Help me Buy an HV20....

[Tom Lowe]

Okay, I'm ready to go. But I thought I would tap into the vast cheap-ass, bargain-hunting skills of this forum before I pull the trigger. :) Amazon has the camera for like 960.... but I want to make sure.

What I want is:

The HV20 itself. I've seen it for under a grand. If I can get an extended 2-year "full protection" warranty I'd be willing to pay up for that. Especially if I can drop it in a lake or down a cliff and still be covered. :) But the standard 1-year warranty might also be ok.

Two extra batteries. Does the camera come with a charger? Preferably aftermarket and cheap. I know from my Canon DLSR that aftermarket batteries are like 1/10th the price and seem to work well.

A cheap but good clip-on matte box so I can use some 4" grad NDs and a polarizer. (Does the type of polarizer matter, in terms of the camera's autofocus?)

A 4" grad ND

A 4" polarizer

If you guys could help me with actual links and prices, that would be huge.

Is there anything I'm leaving out?

I guess I will buy a lowepro bag of some kind.

thanks!

[Steven M. Bailey]

I got mine on-line at Circuit City $969.99. plus you can ad a 10% discount from AAA using this link.

http://ww2.aaa.com/scripts/WebObjects.dll/ZipCode.woa/wa/route?area=CircuitCity

It says it is for members only but if you continue as a non member it will still give you a coupon. I am a member but didn't feel like logging in that how I know it works. Comes out to $873.00.

You're on your own with the extras, except that extra batteries are cheaper from a non camera store.

I ordered from dell the first time with overnight delivery. Three weeks and nothing came. indefinite back-order. :angry03: :ranting2:

I re-ordered through circuit city and got it within 20hrs.:calm:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/Search.do?c=1&context=&keyword=hv20&searchSection=All&go.x=0&go.y=0

Good luck

[pat@hpnc.com]

OK some ideas... watch the where to buy section at the HV20 forum. http://www.hv20.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6 Watch Amazon one of there retailers had it for $867 the other day. Buy the grey market ones from Ebay about $825 the last time I looked. If you have a friend that works at an electronics store get their discount. At Frys they can get it for I think $926 plus tax. Cheaper at other electronics stores depending on employ discount. And for the rest of it sorry its late and I am to sleepy to look them up:)

[Tom Lowe]

Might I be better off to literally walk into a Fry's to do it?

[pat@hpnc.com]

Well if you you know someone that works there that will give you their discount. It would be an easy way to do it and have a good return policy if their is a problem. I had to take mine back the next day becouse it was defective. But there normal price is $1099 I think so without the discount its to high for me.

[Poi Boy]

I'm already having trouble with mine; only part way into the second tape the camera gave me a dirty head warning. I was at an isolated lake in the sierras so I kept shooting thinking how can it be dirty already ? I get home and nothing plays, no time code, nothing, not even the first tape that my wife shot and that I had viewed once before, very frustrating ! I had and old dv tape head cleaner laying around it cleared up the problem of playing back my wifes tape but my genius material from the lake not so much. Long story short, take a head cleaner with you and don't disregard the warning from the camera.
Aloha
-A

[Tom Lowe]

What cables might I need? Is there a good HDMI to DVI cable that will allow me to monitor the HV20 on my Dell 24" ultrasharp?

What about the matte box and filters?

[Sean]

Some people over at HV20.com suggest that using the HDMI to DVI cable downconverts the signal from the HV20 to 480i. I don't know why it would do this, but worth double-checking. You might wind up needing an HDMI to HDMI input and cable.

[Tom Lowe]

What do you guys think of this Matteblox (http://www.cinetactics.com/Page.bok?template=c_mb100m)?

http://www.thedigitaldoctor.com/pix/oblique-sm.jpg

Is there something else that might be better? The 4" filters just get velcro'd into that thing, so obviously you can't slide Grad NDs in and out.

[Joe Carney]

The rolling shutter on this camera made me decide to wait for something else.
Too bad too. I know you can minimize it, but why put up with the hassle?

Joe C.

[Tom Lowe]

it's only a thousand bucks, so how bad could it be? :)

BTW can anyone recommend a good 4x4" grad ND or grad ND set, as cheap as possible.

[Zakaree Sandberg]

The rolling shutter on this camera made me decide to wait for something else.
Too bad too. I know you can minimize it, but why put up with the hassle?

Joe C.

any footage showing this effect?

[Sean]

I've been shooting with the HV20 + Redrock M2 adapter. Haven't noticed any rolling shutter issue under normal shooting circumstances. But I did notice that when a serious vibration vibrates the camera/tripod, the problem in question is evident. I'm not that concerned. Hey, when you kick a tripod, the shot is usually ruined anyhow. Also, if you were shooting with a very flimsy tripod in a windy environment, that vibration might get transferred to the camera. But with a solid pro tripod or controlled hand-held shooting, I have had no rolling shutter issue. DVXuser has some posts of the HV20's "jello" effect, as it's also known. For example:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=98824&highlight=hv20+jello+effect

[Steven M. Bailey]

I climbed out the sun-roof of my dads SUV and took a lot of footage at 65 miles an hour through a windy highway of Lassen National Park. Other than my dads poor driving there were no unsurmountable problems with the camera itself. If the rolling shutter is a major issue for you, than maybe you got a bad model or are a total spaz. I filmed the local fireworks on the fourth from a super cheap tripod and was extremely happy with the results. I'm having trouble with my editing computer, but I will post some footage when I get it cut.:matrix:

[pat@hpnc.com]

From what I have read I think most of the rolling shutter problems can be attributed to people that dont know what they are doing. One of the side effects of the great price.

[Tom Lowe]

blownapartstudios, can you post some of your HV20 footage, my friend?

I just picked up the HV20 at Best Buy for around a grand plus $165 for a 4-year "total coverage" warranty.

BTW, can I use standard DVC tapes for this thing, or do I need the more expensive "HD" version?

[Steven M. Bailey]

Standard dv tapes work fine and are roughly minute by minute the same as dv it is just a more efficient compression. I thought my screenwriting laptop would handle 1080p 24p, but it don't. I hardly use my desktops anymore, so my wife took them over. I am ordering parts to build an interim editing station @ which time I'll post my hv20 footage for you.

I'm also soon to be setting up shop at Blownapartstudios.com within the next few weeks.

[Tom Lowe]

Oh man, I just hooked this HV20 up to my 1080p 24" Dell and WOW! Really impressive image quality, even at 1080i over component.

I'm gonna shoot some test footage soon. I need to install Premiere Pro CS3 and try to get Aspect HD working, then I'll get some footage up.

I also ordered that poor man's $14 steadycam thing... hahaha. It actually costs $54 if you order it from the dude.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

What do you guys think of this Matteblox (http://www.cinetactics.com/Page.bok?template=c_mb100m)?

That Cinetactics mattebox is good fore nothing but looks. At least that's what I've heard. Just in the picture posted there, I can see light coming through in more than one spot. How do you deal with filters with that thing? In other words, it looks like an over-glorified sun-shade. You may as well just get a screw-on snoot or hood for the front of the camera. Does the same thing and takes up less space. OTOH, it may be OK. If it has a place to slot in one or two filters, it may be worth it. I don't see you being able to rotate filters or do much more than place an ND in front of the camera though.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Eeeewww.... I just took a closer look. The filter holders velcro onto the front of the mattebox. There's got to be better options out there.

[Steven M. Bailey]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed here before or if you have considered this for a matte box, but this is the one I am leaning toward.

http://geardear.com/

Let me know what you think, or if any one here has experience with this product. pro's and con's

thanks

[Tom Lowe]

Jeff, that thing does look pretty shabby, you're right. The one thing I am interested in is a lightweight method for using grad NDs with my HV20, because I always shoot outdoors and tend to blow out the skies... like, often. :)

Obviously this Matteblox won't allow me to slide the grad NDs at all, either, which would lock my framing options.

blownapartstudios, geardear rig is looking pretty badass!

[John Godden]

Jeff, that thing does look pretty shabby, you're right. The one thing I am interested in is a lightweight method for using grad NDs with my HV20, because I always shoot outdoors and tend to blow out the skies... like, often. :)

Obviously this Matteblox won't allow me to slide the grad NDs at all, either, which would lock my framing options.

blownapartstudios, geardear rig is looking pretty badass!

Tom

I've used screw-on style grads with very good results. If you go this route make sure you get the type that have a "soft" transition.

FWIW: When shooting outside I almost always use a grad filter.

good luck
JohnG

[Emanuel A.]

I'm already having trouble with mine; only part way into the second tape the camera gave me a dirty head warning. I was at an isolated lake in the sierras so I kept shooting thinking how can it be dirty already ? I get home and nothing plays, no time code, nothing, not even the first tape that my wife shot and that I had viewed once before, very frustrating ! I had and old dv tape head cleaner laying around it cleared up the problem of playing back my wifes tape but my genius material from the lake not so much. Long story short, take a head cleaner with you and don't disregard the warning from the camera.
Aloha
-AThanks for the warning Poi. How is it going on? Does the 1080p HV20-cinematic-like rock or not?

Aloha
Emanuel