I've had a little time with the A1 and I am very impressed the quality of the picture is outstanding. I have to second Don Blish's observation that when downconverting for DVD or non-HD viewing your best bet is at 480 Progressive. Otherwise you are likely to encounter little annoying artifacts.

Of course, with HD and a light camera, steady shots become extremely important, so it has become obvious that I need to brace myself. This intrepid budding narrative filmmaker has narrowed his choices down to these:
The Velbon CX-570, The Velbon CX-690 and the Spiderbrace2... I am only going to get one of these for now and put the other down on my wish list...
Which to get first... which to get first...
It appears the 690 is just a heavier duty version of the 570. Is this true. How smooth are the pans with these puppies?
And for those with experience with the Spiderbrace, how well do they smooth the shots anyway? And are they solid enough to replace a tripod at least for the short term?

A thousand thanks to all who have helped me on this little journey so far.

I have both the CX-690 and the Spiderbrace 2. First, you have to realize that although on the surface they may be similar, these 2 products do completely different things.

If you plan on doing more hand held shots, get the Spiderbrace. If you plan on getting more non-motion shots (like nature) then get the tripod. It comes easy to see that owning both is really the ideal but if only one is in your near future you need to decide which one you'd use more.

As far as the fluidity of the pans on the CX-690, I think it's great. The tripod seems heavy duty enough for professional work but light enough to carry with you. I highly recommend it. Also, what type of attachments would you put on the A1? The more weight you use, the harder it can be to pan and tilt.

Thanks Adam! You've helped me to round it down to two options. Of course, those two are worlds apart, but I knew that already. Also, I will eventually need both...

I won't have a lot of attachments. Maybe occasionaly a better mike, and a wide angle lense later on. Lighting would never be done from the camera.

Does the Spiderbrace cut down the yitters... er jitters that well?