Canon hV20, hV40 or hF20? Or something else? at DVinfo.net

Dan Passaro · July 24th, 2010, 01:15 PM

I like the idea of shooting 24P.

In my reading about these cameras I see that some require a bunch of stuff after the fact (pulling down the reinterlace and exporting to avchdxyz123, blah, blah, blah) except for the HV40 which shoots native 24P and doesn't require pulldown.

The beauty of the hv20 is price but then you have to get cineform (sp?) so I'm thinking I'm up to hv40 pricing which then allows me to avoid conversions altogether (other than downgrading for YouTube or whatever).

But then you have flash capture with the hF20 thereby avoiding tape usage.

I'm of the mindset that if I bother to get HD then it behooves me to shoot the best format the camera has. Kinda stupid to get a DSLR just to then shoot small jpeg.

I figure 24P can always be 'downgraded' for YouTube usage, etc.

My primary use for this camera is life in general.

If you're thinking "well why not ……" go ahead and post it and why (pros/cons)

Thanks for all suggestions.

Martyn Hull · July 25th, 2010, 01:55 AM

Its all ifs and buts but HDV tape is a great backup storage and easy to edit.canon HVs are capable of the most lovely footage like this guys film

John Wiley · July 25th, 2010, 09:52 PM

You don't have to remove pulldown. If you are only using it for 'life in general' it won't be much of a problem at all. Simply shoot, capture, and drop it on a 60i timeline as though it was 60i footage. It may not have the exact same motion cadence as 24p film, but keep in mind this is essentially how you have been watching films on your TV for decades - they have had pulldown added so they can be broadcast over a 60i signal.

Keep it mind with the HF20 you will probably still need Cineform to transcode the footage before editing. So HDV might still be a cheaper/more convenient.

Despite the inconvenience and extra expense that tape may pose, it is great for 'life in general' because you can shoot, label your tape and archive it so it's ready to be watched whenever you want. With flash drives, it is a sad fact that many precious family memories will be lost because hard drives fail, or they upgrade their camera/computer and forget to copy/transfer the files from the old one before they throw it out. The irony is that the 'simplicity' of flash appeals more to consumers than it does to professionals who are used to offline/online workflows, capturing transcoding, etc.

Dan Passaro · July 25th, 2010, 10:30 PM

Admittedly, despite my computer being setup for multiple, automated backups, I'm still leaning toward tape lol.

Just something old school about it ............................ yet capturing HD.

July 24th, 2010, 01:15 PM	#1
Dan Passaro New Boot Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 21	Canon hV20, hV40 or hF20? Or something else? I like the idea of shooting 24P. In my reading about these cameras I see that some require a bunch of stuff after the fact (pulling down the reinterlace and exporting to avchdxyz123, blah, blah, blah) except for the HV40 which shoots native 24P and doesn't require pulldown. The beauty of the hv20 is price but then you have to get cineform (sp?) so I'm thinking I'm up to hv40 pricing which then allows me to avoid conversions altogether (other than downgrading for YouTube or whatever). But then you have flash capture with the hF20 thereby avoiding tape usage. I'm of the mindset that if I bother to get HD then it behooves me to shoot the best format the camera has. Kinda stupid to get a DSLR just to then shoot small jpeg. I figure 24P can always be 'downgraded' for YouTube usage, etc. My primary use for this camera is life in general. If you're thinking "well why not ……" go ahead and post it and why (pros/cons) Thanks for all suggestions.

July 25th, 2010, 01:55 AM	#2
Martyn Hull Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: England Posts: 444	Its all ifs and buts but HDV tape is a great backup storage and easy to edit.canon HVs are capable of the most lovely footage like this guys film CATALUNYA on Vimeo

July 25th, 2010, 09:52 PM	#3
John Wiley Trustee Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Byron Bay, Australia Posts: 1,155	You don't have to remove pulldown. If you are only using it for 'life in general' it won't be much of a problem at all. Simply shoot, capture, and drop it on a 60i timeline as though it was 60i footage. It may not have the exact same motion cadence as 24p film, but keep in mind this is essentially how you have been watching films on your TV for decades - they have had pulldown added so they can be broadcast over a 60i signal. Keep it mind with the HF20 you will probably still need Cineform to transcode the footage before editing. So HDV might still be a cheaper/more convenient. Despite the inconvenience and extra expense that tape may pose, it is great for 'life in general' because you can shoot, label your tape and archive it so it's ready to be watched whenever you want. With flash drives, it is a sad fact that many precious family memories will be lost because hard drives fail, or they upgrade their camera/computer and forget to copy/transfer the files from the old one before they throw it out. The irony is that the 'simplicity' of flash appeals more to consumers than it does to professionals who are used to offline/online workflows, capturing transcoding, etc.

July 25th, 2010, 10:30 PM	#4
Dan Passaro New Boot Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 21	Admittedly, despite my computer being setup for multiple, automated backups, I'm still leaning toward tape lol. Just something old school about it ............................ yet capturing HD.