What was your first camera, and what camera do you recommend for new videographers?

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QuaggyMy first camera was a Cannon T4i that I forgot to return to the media department and they never came lookin'... I've since fallen out of videography/photography, but the key to using a camera on the mountain is keeping the battery warm. Those dry chemical hardwares you shake taped to an external battery do wonders to improve the battery life on the hill.
I've heard good things about the Panasonic HVX200, or the Panasonic Lumix gh3/gh4.
You also can't go wrong with almost any Sony Handycam and a FAT external battery

ill have to look into that dry chem stuff... do you think a 30k milliamp battery is enough? i have 1 already maybe ill get a 2nd

Sep 18 2023 9:18AM

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hi_vis360I have a Sony handycam and the battery holds up in the cold pretty well, I used it when it was -20 f last season

dang -20f and it still held up? ill check it out! how good is the resoltion?

Sep 18 2023 9:19AM

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milo-mcsenderson

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I absolutely love my HVX200, it's a heavy fucker but you can get 'em increasingly cheap these days, P2 cards less so. Damn they are heavy though.

There are other better and more practical options out there but I love filming with the prosumer HVX and a knock-off Opteka. Batteries are super good imo as well.

Sep 18 2023 11:11AM

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Another Obligatory Panasonic recommendation. I have an HMC150, it’s like the HVX200 above but a bit newer and films onto SD cards which is nice. The batteries are absolute tanks. Never seen anything like it. I’ll have it out in the cold all damn day and not even have to grab a new battery.

Sep 18 2023 12:04PM

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Hell yeah, I'm going to make a list and then do some research while I work tonight. Most people edit on Mac correct? Not really in the budget to get a new laptop

weastcoatAnother Obligatory Panasonic recommendation. I have an HMC150, it’s like the HVX200 above but a bit newer and films onto SD cards which is nice. The batteries are absolute tanks. Never seen anything like it. I’ll have it out in the cold all damn day and not even have to grab a new battery.

Sep 18 2023 12:09PM

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doctordeeHell yeah, I'm going to make a list and then do some research while I work tonight. Most people edit on Mac correct? Not really in the budget to get a new laptop

Honestly you don’t need a mac to edit. All you need is some decent software like Premiere pro or davinci or something.

also my one buddy uses a Sony Cx405. Cheap ass camera with some really quality film and zoom. You can cop extra batteries for it too he’s always praising the battery life on them even tho they’re kinda micro lol.

Sep 18 2023 1:26PM

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Heard. I'll check it out

weastcoatHonestly you don’t need a mac to edit. All you need is some decent software like Premiere pro or davinci or something.

also my one buddy uses a Sony Cx405. Cheap ass camera with some really quality film and zoom. You can cop extra batteries for it too he’s always praising the battery life on them even tho they’re kinda micro lol.

Sep 18 2023 7:03PM

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hi_vis360

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doctordeedang -20f and it still held up? ill check it out! how good is the resoltion?

All my recent content is filmed on it if you want to know what it looks like. It’s super fun and easy to film with and I edit with iMovie. Got the cam at Walmart lol, I have a very low effort ethos to content creation, it makes it more fun I think

Sep 18 2023 7:25PM

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skiP.E.I.

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I started with a canon point and shoot that had a video setting.
Now I mostly use a DSLR- Nikon D800 which I have anyway for photography. I like the footage I get with the D800 using old manual lenses.

Sep 18 2023 10:05PM

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skiP.E.I.

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QuaggyI've heard good things about the Panasonic HVX200, or the Panasonic Lumix gh3/gh4.
You also can't go wrong with almost any Sony Handycam and a FAT external battery

GH3 with manual Nikon lenses is magic. It's also a compact, cost-effective option.

Sep 18 2023 10:07PM

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johnblaze

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Sep 19 2023 10:39AM

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Thegenericskier

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Sep 19 2023 11:35AM

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My first camera I owned was this hilarious JVCHD camera that shot 720p 60fps, it had a servo zoom, etc but the record button broke, so I bought an hvx200 the next year (2008).

I'd recommend a mirrorless camera like a sony a6000 or panasonic gh5 for a first camera, but honestly, a phone is better than most cheaper options like a gopro or dad cam.

Sep 19 2023 1:47PM

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fabbe

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Sep 19 2023 3:36PM

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LOL straight outta 2007

johnblaze

Sep 19 2023 8:48PM

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johnblaze

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doctordeeLOL straight outta 2007

Closer to 2001

Sep 20 2023 10:33AM

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Agate420

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milo-mcsendersonI absolutely love my HVX200, it's a heavy fucker but you can get 'em increasingly cheap these days, P2 cards less so. Damn they are heavy though.

There are other better and more practical options out there but I love filming with the prosumer HVX and a knock-off Opteka. Batteries are super good imo as well.

How much footage can be stored on the P2 cards? I’m tryna get a HVX200 before ski season but i have no idea what a P2 card is or how many i will need. I plan on putting all the clips filmed on a hard drive everyday after skiing. Would a 32gb card be good for like 4 hours of footage?

Sep 20 2023 6:12PM

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Agate420How much footage can be stored on the P2 cards? I’m tryna get a HVX200 before ski season but i have no idea what a P2 card is or how many i will need. I plan on putting all the clips filmed on a hard drive everyday after skiing. Would a 32gb card be good for like 4 hours of footage?

Probably, but I would recommend getting a hmc150 that looks the same and uses sd cards.

Sep 20 2023 10:24PM

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Agate420How much footage can be stored on the P2 cards? I’m tryna get a HVX200 before ski season but i have no idea what a P2 card is or how many i will need. I plan on putting all the clips filmed on a hard drive everyday after skiing. Would a 32gb card be good for like 4 hours of footage?

P2 cards are usually either 16GB or 32GB. More than enough space as long as you clear clips every couple days you’re filming.

I have an hmc150 and the max it can take on an sd card is 32GB and it’s plenty.

Sep 21 2023 7:05AM

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milo-mcsenderson

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Agate420How much footage can be stored on the P2 cards? I’m tryna get a HVX200 before ski season but i have no idea what a P2 card is or how many i will need. I plan on putting all the clips filmed on a hard drive everyday after skiing. Would a 32gb card be good for like 4 hours of footage?

I've found that 32GB suits for a day of fairly constant filming generally, I think I've had my cam ready to go with around an hours worth of footy, in terms of P2 capacity, and rarely broken half of that even on big days skiing. It sounds like less than it is when you think the average ski clip you'll use isn't that many seconds. I've never had to be that careful with deleting clips or anything, so while P2 isn't cheap it's not awful, you need less than you think.

@eheath is right about the HMC though, if it's in your budget/you find a good deal I wouldn't hesitate on that, weighs significantly less, SD files are way easier to deal with and it's better in low light. I love my HVX and wouldn't change it for the world, it's built like a tank and there's a certain je nais sais quoi about the HVX's grain/footy but the HMC will be better in the long run... proabably.

Sep 21 2023 12:27PM

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milo-mcsendersonI've found that 32GB suits for a day of fairly constant filming generally, I think I've had my cam ready to go with around an hours worth of footy, in terms of P2 capacity, and rarely broken half of that even on big days skiing. It sounds like less than it is when you think the average ski clip you'll use isn't that many seconds. I've never had to be that careful with deleting clips or anything, so while P2 isn't cheap it's not awful, you need less than you think.

@eheath is right about the HMC though, if it's in your budget/you find a good deal I wouldn't hesitate on that, weighs significantly less, SD files are way easier to deal with and it's better in low light. I love my HVX and wouldn't change it for the world, it's built like a tank and there's a certain je nais sais quoi about the HVX's grain/footy but the HMC will be better in the long run... proabably.

Its certainly usable, but I think most people just want a HVX because its a HVX, most don't understand the nuances of p2 and the workflow.

Sep 21 2023 12:29PM

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Agate420

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weastcoatP2 cards are usually either 16GB or 32GB. More than enough space as long as you clear clips every couple days you’re filming.

I have an hmc150 and the max it can take on an sd card is 32GB and it’s plenty.

I might honestly just save money and get a hmc150, Lenses for the hvx200 are hella expensive and so are the p2 cards.

Sep 21 2023 2:10PM

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milo-mcsenderson

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eheathIts certainly usable, but I think most people just want a HVX because its a HVX, most don't understand the nuances of p2 and the workflow.

100% it's an HVX isn't really a reason to buy one over an HMC. I bought mine on an impulse while on a trip for NS in 2022 seeing the likes of Magnus Nørsteng, Espen, and Dani Bacher filming with them and was sold on it from conversations. More research and I may have gone for the HMC.

I would love to upgrade to an HMC but also might get a camera made in this decade at some point. Not to hijack the thread but what cameras do you like that are prosumer and have an HVX/HMC feel that are modern?

P2 workflow/file organisation is a PITA to say the least, especially having to name/organise everything in your editing software and having all real files with random names. SD files are SO much simpler to work with.

Agate420I might honestly just save money and get a hmc150, Lenses for the hvx200 are hella expensive and so are the p2 cards.

To this point, they're similar in price these days, shop around and look for a good deal on either. I don't know your budget so can't recommend based on that. I have a couple of P2 cards I could part with if you went down that route.

Re: lenses you probably want to go with one of these with whatever filter thread you need, HVX is 72mm for 16x9 fisheye with an 82-72mm step down and 52mm for 4:3 HD fisheye (similar to Magnus Nørsteng's vibe in cuts like his Kimbo one although he shoots SD on an HVX). It's about 240CAD and basically an Opteka, don't get an Xtreme unless you have fuck you money and the Opteka knockoff is perfectly servable. I use a 72mm but want a 52mm for that 4:3 fish.

Any more Qs let me know! Love nerding out about this shit.

Sep 21 2023 2:57PM

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milo-mcsendersonI would love to upgrade to an HMC but also might get a camera made in this decade at some point. Not to hijack the thread but what cameras do you like that are prosumer and have an HVX/HMC feel that are modern?

Like a modern servo zoom camera? there are some dope 4k ones these days, not sure what theyre called but both sony and panasonic make them, if I bought a camera to film skiing right now it would be a blackmagic pocket cine 6k, but thats not the feel of a HVX haha.

Sep 21 2023 2:59PM

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What are some pros / cons of p2 vs HVX?

eheathIts certainly usable, but I think most people just want a HVX because its a HVX, most don't understand the nuances of p2 and the workflow.

Sep 21 2023 6:46PM

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LukasSchroeder

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doctordeeWhat are some pros / cons of p2 vs HVX?

P2 is the digital media storage card for the hvx. Its basically an SSD, so its durable and reliable with the ability to handle the high-ish bitrate of the camera.
The cons are the file structure. Someone can correct or add on as I've never used one, but the file names suck, and I believe it splits the audio and video into different folders which are linked with .xml's - seems a bit annoying to work with for someone who knows what they're doing, and potentially awful for someone brand new

Sep 25 2023 10:10PM

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Woody.

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eheathLike a modern servo zoom camera? there are some dope 4k ones these days, not sure what theyre called but both sony and panasonic make them, if I bought a camera to film skiing right now it would be a blackmagic pocket cine 6k, but thats not the feel of a HVX haha.

panasonic makes the hc-x1 which is a super dope 4k servo zoom cam. The sony hxr-200 is pretty dope too.

Oct 2 2023 12:00PM

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Woody.

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doctordeeWhile I am not super good at jumps or rail tricks yet, my buddy is! I want to record him and make a movie! However the Battery on my phone goes down 40% every time I finish one slope, so its not viable at all.... what's your first and what's your favorite camera to record with?

**This thread was edited on Sep 17th 2023 at 10:55:42pm

I would definitely recommend the hmc-40. I ran that all of last year and it was super dope. You can get it for cheaper than a hmc-150 and its more or less the same camera. It shoots the same resolution at 720 p60 and has scene files too to get that quintessential panasonic look. super small compared to hvx or hmc which is dope for follow cams and transportation. super user friendly. only downside imo is the zoom but if your planning on just shooting park or street it'd be fine. you can just throw on a opteka fisheye for like 150$ and you got a dialed setup. For battery i had two big ones that were more than enough. 100% recommend as a first cam

Oct 2 2023 12:06PM

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LukasSchroederP2 is the digital media storage card for the hvx. Its basically an SSD, so its durable and reliable with the ability to handle the high-ish bitrate of the camera.
The cons are the file structure. Someone can correct or add on as I've never used one, but the file names suck, and I believe it splits the audio and video into different folders which are linked with .xml's - seems a bit annoying to work with for someone who knows what they're doing, and potentially awful for someone brand new

in 2006 it was the fastest storage that existed for cameras, now day there are SD cards that are 100x faster and can be 1TB, etc so these pros are basically worthless now.

the file structure is ass and makes zero sense for any modern workflow, the tech to import is limited and you need very specific firewire (old af) connection or PCI express, etc its just super expensive, super inconvenient and not worth using in 2023.

Oct 2 2023 12:15PM

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Christian_Bale

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doctordeeWhat are some pros / cons of p2 vs HVX?

Main con is really the price. P2 cards have been out of production for a while. Believe it or not, they're actually cheaper than they used to be, but they're hella expensive and not that common. Not to mention they're specific to certain cameras, most notably the hvx and hpx, whereas SD cards are cheaper and can be used with a variety of cameras.

Second con is the fact that the files get split up into video and separate audio channels. I don't name my clips, and premiere automatically links them together, so I don't have an issue with it but I can see why people do.

Importing from p2 cards is not difficult. It's not exactly quick but you don't need a firewire cable, only a usb 2.0 cable, and maybe a usb C cable depending on what laptop you have.

The objective cons of an hvx are the weight (largely due to tapedeck), the media, and the sensor, which does not do particularly well in low light situations, although some hvxs do have an upgraded sensor.

The quality of the image is a pro or a con depending on your perspective. If 720 60p is not enough for you (understandable) then it's not the right camera for you. If, however, you like the way the footage looks and you don't mind dealing with the cons, then it might be the right camera.

The main pros of the camera are that it's relatively cheap and pretty easy to operate. If you like how HVX footage looks, don't mind dealing with the cons, then I do recommend it. Especially if you can find a decent deal.

Oct 3 2023 12:30PM

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Christian_Bale

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weastcoatP2 cards are usually either 16GB or 32GB. More than enough space as long as you clear clips every couple days you’re filming.

I have an hmc150 and the max it can take on an sd card is 32GB and it’s plenty.

I think the hmc compresses the files more than the hvx so they take up less space. I think you'd want a 64gb P2 (or two 32 GB cards) for a full day of filming with an hvx.

Oct 3 2023 12:38PM

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Christian_BaleI think the hmc compresses the files more than the hvx so they take up less space. I think you'd want a 64gb P2 (or two 32 GB cards) for a full day of filming with an hvx.

Didn’t even know that, good intel. Another reason for me to love my hmc lol

Oct 3 2023 12:41PM

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