Various posts concerning GR-HD1U and JY-HD10U

[Scott Anderson]

I have actually used the Nu-View adapter, and I can say with a certain amount of confidence that it would be completely unsuitable for the HD-1/10U.

The problem is that the camera mounting hole in the back of the Nu-View is so small (37mm native, I believe), that your field of view is seriously restricted.

I tried the N-V on my Sony VX-2000, which has a 58mm thread. Unless I was on the far end of telephoto, the edges of the unit would vingette into frame. Completely useless for any kind of real-world application.

It's really a shame, too. The idea of shooting 3D video, then using shutterglasses to view on a TV is really cool, and could work under better circumstances. The problem is that NTSC, field-separated 3D is of questionable quality, even when done under the best conditions. Now 480p, at 60fps, giving you 30 discrete frames for each eye - that would be something! Or better yet, a 60fps HD-rez signal split into left and right-eye views. Now THAT would get people's attention.

If you absolutely have to get the N-V adapter to start shooting 3D, I recommend that you use the DV camera with the smallest possible filter ring, and be aware that shooting 3D requires a lot of careful attention to things like convergence - things you don't normally have to deal with shooting "flat" video.

[Rob Lohman]

MPEG2 is a more efficient compression technique than the DV-based Varicam type

It might be more efficient bit it also loses quality unless you
emply high bitrates with only P frames (for the editing). I
personally prefer the DV format since it has a "grown up" market
for it.

Then again, DV bandwidth must increase to at least 50 mbit/s
to stay in business.

[Michael Pappas]

These tests are material from a film by Eric Escobar. These are very crude tests. They are by no means official and are just done to see very crude simple surface feed back on the JVC HD camera vs. a regular mini DV SD camera like the DVX100.

The Link:
http://www.pbase.com/PappasArts9



Michael Pappas
http://www.pbase.com/arrfilms
http://www.pbase.com/PappasArts9
www.PappasArts.com
Arrfilms@hotmail.com

[Heath McKnight]

I hope this distributor has another one in Boca Raton, FL on Monday or Tuesday when I return from my 2 week, non-stop edit session in L.A. (I'm dead, no time off for a month!). I'll demo it, hopefully, and if it's good, I'll write a review here and buy it from them ASAP.

heath

[Heath McKnight]

We're probably repeating ourselves here, but this will alleviate some fears.

1. Everything on the HD10 is both auto and manual, right? None of the same issues on the iris that people keep having on the HD1, right? Manual audio, focus, iris, f-stop, white balance, etc.?

Thanks,

heath

[Heath McKnight]

1. It looks like in HD and SD modes, you can only shoot 16:9, which isn't too big a deal for filmmakers and others. Heck, at my TV station, our HD floor cameras (shoot anchors), they had to digitally put up a 4:3 "box" to show the camera crew the proper format, because the viewfinders are in 16:9, which is what we're broadcasting on. Apparently, the SD/DV signal gets shifted to 4:3, while the HD signal stays in true 16:9. Also, we have Tompson HD cameras, with the little "pipe/cable" out the back, so it looks a lot like the Viper HD camera.

2. There's a built-in digital wind cutter-downer (quite a technical term there), but I'd rather rely on a microphone windscreen.

3. They talk about the exposure lock on page 45, but I don't quite get it. I'm more of a man who learns better from seeing it done than reading about it. And yet I have an overactive imagination... ;-)

4. Page 46 deals with manual shutter and manual iris. (The drawings look like some of the "celebs" out of South Park...) Manual focus and manual zoom are on page 47. The iris and shutter sounds like a pain in the @$$, no wheels or buttons like on my XL-1. It's all done digitally. Select the power switch to a certain setting, press the Lock button, use viewfinder/LCD, press S/A once (a button) and do it all digitally. That's the shutter, the iris is the same, except you hit the S/A button twice. This sounds tricky, and many times, I will have to adjust on the fly and this doesn't make it easy. Nuts... The focus and zoom you have to turn off the auto in the camera, then adjust physically, which is a HECK of a lot better than doing the iris/shutter.

5. White balance looks easy.

6. Some typical effects found in consumer cameras. Yawn, since we shouldn't do anything to our initial image captures. Kind of a waste, maybe?

7. The advanced section looks like fun; you CAN do the optical stabilization, but it isn't a switch like on the XL-1 (sorry to compare so much), but you do it digitally, yet another slight hassle I'm sure I'll get over.

That's about all I found really interesting, for those of you who don't want to go through 92 pages! The iris/shutter is annoying, but if the shutter I choose can be locked, I can live with doing the wheel/digital adjusting of the iris. But a seperate thing would be nice, plus more physical switches to turn on and off auto zoom, focus, iris, shutter, etc.

heath
www.mpsdigital.com

[Steve Mullen]

The following applies to most consumer cameras -- and most likely applies to both the HD1 and HD10. But don't assme this is true about the JVC until someone tests it.

1. If you want MANUAL control you will power-up the camera in the M position. This is done once!

2. With a frame-rate of 30fps there are only two shutter-speeds you need when shooting under artificial lighting -- 1/60th in 60Hz power countries and either 1/50th or 1/100th in 50Hz power countries.

Otherwise, for NTSC cameras you want 1/60th S. Any slower and you will get blur. Any faster than 1/100th and you'll get strobing.

NOW IF YOU LIKE BLUR AND STROBE -- FEEL FREE TO SET ANY SPEED YOU WANT!

After setting a shutter-speed you, of course, want it to stay until YOU change it. So press S/A ONCE to set your shutter-speed. Dial in the speed you want. Do not press S/A again. (You are now using Shutter Priority AE.)

3. With shutter-speed locked, the camera will auto set the iris using the built-in light meter.

4. If you want to set the iris to control depth-of-field, press S/A TWICE and set the aperature. Do not press S/A again. With aperature locked, the camera will auto set the shutter-speed using the built-in light meter. (You are now using Aperature Priority AE.)

5. MODS COMING SOON.

6. MODS COMING SOON.

7. Press and hold the Exposure Control for 2 seconds. To unlock, press the Exposure Control once.


LAST POINT

If a camera has a good audio limiter AND you match mic sensitivity to the camera's MIC sensitivity -- there is, with 16-bit digital audio, NO need to adjust audio gain.

The limiter keeps the peak level below digital clipping (0dB) while the 16-bit dynamic range handles the entire range of the mic.

Most of us know if we own hi-output (-50dB) or a lo-output (-60dB) mic.

Now we need a spec. for the HD10!

Oh, and we need to know if the HD10 audio has a limiter or AGC. And, you can't go by what a company says. Some call a limiter, AGC -- which it's not. And, even if it is an AGC -- there are DSP-based AGCs that don't pump. Once again, without testing -- nothing can be said about ANY camera.


__________________

[Steve Mullen]

As far as i know, they are the same other than a selection for color bars. Plus you can set audio indicators to appear when recording.

Also see Manual Control 101.

[Heath McKnight]

<<<-- Originally posted by Steve Mullen : As far as i know, they are the same other than a selection for color bars. Plus you can set audio indicators to appear when recording.

Also see Manual Control 101. -->>>

Thanks, Steve. Hope you all liked my summary of the manual. For those of us who want the quick summaries! :-)

heath

[Heath McKnight]

This company has had the camera (only one) in for a week or two, and I'm going in hopefully tomorrow or Wed. to demo it, along with an HDTV (small one) that I'll return ASAP after I'm done. My full report/review will be up soon after!

heath
www.mpsdigital.com

[Michael Pappas]

Excellent Heath! I look forward to the report. Fingers crossed about exposure control on this.

Michael Pappas
http://www.pbase.com/arrfilms
http://www.pbase.com/PappasArts9
http://www.pbase.com/PappasArts1
www.PappasArts.com
Arrfilms@hotmail.com
__________________

[Heath McKnight]

<<<-- Originally posted by Michael Pappas : Excellent Heath! I look forward to the report. Fingers crossed about exposure control on this.

Michael Pappas
http://www.pbase.com/arrfilms
http://www.pbase.com/PappasArts9
http://www.pbase.com/PappasArts1
www.PappasArts.com
Arrfilms@hotmail.com
__________________ -->>>

Any advice, Michael or Steve?

heath

[Heath McKnight]

I figure this might be fun, since we're overly scrutinizing these new cameras. And the fact that I'm bored at work (as usual), why not ask what people would use this camera for.

Me, well, it's funny, I've shelved just about every film I had planned, to focus on our first big budget film (for us, around $300,000), 9:04 AM. And that will be shot on a CineAlta.

So, in the three years I'll be working on 9:04 AM, where will this camera be used? Well, I have some micro movies I want to do, fun stuff to premiere on our website (I'm working on that section with our absent webmasters) and other online places. We'll use it to document the making of 9:04 AM. I'll also shoot DV stuff for my TV station, do things at college with it. And if it's really good (or a competing mini-HD camera that I may buy comes out), we may throw a 35 mm lens on it and use that for 9:04 AM! Who knows?

heath

[Jeff Kilgroe]

<<<-- Originally posted by Heath McKnight : I figure this might be fun, since we're overly scrutinizing these new cameras. And the fact that I'm bored at work (as usual), why not ask what people would use this camera for. -->>>

If I end up buying the HD10U (or other HD camcorder that may come out), I will use it some for DVD production. But probably more for shooting video for background imagery or other video to combine into my 3D animation. For most video work I would probably continue to use my XL1S until something with HD resolution capability and equal versatility comes out. At that time I will replace the XL1S.

[Billy McPherson]

Three words:

High definition pornography.