Cameras and Vision Mixing

[AdrianB]

We are in the process of introducing a decent camera and vision mixing set-up into our hire inventory. We're not really that keen on cheap composite set-ups, something quality and professional. can anyone suggest some decent foundations?

[Pete McCrea]

Something along the lines of the Sony DFS700 and the D50 D50 . They seem to be products used by bigger AV Hire companies. Expect to spend £10K plus per camera before the extras I'd have thought. No idea what the mixer costs.

[paulears]

the snag is that most digital cameras don't have a digital output! Sounds daft, but true. The Sony DXC D range have options for 26pin to ccu with digital sdi out if the cable length is short, but only analogue on longer runs. y/c's available from most ccu's but not sdi. The Sony DFS700 is a decent bit of kit, as are the similar Grass valleys but to take advantage of digits costs a lot more money on cameras - 2/3 inch. The slightly cheaper cameras like the JVC DV/26pin (the 500) have a pretty good spec, but component rather than composite is the rule - no digits. I've not looked at the current Sony spec - does it still have component ins?

[James]

In terms of small SDI vision mixers I would recomend something like the Magic DaVE 8D should be fine and contain all the features you need

 

Cameras, another line you could look at would be to go for camcorders rather than cameras as it will add versitility to your hire stock and allows for easy iso recordings without adding a rack of VTRs Possibly if you are on a budget you might want to look at something like the sony DSR 500 series. Sony have now discontinued the DSR 570 (the last in the DSR 500 series) but you might be able to find some second hand or take a dive into the new XDCAM technology.

 

Just a thought

 

James

[AdrianB]

In terms of small SDI vision mixers I would recomend something like the Magic DaVE 8D should be fine and contain all the features you need

 

Cameras, another line you could look at would be to go for camcorders rather than cameras as it will add versitility to your hire stock and allows for easy iso recordings without adding a rack of VTRs Possibly if you are on a budget you might want to look at something like the sony DSR 500 series. Sony have now discontinued the DSR 570 (the last in the DSR 500 series) but you might be able to find some second hand or take a dive into the new XDCAM technology.

 

Just a thought

 

James

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What would one of these units cost? What do the camcorders typically cost?

[Pete McCrea]

My experience has been using the D35 through CCZ's with the CCU's for control and a component Mixer (DFS700). This gives a component data stream through out with a high quality.

 

A budget option could be something along the lines of PD170's with an MX70, but this is a composite data path, which is what you say you want to avoid.

[timperrett]

Mr McCrea, nice to see your helpful posts

 

I agree with the 'little one' that DFS700 and D50s/D35s are extremely good digital kit with great flexibility.

 

The Panasonic MX70 has kinda taken off as it is about (don't quote me) £5000 ish rather than Sony DFS which is (again no quoting) £1500ish after you have popped the extra digital effects card in it. This still does a fair bit of what the DFS will do, including component mixing but unlike the DFS which will run 8 channels component, the MX70 will only run 4, although it is flexible to give you say 8 channels of composite (using a silly shift key function thing!)

 

The advantage obviously of using D50/D35 (ish £15000 with CCZ backend) with CCZ (anyone know what it stands for?) to a Camera Control Unit (CCU) such as the M7 is that all your colour, white, iris, etc are all controlled at one place so that colour balance can be achieved, where as you would be going for a long time with several PD170s (ish £4000)!

 

Also, remember the question, who is in 20 miles of you? what do they have when you need to sub extra kit in?

 

Depends what area of the market you are aiming for and thus what sort of money your clients are prepared to pay, which denotes the quality you can deliver as well as your business's financial gain