HV20 done right

[Michael Jouravlev]

Here is what I don't like about HV20 and what I would like Canon to fix in a next model.

The list of things that will cost nothing or next to nothing to implement:
- Properly flag 24psf frames in 60i stream.
- Provide normal manual mode for shutter/aperture/gain or at least explcit aperture control in Tv mode instead of dumbed-down Exposure slider.
- Display light meter info without using "photo" button.
- Allow using Cinemode gamma with any other shooting mode like Tv or Av. Cinemode should entail just image enhancements, no shutter speed / aperture control.
- Allow explicit control over built-in ND filters (if they are indeed there).
- Revamp the menu, two-layer menu is too convoluted. Use words like Sony does, ditch icons.

These are low-cost mods:
- lanc connector or at least focus control from the remote. What is up with omitting remote focus? Sony's PDX10 remote control does not have focus buttons either, zoom only. Why? If there is no zoom ring available, I'd rather control zoom via a remote, this would keep my camera steady on my shaky tripod.
- Throw in an LCD hood (I prefer Canon lettering instead of Hoodman, isn't this good advertising for Canon?). This will mitigate the need for proper retractable viewfinder.
- Make it black or any other color, the metallic paint is cheesy.
- Throw in a lens hood (JVC Everio and Sonys look cool with their rectangular hood) or at least make it available from Canon website for no more than $20. Oh, and make sure that it is possible using hood along with standard screw-in filters.
- Make available a custom Canon-branded mic from Canon accessories website. The mic should incorporate handle for carrying camcorder around, like GL2 has. To do this the new camcorder should have two shoes: in front and in the back. Or make two accessories: just the handle without mic, and handle/mic combo. Both should have a shoe on top since this accessory would use camera shoes.
- Make sure that bottom of the camera has a hole for tripod locking pin. Current HV20 has it, but many other Canon camcorder don't. Don't skip on this important feature!

Higher-cost mods:
- Use better plastic. I know Canon can do it, because HV10 plastic looks much better texture-wise and color-wise. Do the same to HV20 successor. I am not asking for Sony- or Panasonic-like magnezium or aluminum body, but at least use better plastic and get rid of cheap metallic paint.
- Provide XLR breakout box as an optional accessory, sell it from the website. No more than $200, better yet $150.
- have a dedicated switch for ND filters
- Either provide a focus ring (repeatable, please!) or provide automatic rack focus based on two preselected points. Come on, the camcorder is just a small computer with a lens, this stuff is simple and costs nothing. Allow choosing rack focus speed, similarly like it is possible to choose zoom speed.

High-cost mods:
- Now when GL2 is almost out of the door, the 3CCDs version with global shutter could be an upscale model, filling the void between $1000 HV20 or its successor and $3000 XH-A1. Say, a $1500 HDV camcorder with large GL2-like lens, focus ring, bunch of buttons, manual ND filter, flip-out viewfinder and 3CCDs would be an absolute killer. If this is not possible, make it $2000, and sell the similar package for $1500 with one CMOS.

Canon, stick with tapes for a while. Not everyone wants to switch to HDDs or expensive memory cards or flaky DVDs.

[Euisung Lee]

I'm with you, but sad to say that it does cost Canon to do so for eating up their prosumer camera sales. I think it'll take competition from other companies to motivate Canon to go further with HV series. Slowly but steadily today's prosumer offerings will come down in price into 2k ~1k range anyway.

[Daymon Hoffman]

Very nice list indeed! I wouldn't mind adding a mode that records outside of the HDV standard so we can have a higher bitrate and none HDV-Standard files if we want (even if its to a CF card slot along side the tape mechanism!). :)

[Robert Ducon]

The HV20 *is* a consumer cam, but if they made the equivalent of the Sony A1U.. this would be a great start for it.

Add to that list of yours:

- Optional Image Flip (Vertically and Horiztonally) as an option - in recording and viewing

This feature would sweeten the HV20 as a prime 35mm adapter camera.

[Michael Jouravlev]

Originally Posted by Robert Ducon

The HV20 *is* a consumer cam, but if they made the equivalent of the Sony A1U..

I've yet to find a comprehensive comparison of HC1 and A1U. My understanding is these are pretty much same cameras, only A1U has XLR/mic unit, more options in the menu and better hood. This is it. It eludes from me why A1U is considered pro and HC1 is a consumer cam.

HV20 is already better than HC1 feature-wise, but its styling sucks, and its handling is also not perfect. Anyway, if HC20 == HC1, then HV20 + XLR unit == A1U. I don't know why Canon decided to move important controls onto the back panel. This works for tiny Elura 100, which has hidden battery, but for HV20 they could employ better design, similar to one used by Sony or by Canon itself, for example on GL2. The HV20 is small but it is not as tiny as the Elura. Add a focus ring and charge $50 more.

[John Machtinger]

Two or three custom user presets for all camera settings, with easy access thereto, would be very helpful.

[Jason Lowe]

First and foremost, they need to properly flag the 24p footage. As it stands, they are dancing along the border of false advertising. I would imagine they could fix this with a firmware update.

I'd like to see an HV30 with a lot of what was mentioned above. I don't think we'll see XLR inputs, but LanC (they sell a controller, should be common sense addition), proper acess to manual settings, better focusing wheel/ring, better information in viewfinder,larger viewfinder, and more custom settings. Longer zoom would be nice too. All in a compact (well, maybe a little larger), run-and-gun sized single chip camera. If they can make dozens of digital camera models with similar features, why only a handful of HDV cameras?

[Dale Backus]

Perhaps a bigger/higher res LCD...

But as it's been stated - it's hard to say what Canon will do to the next model. I'm sure it's eaten into their prosumer cam sales. I don't really know Canon or their tendencies, but it seems feasible that they'd dumb it down even more and add the hv20 features plus some into one of their prosumer models.

It'll be interesting to watch... Cross your fingers!

[John Hotze]

Originally Posted by Dale Backus

Perhaps a bigger/higher res LCD...

But as it's been stated - it's hard to say what Canon will do to the next model. I'm sure it's eaten into their prosumer cam sales. I don't really know Canon or their tendencies, but it seems feasible that they'd dumb it down even more and add the hv20 features plus some into one of their prosumer models.

It'll be interesting to watch... Cross your fingers!

So they will probably make up the loss in Prosumer sales from their HV20 sales. Maybe even come out ahead.