a few questions before purchase...

Scott Jaco · February 14th, 2007, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon Duncan

I understand the only difference really is that the 111 has in & out abilities from tape whereas 110 only has out abilities? Is this correct?

Meaning with the 111 I can go back out to MiniDV tape whereas with the 110 I couldn't.

Thanks

That only applies to the European models. (111e vs. 110e)

There is only one American model (110u) and it has full in/out firewire capabilities.

If you live in America, you are set, but if you live in Europe, you have to pay extra for the firewire input capability. I guess there is a huge tax for devices that have digital video input capabilities, so JVC made 2 models to give people the option to save a little money and get a model without firewire input.

Bankim Jain · February 15th, 2007, 01:20 AM

I too am planning to bvuy a JVC200 with a FCP MAC with external Blue Ray writer ... am full trottle confused...

- will FCP edit native HD in 720/25p or 50p also if i am able to wrtite a BD howd my clients play to view the stuff on a LCD or palsms TV...if not immdt but in future...

Werner Wesp · February 15th, 2007, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Ferdinand

A couple of things not mentioned: The HD100U might require handling by someone that knows what they're doing. It's not really a point and shoot camera and if you use it in auto mode you may be disapointed with results.

Consider the cool idea of exchangeable file settings, which no other camera in this price range has. This might actually help on the point above: download the 'truecolor' settings or any of the ones posted by the forum members and you're on to a better start.

Don't forget Tapeworks Texas as a possible dealer too. I never shopped from them personally but heard a lot of praise on their service.

I think this is the first important point. I've seen work of a lot HD100 owners, but also heard a lot of complaints. Not that the quality of the camera is low, just that it is hard to handle it (being progressive etc)... So, if you're starting out, this might be a consideration. It is a very nice cam, but you need to know what you're doing. Some experience might be something you can't miss.

Secondly, the price. As stated in a lot of other threads here, the price is quite attractive. You have a true mechanical lens and true progressive full resolution CCD's for the price, but this is a camera that is sold in the professional division of JVC only. That means that any option you buy with it is a tenfold in price of the same option for the Canon (essentially a consumer/prosumer cam). Consider batteries of A/B or IDX to be €300 and up (you'll truly need them), while you can buy €30 high capacity batteries for the canon everywhere. Consider a tripod of €1000 euro, because a €200 tripod won't cut it (while that's probably fine for the canon). This goes on and on (adapters, steadicam, cases, bags, ...) - So in effect you'll be buying a camera that is better in my opinion, but also a lot more expensive.

Garry Miller · January 2nd, 2009, 05:54 PM

Hi guys I was hoping to get some advice about the JVC GY HD camera.
I have recently bought one due to the lens, and being low weight[i have a bad shoulder]. I shoot weddings, promotional stuff, conferences.....
I usually use a Sony DSR 300 a great camera and very good in low light, on my first shoot I nearly had a heart attack when shooting the night do. The guy in the shop says its the same in low light as a Z1 and all the other HD cameras being 3 lux. Is this true???
I have found I need to upgrade to the 200 as the frame rate is to slow in HD,and gives a jerky picture that I dont like. Is the 200 the same in low light? Are there any tricks to make it perform better. When shooting 720 50p will this give a smooth picture?
Any help would be most appreciated. Is the Sony EX1 better in low light and does anyone use the EX1 or EX3. Thanks Any other thoughts of what camera to swop to would be appreciated.
Is the 200 the way to go.

Shaun Roemich · January 2nd, 2009, 06:20 PM

I own 2 HD-200U cameras and love shooting at 60P but the camera is a light pig. I believe it is rated at f8@1000lux.

If you're looking for low light performance out of the box, this is not the solution for you. You can get significantly better low light performance out of it by using some of the low light specific scene files at the top of this forum in the stickies area but I don't think you're going to get terribly close to the EX series in terms of low light or wide angle performance.

Stuart Nimmo · January 3rd, 2009, 09:27 AM

Yes there's an EU tax imposed on firewire in cameras. The other big difference is shooting SD. HDV is much the same on both models but in SD the "U" version is exclusively DV NTSC whereas the "E" version exclusively DV PAL, which is kind of important!

I have a GY-HD 201E(b) and really like it. I am used to full broadcast cameras and so feel 'at home' with it and its form and weight is blissful!.
Whereas other cameras feel like disposable plastic bricks splattered with minuscule buttons, these JVC 100/ 200 cameras have a really good solid build and while not perfect, (beware costly firewire short circuits) JVC have been remarkably thoughtful about manual control placement. I think the assisted focus and eyepiece are very much better than many and JVC won me over with their apparent commitment to a basic camera form and then optional parts and compatibility with existing broadcast equipment; that really gives you some faith in them.

Daniel Weber · January 3rd, 2009, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garry Miller

Is the Sony EX1 better in low light and does anyone use the EX1 or EX3. Thanks Any other thoughts of what camera to swop to would be appreciated.

I have both the JVC HD100 and an EX1 (or I should say I shoot with an EX1, my employer owns it). The EX1 is better by about 3 or 4 stops in low light. No comparison at all.

The JVC has the advantage of being a more traditional size and using controls that an ENG person would be used to.

The EX1/3 are much harder to hand hold if you do a lot of that. They have an image stabilization mode, while the JVC doesn't.

Both cameras will produce great images. The EX1/3 have much better imagers thus they produce a much higher resolution image. The JVC still produces some very nice pictures when the scene is light properly and the weaknesses of the 1/3 inch imager is hidden.

Good luck,

Daniel Weber

Ian Planchon · January 4th, 2009, 02:42 PM

I just made the switch to the ex3, after I had a really bad experience shooting at night with the HD100. now, I am not afraid to go out at night with the camera anymore. which is a great feeling.

the ex3 IS hard to do hand held shoots with, although I hear its better than the ex1, you can also get shoulder mounts for both the ex1 and 3 to eliminate the problem.

the one thing you really have to think about when considering the ex series is, are you willing to go totally tapeless? being able to record to hard drive and tape at the same time was a nice perk of the HD100, but not enough to keep me around.

Garry Miller · January 4th, 2009, 04:22 PM

Thanks for the info Ian.
The low light on the jvc is a major worry to me. All my stock footage is 4;3 and shot with DVCpro 50. I have not started using widescreen but I will be doing in the future. With the EX1 i cant shoot 4:3 or can I. Is it possible to convert my stock shots {helicopter stuff} to 16;19 without it looking like its in a box.I use AVID media composer. Also can I have SD and HD on the time line and edit without problems. Do you know of any cameras that do SD HD 4;3 and 16;19 in the same price bracket as a EX1.
The JVC seemed like the best as it uses the same batteries as my sony DSR, also tapes.

Daniel Weber · January 4th, 2009, 09:37 PM

EX1 is HD only. I don't know of a camera that will shoot HD 4x3. You can downconvert the HD footage to SD.

Final Cut Pro will allow the use of SD and HD footage in the same timeline. Not sure about Avid.

Daniel Weber

James Lilly · January 5th, 2009, 09:50 AM

Yes, the Sony's do GREAT in low light. But, the JVC is a hell of a camera and I love the image. There are a lot of things to complain about with the JVC, but I think the image is spectacular and for most purposes would take it over the Sony. Oh, and I'm referring to the JVC 200u.

Ted Ramasola · January 5th, 2009, 10:42 AM

Here's a short compile of my recent works that i shot with the HD100 & HD200. Its a variety of projects that show how versatile this camera is.

Ted Ramasola Showreel 2 HD By Ted Ramasola On ExposureRoom

The form factor didnt bother me when i was hanged on a rock face 187feet in the air to shoot rappeling people, and when you remove the mic holder and VF, its actually slim enough to place in a waterproof bag when we took it shooting white water rafting.

You'll see that in the clip.

Ted

Shaun Roemich · January 5th, 2009, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted Ramasola

The form factor didnt bother me when i was hanged on a rock face 187feet in the air to shoot rappeling people

Ted, I'm not sure whether I envy you or question your sanity...

Shaun Roemich · January 5th, 2009, 10:58 AM

By the way, BRILLIANT demo, Ted. I may need to come for a visit... soon! It's -35 Celsius here right now...

Ted Ramasola · January 5th, 2009, 11:16 AM

Thanks Shaun, your welcome to my Island when you decide to come.
I'll take you to that cliff and we'll try their new ZIPLINE that they just inaugurated two days ago. Its 410 meters long at 210 feet high across a deep river gorge.
They christened it "SUIC-SLIDE".

We'll test our sanity there!

I'm still thinking how to use the JVC while riding it. No kidding.

February 15th, 2007, 01:20 AM	#17
Bankim Jain Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: USA Posts: 219	I too am planning to bvuy a JVC200 with a FCP MAC with external Blue Ray writer ... am full trottle confused... - will FCP edit native HD in 720/25p or 50p also if i am able to wrtite a BD howd my clients play to view the stuff on a LCD or palsms TV...if not immdt but in future... __________________ Cheers !

January 2nd, 2009, 05:54 PM	#19
Garry Miller Tourist Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 4	Jvc gy hd 110-111 Hi guys I was hoping to get some advice about the JVC GY HD camera. I have recently bought one due to the lens, and being low weight[i have a bad shoulder]. I shoot weddings, promotional stuff, conferences..... I usually use a Sony DSR 300 a great camera and very good in low light, on my first shoot I nearly had a heart attack when shooting the night do. The guy in the shop says its the same in low light as a Z1 and all the other HD cameras being 3 lux. Is this true??? I have found I need to upgrade to the 200 as the frame rate is to slow in HD,and gives a jerky picture that I dont like. Is the 200 the same in low light? Are there any tricks to make it perform better. When shooting 720 50p will this give a smooth picture? Any help would be most appreciated. Is the Sony EX1 better in low light and does anyone use the EX1 or EX3. Thanks Any other thoughts of what camera to swop to would be appreciated. Is the 200 the way to go. Last edited by Garry Miller; January 2nd, 2009 at 06:08 PM. Reason: did not write what i wanted

January 2nd, 2009, 06:20 PM	#20
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	I own 2 HD-200U cameras and love shooting at 60P but the camera is a light pig. I believe it is rated at f8@1000lux. If you're looking for low light performance out of the box, this is not the solution for you. You can get significantly better low light performance out of it by using some of the low light specific scene files at the top of this forum in the stickies area but I don't think you're going to get terribly close to the EX series in terms of low light or wide angle performance. __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

January 3rd, 2009, 09:27 AM	#21
Stuart Nimmo Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Paris France Posts: 89	European/ US series Yes there's an EU tax imposed on firewire in cameras. The other big difference is shooting SD. HDV is much the same on both models but in SD the "U" version is exclusively DV NTSC whereas the "E" version exclusively DV PAL, which is kind of important! I have a GY-HD 201E(b) and really like it. I am used to full broadcast cameras and so feel 'at home' with it and its form and weight is blissful!. Whereas other cameras feel like disposable plastic bricks splattered with minuscule buttons, these JVC 100/ 200 cameras have a really good solid build and while not perfect, (beware costly firewire short circuits) JVC have been remarkably thoughtful about manual control placement. I think the assisted focus and eyepiece are very much better than many and JVC won me over with their apparent commitment to a basic camera form and then optional parts and compatibility with existing broadcast equipment; that really gives you some faith in them.

January 4th, 2009, 04:22 PM	#24
Garry Miller Tourist Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 4	JVC GY-HD Different camera options Thanks for the info Ian. The low light on the jvc is a major worry to me. All my stock footage is 4;3 and shot with DVCpro 50. I have not started using widescreen but I will be doing in the future. With the EX1 i cant shoot 4:3 or can I. Is it possible to convert my stock shots {helicopter stuff} to 16;19 without it looking like its in a box.I use AVID media composer. Also can I have SD and HD on the time line and edit without problems. Do you know of any cameras that do SD HD 4;3 and 16;19 in the same price bracket as a EX1. The JVC seemed like the best as it uses the same batteries as my sony DSR, also tapes.

January 4th, 2009, 02:42 PM	#23
Ian Planchon Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: an Alaskan living in Des Moines, Iowa Posts: 513	I just made the switch to the ex3, after I had a really bad experience shooting at night with the HD100. now, I am not afraid to go out at night with the camera anymore. which is a great feeling. the ex3 IS hard to do hand held shoots with, although I hear its better than the ex1, you can also get shoulder mounts for both the ex1 and 3 to eliminate the problem. the one thing you really have to think about when considering the ex series is, are you willing to go totally tapeless? being able to record to hard drive and tape at the same time was a nice perk of the HD100, but not enough to keep me around.

January 4th, 2009, 09:37 PM	#25
Daniel Weber Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 696	EX1 is HD only. I don't know of a camera that will shoot HD 4x3. You can downconvert the HD footage to SD. Final Cut Pro will allow the use of SD and HD footage in the same timeline. Not sure about Avid. Daniel Weber

January 5th, 2009, 09:50 AM	#26
James Lilly Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 66	Yes, the Sony's do GREAT in low light. But, the JVC is a hell of a camera and I love the image. There are a lot of things to complain about with the JVC, but I think the image is spectacular and for most purposes would take it over the Sony. Oh, and I'm referring to the JVC 200u.

January 5th, 2009, 10:42 AM	#27
Ted Ramasola Trustee Join Date: May 2005 Location: Allen, Texas U.S.A Posts: 1,117	Here's a short compile of my recent works that i shot with the HD100 & HD200. Its a variety of projects that show how versatile this camera is. Ted Ramasola Showreel 2 HD By Ted Ramasola On ExposureRoom The form factor didnt bother me when i was hanged on a rock face 187feet in the air to shoot rappeling people, and when you remove the mic holder and VF, its actually slim enough to place in a waterproof bag when we took it shooting white water rafting. You'll see that in the clip. Ted

January 5th, 2009, 10:58 AM	#29
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	By the way, BRILLIANT demo, Ted. I may need to come for a visit... soon! It's -35 Celsius here right now... __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

January 5th, 2009, 11:16 AM	#30
Ted Ramasola Trustee Join Date: May 2005 Location: Allen, Texas U.S.A Posts: 1,117	Thanks Shaun, your welcome to my Island when you decide to come. I'll take you to that cliff and we'll try their new ZIPLINE that they just inaugurated two days ago. Its 410 meters long at 210 feet high across a deep river gorge. They christened it "SUIC-SLIDE". We'll test our sanity there! I'm still thinking how to use the JVC while riding it. No kidding.