Sony VX1000 ccd love in 2019

[mat33]

So I saw that Wooden Camera have released a microphone modelled after the Sony VX1000 ccd mini-DV camcorder from the 1990s, which brings back good memories of my first video camera the Panasonic GS400. Turns out its still pretty popular for skating videos despite being 20+ years old:

http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2018/07/13/tracing-history-skateboardings-most-famous-camera/

 

 

[JurijTurnsek]

Yeah, VX1 is a cult camera for skateboarding videos because of the Century Optics Fisheye MKI lens. That was the golden standard for filming in the 90s and early 2000s when first HD cams came on the scene.

After the HD transition no other fisheye and camera combination established itself as such, but from what I can see the Sony FS700 is popular due to its slow-motion capabilities.

The whole VX1 phenomenon is basically down to the 4:3 aspect ratio that allowed close-up follow shot of skateboarder without cutting off their heads and some have taken that into HD by filming with DSLRs cropping the footage to 4:3. CCD vs CMOS discussions were never really happening.

To conclude, here is (a part of) one of the recent masterpieces of VX1 skate videos that is also extremely creative with editing:

http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2016/08/04/colin-read-aka-mandible-claw-discusses-his-last-skate-video/

[tweak]

VX1000 is on the way out now. Even the biggest heads are slowly converting. Beagle for example is filming the new Baker vid in HD ? . MK1 had it's time and place, if Ty Evans should have done anything it should have been a collab with century on a new fisheye for DSLRs.

I've got too be honest and say I never got the hype over the VX1000s sound, I didn't feel it was much better than anything else, if I listen to it now it just sounds like a cheap mic with a low pass filter turned on... this 299 mic trying to mimic VX just screams cash grab to me. I'm sure lots of kids will buy it though.

Century extreme fish and canon 8-15L seem to be the gold standards now. 

[Mattias Burling]

Some more skateboarding from my favorite CCD ever. Global shutter FTW.

And of course..

 

[JurijTurnsek]

50 minutes ago, tweak said:

VX1000 is on the way out now. Even the biggest heads are slowly converting. Beagle for example is filming the new Baker vid in HD ? . MK1 had it's time and place, if Ty Evans should have done anything it should have been a collab with century on a new fisheye for DSLRs.

I've got too be honest and say I never got the hype over the VX1000s sound, I didn't feel it was much better than anything else, if I listen to it now it just sounds like a cheap mic with a low pass filter turned on... this 299 mic trying to mimic VX just screams cash grab to me. I'm sure lots of kids will buy it though.

Century extreme fish and canon 8-15L seem to be the gold standards now. 

The listed fisheyes are prohibitively expensive and I'd say that Samyang/Rokinon is used most. Beagle's moved onto HD because he films for companies and has to intercut his footage with the footage of supporting filmers (but he is hardly an authority on film-making). Independent filmers will push for VX1 until there are none left, since it is usually a one-man production.

IMO skateboarding video/photography servers mainly a documentary purpose - showcasing what trick was done where and making it look as impressive as possible (fisheye distortion can be very handy for that). I would even go as far to say that "artsy" look has been used to make unimpressive tricks look passable for professional skateboarders that should have had retired already. That is why most don't really care about DOF and the DSLR film-making revolution never left a lasting mark on how videos look (Ty Evan still trying oh so hard), but it rather just upper the resolution and reduced the cost of the storage media.

[tweak]

45 minutes ago, JurijTurnsek said:

The listed fisheyes are prohibitively expensive and I'd say that Samyang/Rokinon is used most. Beagle's moved onto HD because he films for companies and has to intercut his footage with the footage of supporting filmers (but he is hardly an authority on film-making). Independent filmers will push for VX1 until there are none left, since it is usually a one-man production.

IMO skateboarding video/photography servers mainly a documentary purpose - showcasing what trick was done where and making it look as impressive as possible (fisheye distortion can be very handy for that). I would even go as far to say that "artsy" look has been used to make unimpressive tricks look passable for professional skateboarders that should have had retired already. That is why most don't really care about DOF and the DSLR film-making revolution never left a lasting mark on how videos look (Ty Evan still trying oh so hard), but it rather just upper the resolution and reduced the cost of the storage media.

I said Gold Standard, not homie standard  .

I don't know anyone in AUS who still shoots primarily on VX, some die hards still have them and use them but they are side project type things. Also partly because VXs are starting to break down it's a 20year old camera. There's a few crews in US for sure (Zero is the biggest mainstream example I can think of) but it's certainly not the norm anymore or a standard.
GX1000 and Jon Miner have probably consistently made my favourite vids with the cam.

You're so far from the mark in regards to pros looking impressive because of fisheye that should have retired hahaha. You should post that on Slap message boards though, could start a good thread.
Every Pro skater is Pro for a reason, because they are fucking good and whether their footage is filmed fisheye or not doesn't matter as almost all spots are known by a large majority of Pro skaters and 90% of the time other Pros/Sponsors know how hard certain tricks are at those spots regardless of what lenses are used. 

You are half right in regards to the documentary purposes of filming skateboarding, but the really good filmers have a style all of their own and almost all their videos are popular not just because of the skating but also the filming. I'm sure it's not apparent to the everyday filmmaker because it's a genre all of it's own in my opinion (i.e. doesn't follow the rules/conforms of classic film yet has it's own set of standards and practices).

[JurijTurnsek]

1 hour ago, tweak said:

You are half right in regards to the documentary purposes of filming skateboarding, but the really good filmers have a style all of their own and almost all their videos are popular not just because of the skating but also the filming. I'm sure it's not apparent to the everyday filmmaker because it's a genre all of it's own in my opinion (i.e. doesn't follow the rules/conforms of classic film yet has it's own set of standards and practices).

Apart from Miner's green cast for Emerica, there is hardly a filmer style that I could accurately describe. Stobeck created a style for himself, which is now at the point of parody. Ty Evans can be recognized by being more over the top with each new video. Beagle does not really have a personal style, but an eye for capturing hijinx.

Most others know what looks good and exhibits the trick properly and the style is dictated by editing (usually to a company's image). I've seen and collected basically every skate video (my collection is at about 1000 full-lengths) and I have only once been so impressed by the filming and editing that I e-mailed the filmer to expresses my admiration and that was for the "Nuvelle vague" skate video. From the newer productions, Adidas makes incredible short web clips, each with its own different theme. Also Visual Traveling from Patrik Wallner, but that those are not true skate videos in a traditional sense.

Also, KoRnholio8 is my Slap username.

[Anaconda_]

I still have my VX, though it’s an ornament now as like many others before, the tape deck died a sudden death. 

I wonder, how many people get into filming through skateboarding?

Does anyone remember SkatePerception? That place taught me so much back in the day.  

[tweak]

1 hour ago, JurijTurnsek said:

Apart from Miner's green cast for Emerica, there is hardly a filmer style that I could accurately describe. Stobeck created a style for himself, which is now at the point of parody. Ty Evans can be recognized by being more over the top with each new video. Beagle does not really have a personal style, but an eye for capturing hijinx.

Most others know what looks good and exhibits the trick properly and the style is dictated by editing (usually to a company's image). I've seen and collected basically every skate video (my collection is at about 1000 full-lengths) and I have only once been so impressed by the filming and editing that I e-mailed the filmer to expresses my admiration and that was for the "Nuvelle vague" skate video. From the newer productions, Adidas makes incredible short web clips, each with its own different theme. Also Visual Traveling from Patrik Wallner, but that those are not true skate videos in a traditional sense.

Also, KoRnholio8 is my Slap username.

I was talking about a style of their own as a collective. But yeah I kinda agree with what you said although I could pick out small nuances that many skate filmers do personally that others don't. There's a lot of copy cats, but look at everything out there, youtube, movies, whatever, there's tons of copycats in everything with the same lack of "personal style" as you put it.

I've also seen 100000's of videos over my time. There's a lot I've been impressed with filming wise (too many to remember), filming a lot myself though maybe I'm more interested in it and looking at it, I dunno. I think being a good filmer especially for Skateboarding is pretty underrated, it's harder than most give credit to. Actually there's tons of videos where I'd give a lot of props to the filmer, especially fisheye lines filmed well or planning how one trick shot will segue to the next.

Anyway I feel as though we are just talking circles. Main thing I can say is that this mic looks like overpriced hype to me.

 

1 hour ago, Anaconda_ said:

I still have my VX, though it’s an ornament now as like many others before, the tape deck died a sudden death. 

I wonder, how many people get into filming through skateboarding?

Does anyone remember SkatePerception? That place taught me so much back in the day.  

I know quite some people that have, or if not at least got into it filming other boardsports.

I used to read SkatePerception, totally forgot it existed.

[mat33]

I'm not a skater and haven't really seen many skate films, but pretty interesting to see some of the history and the impact the VX1000 had.  One talented skate filmer/photographer I have come across who takes some great stills that appeal to non-skaters as well is Fred Mortagne 'French Fred' www.frenchfred.com

 

[JurijTurnsek]

Yes, French Fred is highly regarded in skateboarding and is credited with inventing the "skate-by zoom-in shot", which he did on the VX1 coincidentally. I think there was a tour video where he was actually repairing a VX1 on his own.

His work obviously left a mark outside of skateboarding, since Leica choose him to do a video for the release of Leica SL:

The other such a luck guy was a former PRO skateboarder turned photographer, Arto Saari (shoots with Leica S3):

 

[tweak]

You're starting to list a few signature techniques for almost no one having a style you could accurately describe  . Skating and filming skating is more diverse than you give credit to I think. 

[JurijTurnsek]

1 hour ago, tweak said:

You're starting to list a few signature techniques for almost no one having a style you could accurately describe  . Skating and filming skating is more diverse than you give credit to I think. 

I omitted French Fred because his signature style is to try something new, but never really the same. Cannot really describe it. If I didn't know he filmed a video I would have no idea he did it, I would just know it is not totally conventional.

It is not like a Tarantino or a Tim Burton movie where you can see their signature style from a mile away.

[tweak]

5 minutes ago, JurijTurnsek said:

I omitted French Fred because his signature style is to try something new, but never really the same. Cannot really describe it. If I didn't know he filmed a video I would have no idea he did it, I would just know it is not totally conventional.

It is not like a Tarantino or a Tim Burton movie where you can see their signature style from a mile away.

 You're right it's not, but there's also not that many unique signature styles in cinema, neither in skate. You do something and people just compare it to something else someone already did. Having a totally unique style of work in this age is almost impossible in any field.

It's also just far easier to do something that has a certain look or style in cinema because it's totally scripted and pre-conceived, a work that's usually planned over many years down to the finest details.

[blkmagic4k]

The VX1000 was game changer for skateboarding and you're right it is a pretty popular camera. I still own 2 versions of the VX1000. As other have stated though most filmers are moving to HD, myself included but, I have been using VX Cam for iOS which emulates the VX1000. So yes it is on the way out but in the meantime I will use the app for small films and will continue to film with the VX until I can no longer find any parts haha.

[tweak]

16 hours ago, blkmagic4k said:

The VX1000 was game changer for skateboarding and you're right it is a pretty popular camera. I still own 2 versions of the VX1000. As other have stated though most filmers are moving to HD, myself included but, I have been using VX Cam for iOS which emulates the VX1000. So yes it is on the way out but in the meantime I will use the app for small films and will continue to film with the VX until I can no longer find any parts haha.

Is this spam? No real VX filmer would tell you they have been using an app for IOS, I smell a fish.

[Adam Kuźniar]

6 hours ago, tweak said:

real

?????