Returning HV20 after 1 hour

[Mike Teutsch]

Originally Posted by Ron Lemming

Oh yeah? Watch me! ;)

Hey Ron,

Go for it man! :)

[Mike Teutsch]

Originally Posted by Ron Lemming

Oh yeah? Watch me! ;)
Seriously though, I don't think it will be suited for payed work since your clients will freak out when they see this little camera. But I strongly believe that you can make good looking amateur movies with it. It's not useless in that matter since it has 24p, cine gamma and a mic input. I bet you can even sell those movies as long as the clients don't see the camera, just the images it produces.

Ron,

Second thought, maybe we can make a large housing for it that looks like a big pro camera, or gut an old bulky big camera and stick the HV20 inside!!!

The clients would never know!!! :)

Mike

[Ken Ross]

Originally Posted by John C. Chu

I have a PDX10, and the beautiful footage I get out of that camera, and deinterlaced with DVFilm will give me footage that is very similar to the 24p HD mode on the HV20.

Am I disappointed? Nope. This is pretty kick ass cam. And I don't have to process the footage with DVFilmmaker.

John, the one thing that confuses me is why you would say that HD footage looks 'very similar' to SD footage. Any footage I've shot with any of the HDV cams I've owned, blows away the best SD cams I've owned. I currently have the VX2000, have used the VX2100 and still have an older TRV900. None of these can even come close to the footage of the HV20 let alone any of the other HDV cams I've owned. The resolution is so much higher with the HDV cams and it certainly shows in the much greater detail that is visible.

[Mike Horrigan]

Originally Posted by Ron Lemming

Oh yeah? Watch me! ;)
Seriously though, I don't think it will be suited for payed work since your clients will freak out when they see this little camera. But I strongly believe that you can make good looking amateur movies with it. It's not useless in that matter since it has 24p, cine gamma and a mic input. I bet you can even sell those movies as long as the clients don't see the camera, just the images it produces.

LOL! That's exactly what I plan on doing.

Once I get a few movies under my belt with it I'm sure the actors will no longer mind its size after they see the image it can produce. :)

[John C. Chu]

Originally Posted by Ken Ross

John, the one thing that confuses me is why you would say that HD footage looks 'very similar' to SD footage. Any footage I've shot with any of the HDV cams I've owned, blows away the best SD cams I've owned. I currently have the VX2000, have used the VX2100 and still have an older TRV900. None of these can even come close to the footage of the HV20 let alone any of the other HDV cams I've owned. The resolution is so much higher with the HDV cams and it certainly shows in the much greater detail that is visible.

I guess I better clarify my statement... Shooting indoor stuff, faces and things..there is more than enough resolution on the PDX-10 and its wonderful widescreen mode.

Of course, I'm only looking at the footage on a 30" CRT HDTV.

What will really make the HDV shine is going to be wide shots[like a city skyline for example]--where the limited resolution of SD shows it's limitations.

I guess the best way to describe it is the difference between 1080i Football games on CBS and 720p games on Fox.

Closeups look great on both channels and formats.. but during the wide shots of the whole field.. you can see that 720p doesn't have enough resolution to show each individual player as --it is not as crisp as 1080i. [Of course nothing I've said is anything new for the professionals on this board.... ]

I will definitely take the HV20 out today and do a shakedown with it.

[Ken Ross]

Got it John, makes sense. I'm sure you'll love the HV20!

[Glenn Thomas]

Originally Posted by Mike Teutsch

As mentioned earlier, this is not a PRO camera!

Agreed, Canon may not be marketing it this way, but once you attach a 35mm adapter to it with a follow focus unit, a matte box and a better microphone, would it still not be a pro camera? Add a decent tripod + shoulder rig and the overall package would still end costing less than a so called 'pro' camera.

At the end of the day it's not about what camera you use, it's what you can do with the camera you use. I can't see anything that would be stopping someone from shooting a feature film using one or more HV20's. Unlike the XHA1/G1, or even the XLH1, they're true 24P with a 1920x1080 sensor.

A year or so ago I remember DV magazine testing out a bunch of HD cameras including Sony's top of the line CineAlta F900. I'd love to see the HV20 in that line up and how it's results compare to the others.

[Luis A. Diaz]

Originally Posted by Ken Ross

Got it John, makes sense. I'm sure you'll love the HV20!

Would place the image of this camera or the HV-10, any day, next to the feeds that I get from the HD Discovery channel even using the component output to my Sammy 56" DLP....God only knows what I'll get when a feed it the HDMI output. Amazing.

Luis

[Mike Teutsch]

Originally Posted by Glenn Thomas

Agreed, Canon may not be marketing it this way, but once you attach a 35mm adapter to it with a follow focus unit, a matte box and a better microphone, would it still not be a pro camera? Add a decent tripod + shoulder rig and the overall package would still end costing less than a so called 'pro' camera.

At the end of the day it's not about what camera you use, it's what you can do with the camera you use. I can't see anything that would be stopping someone from shooting a feature film using one or more HV20's. Unlike the XHA1/G1, or even the XLH1, they're true 24P with a 1920x1080 sensor.

A year or so ago I remember DV magazine testing out a bunch of HD cameras including Sony's top of the line CineAlta F900. I'd love to see the HV20 in that line up and how it's results compare to the others.

Twice now folks have posted what seems like a negative statements from me about the HV20, ie: not a Pro camera and not your prime #1 Pro camera etc..

They are not negative at all! I was just a little irritated that people were complaining that it did not have this or that pro feature. This little camera rocks, it is awesome!

Mike

[Robert Ducon]

Whoa, some pretty heavenly statements for this little camera. Yes, I think it is great (resolution) and will fool most people when they see the image it can produce.

Compared to, say, a DSR-250 the average joe would assume the 250 would offer greater detail, resolution, etc. I'd not consider pitting the HV20 agianst a F950, but, for a consumer, it's near impossible to get this kind of resolution under $1500. Sure, it'd be nice to see where it stacks up. This thread should be called the "Praise the mighty HV20" or such now.

[Glenn Thomas]

Sorry Mike, it wasn't specifically directed at you! Just the statement.

[Joe Busch]

Just to let you know, my HV10 did the EXACT same thing this past weekend, it only lasted for 4-5 minutes... I turned off instant-autofocus and it seemed to do a better job, then I switched back to I-AF and it was perfect again..

Honestly don't know what caused it, but I don't think the HV20 is to blame...

[Ken Ross]

Originally Posted by Luis A. Diaz

Would place the image of this camera or the HV-10, any day, next to the feeds that I get from the HD Discovery channel even using the component output to my Sammy 56" DLP....God only knows what I'll get when a feed it the HDMI output. Amazing.

Luis

It is that Luis, it is that! Having owned the HC1, HC3, FX1 and FX7, I honestly feel the image the HV10 & HV20 produces is the best of the bunch. I find myself getting more and more tired of Sony's edge enhancement and the artifacts it produces. I really think Canon got it right with these units.

[Mike Teutsch]

Originally Posted by Glenn Thomas

Sorry Mike, it wasn't specifically directed at you! Just the statement.

Glenn,

Don't worry, what you said was fine, I just wanted to make sure that everyone knew I thought this camera was great.

You know, I have found one little problem. The way the door or flap for the HDMI port opens it is not going to last very long. Does not have enough give so that it can be moved out of the way. It is kind of bending the cap and that is not good. Horder to close after use have it hooked for a while. Anyone else notice this? I sure would not return the camera for that!!! I still have gaffer's tape! :)

Mike

[Ken Ross]

Mike, I think you hit on the one annoyance I've found with the HV20. Pretty short list, but still you'd think Canon would have realized this was not the way to cover a port door.