XH-A1 vs. Sony V1 (Asked before I know..) at DVinfo.net

Russell Feller · March 12th, 2008, 06:28 PM

Ok, so I see that this subject has been asked before and I have read most of those topics, but some do not answer my questions. Are either of these cameras better in low light than the XL2? Also, seems like I always read that the V1 has the HDMI output and the XH-A1 does not? So you can not hook the A1 directly to a TV? Also why is it that is always seems the color of a Sony camera picture is more vibrant/bright than that of the canon.

Any pros/cons of either one for outdoor filming?

Bill Watson · March 12th, 2008, 08:13 PM

You certainly can play the A1 through a tv. HD or DV.

You can play back from the SDI terminal, from the Component Out terminal or the HD/DV terminal.

Stephen Faust · March 13th, 2008, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell Feller

Also why is it that is always seems the color of a Sony camera picture is more vibrant/bright than that of the canon.

Usually, if all other things are equal, this is just a function of how the manufacturers setup their default picture qualities. Both cameras are more than capable of adjusting the pictures to look very similar to each other, and both have excellent adjustment controls to do so. When you tweak them to match, there will still be some differences because of the processing, sensors used, etc, but they will be very close. You can make the XH-A1 look brighter and more saturated to have the Sony look if desired.

Russell Feller · March 14th, 2008, 11:15 PM

Thanks guys, think I am going to go with the Canon, has a bigger lens allowing for better low light.

John Bosco Jr. · March 14th, 2008, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Watson

You certainly can play the A1 through a tv. HD or DV.

You can play back from the SDI terminal, from the Component Out terminal or the HD/DV terminal.

The Canon XHA1 does not have SDI or HD-SDI. That's only available on the XHG1 (jackpack) or the XLH1. Of course, most high definition displays will not have an HD-SDI connector, unless it is a high-priced monitor, so that's not really a factor. However, you are correct about the XHA1's component out to hook up to a high definition display. It is just not quite as sharp as the digital HDMI output.

John Bosco Jr. · March 15th, 2008, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell Feller

Thanks guys, think I am going to go with the Canon, has a bigger lens allowing for better low light.

That is false. Both lens are 20x, with the Canon having a bit wider angle. The Canon might be maybe a 1/2 stop better in low light, but it is noisier than the Sony. Thus, it is really a wash on low light sensitivity.

If you look at the pros and cons of each camera, the advantages and disadvantages fairly much even out. Both cameras are really nice units. You cannot go wrong with either.

Russell Feller · March 15th, 2008, 09:41 AM

I thought I readhat the Sony had a mininmun lux of 4 (Gain all the way up and F-stop all the way down), and the canons was .4

Did I miss something or am I confusing something here? We are looking for a camera for hunting and low light is a major factor. I am sure that quality is pretty equal on both cams and the features and pretty much the same. Not sure what else really stands out from one cam to the other.

Mathieu Ghekiere · March 16th, 2008, 07:03 AM

What stands really out is ergonomics. Which one feels the best in your hands?

It's really much better for your work if you have a camera that you really enjoy using. If you have a camera that feels awkward, you can get more used to it, but it will never be as fun as a camera that you really think it well designed for your use.
Of course there are feature differences too, but with these 2 camera's, they are pretty close in features.

Pete Bauer · March 16th, 2008, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell Feller

I thought I readhat the Sony had a mininmun lux of 4 (Gain all the way up and F-stop all the way down), and the canons was .4

It is pretty difficult to compare such things by manufacturer specs. They all use their own, undisclosed, methodology. The best we can hope for is someone who has actually done side by side testing, or at least used both cameras and can give their impression.

George Angeludis · March 17th, 2008, 11:48 AM

At the show I am doing now I am using a rent PD150 and one of the cameramen a V1E. I have posted at Liquid's forums 2 lowlight scenes that you can see for yourself. I hope this could help you somehow even if it's a comparison between V1E and PD150. But it show that V1E can give low light with 12 to +18db with absolutely no grain.

http://forums.pinnaclesys.com/forums...ad.aspx#139337

Ryan Postel · March 17th, 2008, 12:06 PM

I recently shot a concert, which had relatively low light, with two A1's and two V1U's and there was a very noticeable difference between the cameras. Worrying more about color differences, we white balanced all the cameras at the same time to the same object. That wasn't the problem.

There was much more grain on the Sony's when the lighting was at its lowest, which was surprising because I had heard the V1U's would perform better under these circumstances. I'm not going to be using V1U's for any shoots any longer.

March 16th, 2008, 07:03 AM	#8
Mathieu Ghekiere Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,195	What stands really out is ergonomics. Which one feels the best in your hands? It's really much better for your work if you have a camera that you really enjoy using. If you have a camera that feels awkward, you can get more used to it, but it will never be as fun as a camera that you really think it well designed for your use. Of course there are feature differences too, but with these 2 camera's, they are pretty close in features. __________________ http://productionsofthe3rdkind.com http://pr3k.com

March 17th, 2008, 11:48 AM	#10
George Angeludis Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Thessaloniki, Greece. Posts: 179	At the show I am doing now I am using a rent PD150 and one of the cameramen a V1E. I have posted at Liquid's forums 2 lowlight scenes that you can see for yourself. I hope this could help you somehow even if it's a comparison between V1E and PD150. But it show that V1E can give low light with 12 to +18db with absolutely no grain. http://forums.pinnaclesys.com/forums...ad.aspx#139337 __________________ My Films My Works FB

March 12th, 2008, 06:28 PM	#1
Russell Feller Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cedar Falls, IA Posts: 85	XH-A1 vs. Sony V1 (Asked before I know..) Ok, so I see that this subject has been asked before and I have read most of those topics, but some do not answer my questions. Are either of these cameras better in low light than the XL2? Also, seems like I always read that the V1 has the HDMI output and the XH-A1 does not? So you can not hook the A1 directly to a TV? Also why is it that is always seems the color of a Sony camera picture is more vibrant/bright than that of the canon. Any pros/cons of either one for outdoor filming?

March 12th, 2008, 08:13 PM	#2
Bill Watson Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Noosa Queensland Australia Posts: 248	You certainly can play the A1 through a tv. HD or DV. You can play back from the SDI terminal, from the Component Out terminal or the HD/DV terminal.

March 14th, 2008, 11:15 PM	#4
Russell Feller Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cedar Falls, IA Posts: 85	Thanks guys, think I am going to go with the Canon, has a bigger lens allowing for better low light.

March 15th, 2008, 09:41 AM	#7
Russell Feller Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cedar Falls, IA Posts: 85	I thought I readhat the Sony had a mininmun lux of 4 (Gain all the way up and F-stop all the way down), and the canons was .4 Did I miss something or am I confusing something here? We are looking for a camera for hunting and low light is a major factor. I am sure that quality is pretty equal on both cams and the features and pretty much the same. Not sure what else really stands out from one cam to the other.

March 17th, 2008, 12:06 PM	#11
Ryan Postel Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 93	I recently shot a concert, which had relatively low light, with two A1's and two V1U's and there was a very noticeable difference between the cameras. Worrying more about color differences, we white balanced all the cameras at the same time to the same object. That wasn't the problem. There was much more grain on the Sony's when the lighting was at its lowest, which was surprising because I had heard the V1U's would perform better under these circumstances. I'm not going to be using V1U's for any shoots any longer.