A question. My brother and I are shooting a documentary of an artist making a sculpture for the next six months (we're using a GL1 and GL2). However, I live about two hours away from the subject and planning to drive to the artist's studio once a week to get footage. He's working every single day on the sculpture.

If we left an S-VHS cam or Hi-8 cam at the studio (set up on a tripod) and let one of his assistants "turn it on" in case he does something 'important', how much worse would that footage be than the 3-chip mini-dv footage? Would a single-chip mini-dv camera be better than the Hi-8/S-VHS?

This project is too important to screw up, but I don't relish the thought of leaving a $2000 Canon lying around 100 miles away.

Any assistance/info would be helpful. Thanks.

Mark M
Scooter Productions

Well, I have taken footage from a Sony digi8 and a hold sony hi8 and throw it all in final cut, messed with colors and stuff and it didn't turn out to bad at all, or maybe we were just lucky.

I wouldn't want to leave my gl2 100 miles away either. I have mixed gl1 footage with digi8 and hi8 and there was some difference.. but not a terrible amount. I say leave the Hi8 camera there, and keep the gl2 safe with u.

If you don't look I'll force you to _=_

Thanks Irony, but the more I think about this, the more I'm not leaving anything there - but will go there whenever they call me and say they are starting a new phase. I just don't want to take the chance of having footage that I can't use.

Thanks for the answer anyway.

Mark M
Scooter Productions