I have an A1 now and was thinking of investing in an HV20 as a second camera and use both on shoots, has any one used both? How do they compare color wise?

Also, I am editing in Final Cut Pro Studio, is there anyway I can preview my work will editing on an HD monitor using the HV20 as a converter via firewire, but will I get an HDMI output this way for an external monitor??

I'm trying to figure out a way to preview my edits on an HD monitor, my Canopus ADVC-300 can't handle HD so wondering if I can use an HV20 to convert or if anyone knows another converter I could use....

Thanx!

I have both and used both for a shoot.

HV20 is more saturated in my situation. I'm not too good at color correction in post so I just had to live with two different colors.

If I would have had more light it would have come out more even. I had to brighten up my image so that threw off a few things also.

My A1 had the VividRGB setting.

Stephen,

I use the A1 and HV20 together sometimes. My HV20 is primarily used as a deck and to playback demo reels displayed on an HD Monitor at client locations.

I find the colors of the HV20 to be prerry good out of the box, however, color comparisions depend largely on the setting of the A1 since you could go all over the place with that on the A1. Personally, I use the A1 with the factory preset and simply bump up the levels/curves in post. In that situation, matching the color of the two cameras is pretty easy. However, please note that I've not done any extensive/technical color comparisions or anything.

I'm not sure I understand the next question correctly and nor do I use FCP so I won't attempt it :).

I use both A1 and HV20, and it's is certainly possible to combine them.

There is a lot of similarity, though we shouldn't exagerate and state that the HV20 is just a mini-A1.

I agree that the out of the box setting of the HV20 is surprisingly good, but tends more to the 'vivid' like colour setting of the A1. Certainly the reds are very different. The A1 is much milder in this respect than the HV20, in the HV20 red is really... 'red'.

I also compaired the sharpness, but I've some difficulty to describe the difference in words: the A1 is somewhat more refined in finer details (f.i. close-up of textures of fabric) then the HV20, but again: the result is really astonishing for such a small device.

Low light is the biggest difference. Coming from the Sony PD/VX family, I'm not so excited by any HDV's performance, and it really took me a while to accept the behavior of the A1 in this respect, but HV20 is showing a lot more noise in low light situation. I'm affraid that footage will easily lose it's overall exploitability when you try to shoot in dimmed lighting.

It is also not difficult to see that the lens and abberation is quite different between both cams: this justifies the most why an A1 remains an A1 and the HV20 is 'only' an HV20. The wide angles are feeling a 'bit cheap' to me (probably a real 'pro' would say the same of the A1 as well, compared to highly specialized video or film lens), but this ofcourse is not unusual in this price class, you cannot expect the impossible for your money.

Nevertheless, I can tell you one thing: if you would only some years ago anyone have shown HV20-footage, noone wouldn't believe you if you told them it came out of this size of camera. It's a very enjoyable piece of technology.

I'm also using both XH-A1 and HV20. I found the color is very different especially in Red. HV20's red is more orange like and A1's red is more purple-ish. HV20 also not as good in low light too.

I wish there is a A1 preset that match the color of Hv20. That will save me a lot of time in tweaking in post.

Best case will be using 2 A1 and use HV20 as a playback deck.

Ditto on the HV20 lookalike preset. I'd love to see that.

Ditto on the HV20 lookalike preset. I'd love to see that.

This would be fantastic, and I am guessing it could be done, sorry guys, I am no way good enough to do it though. :)

Hopefully some "preset expert" on this forum can read this and help us making a preset for XH-A1 that matches the color of HV20. ANYBODY OUT THEREEEEEEEEEE?

:-)

A HV20 can be used for playing back tapes shot on the A1/H1, also 25F recordings? This question was already answered somehow, but did anyone experience misalignments?
I intend to buy a HV20 and to use it as a deck for logging/editing but if playing back on another transport generates more dropouts, it will not be worth the effort...
Does anyone know if both Cams A1 and HV20 share the same transport?
All the best,
Sal

Also, I am editing in Final Cut Pro Studio, is there anyway I can preview my work will editing on an HD monitor using the HV20 as a converter via firewire, but will I get an HDMI output this way for an external monitor??

The HDV signal doesn't get passed back into the camera via Firewire. You can get the Blackmagic Intensity Pro card with HDMI ins and outs (also a great way to ingest your HV20A1 footage as ProRes422 with real-time conversion).

A HV20 can be used for playing back tapes shot on the A1/H1, also 25F recordings? This question was already answered somehow, but did anyone experience misalignments?
I intend to buy a HV20 and to use it as a deck for logging/editing but if playing back on another transport generates more dropouts, it will not be worth the effort...
Does anyone know if both Cams A1 and HV20 share the same transport?
All the best,
Sal

That's what I have been doing. In NTSC land, my HV20 is used as playback deck. It can playback all 60i, 24F and 30F footage recorded from the A1.

Hi Stephen,

I just got an HV20 in to try to use for wide shots while I use my A1 to follow close ups of stage shows. I've been getting use to it and I did do a comparison and there are noticable differences between the HV20 out of the box and the A1 (I useually use eithe the VividRGB with a tweak to lower reds or the PANALOOK presets shot in 24F). I was going to play with trying to tweek the HV20's color saturation setting to see if I can get a more neurtral look that is easier to fix in post.

I'm really interested to see what others have done to get a better match between the two. I usually use my wide shots for short durations during either transitions or to give the viewer some spacial perspective so it isn't that critical. Also, since the angles and feel is so different I find that I dont' have to have a perfect color match so thtat the transistions to look to strange.

I tried to match the clips from XHa1 and Hv20. Here's my best effort :) Someday I can do better.. just need more practice.

The 3 screen shots attached, one is from XHa1, two same shot from HV20 with and without color corrected.

Getting close Taky...the A1's red is a bit bolder though.

I know I know. It's just very difficult to make it closely matched. Red is very difficult to get it right.. the killing part is the big red backdrop in the back. :(

The gold lettering also doesn't look as rich. Is it me or do others find that the HV20 doesn't seem to handle yellows (and yellowish tints) very well?

Taky, were you using any presets on the A1 and if so which ones? Also, did you try to tweek the HV20's color settings at all?

I'm faced with the sme issues shooting dance videos with tons of colors, lights changing rapidly, and a lot of contrast.

Your match looks a lot better than I've been able to get so far.

I didn't use any preset in A1 and tweaking of colors in HV20 is limited. I have both shooting in Auto mode.

I didn't use any preset in A1 and tweaking of colors in HV20 is limited. I have both shooting in Auto mode.

I have HV-20 which I love and just today purchased A1. Nice to see I have others to help, when I am in need.

I do not have an HV20 to test this out on along side the XHA1 (sure wish I did), but in Premiere Pro it has the ability to "color match" clips . Color Match is found under "Image Control" which is under "Video Effects". I have tried this using my XHA1 and it works within limits....other leading NLE's must have the same capabilities.

If so, that might save you a few process steps and hopefully get you closer in matching them up. Although, I'd say you've done a fine job of it, based on your samples that were posted.
Just an idea, hope this helps....

Anything you guys learn that helps in matching, please let me know. I took delivery of my XH-A1 today and I am charging up. I may go skiing tmw and bring my HV20 to test on the slopes.