I bought an HV20 and I hate it....

[DJElvis]

Recently my business partner and I bought 2 cameras, 1 DVX100b and 1 HV20, our idea is that the DVX would be our main camera for many types of projects and have the HV20 as a our b camera when doing stuff like weddings where a second camera would be required.

I hate it.

The manual/audio controls are a nightmare, it is very difficult to adjust things (iris/exposure/etc). I did capture some stuff in HD and captured it. My PC is a P4 2.44 Ghz, (not enough power to view/edit the HD clip in real-time) so through reading hv20.com and other forumns figured out how to convert it to reg SD and that worked ok, but getting the proper pulldown for the 24p footage to make it match the DVX100b doesn't work very well. It's a nightmare.

So pretty much I'm left with a reg dv camcorder with poor controls.

I only recommend this camcorder to people who want a point and shoot camera in HD, who have bad ass computers and don't want to shoot in 24p.

[AloysiusK]

I use the HV20 for biz, and use it as a B camera and have been very happy. The controls are a little cumbersome, but its a consumer priced camera!

I shoot in 24p, and use compressor(reverse telecine) to make editable for 24p projects. When I have to downconvert for SD I use compressor again.

I don't understand why you would have an HV20 as a B camera to go with an SD camera? The whole charm of the camera is its ability to shoot HDV and 24p on a shoestring budget. I use it with an XH-A1 and have been very pleased thus far.

I had to do a lot of research before purchasing HDV cameras, because it has been very well noted the processing power and storage demands that it requires. It isn't the camera's fault that you cannot use it your fullest. I am sorry that you are disappointed, but it doesn't sound like the camera was right for your work in the first place.

[DJElvis]

We'll, we picked the HV20 because when we upgrade to HD down the road for our main camera, we wouldn't have to upgrade to a HD b-camera. The main reason for hating the camera is the "cumbersome" controls. The other points are just other little frustrations. How would you recommeand I convert the .M2T files to reg SD 24p DV? I use Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 as my main editor.

[AloysiusK]

Sorry Elvis, but I work on a Mac with FCP. I don't know Premiere. I do know that you have to do a reverse telecine to make it editable on a 24p timeline, however. For me, this has to happen BEFORE I can downconvert to SD. Otherwise it's no good. It's 2 steps.

You do know that you can take manual control of the exposure with affecting shutter speed, though...right? Also there is the memory card trick which will give you F stop readings/shutterspeed/frames per second.

[marketmd]

I use my HV20 with AspectHD and Premiere and it works great. I don't even have such a great system. AE also handles 24p pulldown with ease. The picture is fantastic for the price. You can get great aperture/exposure settings using Barry Green's "cell phone trick" with 24p and the Cine setting. What's not to love?

[DJElvis]

I have AE and AspectHD, never put the HD stuff into AE. Do you have to set anything manually in AE or is it just drag and drop. If so I could do that, and then render to SD via AE. Would it be wise to apply Magic Bullet's deinterlacing?

[Jim Martin]

Recently my business partner and I bought 2 cameras, 1 DVX100b and 1 HV20, our idea is that the DVX would be our main camera for many types of projects and have the HV20 as a our b camera when doing stuff like weddings where a second camera would be required.

I hate it.

The manual/audio controls are a nightmare, it is very difficult to adjust things (iris/exposure/etc). I did capture some stuff in HD and captured it. My PC is a P4 2.44 Ghz, (not enough power to view/edit the HD clip in real-time) so through reading hv20.com and other forumns figured out how to convert it to reg SD and that worked ok, but getting the proper pulldown for the 24p footage to make it match the DVX100b doesn't work very well. It's a nightmare.

So pretty much I'm left with a reg dv camcorder with poor controls.

I only recommend this camcorder to people who want a point and shoot camera in HD, who have bad ass computers and don't want to shoot in 24p.


It's a consumer camera......

[Dennis Wood]

There is a free application out there (check hv20.com for the stickie under 24p workflow). The HV20 portion of this forum also references an exposure guide video for the HV20 that you need to view. Once you've figured out a few things, and installed a mini-SD card, you can preview exposure by partially pressing the photoshot button, as well as lock in shutter and aperture.

Not graceful, but it works.

[jzucker]

let me know if you want to sell it. (jaz@jackzucker.com)

[William_Robinette]

It's a consumer camera......

Exactly, it's not like the lack of controls would be surprising, especially if this was anything other then a spur of the moment purchase.

And can't you just shoot 24p (not 24pA) on your DVX and 24p with the HV20 and edit care free in a 60i timeline? Same aesthetic, different delivery of it.

[tcindie]

Everything I've heard from wedding videographers is that given the choice between 24p and standard interlaced footage a wedding couple chooses the standard interlaced footage as their preference 9 or more times out of 10 anyway...

The controls are cumbersome, in comparison with the DVX, but with a little VERY minor effort you can make it do what you want. I'm not doing weddings, but I shoot 24p in cinemode. I use the cellphone trick (as detailed here (http://www.dvxuser.com/jason/hv20)) to lock my shutter speed and exposure, and it takes me all of about 5-10 seconds to be ready to shoot once I power on.

As for audio, the beachtek is your friend. ;)


can't you just shoot 24p (not 24pA) on your DVX and 24p with the HV20 and edit care free in a 60i timeline? Same aesthetic, different delivery of it.The problem with that is due to the nature of 3:2 pulldown, there is a very real chance that you'll cut part way through a progressive frame. So you may end up with the first or second half of one progressive frame and the first or second half of another. That will lead to video hiccups and just not the best looking edits. All in all, not something that's very acceptable for paid work -- specifically something as (hopefully) once in a lifetime as a wedding.

[Artscroll]

Coming off the DVX to the HV20 is quite a shock when it comes to the controls. I agree having owned both cameras. Pro to consumer, I think we all understand that.

You couldn't get me to go back to the DVX though. I love HD. Even poor man's HD despite the controls. Yes there are things about the DVX that I miss, but in the end it is the picture that counts. Yes, operating ease and pro controls is a must have (if you are heavily used to them). My advice would be to sell the HV20 and fork out the cash for a pro HD cam if you hate the controls. I sold my DVX just so I wouldn't be reminded of the "feel".

But on the little consumer cam's side...........it is one cool, small, easily portable, HD cam that produces an undeniable clean, good HD picture when the conditions are right. My 2 cents.

[Oedipax]

I'm really tempted to get an HV20, but I'm worried about buying one and then deciding the lack of manual controls is too much of a hassle. If it's manageable, though, and reliably repeatable, then I think I could get used to it in exchange for such high quality images at such a low price point.

For those who've used an HV20 with a 35mm adapter: does this make things harder or easier? In some ways it seems like it might be easier, since you regain good manual focusing and exposure controls. In other ways, I'm worried about adapter set-up: is there a sure-fire way to get perfect back-focus on the ground glass? Is there a way to repeat zoom settings so that you don't have to worry about vignetting and so on?

Basically I wish I could rent one of these for a day (or if someone I knew had one that I could borrow) just so I could get a hands-on feel for what the camera's like and decide if I'd like it or not. I wonder what kind of return policies there might be to facilitate that... probably not on opened product.

[James in HD]

I use the HV20 as a back-up camera to my XH-A1. I mostly use an external mic
on the XH-A1 for main audio, or important audio. But so far both cameras work
lovely for me.

[smpproductions]

IMO the HV20 is a great b camera for the DVX. I do a fair amount of weddings. I have shown side by side comparisons to clients and they have all LOVED the 24p look over interlaced. So I bought an HV20 so I could shoot 2 cam weddings in 24p.

It is difficult to use in some situations where the lighting may be poor....but that's where the DVX comes in handy. I only use the HV20 for wide shots, when I'm running around getting the good close up shots, it's the DVX all the way.

Soon HD will be killing my DVX use, but for now many clients can't afford HD and most of them have no way to watch HD anyway. I'm thinking about putting in the Andro system in my DVX once I need to upgrade....that is, if Andro is still around.

So my 2 cents, HV20 is the best consumer camera out there, it's so great the pros are using it as a back up camera. That's saying something..... BUT it's not saying that it can replace a pro camera.