A Platypus starter kit

The Canon XL-1 is a three-chip camera with XLR inputs and interchangeable lenses and lists at about $3800. The wide-angle lens runs about $1800. A smaller three-chip by Canon is the GL-1, for $2500. Sony and Panasonic also make DV cameras.

A decent video tripod costs about $300. Plan on putting a lavalier mike for $150.

Final Cut Pro, the edit software, runs about $1000. It runs on the Apple G4, with a 37-gigabyte hard drive, and a minimum of 128 megabytes of random access memory. The fire wire inputs are included in the system, and the cable costs around $40.

-- A.B.

See also Neither beast nor fowl, still photography become Platypi

From THE COLE PAPERS, April 2000, Copyright © 2000, All Rights Reserved.