Evil: Another Phong/Dalton A/V Thread

[Dalton]

They are good, my dad has a C-3040Z and it takes great pictures (though obviously not up to par with something like a Canon EOS-10D)

Incidentally, Ali said that a friend of his is selling a Canon XL1S digital video camera (Pretty sure it's DVC-PRO...) with some accessories for 4 grand.

[phongn]

They are good, my dad has a C-3040Z and it takes great pictures (though obviously not up to par with something like a Canon EOS-10D)

Incidentally, Ali said that a friend of his is selling a Canon XL1S digital video camera (Pretty sure it's DVC-PRO...) with some accessories for 4 grand.

XL1S is straight miniDV. But an XL1S + accessories (and presumable a lens) for only $4000? That's a damn good deal!

[Dalton]

XL1S is straight miniDV. But an XL1S + accessories (and presumable a lens) for only $4000? That's a damn good deal!

*digs through log*

-Canon XL-1S with original box, all original manuals and cables.
-3 Hour Canon Battery
-MA-100 Adapter (for 3 pin audio connections)
-Custom case designed specifically to house the camera, unlike a generic camera case.

[phongn]

XL1S is straight miniDV. But an XL1S + accessories (and presumable a lens) for only $4000? That's a damn good deal!

*digs through log*

-Canon XL-1S with original box, all original manuals and cables.
-3 Hour Canon Battery
-MA-100 Adapter (for 3 pin audio connections)
-Custom case designed specifically to house the camera, unlike a generic camera case.

Nice. I still wonder why Canon doesn't just make the XLR input standard, though. I never had the chance to play with either the XL1 or XL1S, but I've seen them at the Florida Scholastic Press Assocation conference (my high school used to do it until the head guy went in for heart surgery). They looked quite good (especially on a Steadicam )

My experience with shoulder-mount cameras is more or less limited to the Panasonic AG-456 (evil...and I saw them around USF and actually shuddered) and the Sony DSR-200 (quite nice, even if they suck tons of pwoer).

[Dalton]

Nice. I still wonder why Canon doesn't just make the XLR input standard, though. I never had the chance to play with either the XL1 or XL1S, but I've seen them at the Florida Scholastic Press Assocation conference (my high school used to do it until the head guy went in for heart surgery). They looked quite good (especially on a Steadicam )

The XLR isn't standard on a Canon?

My experience with shoulder-mount cameras is more or less limited to the Panasonic AG-456 (evil...and I saw them around USF and actually shuddered) and the Sony DSR-200 (quite nice, even if they suck tons of pwoer).

456?! Agh! Evil!!!! I've had to wrestle with both 456s and 460s. One of the better Panasonic SVHS cams I've used was the Supercam. I've also used their DVC-PRO cams (not sure of the model numbers).

I've heard of DSRs but never actually used them. What format are they?

[phongn]

Nice. I still wonder why Canon doesn't just make the XLR input standard, though. I never had the chance to play with either the XL1 or XL1S, but I've seen them at the Florida Scholastic Press Assocation conference (my high school used to do it until the head guy went in for heart surgery). They looked quite good (especially on a Steadicam )

The XLR isn't standard on a Canon?

Alas, no. That's what the MA-100 and MA-200 (the latter has four XLR connections) are for.

My experience with shoulder-mount cameras is more or less limited to the Panasonic AG-456 (evil...and I saw them around USF and actually shuddered) and the Sony DSR-200 (quite nice, even if they suck tons of pwoer).

456?! Agh! Evil!!!! I've had to wrestle with both 456s and 460s. One of the better Panasonic SVHS cams I've used was the Supercam. I've also used their DVC-PRO cams (not sure of the model numbers).

Our AG-456s were the models without XLR, so we had to use an adapter cable for our mics. Those stupid minijack connectors always failed after a few months and we'd have to play with the camera to get it to work. (The less experienced who didn't check levels would sometimes come back with no audio(!)) Their built-in mic wind atennuator would fall off (out comes the gaff tape), the white balancing sucked...ugh.

Actually, the worse thing I had to see was at USF; some people were being interviewed but the camera crew was doing it in a massively-shaded area (open-walk area between four buildings with on over-roof). No lighting at all! I was shocked at that.

I've heard of DSRs but never actually used them. What format are they?

DVCAM. Similar to Panasonic's DVCPRO (locked audio and all that goodness).

[Dalton]

The XLR isn't standard on a Canon?

Alas, no. That's what the MA-100 and MA-200 (the latter has four XLR connections) are for.

How annoying...

Our AG-456s were the models without XLR, so we had to use an adapter cable for our mics. Those stupid minijack connectors always failed after a few months and we'd have to play with the camera to get it to work. (The less experienced who didn't check levels would sometimes come back with no audio(!)) Their built-in mic wind atennuator would fall off (out comes the gaff tape), the white balancing sucked...ugh.

I share your pain. We had the same exact cameras

Actually, the worse thing I had to see was at USF; some people were being interviewed but the camera crew was doing it in a massively-shaded area (open-walk area between four buildings with on over-roof). No lighting at all! I was shocked at that.

No lighting?! Ouch!

DVCAM. Similar to Panasonic's DVCPRO (locked audio and all that goodness).

Oh yes, DVCAM. I've heard of that format. DVC-PRO decks can play those tapes as well as MiniDV (with an adapter).

[phongn]

The XLR isn't standard on a Canon?

Alas, no. That's what the MA-100 and MA-200 (the latter has four XLR connections) are for.

How annoying...

Very. Apparently the stock case can't hold the camera with it attatched, either, since it juts out too far. A useful device, true, but it really should be built-in, considering it's target market.

Our AG-456s were the models without XLR, so we had to use an adapter cable for our mics. Those stupid minijack connectors always failed after a few months and we'd have to play with the camera to get it to work. (The less experienced who didn't check levels would sometimes come back with no audio(!)) Their built-in mic wind atennuator would fall off (out comes the gaff tape), the white balancing sucked...ugh.

I share your pain. We had the same exact cameras

Luckily we ditched them for the far-superior DSR-PD150 (and never used manual audio gain, so we didn't fall prey to the infamous "the noise levels are hideous" flaw). OTOH, the lack of a shoulder mount was troublesome, hand-cameras (especially one that large) being inherently less stable.

We had a single Steadicam Jr., but that required quite a bit of training to use right.

Actually, the worse thing I had to see was at USF; some people were being interviewed but the camera crew was doing it in a massively-shaded area (open-walk area between four buildings with on over-roof). No lighting at all! I was shocked at that.

No lighting?! Ouch!

Well, the bit of natural light that reflected in from outdoors...I hope they got chewed out for that. We were often screamed at in CATCOM for doing something similar.

DVCAM. Similar to Panasonic's DVCPRO (locked audio and all that goodness).

Oh yes, DVCAM. I've heard of that format. DVC-PRO decks can play those tapes as well as MiniDV (with an adapter).

[/quote]

Yeah. They're close enough to each other; we mostly used DVCAM (though sometimes I'd use my dad's 1CCD camera with miniDV).

[Dalton]

Very. Apparently the stock case can't hold the camera with it attatched, either, since it juts out too far. A useful device, true, but it really should be built-in, considering it's target market.

Yeah, tell me about it. Though the XL1S does break down into separate components, IIRC.

Luckily we ditched them for the far-superior DSR-PD150 (and never used manual audio gain, so we didn't fall prey to the infamous "the noise levels are hideous" flaw). OTOH, the lack of a shoulder mount was troublesome, hand-cameras (especially one that large) being inherently less stable.

No shoulder mount on that? I hope you at least had sticks.

We had a single Steadicam Jr., but that required quite a bit of training to use right.

Wish we had one of those mofos.

Well, the bit of natural light that reflected in from outdoors...I hope they got chewed out for that. We were often screamed at in CATCOM for doing something similar.

And with good reason! I hope you didn't shoot under fluorescent lights too much either.

Yeah. They're close enough to each other; we mostly used DVCAM (though sometimes I'd use my dad's 1CCD camera with miniDV).

Ew, 1CCD?

[phongn]

Yeah, tell me about it. Though the XL1S does break down into separate components, IIRC.

Yeah, but that's a PITA. Taking off the shoulder extension, the lens...

No sahhoulder mount on that? I hope you at least had sticks.

Alas, no

Wish we had one of those mofos.

IIRC, we didn't have one, but there are high schools in Florida that have the full steadicam (not the little handheld one).

And with good reason! I hope you didn't shoot under fluorescent lights too much either.

We had little choice in the matter; it was done quite often (esp. for interviews)

Yeah. They're close enough to each other; we mostly used DVCAM (though sometimes I'd use my dad's 1CCD camera with miniDV).

Ew, 1CCD?

We mostly used that camera in outdoor areas, so the lackage of CCDs was not so much of an issue. Indoors, yes, the picture is very grainy (especially in low-light situations like when my dad films christmas...he finally got annoyed and got some cheap Home Depot halogen light sets)

[Coyote]

Heehee!

Look everyone! Technobabble!

[Dalton]

Yeah, but that's a PITA. Taking off the shoulder extension, the lens...

True, true.

No sahhoulder mount on that? I hope you at least had sticks.

Alas, no

*wince* Sounds painful. How heavy were they?

IIRC, we didn't have one, but there are high schools in Florida that have the full steadicam (not the little handheld one).

I envy them. We have a good studio setup, but not that much field equipment.

And with good reason! I hope you didn't shoot under fluorescent lights too much either.

We had little choice in the matter; it was done quite often (esp. for interviews)

I hope you had at least a sungun. Shooting interviews under flories is a pain in the balls.

Ew, 1CCD?

We mostly used that camera in outdoor areas, so the lackage of CCDs was not so much of an issue. Indoors, yes, the picture is very grainy (especially in low-light situations like when my dad films christmas...he finally got annoyed and got some cheap Home Depot halogen light sets)

LOL! How much were they?

[phongn]

Heehee!

Look everyone! Technobabble!

Bah, it makes perfect sense!

[Dalton]

Heehee!

Look everyone! Technobabble!

You do not know the power of the video side.

[phongn]

*wince* Sounds painful.

Wasn't painful...just hard to stabilize.

I hope you had at least a sungun.

Not even that

[Dalton]

Wasn't painful...just hard to stabilize.

Jeez! Sucks. How did you manage?

Not even that

I'm so sorry

[phongn]

Wasn't painful...just hard to stabilize.

Jeez! Sucks. How did you manage?

On way to do it was to attatch it to the tripods (ours were decently weighted) and use inertia to stabilize. A PITA, but it worked.

Not even that

I'm so sorry

We got around it by careful white balancing and post-processing, though (though when we were still using the P166 MJPEG+Premiere boxes that was a coin-toss about whether it'd crash or not)

[Pablo Sanchez]

May God have mercy on you sinners.

[phongn]

May God have mercy on you sinners.

::points a camera at God's face with bright lights while Dalton interviews God and assorted angels for a Man On The Street package::

[Dalton]

On way to do it was to attatch it to the tripods (ours were decently weighted) and use inertia to stabilize. A PITA, but it worked.

As long as you got stable shots.

We got around it by careful white balancing and post-processing, though (though when we were still using the P166 MJPEG+Premiere boxes that was a coin-toss about whether it'd crash or not)

I remember those painful days How far we've come!

[HemlockGrey]

This would be the dark art of cinematograhpy, ne?

Where would I learn?

[Dalton]

This would be the dark art of cinematograhpy, ne?

Where would I learn?

Not cinematography. That's for the artsy fartsy film kids. This is VIDEO!

[HemlockGrey]

Well, hell, I have an interest in film of all sorts. Direct me to the nearest resource, oh TV god.

[phongn]

On way to do it was to attatch it to the tripods (ours were decently weighted) and use inertia to stabilize. A PITA, but it worked.

As long as you got stable shots.

'Tis all that mattered. Though once when we were shooting elsewhere I had to use my dad's friction-head tripod (very light, though) and, well, the results weren't too pretty when we panned.

We got around it by careful white balancing and post-processing, though (though when we were still using the P166 MJPEG+Premiere boxes that was a coin-toss about whether it'd crash or not)

I remember those painful days How far we've come!

Yes. When the Avid boxes came in there was much rejoicing. And when the SCSI drives began failing they was much screaming (it happened here and there for some reason; I fear what happened to CNN since our order was tagged on to it).

[phongn]

This would be the dark art of cinematograhpy, ne?

Where would I learn?

Not cinematography. That's for the artsy fartsy film kids. This is VIDEO!

Well, film does have a better light-capture range than video, but the latter is so much easier to work with. And Lucas's custom 24P HD cameras look decent.