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Oh my god, please help me
I just got word- next spring, passports willing, I'll be going to Peru, all expenses paid, to shoot a couple of local guys surfing. The benefactor has given a budget of $4000 to "document" the trip on video. My sheer terror is indescribable. I've never even been in a plane, let alone another country.
But to the point-
The eccentric contractor has been twice before on a Peru surfing expediditon, so money is really no object. The shooting budget is because his last "documentor" was incompetent, really screwed up and didn't bring back good footage. But I am regarded as the only and the best surf photog in the county, so I have been chosen to go next spring to South America.
My question- and a very, very important one, coming from a 35mm photographer: what video camera should I have him supply? The Canon GL2 looks very nice, but I'm not so sure about the quality factor. Canon claims a 70,000-plus millimeter 35mm equivalent max zoom and all kinds of bells and whistles that look good on paper, but are they what I need to get his guy the footage he wants in the budget he needs? The still image digital quality is only 1.7 MP and the thing only records on tape. I think it would be better to record onto a DVD or equivalent.
What camera (plus safari-outback-non-amentities-low-budget-fly-by-night accessories) should I have this man buy? He will be keeping the camera, so I'm not concerned about longevity or investment value or anything. I just need to make him happy, and he's pretty damn exacting, just like me. What I'm asking for is something less than four grand with accessories included that will get the most professional results.
It is also vitally important 1)That it be very easy to edit and produce the video on PC and give him a nice DVD to show off to his friends and 2)That it be very easy for a film photog to make the transition to video. I understand a lot more about video than I probably should, so a pro video camera or a semi-pro will not be wasted on me. I will have a few months to get good with it anyway (theoretically), so well-designed idiot modes really don't give me a boner. I want to get the utmost in quality-this trip has great potential for me professionally.
I hate to lay all this on you guys, but I have no one else to ask about this. I can't even describe how I feel- the sick, horrible feeling in your guts when you jump out of an airplane with only a parachute stuck on your back....
Please help!
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Does that 4K include the PC to edit on with the program? How much time will you be spending in the water? Is it more of a how to in the wet or a lifestyle on land type thing? This will help determine how much you'll have to blow on the camera. PC's, programs and housings can cost quite a bit. Do you have a working script yet. Once you dial in some of these answers, we can help more with the gear choices. Will you be traveling through Miami? If so, if you pick all of your shots well and have music in mind, script etc., you might be able to bring it to my lab at school for the post work. You have to keep in mind that I teach at a high school, so the lifestyle side of the piece would have to be PG. We are an Avid Xpress Pro facility.
Keep in touch and let me know your answers to the above.
Good Luck,
MJS
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MJS
Does that 4K include the PC to edit on with the program? How much time will you be spending in the water? Is it more of a how to in the wet or a lifestyle on land type thing? This will help determine how much you'll have to blow on the camera. PC's, programs and housings can cost quite a bit. Do you have a working script yet. Once you dial in some of these answers, we can help more with the gear choices. Will you be traveling through Miami? If so, if you pick all of your shots well and have music in mind, script etc., you might be able to bring it to my lab at school for the post work. You have to keep in mind that I teach at a high school, so the lifestyle side of the piece would have to be PG. We are an Avid Xpress Pro facility.
Keep in touch and let me know your answers to the above.
Good Luck,
MJS
Well, actually, it's not any kind of production. The final video would be merely a keepsake for the guy to show off to his friends. It is not for any kind of release. Like I said, he's an eccentric. He wants total coverage, however, which means I will need a water housing for my film camera, as well as a w/a or fisheye lens for it. When I'm not shooting in the water I'll be a landlubber. I don't need a PC or anything like that- that end is covered. But I do really appreciate your offer. I was told we'd be laid over in Florida but not spending any time there except to wait for the "now boarding" call to come over the airport bar PA.
I know it will end up being a lot of partying, and I do not shoot when intoxicated- just my personal rule. So there will probably be no non-surfing stuff, except maybe some snapshots by others.
Personally I'd prefer to spend more time on the land, since I have a fear of the ocean. I will probably end up bring tossed into the sea, though. I hope there's no man-eating sharks in Peru's waters....
Does any of this help?
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You can contact just about any dive shop in your area for camera, housings, etc for good advice. I'm pretty comfortable with an outfit by me. They can be reached on the web at www.treasuredivers.net. They are an Ikelite dealer and can help you out with your selections. I would think that one of the many Mini-DV camcorders with a wide angle attachment, housing and external light would be a good idea. Since it is a surf flick, you wouldn't need one that is pressure tested any lower than about 160 ft. That will help save a buck or two. Some shops even have rental units available, saving you the trouble of buying.
Good luck with your choice.
MJS
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