Beach Set-up

[kenm]

Hello all. I've been doing a little bit of research, which is what led me to this forum. Hi!! I will be using the HV20 to shoot video for skimboarders which may end up on a released DVD. For those unfamiliar with the sport, wikipedia has a great explanation. I would like to get your advice on what equipment/filters, etc, would be best to go along with the camera. It will be on the beach, daytime only, and the camera will not go in the water. Would something like a Hoya 43mm Linear Polarizer Glass Filter be good to have? What else to make the beach footage to look great, besides my shooting skills :hv20-smilie02: ? My apologies if any of these questions have been answered, I searched for beach and found only a few things. I really do appreciate it.

[Mal]

Hello and welcome!

Your research is good: that pol. filter is EXACTLY what you will want. It will immensly add to your footage.

Next might be an EXTERNAL microphonem (a must-have if you want to be doing any type of interviewing), a sunshade (matte box), maybe a tripod or monopod, a wide angle lens, and probably a telephoto lens also...

[kenm]

Thanks for the welcome and the info. I read the tripod thread here, some good insight there. Is there a preferred brand to stick with when buying the wide angle, telephoto lenses?

[Mal]

Until other makers (such as Schneider/Century Optics) make lenses for this small diameter size, your best bet is to go with the original Canon ones.
Cheap "eBay" ones with such alluring names as "Titanium", "Pro", and "High Quality" are pretty much all crap.
Although, for your type of video, you may just get away with them, expecially for the wide angle one, if you can mask the crappy quality as artistic, and hip, MTV-super-cool type stuff.
You know, "it's so bad, it HAS to have been done deliberately!"
:)

[kenm]

Thanks Mal. I like it, "artistic" crap or craptistic.. anyway. I plan on shooting in and out of the water not sure if they have sports housing for these yet like the Sony's. Would a polarizing filter be better or a neutral density filter?

[duzzit_madder]

Use them both. ND filters cut the amount of light down without altering the colors. If you need an ND filter because it's too bright and you need a polarizer to kill the glare off the water then you'll need to stack them.