Beyond "Beg, Borrow, and Steal": Big Ticket Holiday Spree

So, you can probably get most of what the DV Rebel needs from money tucked into holiday cards from relatives, but what if you really wanna go for big ticket? Suggestions:

Firewire Drive. So, do you want a Lacie for your desktop or laptop? Maybe...but why not try a camera drive! Yes, drives you can shoot on! Plenty of models are available on the B&H site. These drives route directly from a camera via firewire. Sure, they are expensive, but you can kiss Log & Capture goodbye...and (depending on the model of drive and model of the camera) shoot in 1080i!!! Biddle has shot on the Focus Enhancements 100GB...pretty sweet. Models range from 40GB - 100GB ($699 - $1,899.95).

Adobe CS3 Production Pack (PC, not MAC): REJOICE PC OWNER!!! Adobe OnLocation is now part of the newest Adobe Production Pack. If you have a PC Laptop go to the Adobe site to check all specs...http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/onlocation/. The program (included with other items in the pack like After Effects, Photoshop, etc.) was purchased by Adobe from Serious Magic. The old program was known as DV Rack. OnLocation will have the same features. These features allow you to turn your laptop into a hard disk capture device, an outside monitor (same size as your laptop screen), field scopes, a stopwatch, and timecode reader. Imagine, capturing directly from your camera into your PC. Sorry, MAC doesn't support it yet. Perhaps a letter writing campaign?

Camera. Ok, this is a tough one. Do you really want HD? Do really know the difference between HDV and HD? Really? You sure? Yes, you can get an HD (1080i) camera ranging from $699 - $999. But, most don't have a mic connection, a headphone connection, or the ability to function easily for editing. Many folks like the Panasonic 100 or the Canon GL2 (each around $2500), but they are fairly light, and the lens controls are limited. Now, if you really wanna go bz-out, the Canon XL-2 has now gone down in price thanks to the new XL-H1 ($8,999). The XL-2 is now listed at $3,400. The XL-2 shoots 24p, has a great changable lens, and comes with some cool package deals. Maybe Mom & Dad really owe you a favor...or you can go halvesies on the purchase...or get a crap job that pays a whole lot really fast...or if you're moving to NYC, sell your car. Think about it.

More big ticket items to come soon.