Hi - I've been a bit slow to reach into the full capabilities of this rather nice camera, but I read in the instruction manual..

"your camcorder can play back pictures recorded in the HDV 720/30p format but cannot output it from the HDV/DV interface (i.LINK)"

If you can't output this format, what on earth would be the point of shooting in it? Are they saying I need to purchase a deck at a cost of over $3000?? Or is there another way to ouput that I'm missing.

Cheers for your help!

If im not mistaken, the Z7 can not record to 720P. Use the camcorder you have shoot the 720p to capture.

Jun

Hi Jun,
I guess that was my point - that quote was direct from the Z7 manual which was rather confusing.. I now realise you can't shoot in 720p.

So is it just saying that if you happen to have some 720p footage from some other camera, don't expect your Z7 to be able to capture it?

I find the Z7 display rather annoying because even when you're supposedly in 1080p, it still says 1080i in the top left and you have to rely on the 25p indicator to confirm you're actually in 1080p. Why couldn't they have programmed the camera to change the text?!?!
Cheers

Page 84 of your manual. You can shoot 25p and it can write to tape either as Interlaced 1080i or Progressive depending upon your needs. You need to set both REC TYPE and SCAN TYPE under HDV PROGRE. If I set my Z5 (admittedly not the same cam but similar firmware and menus) to 30p or 24p but leave REC TYPE on INTERLACE, the LCD still shows HDV1080i. If I set to PROGRESSIVE and then 24 or 30, it doesn't. Might be the same for the Z7 -- the manuals have exactly the same text in this regard.

(Obviously if you've confirmed you've done this and the cam doesn't behave the same way, then they differ and I agree it's silly.)

You can output 720p via component and possibly HDMI. You could capture this way but you wouldn't have timecode. But at least you could display. As I would never shoot 720p but might work with others who do, I think it's a nice little bonus feature to have. Glass half full, as they say.

Hi Adam,
I've had a thorough look through the menus (thought I knew them pretty well, but you never know..)

I have the following options on the IN/OUT REC menu:

1st. REC FORMAT > HDV1080i or DVCAM

2nd. HDV PROGRE. (not sure what this abbreviation is for...) > REC TYPE: INTERLACE (50 or 25p) or PROGRESSIVE (25p)

Not terribly sure what HDV INTERLACE 25p would *be* exactly... surely a total contradiction?

But definitely the logo HDV1080i is still there. All this resolution stuff is tough enough without my own camera trying to trick me..!

HDV Interlace 25p shoots progressive but writes to tape as interlaced for decks or NLEs that don't support true progressive.

If you set REC TYPE to Progressive then you shouldn't have 1080i showing, but as I said our cams may not behave the same way. If you set REC TYPE to Interlaced but SCAN TYPE to 25p then the 1080i should show, to remind you that you're not recording to tape as true progressive. I'm looking at the Z7E/Z7P manual right now and you should be able to set both independently. If it's giving you a choice of 50 or 25 then you are set to interlace. When you set to Progressive it either won't give you a choice and automatically go to 25p, or 25p will be the only choice available. As I'm on NTSC, can't be sure what the actual display is.

In any event, if you're in true progressive mode, you probably shouldn't be seeing the 1080i icon in the LCD. But as my expertise is purely limited to reading the manual and experimenting on my similar but not identical cam, here's where my knowledge ends.

Think my camera is a Z7P (P for PAL?) but anyway, thanks for the clarification on the INTERLACED 25p setting, that clears that up. As for the other thing, I guess it's just an annoyance I'll ignore!
Cheers again
Simon

Yeah, the Z7E and Z7P use the same manual. Post above edited to reflect this.

So you're sure you've chosen REC TYPE > PROGRESSIVE and the screen still says 1080i? Interesting.

Totally, 110%, cast iron certain.

Must be a bug they ironed out when they released the Z5. Black Gaffer tape will fix this for you.

(Partial explanation on page 136: seems to imply this designation in the LCD is to distinguish from DV/DVCAM [SD only]. So you're either in one or the other.)