What kind of camera

[praetor242]

So I have all this yummy SGI goodness chock full of blockbuster-making software, and want to know...

What camera should I get to make my first retro vaporwave YouTube hit?

I have an iPhone, but it only outputs to MP4, and AFAIK there is no IRIX software that reads that format. HD would be nice (it's gotta look good if you're smoking pot), but I realize that would be asking too much.

Ideas?

[ClassicHasClass]

I should think any kind of DV camera would work. My Fuel will play the output from my FireWire video boxes, which is just standard DV. Since those cameras are way out of fashion, they would probably be pretty cheap.

[praetor242]

I'm a pretty big newb with video, but I think it would be a good use of my SGIs and a hobby on top of a hobby. Can you lead me in the direction of a DV camera?

[ClassicHasClass]

I personally use the Canon Vixia HV30, which is an HDV camera but has a DV mode. Prior to that I used a JVC DV camera, but I don't remember the model number or where it went. The Vixias seem to be pretty well regarded and mine works quite well, though I use it primarily with the Power Mac G5 for HD video. Either way you're likely looking for a used or refurbished unit. It shouldn't be especially costly for the camera these days.

These are all tape-based, by the way, though Mini DV tape is still pretty cheap as well. However, that also means you'll need some way to get the tape data to the SGI. Since it looks like all you have are O2s, you'll likely need an intermediate system (I just dump the .dv file on the Mac using Final Cut and FTP it to the Fuel). It is possible to use a FireWire DTE with most DV cameras (I use the Focus FS-CF Pro) to record to Compact Flash, too, but such devices are not cheap or common anymore.

[praetor242]

My primary O2 has a video input card. Thanks. This leads me in the direction I need to look.

[ClassicHasClass]

You could consider a simple composite camera in that case. Your O2 would do all the recording itself. Something even like an off-the-shelf security camera could work once you convert the BNC connector to RCA (most of them come with this part). However, see this thread: viewtopic.php?t=5319

[praetor242]

Hmm...I need to do some research then. There are a lot of options, and all of them are very good.

[uunix]

What software do you plan to use?

[praetor242]

Adobe Premiere for editing and maybe Flame for effects,

[gocram]

You can do editing in Flame, too, probably better than under Première (considering its limitations, including the way it was ported to UNIX platforms at the time). Then there's also the impressive SGO Jaleo, but that doesn't really run too smoothly on an O2, even on one with maximum specifications.

Flame is probably the way to go, else perhaps Shake (although it's not made for editing, but you can still do it the hard way), especially if you have a certain resolution in mind and are willing to stick with it.

[Dodoid]

I tried to use Jaleo once. It seemed interesting, but I couldn't figure out how to do the most basic of things with it. Gave up after a few hours of looking for docs.

[praetor242]

I didn't realize Flame was an editor too. I may give that a try on my Octane when I get it.

[gocram]

The editing capabilities of Spark/Effect/Flint, Flame and Inferno are limited compared to Smoke and Fire, needless to say, but you can definitely edit.

In earlier versions editing is done on the Desktop and in the Play modules and in later versions of Flame and Fire you can also do more advanced editing in Batch, which eventually became similar to Smoke and Fire in features and functionality. Unfortunately it didn't fully see the day of light in the IFFFS suites for IRIX, only the latest releases of Flame and Inferno for IRIX did incorporate some extended editing functionality (as a matter of fact, also Linux missed some of the latest changes, which can be mostly or only found in the later macOS X releases).

It's a rather unique way of editing, not necessarily bad, although quite limiting if you're used to multi-track timeline-based editing. One of the things where Flame is very powerful in terms of editing is by processing effects, even for things like transitions and where you have a lot of control.

[praetor242]

This hasn't been a high priority. I've been doing other SGI-ish things. Plus I need a camera that can output to a supported format. I have my iPhone, and I could convert video files to MPEG or something, but that's kinda cheating.

[gocram]

Using an iPhone is arguably ‘cheating’, too... or definitely less authentic, if that's the aim. To be fully authentic, you must acquire hardware that's simply too costly and big, not to mention fairly hard to come by used (or, again, affordably).

Your best bet would be to procure a second-hand camcorder-type of video camera with either S-video output or even HDMI output and then use the analog A/V (AV1) module or (SD-)SDI (with a camera that can output SD over HDMI, else with the use of a scaler device) with a digital A/V (AV2) module in an O2.