What do I NEED to know before buying a HV30?
Sorry for the noobie question but.. I've gone through all the FAQ's and searched around the forum and on other websites to learn as much as I can about the HV30. What are the essentials that i'll need to know about before buying one? I'm going to be purchasing the PAL version as I live in the UK.
Also, what basic equipment will I need? I'll get a tripod and a mic, what else would I need as a beginner? (Matte box, DOF adapter etc.)
Thank you!
A beginner needs only a camera. Spend some time with it learning how to use the various settings in different situations. You will eventually figure out what you need based on your skills getting better. It's best to buy things as you need them rather than to buy a bunch of stuff all at once you may or may not need. It will all depend on what you plan on shooting. You may find you do almost all your shooting handheld in casual situations and don't really need a tripod (although having one is a good idea). Most people don't need an auxiliary mic (I don't). A wide angle lens adapter is nice, but some live without one. Just invest some time mastering the camera before you invest in accessories. You may find your needs change once you have a better command of the camera.
I'd say they only thing you need is a computer with firewire. Don't get too hung up on gear.
I asked this question because someone warned me not to buy the camera until I knew a lot about it because its quite expensive. (well for me it is).Originally Posted by CycleWriter
I'll definately be getting a tripod and I don't think i'll be working with mic's either because everything will be backed with music/sound effects. Thanks for the advice
Can anyone suggest things that I need to know about the camera? (frame rate etc.)
Spend some time reading the FAQs and Stickies, but until you actually have a camera in your hand with the manual and can play with it, you'll be somewhat lost. The best teacher is trying different things (settings, shooting modes, light situations) and seeing the instant results from your experimentation. Also, don't get all caught up in the 24p and 35mm adapter stuff. They have specific applications and require a serious investment in time and money, not to mention computer resources and skills. They aren't necessary for shooting good video.
Sounds good. 24p (25p in my case) sounds appealing because of the 'cine'-look. I still dont fully understand the whole interlaces and progressive thing but i'm still learning. Thanks for that
what Accessories should i get??
Howdy Yall,
I have been looking on the hv20 forums for a while now, felt I needed to ask a question even with researching and looking things up. I'm going to buy a Canon Vixia HV30 for projects, sports, Interviewing and soon to be TV show for school. what I need to help with is what Accessories should I get now, what ones should I hold off on till I get more money for them. Here's the item's I think I would need. Please tell me what you guys think. The price range is $1,236.25. I know it's not very much but its what i got at the moment.
Impact #700 3-Section Tripod with 3-Way Pan/Tilt Head $29.95
Delkin Devices MiniSDHC Card - 4GB -$22.95
Garfield Headphone Softie - Earpad Covers - Black -$15.95
Sennheiser HD 202 Circumaural Closed Headphones -$ 29.95
Impact UF-C30 Ultra Fast 30 Minute Battery Charger with Plate B Kit -$ 64.95
Rode Dead Cat Wind Muff- $39.00
Tiffen 43mm Haze-1 Glass Filter-$ 9.95
Panasonic AY-DVM63HD 63 Minute Mini DV Tape- $ 7.99
Canon BP-2L24H Battery Pack for the HG-10- $ 99.95
Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone-$149.00
Canon VIXIA HV30 HDV Camcorder-$ 699.95
Thanks
-Ryan
Hi Brisk, and welcome to you.
Some Lighting for your interviews?
Veg.
Thanks,Lighting would be good to use but depends how good the lighting is and the price.
-Ryan
Last edited by Brisk; 2008 October 12th at 17:27.
"The more you know sometimes helps"-Ryan
Yep!
So what lighting would you suggest veg? I also looked around hv20 forums, wondered if I need a wide lens. I know it makes the picture better but should i get it now with the other Items I think i need or wait?
"The more you know sometimes helps"-Ryan
You must not have looked around very much. Almost everything on your list has a thread or two going on about it. As for what you need, only you can answer that. We have no idea what you'll be shooting, how you'll edit it, or how you plan to exhibit your finished work. I suggest you spend more time reading the Accessories forum and doing some searches. In the meantime, I am moving your thread to another similar one. Welcome to the forum.
These two point out the need for you to spend more time reading/searching the forums. That tripod is crap. Not very sturdy and the head is not a fluid head. As for the memory card, the HVs are only approved by Canon for 2gb cards. A 4gb card may work, but is not guaranteed. You could lose photos from write/read errors and it may not initialize properly in the camera.
Yes I know the tripod is crap but I need something good but cheap, I have looked on the forums for tripods and most are out of my price range. Now the memory card is something I did not know so thanks for that. I know there are better types of tripods that are from $300-1,000+. I may go with a crap tripod till I can get a better one.
Last edited by Brisk; 2008 October 13th at 14:40.
"The more you know sometimes helps"-Ryan
A crap tripod is simply a crap tripod. You will regret the purchase almost immediately, and you will only use it the first time. A Velbon DV-7000 is not crap and costs only $110 before shipping.
Yes the Velbon DV-7000 is a great tripod, I have looked and found a model from Velbon that I am going to get. I found the Velbon CX-570 Tripod, it seems to be good. I will likely upgrade later on.
"The more you know sometimes helps"-Ryan
When you practice shooting, one important thing to get hands-on experience with is coping with different lighting. One particularly difficult lighting challenge is a bright background. If you don't know how to deal with this, your shots will look horrible. Your subject will be very dark and will be very disappointing to look at. You usually have two choices - let the background be burned out or pick a different camera angle if possible so that the bright background isn't an issue.
An example of this problem is an interior shoot with bright open windows on one side and a wall on the other side. When possible, it's best to use a camera angle so that the interior wall is the background, not the window. When you have no choice, make sure the exposure is correct for the subject and let the background be too bright.
Well I ordered my Canon HV30, it should be here by the 27th. I can't wait to test it out and such.
"The more you know sometimes helps"-Ryan
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