How important is format & camera?

Today’s post was supposed to be a comparison of the hottest HD camera on the market. Namely, the Canon XL H1, the JVC GY-HD110U, the Panasonic AG-HVX200 and the Sony HVR-Z1U. The idea was to see which company’s camera is the best in the explosive HD Market and ultimately which camera is the best for independent filmmakers.

But after much reading and researching what I came away with was this: the camera doesn’t matter. You read right. It doesn’t matter. What matters is the quality of your work, your creativity and your natural talent. Let’s be real, some very successful directors have shot their first films on, for lack of a better phrasing, rinky-dink cameras. Craig Brewer, the director of Hustle and Flow shot his first film on Digi8 and the Oscar nominated director of Capote, Bennett Miller, shot his first film on MiniDV.

Now don’t get me wrong. If you’re doing work for big commercial houses, or marketing/advertising firms, then yes, you will probably need to have the latest equipment. But as I pointed out in an earlier post until you have steady work, and even after you’re established, renting has massive benefits over owning.

And if you’re a starving, independent filmmaker, just starting out it is in your best interest to get an older model camera such as a Panasonic AG-DVX100A or a Cannon XLS because you can find them used for cheap and they will work just fine in helping you get your first film shot and ready for viewing. You can also find rental cameras at places like DVrental.com or a host of camera rental locations on either coast.

With that information in mind here are the specs and pricing for the markets top HD cameras:

Canon XL H1 – online $ 7,999.95
3 - 1/3", 16:9 CCDs
1.67M pixels each (1440 x 1080 effective per CCD)
DIGIC DV II HD DSP for HD video and stills
HDV/DV, 4 pin; HDV format (MPEG2 TS),
SD format DV stream, possible to downconvert
HDV to SD stream






JVC GY-H D110U – online $6,550.00
Full High Definition (HD) progressive recording at 24 frames per second
Compact shoulder style for stability, comfort and mobility
Three newly developed 1/3-inch CCDs with 1280 x 720 (square) pixels
Interchangeable lenses with standard 1/3-inch bayonet mount
Rugged die-cast body
16X Fujinon newly developed ProHD lens included
User adjustable HD Focus Assist makes focusing faster and more precise
Live 720/60P analog component output (4:2:2 equivalent)
Dual Media option (record to disk and tape simultaneously)
XLR Audio inputs (x2)
Extensive user adjustable parameters can be stored on SD memory card
Spectacular standard definition performance, too! — records on MiniDV tape
HDV™/DV Format


Panasonic AG-HVX200 – U.S. List Price $5,995.00
C-Net Editors Choice Award Winner
1/3" 3-CCD 16:9 HD/DVCPRO/DV
Cinema P2 Camera with
CineSwitchTM Technology,
CineGammaTM Software and IEEE
1394 Interface.


Sony HVR-Z1U – $5,946.00 U.S. List Price
1/3" type x3, 16:9 Super HAD CCDs
High quality 12X optical zoom Carl Zeiss
Vario-Sonnar T* lens. F4.5 to 54.0mm
F1.6 at 2.4mm; filter diameter 72mm
Total pixels: approx. 1.12M pixels;
effective pixels: approx. 1.04M pixels
DV/DVCAM Rec. 48KHz/16 bit, 32KHz 12 bit;
HDV Rec.: MPEG-1 Audio Layer II

Why rent your equipment?

Your losing money if you don't rent your equipment out
If you find yourself with a lot of camera equipment lying around and no projects to shoot and you can't think of what to do with it all, renting your equipment may be the answer you've been looking for.

The premise is simple: You've got camera equipment you're not using. There are other people who have a project but no equipment. So, for a fee you determine, you rent them your equipment and voila, what was once sitting around collecting dust is now a nice revenue stream.

Don't know where to begin? Not a problem. Getting started is easy. DVrental.com offers a fast, easy and low cost way to place the camera equipment you have up for rental. Checkout our FAQ for details on how to get your cameras listed and ready for renting.

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you're serious about renting your equipment:

- Don't rent your only camera. Really, you'd just be better off looking for work.

- More is better. Do you have a tripod? Extra batteries? Lenses? Filters? The more you have, the more you can charge.

- Know the prices the rental houses in your area are charging. You don't want your equipment not renting because you charged too much.

- Newer is better. If all you have are a couple of Cannon XLS's don't think you can charge as much as the guy with the Pansonic AG-HVX200.

- Insurance is your friend. The last thing you want is your brand new HD camera being destroyed and having no way to replace it. Dewitt Stern is a great company for short term production insurance.

- Be clear about the terms of your contract. You don't want any confusion about what you and the rentee are agreeing to.

There you have it. All you need to know about renting your camera equipment. So what are you waiting for? Start listing your equipment today.

Feature Camera of the Day – Pansonic DVX100B

From the NY-Times: The Panasonic AG-DVX100A is the kind of camera that sends shivers down the spines of pro videographers and serious amateurs with modest budgets. If you don't need 24P capture or very advanced features, this camera might be overkill--it's definitely not for the point-and-shoot crowd. While the DVX100A can function automatically, its exceptional feature set will come alive only in the hands of a knowledgeable user.

Panasonic AG-DVX100A Stats
1/3" 3-CCD 24P/30P/60i DV
Cinema Camera with CineSwitchTM Technology,
CineGammaTM Software and IEEE
1394 Interface