HVR-V1E (or XH A1)

[DaveEP]

I posted in the Canon forum, but did not get much response yet, and most of the people there probably don't know as much about the Sony as I am hoping people here do...

Sorry if this has been covered endlessly. I did search but to no avail.

I shoot mainly stock footage, and am looking for an HDV camera with good manual controls. I need mainly good performance in the 'manual focus' and 'exposure' control, but good zoom control would also be nice (though I rarely zoom while actually recording). While Audio can be important from time to time, that is not the highest priority at this point.

What is VERY important to me to is getting a 100% coverage view finder. I can't afford to have things appearing on the footage that are 'just' outside the view on the viewfinder/LCD, because that can take otherwise great footage and put it straight in the bin.

Is the viewfinder actually 100% on the HVR-V1E ?

Is the LCD display actually 100% too ? Am I going to see EVERYTHING on the LCD that I would see on a monitor - I am not talking about minute details, but I want to see the entire scene and not just 95% of it.

How good/bad is the manual focus for (a) close distance (a few feet) and b) long distance (for few hundred yards).

How predictable is the AF system?

Can you move the focus points (e.g. to the rule of thirds points) or is it stuck in the middle?

How much movment do you need on the focus ring to go from completely "out of focus" (think gausian blur) to completely "in focus" for a subject that is only a few feet away? I am not talking about shallow depth of field here - I am talking about completely blurred picture to complete in focus good depth of field shot.

Is the focus ring a mechanical or electronic control device?

What reasons would there be to chose the Sony HVR-V1E over the Canon, and visa versa? What other models should I consider (up to the price of the HVR-V1E)? Quality of output and manual controls are the primary concern - after budget that is.

I only want to buy this gear only once, and have it last for a good while - so I don't want to find I made a mistake and have to sell it and buy something else.... so it's probably going to take a few questions.... which I can't seem to find explicit answers to. There are lots of hints and 'implied' stuff, but I really need to know specifics rather than assumptions.

Any help you can give would be appreciated..... Thanks.....

 

[DirectX]

Dave,

I'm a relative newbie here but I'll take a shot at answering your question (although you might want to wait for a more experienced user to reply). From what I understand no viewfinder is going to give you 100% of the picture. Some more than others but you will not get the complete picture. You'll most likely need a monitor to ensure you get as accurate a picture as possible. Others here can recommend specific models or types as I'm not that familiar with them yet.

Mark

 

[SPZ]

I would suggest you check the thread "Is the V-1 a has been already?"

 

[Grug]

Hi Dave, welcome to the boards. You should try a few more variations in your searches because there have been at least half a dozen threads devoted to this same question. But to answer your question - I would suggest you go for the Canon XH-A1. Both cameras are very good, and the Sony produces one of, if not THE, nicest looking footage of any prosumer level camera currently available - but that is if, and only if, there's enough light around when you shoot it.

The 1/4" CMOS sensors of the V1 are simply too small to handle low light conditions as well as the 1/3" sensors of most other prosumer HDV cameras. Yes the Sony has a much nicer viewfinder than the Canon, yes it shoots proper 25p as opposed to the Canon's 25f, yes it feels better constructed than the Canon, yes it's a great camera. But most of the evidence available points to the Canon producing better images in a greater variety of situations.

Just take a look at some of the footage people are producing with the two cameras and you'll see what I mean.