Discussion of dv.com results

From the clips I've seen, the Canon produces a superb image. From the clips I've seen, the HVX produces a superb image.

People are jittery because they don't want to choose a lame duck, especially when laying out a reasonable chunk of money. The res chart results seem to make the HVX less attractive as a "do-everything (except record HD to tape)" solution. The images are gorgeous, however! In fact the images from all of the HD cameras are really nice. you just have to choose which set of compromises you want to live with.
 
In fact the images from all of the HD cameras are really nice. you just have to choose which set of compromises you want to live with.
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Honest and straight forward.

After reading about 12 pages I skipped ahead to the end here and i think you just saved me another 15 pages of reading. What can be said further that hasnt been said a thousand times already?
 
Alex Leith said:
From the clips I've seen, the Canon produces a superb image. From the clips I've seen, the HVX produces a superb image.

People are jittery because they don't want to choose a lame duck, especially when laying out a reasonable chunk of money. The res chart results seem to make the HVX less attractive as a "do-everything (except record HD to tape)" solution. The images are gorgeous, however! In fact the images from all of the HD cameras are really nice. you just have to choose which set of compromises you want to live with.
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I must agree, my HVX200 preordered and will stay that way. My package cost 10k$ CND, 3x4gig + hvx200 + P2 Store. It expensive, but Im sure I will love it.
 
Ernest_Acosta said:
I'm in a "wait and see" mode. I really hope that the resolution is much more than Adam's testing says. I still want to see with my eyes how each camera looks. I'm surprised that Panny didn't go all out with the resolution. I mean I still want the HVX but I also want to know that I got the best deal in purchasing a camera.
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i'm in a wait and see mode as well...

i've been "waiting" for delivery since december and we'll "see" if i'll ever get one...:thumbsup:
 
DP StrangeLove said:
That's Why I was considering going with the JVC HD100U, the form factor an interchangable lens, more like the Xl1. But After reports of the stock lens having problems, I can't afford the $12k price tag for the wide angle lens option, and HDV, I went for the HVX.
I will miss the form factor, but I think the other benefits of the HVX outweigh it. And who know, with all of the addtions for the HVX I will add, rods, matte box, monitor, Anton Bauer set-up, it will probably be big enough to rest on my shoulder!
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Just got the HD100 today. THe lens is the nicest I've owned on smaller cameras (and I've got 6 or 7)...all the carping is just that. I mean it feels like a $10k lens, and if it really was a poor lens then it wouldn't likely have stunned the observers at this test.
It wouldn't have had the detail and overall pleasing image and balance.

Hey...I got this as part of a 2 camera HD setup for less than $5k with a free $1k IDX battery system from JVC....better res and latitude than the Varicam...not to shabby.

Also the build is an "A"... far better than the Canon XL line, VF looks like a small color CRT, again much tighter image than the Canon.

We just shot test footage in advance of a big sports shoot next week. Just hooking it up to a new 23" 720p HDTV to see what it really looks like. After reading the report, and just working with Varicam footage this week, I'm really anxious to see the results.

If the pictures are that good, then I'll be picking up a second HD100 this week.
 
PieroD said:
Hey Barry,

I don't want to sound pedantic but, how did you focused the scene?
I downloaded the scenic files from DV.com and it appears to me that the images of some of the small cameras, especially the HVX, were out of focus!

Piero
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I was told to focus on the Fuji backfocus chart, in the upper left.
 
stephenlnoe said:
Handling highlights is one of the HD-100's strong suits.
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Highlight handling was one of the last tests we conducted, I think Evin had left by then. And yes, we did find that the JVC handled highlights better than the others. On the gray chip chart, at 2 stops overexposed, we were finding the JVC holding on to one more chip than the HVX, which held onto one more than the Canon.
 
Mr. E. Trane said:
Since both you and Adam agree that there is a question mark surrounding the HVX horizontal resolution- Will we be seeing a rez chart “re-shoot” with a different HVX, so that if there was something wrong, it can be determined?
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Yes, that is planned. I already have a chart that was shot on a different HVX, but my Avid system is no longer allowing me to import the file; don't know why that is. So once I get the Mac configured (hopefully later today) I'll be able to post an alternate version of the HVX chart from a different camera (but shooting the same Ambi Combi-2 backlit $4,000 res chart).
 
evinsky said:
That's the real question, isn't it? I can tell you this, the H1 looks sharp, so does the JVC but the JVC has real problems with blown highs, they roll off into a strange mauve tone.
The H1 just clips too harsh for my taste, maybe not any sooner than the HVX but definately harder, that's hard to quantify but at almost twice the price it's not twice as sharp. I'd have to say the results stand just the same...
Sharpness... XL-H1
DR... HD100
Noise... Z1U

Mojo... HVX200
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Strange Evin...everyone involved seemed to say exactly the obvious including the unbiased Adam Wilt...that the HD100 handle highlights noticeably better than the other cameras.

Interesting that when the HVX falls short against the others in virtually all tests you claim that it has the best mojo...the one thing that can't nbe quantified.

If anything from that article, clearly the JVC had the mojo and there were lots of questions regarding the Panasonic.
 
ChuckS said:
I have brought this up several times over the past year or more, the problem with the DVCProHD codec is that its 8bit linear. In the world of CODECs DVCProHD is old technology.
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But HDV and HDCAM and XDCAM-HD and DVCPRO50 and MPEG-IMX and DV and basically every codec used in a camera (except for Digital Betacam) is 8-bit.

Going forward hopefully we'll see more 10-bit codecs, but as it stands today everybody's 8-bit.
 
Thanks for the report! This camera might be the wild-card that kicks asss! Hd100 is impressing more and more. Last month I was shown some Hd100 material that is from a movie being filmed. It had an amazing look.

I think the Hd100 like the H1 needs to be tweaked, once you have it dialed in, it probably shines.

Please keep us informed and maybe share some clips....

One question, are you worried about the SSE issue, or was that issue overblown from older HD100's?


jimagine said:
Just got the HD100 today. THe lens is the nicest I've owned on smaller cameras (and I've got 6 or 7)...all the carping is just that. I mean it feels like a $10k lens, and if it really was a poor lens then it wouldn't likely have stunned the observers at this test.
It wouldn't have had the detail and overall pleasing image and balance.

Hey...I got this as part of a 2 camera HD setup for less than $5k with a free $1k IDX battery system from JVC....better res and latitude than the Varicam...not to shabby.

Also the build is an "A"... far better than the Canon XL line, VF looks like a small color CRT, again much tighter image than the Canon.

We just shot test footage in advance of a big sports shoot next week. Just hooking it up to a new 23" 720p HDTV to see what it really looks like. After reading the report, and just working with Varicam footage this week, I'm really anxious to see the results.

If the pictures are that good, then I'll be picking up a second HD100 this week.
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mochouinard said:
I must agree, my HVX200 preordered and will stay that way. My package cost 10k$ CND, 3x4gig + hvx200 + P2 Store. It expensive, but Im sure I will love it.
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I'm from Canada also. Could you please tell me where you got your package. Thanks.
 
PappasArts said:
Thanks for the report! This camera might be the wild-card that kicks asss! Hd100 is impressing more and more. Last month I was shown some Hd100 material that is from a movie being filmed. It had an amazing look.

I think the Hd100 like the H1 needs to be tweaked, once you have it dialed in, it probably shines.

Please keep us informed and maybe share some clips....

One question, are you worried about the SSE issue, or was that issue overblown from older HD100's?
Click to expand...


We're literally just grabbing dinner and then sitting down with the footage. I saw no SSE issues in anything and I went from nearly dark interiors to bright sky and a snow covered ski resort. Of course the first real test will be watching it now in HD.

I'll definitely post some footage from next week. We're doing a last shoot at the Olympic center before the games and doing a thing with Apollo Ono....great colors and action speed skating so it should be a great test.

The bottom line is you could have 2 HD100s with IDX battery packages for the cost of an XL-H1. From build to manual lens to VF this camera is superior to the XL line (having everything form the original through XL-2). Unless they've seriously bumped up the build quality, I think this could easily be a superior camera than the H1 on most important levels...and this is no Canon bashing...I love their stuff and have produced with it for years.
I honestly never even considered the JVC until I handled it and saw footage....it's the real deal and looks like a film camera as well as feels like one.
 
Just noticed this...

Why is it only the HVX and Varicam have blockys in the lower light areas in the " Scenic " test shots with the girl?

The others don't.

In an a/b comparison the F900 in this shot puts all those cameras to shame.
 
Blocky aint the word for it as you bring up gamma on 2 jpegs side by side.
Now this has me baffled (gamma +.22 PC btw)

clinch.jpg
 
I know people are frustrated by the test results -- everyone wanted a clear knockout winner, and that's not what we got. And someone on another board asked for Adam's opinion, as to whether he would still buy an HVX (I posted his comprehensive response here earlier).

People are asking about "mojo" and "feel". People are asking "would you still buy this?" People don't understand what the charts are showing, and such. And charts don't tell the whole story -- everyone agreed that the F900 was way higher res than the VariCam, but as Adam pointed out in his article, what camera did we all want to take home with us? The VariCam (except Jay, he thinks the F900 kicks the VariCam's buttcheeks). But for most everyone there we all wanted the VariCam, chart performance aside.

So I guess the only conclusions that count from this may be: what are the people involved, who used the cameras and who saw the footage; what are they going to do with their own hard-earned cash?

I polled everyone there except Aaron, I didn't get his opinion on which he was going to buy, but for the rest of us it breaks down like this:

Adam: has an FX1 already, has several weeks' experience with the HD100 in reviewing it, but is going to buy the HVX

Jay: has an FX1 already, bought the HVX

Shannon: has a Z1 and an XLH1 already, was considering the HVX, but decided to buy another XLH1 instead

Barry: Had an HD100, sent it back, got an HVX

Evin: bought an HVX

Nate: Has an HD100, was going to sell it to buy an HVX, but decided to just keep the HD100

Rush: Is buying an HVX

Aaron: I forgot to ask. In back-to-back on the XLH1/HVX dynamic range scene, he said he preferred the HVX footage. But I forgot to ask him where he would put his dollars.

I didn't ask Shane and Ernesto from ProMax, although I should have. These are all the people I remember asking or not asking; if I forgot anyone I apologize!
 
What are you paying for the HD100 alone? If you don't want to say on here, you can email or PM me on DVXuser...



Thanks, I look forward to hearing more..

BTW, we took 480P 60 from the HD100 and uprezzed it to 1280x720 and it looked awesome. It didn't look like an uprezz at all!

Nice to know you like the lens, it has gotten bashed to hell by many.... So nice to hear your positive review...


jimagine said:
We're literally just grabbing dinner and then sitting down with the footage. I saw no SSE issues in anything and I went from nearly dark interiors to bright sky and a snow covered ski resort. Of course the first real test will be watching it now in HD.

I'll definitely post some footage from next week. We're doing a last shoot at the Olympic center before the games and doing a thing with Apollo Ono....great colors and action speed skating so it should be a great test.

The bottom line is you could have 2 HD100s with IDX battery packages for the cost of an XL-H1. From build to manual lens to VF this camera is superior to the XL line (having everything form the original through XL-2). Unless they've seriously bumped up the build quality, I think this could easily be a superior camera than the H1 on most important levels...and this is no Canon bashing...I love their stuff and have produced with it for years.
I honestly never even considered the JVC until I handled it and saw footage....it's the real deal and looks like a film camera as well as feels like one.
Click to expand...
 
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