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Format Wars

Jul 1, 2003 12:00 PM

I was just reading Bill Miller's column on the format wars (“Looking Over the Horizon,” May 2003). I shoot for TV magazine shows, national and international news, large corporations, and satellite uplinks.

Most of my customers are still shooting on Beta SP. Once in a while, someone asks for MiniDV or DVCAM. With the Sony DXC-D35, I just pop on the DSR-1 if I need DVCAM. If they ask for MiniDV, I have my own solution. I mount a MiniDV camera on top of my D35 and use it as a recorder. They get MiniDV, and I get the controls I'm used to. And I don't have to drop $5K to $10K on a full-blown MiniDV camera.

I'll be using Beta SP until they stop asking for it. And, much to Sony's displeasure, I think that will be for a while. Digital Beta is just too expensive. I'm totally tired of the format wars. I wish they could all come to a single format for professional gear. I don't want to see another VHS/Beta outcome in the consumer market either. We are losing precious dollars and time while Sony, JVC, and the others fight for dominance.
Scott M. Douglas
Director of photography
Douglas Technical
Services

Shoot Betacam? Sure

I just read Bill Miller's column in the May issue of Video Systems. Here are my thoughts as a 28-year veteran shooter/editor/producer.

I currently work for a large corporation. We spend money on equipment when we need to, and just faced a camera upgrade. We chose to move to a single unit, DVCAM. We had a Sony UVW-100 with a cheap lens. It worked fine; the lens was the weakest part. But the cost to upgrade the lens was only slightly less than a new Ikegami HL-7WS camera with lens. We use Final Cut Pro and have DVCAM decks, so the choice was simple.

However, we still have Betacam SP decks. So would I hire a freelancer with a Betacam camcorder to shoot for us? Sure, although I would prefer DVCAM. For example, we recently needed to hire a crew in Miami. We found an independent crew with a dockable camera. Normally this guy keeps a Betacam SP deck mounted on the back, but he does own a DVCAM dockable deck. He switched them out.

He told me that when faced with a possible upgrade to digital, he chose to keep his perfectly good three-chip camera and broadcast Canon lens and just put a few dollars into the dockable deck instead. He'll use this until he is forced to upgrade to a new format — HD or whatever comes next. That seemed to be a win-win for all of us.
Dave Stanton
Videographer/editor
Nationwide Insurance

Advice on a First Camera

I will be purchasing a DV camera this summer and am looking for advice. The big buzz right now is about the 24p Panasonic AG-DVX100. I am partial to the Canon XL-1 because of its interchangeable lens capabilities.

But I am only 16 years old and new to the field. There are many aspects of the camera decision-making process I don't yet understand. I will initially be making short “student” films that will go through post on a PC using Sonic Foundry's Vegas 4.0, then be uploaded to the Web or dubbed to VHS. However, I don't want the gear to preclude my ability to move toward film festival-quality submissions.

If you were a 16-year-old guy who had one shot at buying a camera that could scale up to a near-pro setup, and would need to function as your sole camera for five or more years, what would you do? I have about $5,000, and will be needing everything in the way of microphones, lenses, DATs, etc.
Evan Peters

Steve Mullen responds: Despite current interest in 24p and HD, you'll be able to work in DV for the next five years. You should reserve at least $1,000 for high-quality wireless mics and a good shotgun mic. You should also buy a lightweight, portable lighting kit. So that leaves you with about $3,500 for a camcorder.

If you're going to do most of the shooting on a tripod, the Canon XL-1s is a fine choice. If you want a true shoulder camcorder, I'd look at Sony's DSR250. However, unless you find a really good deal on the DSR250, it's out of your price range. But you can get essentially the same image and sound from a DSRPD150. And, if you need to save money, the VX2000 is a great choice.

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