JVC GY HM 700 Video Review at DVinfo.net

Phil Bloom · March 23rd, 2009, 02:44 PM

Finishing it off now. Will be online by the morning.

Carlos Corral · March 23rd, 2009, 03:32 PM

Phil, I love you as much as any man can love another man! Haha just kidding. Anyway, thanks so much for getting this review up so quickly, I thought the Hm700 had kinda died off until NAB.

Phil Bloom · March 24th, 2009, 05:30 AM

It's done!

Philip Bloom Blog Archive Video review of new JVC GY-HM 700 HD Camcorder

Exposure room is still transcoding so if the link to the video review isn't working just yet give it a little bit of time and it will be there!!

Nothing wrong with a man crush...just keep it to yourself ;-) Especially when I come to Austin next month!!

Shaun Roemich · March 24th, 2009, 07:29 AM

Phil: saw some rather nasty CA on the first couple of shots in the video attached to your linked review. Can you confirm that the CA edging on the pagoda and tree branches exists in the raw footage?

Phil Bloom · March 24th, 2009, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun Roemich

Phil: saw some rather nasty CA on the first couple of shots in the video attached to your linked review. Can you confirm that the CA edging on the pagoda and tree branches exists in the raw footage?

yep, as mentioned in the written review and mentioned in the video review the fujinon lens is not good enough for this camera. the canon is way way better

Shaun Roemich · March 24th, 2009, 07:33 AM

Thanks Phil. I've told my retailer that I'm holding off until the Canon starts shipping despite a VERY attractive offer with the Fuji 17x. I think this footage vindicates that decision.

2/3 of the way through the viewing. Thanks SO MUCH for this Phil!

Phil Bloom · March 24th, 2009, 07:39 AM

Def Shaun!

For a lot of shots it was fine, but anything heavily backlight CA was all over the place...I really don't think JVC should bundle this lens at all with the camera. It's the same one I have on my 2 year old HD201e and it wasn't very good on that either!!

The Canon is 10x better!!

Tim Dashwood · March 24th, 2009, 08:28 AM

Phil. Were you using the 17x5mm or 16x5.5mm Fujinon lens?

It's hardly worth trying to evaluate the HM700 with the 16x5.5 Fujinon lens since it will never ship bundled with this lens. JVC has made a few production bodies available to us in the media but that Canon 14x4.4mm lens just isn't available anywhere yet. The Fujinon 17x5mm will be the bundled lens until the Canon 14x4.4mm is available.

Unfortunately I don't have the Fujinon 17x5mm to evaluate either, just the Fujinon 13x3.5.

Phil Bloom · March 24th, 2009, 09:02 AM

it's the 16x Tim. It's what JVC UK supplied me with.

Agreed this lens is no good for the camera, good news that it won't be shipping with the camera. How much better is the 17x though?

Have changed the opening shot of the video as it isn't fair to the camera. You can still see CA in other shots though...

Andy Johnstone · March 24th, 2009, 09:13 AM

I'm new to this forum, so "hello all". By means of introduction, I am freelance photographer, filmmaker and producer. I used to work as a freelance lighting cameraman in London in the 90's, before concentrating on photo. I have been back working mostly as a multimedia producer/director since 2003...

I just posted this note to Phil Bloom on his blog, but thought it might be useful to post here too...

**

Phil,

This review & film was excellent and your photography was beautiful, pat yourself on the back.

There is clearly a problem with chromatic aberration on the stock Fujinon lens, so I’d be keen to see if the Canon lens (which is supposed to ship with this camera according to the JVC website) does any better. The JVC site specifically discusses CA issues and says that the Canon lens is designed to resolve this, so why they let you loose with the Fujinon I don’t know.

Apart from this the images have a great film look and the advantages of CCD on skewing issue cannot be under estimated. On my last doco on the Nile, we shot on a Sony Z7 which has CMOS chips and every single long lens pan hit the cutting room floor - unusable. Low light performance will be an issue of course, but the advantage is that you get to wrap earlier and get a cold one in.

The fact that the machine is laid out and balanced up like a proper “big” camera makes a lot of difference as well to hand held work.

If you get the chance to re-shoot again using the Canon please let us know, but apart from that I’m pretty convinced that this is a good little machine and has to be worth the £4500+ VAT in the UK. With budgets dropping all over town, I am sure that a lot of shooters are going to snap up this machine for proper ENG & low budge doco work. I am certainly very keen.

Good job mate well done.

Andy

Chris Hurd · March 24th, 2009, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Johnstone

There is clearly a problem with chromatic aberration on the stock Fujinon lens...

That's not the stock Fujinon lens... that lens is *not* bundled with the camera. See posts from Phil and Tim above for clarification.

David Knaggs · March 24th, 2009, 10:04 AM

Thanks for the review, Phil. You answered every single question I had remaining about the camera - especially the low light performance and the amount of detail in the 1080p image.

The JVC cameras can really take lovely, filmic images. Your video guide was excellent and I loved the shots you took. Gorgeous!

Carlos Corral · March 24th, 2009, 10:14 AM

Thanks for the review Phil. I meant to ask you one last thing that I'm not sure if you mentioned in your review or not. I'll be upgrading from a Canon XL2, which means I'll have to either invest in an Anton or IDX battery solution. Which would you recommend? I think I saw an IDX Battery on your HM700.

Also, is the HD-SDI 8bit or 10bit 4:2:2?

Brian Ladue · March 24th, 2009, 10:47 AM

Thanks for the review Philip, Looks like a nice little camera for sure.... Now, here's the $10,000 question.... Based on your experiences with the latest JVC, Panasonic, and Sony Cameras. If you were for the first time looking to purchase a new HD camera of the three, which would you choose and why?

Lee Roberts · March 24th, 2009, 11:48 AM

Hi Phil,

Thanks for taking the time to post footage, but as it was shot with the 16x, I'm not sure it helps anyone that's really trying to make a decision regarding a purchase. The 17x that's being bundled with the camera is not supposed to be comparable to the 16x, and I think it really muddies the water for people who are trying to make a decision based on the images the camera produces. The CA is well-documented with the 16x, and according to JVC, the 17x is supposed to be 'true' HD glass, whatever that means.

I can't say which is better - the Canon or Fujinon, but I don't think this is a very fair assessment of the camera's image capturing properties.

Hope you get your hands on one of the other lenses soon!

Best ~ Lee

March 23rd, 2009, 02:44 PM	#1
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	JVC GY HM 700 Video Review Finishing it off now. Will be online by the morning. __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net

March 23rd, 2009, 03:32 PM	#2
Carlos Corral New Boot Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 22	Phil, I love you as much as any man can love another man! Haha just kidding. Anyway, thanks so much for getting this review up so quickly, I thought the Hm700 had kinda died off until NAB. __________________ MindWarp Entertainment LLC www.mindwarpentertainment.com

March 24th, 2009, 05:30 AM	#3
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	It's done! Philip Bloom Blog Archive Video review of new JVC GY-HM 700 HD Camcorder Exposure room is still transcoding so if the link to the video review isn't working just yet give it a little bit of time and it will be there!! Nothing wrong with a man crush...just keep it to yourself ;-) Especially when I come to Austin next month!! __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net Last edited by Phil Bloom; March 24th, 2009 at 06:54 AM.

March 24th, 2009, 07:29 AM	#4
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	Phil: saw some rather nasty CA on the first couple of shots in the video attached to your linked review. Can you confirm that the CA edging on the pagoda and tree branches exists in the raw footage? __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

March 24th, 2009, 07:33 AM	#6
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	Thanks Phil. I've told my retailer that I'm holding off until the Canon starts shipping despite a VERY attractive offer with the Fuji 17x. I think this footage vindicates that decision. 2/3 of the way through the viewing. Thanks SO MUCH for this Phil! __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

March 24th, 2009, 07:39 AM	#7
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	Def Shaun! For a lot of shots it was fine, but anything heavily backlight CA was all over the place...I really don't think JVC should bundle this lens at all with the camera. It's the same one I have on my 2 year old HD201e and it wasn't very good on that either!! The Canon is 10x better!! __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net

March 24th, 2009, 08:28 AM	#8
Tim Dashwood Wrangler Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Posts: 3,637	Phil. Were you using the 17x5mm or 16x5.5mm Fujinon lens? It's hardly worth trying to evaluate the HM700 with the 16x5.5 Fujinon lens since it will never ship bundled with this lens. JVC has made a few production bodies available to us in the media but that Canon 14x4.4mm lens just isn't available anywhere yet. The Fujinon 17x5mm will be the bundled lens until the Canon 14x4.4mm is available. Unfortunately I don't have the Fujinon 17x5mm to evaluate either, just the Fujinon 13x3.5. __________________ Tim Dashwood

March 24th, 2009, 09:02 AM	#9
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	it's the 16x Tim. It's what JVC UK supplied me with. Agreed this lens is no good for the camera, good news that it won't be shipping with the camera. How much better is the 17x though? Have changed the opening shot of the video as it isn't fair to the camera. You can still see CA in other shots though... __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net

March 24th, 2009, 09:13 AM	#10
Andy Johnstone Tourist Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: London, UK Posts: 1	Chromatic Aberration I'm new to this forum, so "hello all". By means of introduction, I am freelance photographer, filmmaker and producer. I used to work as a freelance lighting cameraman in London in the 90's, before concentrating on photo. I have been back working mostly as a multimedia producer/director since 2003... I just posted this note to Phil Bloom on his blog, but thought it might be useful to post here too... ** Phil, This review & film was excellent and your photography was beautiful, pat yourself on the back. There is clearly a problem with chromatic aberration on the stock Fujinon lens, so I’d be keen to see if the Canon lens (which is supposed to ship with this camera according to the JVC website) does any better. The JVC site specifically discusses CA issues and says that the Canon lens is designed to resolve this, so why they let you loose with the Fujinon I don’t know. Apart from this the images have a great film look and the advantages of CCD on skewing issue cannot be under estimated. On my last doco on the Nile, we shot on a Sony Z7 which has CMOS chips and every single long lens pan hit the cutting room floor - unusable. Low light performance will be an issue of course, but the advantage is that you get to wrap earlier and get a cold one in. The fact that the machine is laid out and balanced up like a proper “big” camera makes a lot of difference as well to hand held work. If you get the chance to re-shoot again using the Canon please let us know, but apart from that I’m pretty convinced that this is a good little machine and has to be worth the £4500+ VAT in the UK. With budgets dropping all over town, I am sure that a lot of shooters are going to snap up this machine for proper ENG & low budge doco work. I am certainly very keen. Good job mate well done. Andy

March 24th, 2009, 10:04 AM	#12
David Knaggs Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 826	Thanks for the review, Phil. You answered every single question I had remaining about the camera - especially the low light performance and the amount of detail in the 1080p image. The JVC cameras can really take lovely, filmic images. Your video guide was excellent and I loved the shots you took. Gorgeous!

March 24th, 2009, 10:14 AM	#13
Carlos Corral New Boot Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 22	Thanks for the review Phil. I meant to ask you one last thing that I'm not sure if you mentioned in your review or not. I'll be upgrading from a Canon XL2, which means I'll have to either invest in an Anton or IDX battery solution. Which would you recommend? I think I saw an IDX Battery on your HM700. Also, is the HD-SDI 8bit or 10bit 4:2:2? __________________ MindWarp Entertainment LLC www.mindwarpentertainment.com Last edited by Carlos Corral; March 24th, 2009 at 11:31 AM.

March 24th, 2009, 10:47 AM	#14
Brian Ladue Regular Crew Join Date: May 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 149	Thanks for the review Philip, Looks like a nice little camera for sure.... Now, here's the $10,000 question.... Based on your experiences with the latest JVC, Panasonic, and Sony Cameras. If you were for the first time looking to purchase a new HD camera of the three, which would you choose and why?

March 24th, 2009, 11:48 AM	#15
Lee Roberts Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Memphis Area, SoCal, Jax, and Princeton Posts: 63	Hi Phil, Thanks for taking the time to post footage, but as it was shot with the 16x, I'm not sure it helps anyone that's really trying to make a decision regarding a purchase. The 17x that's being bundled with the camera is not supposed to be comparable to the 16x, and I think it really muddies the water for people who are trying to make a decision based on the images the camera produces. The CA is well-documented with the 16x, and according to JVC, the 17x is supposed to be 'true' HD glass, whatever that means. I can't say which is better - the Canon or Fujinon, but I don't think this is a very fair assessment of the camera's image capturing properties. Hope you get your hands on one of the other lenses soon! Best ~ Lee