Is it worth it to upgrade to HD now?

B

Boxing Filmmaker

I got myself a DVX100b and I love it. Making films with this camera is fun and the manual controls and quality just make it better. However, I am working on my first feature and will shoot it later this year. I was planning on shooting with my DVX for it. Is that a bad idea? Is SD getting obsolete? Would it be better for me to go the path of HD such as getting a DSLR? I don't know how many film festivals are switching from SD to HD now, but...

Should I upgrade? Do I need to?
 
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It's definitely the time to go HD...you can get some nice starter HD cams for very cheap now'adays. There's no reason *not* to go HD if you're serious about making movies.
 
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I know it's a good time to upgrade to HD, but is it neccessary for film festivals? I still think the DVX can hold it's own when it comes but I would like your opinions. Is it really necessary?

One more question, what kind of HD camera do you guys think you should go for? Canon 7D?
 
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Dunno about festivals , but if you are going the HDSLR way , I can tell you what I have found out
Canon 5D mk2 has the biggest sensor out there,hence it has good low light performance and less noise. But the rolling shutter artifacts are more pronounced. Doesnt do 60p or50p. And there are some issues with external monitor display.(should be sorted out soon with Magic Lantern firmware)
7D is close enough in image quality and is being used on many shows,music videos,etc. Has a smaller sensor , 1.6x crop , so has just a bit more noise and lesser low light performance. Also some people say it has a little more of 'moire' aliasing. But has 60p and 50p. A bit cheaper but you will have to think about the lenses differently , cuz of the smaller sensor.
550D/RebelT2i is cheapest DSLR and very similar to 7D. It doesnt have weather proof body of 7D and also the ISO's jump in multiples of 100...on 7D you can get 100,160,320,etc.

check out Phil Blooms website ,he has impressive footage shot with all three cameras...

My 2 cents...
 
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Thanks. I really do not want to go down the DSLR route, but people are saying I must upgrade to HD now. Im perfectly fine with working with my DVX, but lets say if I did make an amazing film, so amazing it should win a few awards but it was filmed SD by the DVX, not HD, will it be harder to get my movie seen? Will people look down and say ew its SD?
 
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If you're going the DSLR and you are on a budget, get the Canon Rebel T2i --it has an almost identical sensor to the 7D, and it's half the price ($800). Bear in mind, however, that it is set up for mainly video.

As far as festivals...you can submit whatever you want to them. But when an SD film is projected, it always looks like crappy video...to me anyway. I would always suggest HD when projecting. If you are an awesome filmmaker, and can pull all the stops, anything can look great...but when you're competing with folks shooting on Mark IIs and 7Ds and prosumer grade HD cams...your video will stand out like a sore thumb. It's best not to even let the viewer judge you before they get into the film...my two cents.

HD cams are too cheap now'adays to *not* shoot on them. You have to stand out somehow...and if you're not the best filmmaker or cinematographer in the world, an SD production is going to hurt you.
 
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M1chae1 said:
If you're going the DSLR and you are on a budget, get the Canon Rebel T2i --it has an almost identical sensor to the 7D, and it's half the price ($800). Bear in mind, however, that it is set up for mainly video.

As far as festivals...you can submit whatever you want to them. But when an SD film is projected, it always looks like crappy video...to me anyway. I would always suggest HD when projecting. If you are an awesome filmmaker, and can pull all the stops, anything can look great...but when you're competing with folks shooting on Mark IIs and 7Ds and prosumer grade HD cams...your video will stand out like a sore thumb. It's best not to even let the viewer judge you before they get into the film...my two cents.

HD cams are too cheap now'adays to *not* shoot on them. You have to stand out somehow...and if you're not the best filmmaker or cinematographer in the world, an SD production is going to hurt you.
Click to expand...

This post alone convinced me to convert to HD. Im selling my DVX now. Thanks.
 
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