Sony announces the pro version of their new HDV Camcorder

RD · Addict Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 626 City: Discovery Bay

Here's the link:

http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/5327

Of interest:

cost: $4900.00 (not 7K as rumor had it)

Modes: 60i, 50i, 30F, 25F, 24F (F is their version of progressive scan)
HDV, DVCam and DV formats. It almost sounds like an NTSC/PAL unit rolled into one if it records SD in all those formats.

BillJ · Posted: Nov 17, 2004 8:48 pm Post subject:

I find it interesting that it doesn't do true progressive mode. But it's nice to see HDV cams coming down in price so much since it should put price pressure on the prosumer miniDV cams.

89comp · Posted: Nov 18, 2004 7:18 am Post subject:

looks tempting, but I can't get over that it says "SONY" on it. I wonder if their price point is the reason cannon is offering $250 back on their GL2....

DC · Soul Rider Joined: 11 Mar 2003 Posts: 456

For those of you on a budget, you can get the HDR-FX1 for $1300 less..

http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=HDRFX1

RD - Have you had a chance to play around with the cam yet?

RD · Addict Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 626 City: Discovery Bay

I was at Fry's this evening and low & behold they've got an FX1 on display. Normally fry's is the last place to put anything on display that's selling fast so I'm not sure what that means as far as overall demand. They had it hooked up to a cheap TV via composite out so it was hard to tell what the overall image quality is like by looking at that monitor. It's way bigger/ heavier than the VX2000, thicker too kind of like a stretched out DVX100. Excellent manual controls with a very nice focus ring and a pro style zoom control which is switchable between a true manual and rocker switch style zoom. It's got every manual control thinkable and then some on the outside ala the DVX. The wide aspect hood gives it a mean down to business look. This unit might sell better if it was DV only given it's manual controls and the fact that it's got true 16X9 CCD's. They'd have to put some sort of 24p mode on it though. The VF and the LCD are both true 16X9 with the std 4:3 DV signal getting squeezed. If this cam performs I think it's going to put Sony back on top of the heap.

Josh R · Posted: Nov 19, 2004 1:09 am Post subject:

Dude, shut up... You're making my choice a lot harder... Mr. Green

I think I'll send a PM off to you about some questions btw.

JamesWatts · Addict Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 685 City: Santa Monica

its still not true HD. IMO its not worth buying. the difference in this "HD" and normal mini-dv is about as much differance as super vhs, and regular vhs....if its compressed, which all of these cameras are, its not true hd. yah it might look petty crisp. and yay its in "wide screen" but in all honesty. if you dont have final cut( which is the cheapest NLE that can handle hd and is another grand), or a HDTV. you are going to be watching a lot of squished footage. these consumer "HD" cameras still have a LONG way to go.

-James

Josh R · Posted: Nov 22, 2004 4:55 am Post subject:

Well, I do have Final cut HD.

Sony's HDV is also a lower res than the standard, which is manipulated in the electronics to bring it up to spec I believe.

I just realised that no matter what camera i get, I'll have to ditch my Epic camera housing, which sucks balls and is an extra cost I wasn't expecting. Blah! Neutral

JamesWatts · Addict Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 685 City: Santa Monica

yah. im trying to get rid of my VX2k. and my EWA housing....I was going to get the DVX100a...but i was playing around with the xl2 the other day. and I think im changing my mind.

-James

RD · Addict Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 626 City: Discovery Bay

Elevation · Posted: Nov 28, 2004 10:49 am Post subject:

wow that camera is amazing. if only i had 4900 bucks to spend on something like that right now. maybe i will get it when im 40 Sad

brinks · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 566 City: Orlando

i can tell you right now if you take your 3 chip mini DV footage and edit it and then take the footage from that HDV camera and edit it Your 3 chip footage from your mini DV is going to look alot better than your HDV footage after the edit. All the consumer, Prosumer quote unquote "High Definition" cameras compress the footage on the tape to MPEG 2 and only has full picture information fields every 6 frames or sometimes more.

RD · Addict Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 626 City: Discovery Bay

I have been watching the 2-pop boards on the Sony now that it's being sold and it doesn't seem to be getting much talk. Everyone seems to agree that HDV down rezzed to SD for distribution purposes isn't as good as just using the straight DV output out of the Cam. There are editing issues as well since the most popular NLE's still really don't support HDV. As far as Brink's comment on the mpeg compression scheme HDV uses, well that was always the knock on the JVC, that it was terrible with motion. Well HD DVD's are just around the corner so we'll see what happens.