (DLX 3 Filter) Kit (UV Protector, ND 0.6, FLD Filter)
4.Lowepro Nova 5 AW - bag:)
5. Some light (I travel a LOT..) tripod (don't know yet which one..)

Now I understood that I should put any filters UNDER the WA adaptor? TRUE?

Any comments on the above accessories are really appreciated:)

Microphone?

LCD hood?

Lense cleaning kit?


Not to add to difficulty, but these are critical too.

Congrats, by the by, on the cam. Great little piece.

Can I get a recomendation for a good tripod with a fuid head under $200 :) ?

My only question would be the filter kit. Are these really the filters you think you will need? Personally I just use a couple ND filters and sometimes a UV protector if shooting outdoors. Is the kit a good deal when comparied to buying individual filters? The 37mm variety are not very expensive and are widely available at local stores, even the chains like Ritz. You might want to wait and just buy filters as you feel the need. If you use the WA lens much you will probably want to duplicate these for it as well. Regarding vignetting, I suspect that varies by specific lenses. I have a .45x lens and I do get vignetting when placing a filter in between but not when screwing one of the front; your mileage may vary.

Regarding a "good tripod with a fluid head under $200", can't really help there as my personal experience would be that there is no such thing. What kind of things do you plan to shoot? I am admittedly biased, but don't think such a thing can be had for under $800. An acceptable one can probably be had for under $300.

I got a Bogen/Manfrotto 3221WN tripod and 501 head several years ago and was happy with it until I wanted smoother motion for shots at max telephoto. They seem to have changed model numbers since then, but this is the same model which currently sells for $274 at B&H: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...#goto_itemInfo. It includes a nice soft carrying bag. I replaced the video head on mine with a "3D" head and now use it for still photography, often hiking around the woods with it. I would not really consider this "lightweight", but anything lighter won't get you a very solid platform for your camera.

Congratulations on your new camera, and welcome to our forum! Will look forward to hearing your impressions once you've had a chance to put your new kit through its paces.

They also sell the same model with a couple less expensive "micro fluid heads". Before getting my 501 (aka 3433) I had one of these cheap heads and found it totally unacceptable - ended up giving it away to a friend. The same tripod with one of these can save you maybe $40 but isn't worth it IMO.

Thanks for the info.

90% of my shoots will be outdoors, in different countries/places, so I need a light tripod:)

I am not sure what you mean by matching the filters with the WA? I plan to use the WA about 75% of the time, so you suggest in getting filters and put them in FRONT on the WA ?

Well you can get all sorts of very lightweight tripods, but they will be shaky and the movement will not be all that smooth. You'll have to be the judge as to whether this is acceptable based on what you're trying to accomplish. For example, a locked down shot may be fine with a cheap tripod.

Like I said, lenses from different manufacturers are different. Some may vignette with filters placed between the adaptor and camera, others may not. The lens I use does vignette with a filter under it. Without any experience using the lens you mention I really can't answer your question. On some other lenses a filter in front of the WA may cause vignetting. And some lenses don't even have front threads.

But my real question is, which filters do you think you need, or are you buying them "just in case"? Obviously it wouldn't make sense to put a UV filter under the WA since its main use is to protect the lens.

Using the WA 75% of the time seems a little extreme to me personally, but I don't know what you're shooting. Personally I only use the WA adaptor when shooting full wide, or close to it. But if you're really using it 75% of the time then you might just want to skip the 37mm filters and buy some to fit in front of the WA - provided they don't vignette. When evaluating this, remember that both the viewfinder and LCD screen on the PDX-10 overscan significantly and any vignetting probably won't be visible. You need to look at your footage on a pro monitor with underscan, on the computer monitor with your NLE, or on some other device that shows the full frame.

Good luck with your new gear.