Best camera to buy

monster_zero

monster_zero

Member
I've been saving up as much as I can the last six months to upgrade my editing setup and get an HD camcorder. I intend to use it for low budget film-making, but would also like to do some paid shoots for local businesses and musicians. I've looked at most of the cameras with the features I want in my projected price range, and have narrowed it down to the XH-A1 and the HVX-200. I have also seen footage of the HV20 that looks really nice. When the HV20 comes out, I'll have about $4,000 saved.

So, basically I want to know if I should get the HV20 for $1,100, or save a little longer and go for the XH-A1 or HVX-200? Also, any recommendations for processor speeds and RAM that can handle editing the various hi-def formats would be greatly appreciated. I currently edit in Vegas. Thanks.
 
monster_zero said:
but would also like to do some paid shoots for local businesses and musicians
Click to expand...
The form factor of the HV20 can and will most likely become a problem if you want to do that, sadly.
 
You could always get the HV20 and just get your feet wet with HD. When you've outgrown it, sell it at a very minimal loss and move on to a more pro camcorder.

Computer upgrades? As much processor speed, disk speed and ram as you can afford to throw at it.
 
Norbert, I agree about the form factor of the HV20. It's too bad Canon isn't making a slightly more impressive and cumbersome-looking model between the HV20 and the XH-A1. Even something a little bulkier without actual manual controls would at least give the illusion of a more pro camcorder, as long as the client didn't look too closely or know much about pro camcorders. With all the camera savvy people where I live (Mississippi), I could probably build a housing out of toilet paper tubes and cardboard boxes and paint it a nice matte black with "Canon" scrawled across the side and no one would be the wiser.
That's also a good idea, Elton, and that may be what I end up doing, or I could keep the HV20 and use it as a B cam with the higher end camcorder. Thanks for the advice.
 
It would have been nice if they put the hv20 housing that was shaped kinda like a GL2 but smaller, coloured GL2 style on the body, with focus and zoom is one ring. That'd be awesome

Horror-Freak dvinfo.net has a lot pages and tons of forum info about the gl2, TONS of old stuff.
 
The HV20 should've been placed in a black GL2 body like the XL H1 was placed in a black XL1/XL2 body. That would make it a killer. :) It seems like a lot of people are going to try to build their own housing for the HV20 and I'm sure it would look neat if you put the camera in a black box and place a 35mm adapter or something in front of the hole in the box, but it would be kind of difficult to reach the controls and menus with the camera inside a box.
 
What's the world coming to when we feel the need to disguise our tiny silver plastic cameras? This is like the HD equivalent of stuffing a sock down the front of your pants.
 
Norbert said:
The HV20 should've been placed in a black GL2 body like the XL H1 was placed in a black XL1/XL2 body.
Click to expand...
OK, silly question, but... wasn't that pretty much what they did with the XH-A1/G1? Mostly the same camera, not quite as many bells and whistles--the XH-A1 certainly seems to be the GL2 to the XL-H1's XL2 from where I'm sitting (which is admittedly on the fringes of this whole HD debate... :D )

From what I'm seeing (and what I'm seeing is entirely here :) ), the HV20 isn't any sort of competition for the professional/prosumer cams... to put in purely Panasonic (and SD) terms, it's like the GS500 compared to the DVX100--similar, yes, but not quite in the same ballpark.
 
I think the idea is that here's a cam with a decent feature set that's limited by a consumer body. If the image quality is really as good as everyone expects, the HV20 might well be used for low budget jobs like interviews or perhaps even weddings. Unfortunately clients aren't likely to hire somebody with a camera that looks like a handicam to film their weddings. Obviously it's no competition to the DVX but a cosmetic change with a more professional body is going to take the HV20 much farther along. The addition of a zoom/focus ring won't even be necessary. It's just dressing up the camera to wow potential clients. I'm willing bet people would still be willing to pay a few hundred bucks for for it.
 
Captain Pierce said:
OK, silly question, but... wasn't that pretty much what they did with the XH-A1/G1? Mostly the same camera, not quite as many bells and whistles--the XH-A1 certainly seems to be the GL2 to the XL-H1's XL2 from where I'm sitting (which is admittedly on the fringes of this whole HD debate... :D )

From what I'm seeing (and what I'm seeing is entirely here :) ), the HV20 isn't any sort of competition for the professional/prosumer cams... to put in purely Panasonic (and SD) terms, it's like the GS500 compared to the DVX100--similar, yes, but not quite in the same ballpark.
Click to expand...

I see what you mean but the way I see it, it could be like a sony v1, z1 situation(because the v1 is smaller than the Z1).

Here's what I mean:
HV20: weight 1.2 lbs (0.544kg)
Lens: 43mm

GL2: weight 2.5lbs (1.25 kg)
Lens 58mm

XH-A1: weight 4.6 lb (2.1kg)
Lens 72mm

The GL2 is a lot smaller than the A1 and actually feature set wise is closer to the GL2. They could have put the hv20 into a GL2 type body and it still wouldn't impose on the A1, just like how sony doesn't see why the Z1 should be discontinued because of the V1.

The product line could have looked like this (note: using canon's site pricing, not street):

HDV LINE:

Consumer:

HV10:
$1099
1/2.7" CMOS (1920 x 1080)
Lens: 37mm
zoom 10x optical
HD frame rates: 1080/60i
playback modes: 1080/60i, 1080/24f, 1080/30f
instant AF
mic: none
weight: 0.97 lbs

HV20:
$1099
1/2.7" CMOS (1920 x 1080)
Lens: 43mm
zoom 10x optical
frame rates: 1080/60i, 1080/24p
playback modes: 1080/60i, 1080/24p, 1080/24f, 1080/30f
instant AF
mic: 3.5 mm Stereo Mini-jack
weight: 1.2 lbs

Professional:

GL HV1
$1799
1/2.7" CMOS (1920 x 1080)
Lens: 58mm
zoom 16x optical or 20x optical
frame rates: 1080/60i, 1080/24p
playback modes: 1080/60i, 1080/24p, 1080/24f, 1080/30f
instant AF
mic: 3.5 mm Stereo Mini-jack
weight: 2.5 lbs

XH A1
$3999
3x 1/3" CCDs (1440 x 1080)
Lens: 72mm
zoom: 20x optical
frame rates: 1080/60i, 1080/24f, 1080/30f
playback modes: 1080/60i, 1080/24f, 1080/30f
instant AF
mic: 3.5 mm Stereo Mini-jack, 2 XLR (line/mic level) inputs with phantom power (+48v)
weight: 4.6 lbs

And so on and so forth....

If the line went like that instead of people here choosing the HV20 as a side arm to the A1 would stretch up a bit in price and get the GL HV1. People that were going to get the HV20 intstead of the A1 would stretch up and get the HV1 because it'd be well worth it.

Engineering it wouldn't be incredibly difficult because they could just use a modified version of the GL2 molds to create it. And the internals are essentially the HV20 with more external manual controls.

The A1 would still be well worth it for it's price over the HV1 because of the 3 vs 1 sensor, better low light and XLR, profile customization etc. In my opinion if that's what had been done everybody wins, canon gets way more sales, people that would have 1 camed it would start shooting with 2 cams, wedding videography, corporate, low budget independant films you name it.

After that only the sony faithful would still buy the fx1, v1, and z1.

If I were canon that'd be my thinking, who knows we may even see that at NAB.
 
Last edited:
Thanks monster zero. I really REALLY wish that's what had been done, i'd be first in line to get both an A1 and GL HV1. Damn canon surprise me at NAB.
 
Let's sign a petition and send it to Canon. Something between the HV20 and the A1 would be perfect.
 
Norbert said:
Let's sign a petition and send it to Canon. Something between the HV20 and the A1 would be perfect.
Click to expand...


Would have to agree. But wouldnt want it to be CMOS at this point in time. From what I have seen the cmos (bright future ahead I am sure) is not quite there yet. Certainly this seems to be where the Sony V1 is falling down. Blockiness on the image is everywhere. More noticable in darks, but is there in lighter areas.

I guess the real issue I see with the HV20 is the 43mm lense. The smaller the lense the less light can get into that light hungry cmos.... although as its a short lense I assume that would improve it a lot. Its certainly a factor on the V1 as its lense is smaller than the A1.

I think canon took the right approach with the A1 - they did have cmos technology but went with the CCD.
 
ncje said:
But wouldnt want it to be CMOS at this point in time.
Click to expand...
Indeed, but if CMOS is a way to keep the price down I will not argue with them. After all, the best thing about HV20 is the price. I think it seems reasonable to have a single CMOS even in a camera between the HV20 and A1 or else it would be too close to the A1.

ncje said:
I guess the real issue I see with the HV20 is the 43mm lense. The smaller the lense the less light can get into that light hungry cmos....
Click to expand...
But the lens on the HV20 is still larger than the lens on the HV10, right? A 58mm thread like on the GL2 would be perfect for a "GL HV1" though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top