Recommendation on the best HDV Camcorder to buy?

In what price range?

It goes from $3K to $10K.

The new Canons are also very nice at about $4k for the less expensive one (XH A1 and XH G1).

The Sony FX1 is also a nice HDV three chip cam in the low $3ks.

The Sony HVR-Z1 is the bigger brother to the FX-1 and has more stuff including XLR inputs if you need those. As far as just a good overall HDV camera, I LOVE my HVR-A1U, but it's not 3CCD. It's really small and lightweight, but puts out a good image and includes XLR inputs.

-Brian

All of them are going to net you a similar result. We own 3 of JVC-HD100's and they are great. They shoot 720p which for some is a *** and not a pro. Much of our delivery method is internet based so a progressively scanned picture made the most sense. Cannon and Sony both shoot in 1080i.

The bottom line is pick the one that is within your price range, read the manual, and shoot with it. Each of the cameras has its strengths and weaknesses, and all of them have trouble in low light situations. They all give you generally the same thing. They are prosumer cameras that produce an excellent picture when lite adequately.

Ryan

JVC has replaced the GY-HD100 with the GY-HD110: http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/features.jsp?featureid=01&tree=&itempath=null&modelid=MDL101642


And they have a new model as well - the GY-HD250: http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/features.jsp?model_id=MDL101625

-DH

3CCD's is a must. Otherwise, you get a lot of chroma crawl, lower resolution, impossible chroma keys... etc... Progressive video looks a lot more like film, and it plays nice on computer displays which are also progressive scan. freeze frames look better too.

In reply to all here... if you can buy an HVX-200 instead... DO IT. Better picture, better post, better everything. Look of film is easily achieved with it too. NO capturing anymore either... backup on DVD's or FW drives if need be... it's a winner of a format, and just blows HDV out the door.

About the only HDV camera that competes is the Canon and only when you capture out it's HD port during the shoot and capture that material as something other than HDV IMHO.

The school I teach at part time, has 3 of these cameras, and abouty 6 HDV cameras, the students are fighting over the HVX's... they just work a ton better, and look a lot more like film. My favorite DV camera is the Panny 100a... this new HVX is it's big brother... same look, great balance to the camera, and all the manufacturers of the accessories of the 100a are implementing them for the HVX... It's the most exciting camera produced in the under 10k catagory in years I think.

HDV is so slow in rendering and workflow in post that it's a no brainer if your time's worth anything to you. FCP 5.1.1 is better at it than FCP 5.0.4, but it's still about 5 times rendering time longer than the P2 material is... P2 is a true HD format, where HDV really isn't... If you don't have a VERY fast mac, the rendering time will simply make it no fun to work with. Quad PPC or dual duo at least I'd think.

Prices are falling on this camera too now that there's a supply... check this: http://fotoconnection.com/vi-26412______Panasonic-AG-HVX200-1-3-quot;-.html?gclid=CJfZm6Omo4cCFTHTJAod8nhyJg

Jerry

The HVX-200 is a great camera in that it shoots pure HD. Its ergonomics are similar to the Sony's which give you a camcorder feel and not a solid shoulder mount camera. The biggest drawback for me to the HVX and probably to the original person who posted the question is cost.

Sure the camera costs around 4,500 - but to capture pure HD your gonna need a P2 card. The 4GB ones run around $600 and that holds something like 5 minutes of uncompressed HD. So you'll need a few of those or you can get the 8GB one which runs just over $1000 and gets 10 minutes of footage. Either way you buy four 8GB cards and you just spend another $4,000. Which if your doing corporate videos may be a steep investment since you'll have to a few cards to get through one 60 minute intervew. After that you'll want a faster way to load the media into the computer and unload another $2,000 for a P2 drive with 5 slots (maybe so you can do it on the fly as you are recording - dump the media into FCP and free up another P2 card). After is all said and done you'll have spent well over 10K.

What no other camera in this class can touch is the fact that the HVX shoots true HD (not HDV) and can shoot in pretty much any format - 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i. It is an extremely versatile camera. If that's what you need then its worth the price of admission. But if your just shooting family reunions and doing occasional wedding videography on the side then this probably isn't the camera for you.

Just my .02


Ryan

True, there are cards you need to buy, and it's not for someone shooting event videography on a budget. However at 20 bucks per pro tape used the cost of these cards will be offset fairly soon.

If your time is worth anything to you, you also gain time in post production.No real time capturing, and each take is a separate media file so the logging time is decreased as well.Time's money I believe, and the 5-8 times faster rendering time also comes into play here. Add that to the better picture and format, and it's a camera anyone not shooting event videos should consider strongly.

We've found that having to dump the video to a powerbook on the set also leads to fewer continuity or other problems normally not caught during a shoot to tape as well as the ability to shoot NTSC or PAL in a format far better than DV also is a handy thing to be able to do.

Jerry

Speed is certainly a factor. And the HVX excels in that area. With our JVC's we go direct to disk via a Firestore FS4 (which costs in the neighborhood of 2K - http://www.focusinfo.com/solutions/catalog.asp?id=3), but with that there are no tapes, no capture time, etc. Firestore also makes one for the AVX which then would give you an 80GB drive to capture to.

All this to say to the original poster of the question the HVX is a great camera and either P2 cards or a Firestore would allow you to capture direct to disk. For our setup shooting both in the field and in the studio the JVC's were a better fit, providing more functionality (i.e. interchangable lenses, servo controls, etc.).

Like I said earlier, you need to define what subject matter you are shooting (talking head, sports, etc.) which will also help determine which camera to chase after (HDV has trouble with high motion video). We love our JVC's and have no problmes with them - that's where our vote went when we had this same choice.


Ryan

I wonder if you could help me.

I have an arm problem and I need a lite weight camcorder.

I want to get an HVR-A1U, but you say it's not 3CCD. How important is the 3CCD??

I currently own a PD170 Sony. I don't think it has 3CCD either. Do you think a lite weight camera might be coming soon which has the 3CCD?

Do you know who I could ask?

Jill

Great Discussion! It sounds like the Panasonic AG-HVX200 is brilliant, other than the cost of P2 cards. I noted that it will record SD on miniDVD tapes.

In the $4-5K (USD) range I had been looking at these new models: Sony HVR-V1U, Sony HVR-Z1U, Panasonic AG-HVX200, JVC GY-HD110U, and Canon XH-A1.

But it seem the Panasonic AG-HVX200 is hard to beat.

DVCPRO HD, I'm now assuming, is the specification that means it's True HD. I read at CNET its capable of 1080p.

Ummm....I thought we could only capture video through Firewire!? But -- obviously -- that's not the case OR the P2 cards play through Firewire. Well...I still have a couple of months to keep reading these fine info discussions and research things.

I suppose that Internal downconversion and frame rate conversion from HD source recorded on P2 cards to Mini-DV tape will NOT tranfer to HD but transfer only to SD?

I also appreciate the links to the lowest prices I've heard of. But...$600 for 5 minutes of video???? Gads!

The Sony PD-170 IS a 3ccd camcorder.

Jill,

How important IS 3ccd vs. 1ccd? How important is image quality to you? If image quality isn't high on your priority list, any single chip camcorder will do.

That's not to say that ALL 3ccd cameras are great or that all single ccd camcorders are bad, but keep in mind, like with everything else, you generally get what you pay for.

Also keep in mind that I'm only comparing ccd cameras - I'm not taking into account any cameras with CMOS sensors.

-DH

I think the biggest argument against HDV camcorders is that they all shoot HDV...

Patrick

DVCPRO HD, I'm now assuming, is the specification that means it's True HD

What is TRUE HD? The 1080 frame size? Just so you know, DVCPRO HD is a highly compressed HD format as well, but it is 4:2:2 as opposed to HDVs 4:2:0. And the Sony and Canon HDV cameras record 1080i...so...

Ummm....I thought we could only capture video through Firewire!?

Hardly. There are TWO formats of HD you can capture via firewire...HDV and DVCPRO HD. All other formats require a capture card or other very high end peice of equipment (for the film HD formats). AJA and Decklink are your best HD card manufacturers.

I suppose that Internal downconversion and frame rate conversion from HD source recorded on P2 cards to Mini-DV tape will NOT tranfer to HD but transfer only to SD?

While the TC may transfer (I am not sure of this because I know of no one who has done this) the footage will now be DV quality. Why do this?

But...$600 for 5 minutes of video????

For 1080p24...yes. 4 min of 1080p60...

The cards are reusable. It isn't like you record the footage to them and then leave them on the card. No, you copy it off of the card to a hard drive for storage and archival. Or DVD...or better yet, HD DVD or Blue Ray when they become available.

Shane

Wow, and I thought my Fisher Price movie cam, you know, the one that records video on audio cassettes was awesome ... maybe I should upgrade my gear, eh?