Is JVC going to make a 2/3 HD camera

[Calvin Bellows]

I wanted to post this here because I know a few guys from JVC read this forum so I thought I might get an answer. I have the JVC HM 700 and love it for what I do. I am starting to do some more work where I don't get to control the lighting at all during live events and what I am shooting is pretty dark/soft since my iris is wide open and gain is cranked. I was wondering if JVC had a 2/3 HD camera in the works....something that would compete with the Panasonic HPX 500. I love the work flow I have and I love shooting to SDHC cards so I would hate to have to switch to P2 or SxS cards.

[Mike Kujbida]

I've owned a number of JVC cameras over the years and I've never know JVC to have a 2/3" model, only 1/2".
I'd be very happy if the 700 series would have had 1/2" CCDS.
Why JVC only put in 1/3" CCDs, I'll never understand :(
My (almost 10 years old) DV-500U cameras are far better in low light situations than my 700 and 750s.

[Sander Vreuls]

JVC have made 2/3th inch camera's in the SD past.. However I think the last one was the DV-700W which is a 16:9 2/3th inch version of the DV500.

Back in the day they also made quite a few 2/3th inch dockable camera's.. intended for ENG and multicam work.

Though that doesn't tell anything about the future.. they did use 2/3th in the past..

[Mike Kujbida]

Sander, thanks very much for the correction.
I work in the education field and those cameras were probably out of my price range which is why I didn't think of them.

[Warren Kawamoto]

Originally Posted by Mike Kujbida

I've owned a number of JVC cameras over the years and I've never know JVC to have a 2/3" model, only 1/2".

I once had the JVC KY-27 with a Sony dvcam back, which is a 2/3 lowlight camera.

[Mike Kujbida]

Originally Posted by Warren Kawamoto

I once had the JVC KY-27 with a Sony dvcam back, which is a 2/3 lowlight camera.

Now I really feel stupid because a buddy of mine had one of those several years ago.

[Don Bloom]

When Sony came out with the EX3 we all wondered why they didn't make it a full shoulder style camera like the JVC HD/HM series at the same time wondering why JVC didn't make the HM series a 1/2 inch camera.
While they are both great cameras if either of those had had the "one more thing" , IE; Sony being a real shoulder mount or JVC being 1/2 inch, it is my belief they could have literally cornered the market in that class. I know Sony came out with the 330 but it's the old Sony DSR body style where as the EX3 is the smaller compact body like the JVC HD/HM except it's more like the Canon XL shoulder leaners. I don't think the 330 sold they way they had hoped andto me it's kind of an in between camera.

I love the look of the JVC but really wish it had 1/2 chips. I wouldn't have even had to think about it if it did. I would have had at least one sitting on my gear shelf. Of course I can say that as well about the EX3 if it had the body style of the JVC.
If wishin' made it so!

[Mike Kujbida]

Don, as much as I'd like to agree with you, I don't think that JVC would've cornered the market had they put 1/2" chips in the camera.
Way too many people I know and have met have a preconceived notion that JVC=junk (kinda like trying to convince an FCP user that Vegas can do things that it can't).

I've been using JVC gear of all kinds for a very long time and have never had any problems with any of it.
The success of the DV550Us that my department has were a major factor in the decision to go with the 700 series.
That and the fact that it was a real shoulder mount camera when the Sony EX series weren't (even though the journalism program at my college bought 10 EX series cameras).

If JVC is ever to succeed like the competitors, they need to put a lot more money into getting sales reps out to spread the word.
The last time I saw a JVC rep in my area was at least 10 years ago.
On the other hand, I get visits from Sony and Panasonic reps at least twice a year.
A sad comment on JVC's willingness to get out into the market and push their product :(
Even stranger is that there are several JVC pro cameras in my area, no thanks to any JVC sales rep.

[Antony Michael Wilson]

Well, there is a proper shoulder-mount EX3. It's called the PMW-320. It was launched too late (i.e. after the start of the DSLR shallow DoF fad) to cause much of a stir. Yes, it's a little more money but probably cheaper than rigging out the EX3 with a decent shoulder adapter.

As to JVC, yes, it is a real shame that they don't have a ProHD body with a better/bigger sensor. I think the ergonomics of the HDxxx and HM7xx series are close to perfect and it's such a shame the sensor size, sensor quality (noise levels) and choice of optics are not great. If there was a 1/2" native 1080 version, for example, we would jump in immediately.

[John Thomason]

I was looking at the 790 also, but I need something a little better in low light and I was hoping JVC was coming out with a larger chip camera 2/3 or a 1/2 chip would be great. I have used JVC cameras for years from the KY29s ,GY550, and know the 250s . Its time for me to upgrade just wounding if it is worth the wait for JVC.

[Michael Johnston]

I recently bought s Sony NX5U but took a while to make that decision. The final 3 candidates were the EX1, NX5, & JVC HM750. Ultimately, I chose the NX5 because it cost less, was just as good as the other two, and I already had a stockpile of Sony batteries to fit it. However, if the 750 had 1/2" chips, even if it pushed the price to $9k, I would have went with the JVC in a heartbeat do to chips and natively capturing to .mov. JVC, if you are listening, add 1/2" chips and I'll scrap my NX5 for a new 750 tomorrow! Add 1/2" chips and I think all the networks that currently accept the EX1/3 will go head over heals for the 750. Just my opinion.

[John Thomason]

I agree Michael if the 790 or 750 had at least 1/2 chips I would purchase at least 3 to replace my last few SD cameras

[Paul Kapp]

and 10 bit 4:2:2 HD SDI out

[Paul Kapp]

Doing a bit of online window shopping, I see you can get a Panasonic AG-HPX500 fo < $10K, without lens.
But then with a lens it would be another $4-20K. Only 8 bit 4:2:2 as well.
Next step up is an AJ-HPX2100 at $25K+, sans lens for that HD SDI 10bit 4:2:2 output.
Of course a PMW with single CMOS 35mm sensor is very competitive at $20K with 3 prime lenses.
With the developement of portable external recorders, I am not really interested in proprietary codecs and don't want to pay extra money for them.

If JVC were to make a 2/3" CCD camera with full HD SDI out, would it still sell for < $10K?
I recall the HD250's were $14K and only had component out, and they were good value in their day.
Bang for bucks, the JVC's have been pretty good value over the years.
I respect their competitiveness.
I'm interested in which direction they go from here.

[Adam Letch]

Paul that would be the HD200 with only component out, the 250 are HDSDI. This cry from JVC users for a larger imager including myself has been ever since I joined this forum about 3 years ago, and probably longer!

All the other shoulder cams in this sort of market have gone CMOS, which for a lot of us is a no goer. That leaves us with More top end camera's like varicams and the 700 and 800 series Sony's, which are like 4 x the price of the JVC's.

If JVC made a reasonable 1/2 CCD Broadcast Shoulder cam it'd clean up the market as there simpy isn't anything like it out there. But its not going to happen. So we need to think of jumping ship in truth if we want to pursue the better performance of the larger chips.