Personal "thoughts" for SONY HVR-HD1000

[Andrew Kiu]

I been using Sony HVR HD1000P (PAL Version) for 2 months now, some of my personal thoughts for sharing;

PROS:
Very Good in Low light situation with single chip CMOS - Better than 3CCD
(I assume no one will shoot video in total dark if 'PAID JOBS" )
Affordable pricing for A/B cam setup (Multiple Cam setup)
Long hours of Recordings even with Wide LCD screen turn on
Looks professional on shoulder mount cam.
Excellent quality in HD1080 and SD DV setting

CONS:
Slow in manual focusing (need turn ring few round only get object in-focus)
Slightly front Heavy even put on Battery NPF970 (If install -ON Camera Light).
Eye-piece unit (viewfinder very near to body cam even fully adjusted
(Don't think can use my ear-piece microphone when shooting on shoulder)
Too plasticizing feeling when holding

Conclusion:
Excellent HD/SD video quality with Single CMOS Chip from Sony.
What you pay, what you get, Great Value of money for this pro-cam.

[Tom Hardwick]

You say the single 1"/3 CMOS is better than 3 CCD in low light Andrew, which surprises me. I always reckoned the HD1000 you have is a rehoused Sony A1, and that falls miles behind the Z1 in the gloom.

tom.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Andrew Kiu

(I assume no one will shoot video in total dark if 'PAID JOBS" )

You don"t do weddings I think :) in total darkness no camera will perform but with only candlelight I really want to put my vx2100 next to your hvr-hd1000.
If it would perform better I would buy one tomorrow, even with all the disadvantages it has but I highly doubt that this is the case.
I thought this camera was a rehoused HDR-HC7?

[Andrew Kiu]

Well guys,
1st, I must said "Totally NOT FAIR " If you compared HVR-HD1000 with Sony HVR-Z1U which is cost USD$5000 VS.. HVR-HD1000 USD$1600!.

With budget of USD5k, That's will make me to buy SONY PMW-EX1 XDCAM 3 chip CMOS rather than Z1U! so from the pricing wise, i don't think we should compared this two camcorder.

2nd, from the point of view, i owned Canon 3CCD XL1s which is SD format, In video Resolutions wise, i think SD will never get a better video quality than HD!

Again SONY vx2100 (in SD FORMAT) still cost few hundreds bucks more!

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Andrew Kiu

2nd, from the point of view, i owned Canon 3CCD XL1s which is SD format, In video Resolutions wise, i think SD will never get a better video quality than HD!

Again SONY vx2100 (in SD FORMAT) still cost few hundreds bucks more!

Andrew, you stated earlier: "Very Good in Low light situation with single chip CMOS - Better than 3CCD"

You didn't compare sd to hd, you just said it performed better then a 3ccd cam in low light conditions and the vx2100 is a 3ccd cam. Think you should have based your comparison with a specific cam and not generalize it to "3ccd". Think that Tom based his reaction on the same arguments as i did and that's the way you described it.

Also, the vx2100 is not produced anymore but you can still buy it in Belgium for about the same price as the HVR HD1000

[Andrew Kiu]

Noa Put,
You're right, maybe little bit confusing here, i found that HVR-HD1000 is affordable so far for pro-entry-level videographers who willing to switch from SD to HD format!

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Andrew Kiu

Noa Put,
You're right, maybe little bit confusing here, i found that HVR-HD1000 is affordable so far for pro-entry-level videographers who willing to switch from SD to HD format!

When I first saw the HVR-HD1000 I thought I'd found the holy grail, until I saw what it was based on and what lack of good manual control it had.

If only they would have added decent manual control I might have considered this one as b-cam, but assigning all important controls to one ring is quite ridiculous. Also I read here a comment from a user who noticed that the camera had problems displaying the whites of a weddingdress right as it was overexposed but the rest of the image wasn't. This means the camera has problems separating different contrast in a picture. (see http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=119203)
Also it doesn't seem to have an nd filter which makes it even harder then to filter out those bright area's.

As I see it Sony made a mistake making this camera, if they would have made it based on camera's in the Canon xh-a1 range with the same controls but with the housing it has now and in the same price range of a xh-a1 the camera would have been a hit.

[Tom Hardwick]

If it is indeed the Sony A1 inside a shoulder mount housing then it does indeed utilise inetrnal (and automatic) ND filtration Noa.

[Dave Blackhurst]

SUPPOSEDLY it is a rehoused HC7, which is not bad in low light, better than the A1U/HC1 by a smidge, and less noisy. Since it was released later than the HC7, it likely has some software tweaks so it's similar to the HC9, which is an updated HC7, and a bit cleaner in low light.

Sony really should consider using the sensor/electronics from the SR11/12 with reasonably proper manual controls, THAT would be a nice package.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Dave Blackhurst

with reasonably proper manual controls

That's the magic word. The biggest problem is not really the image quality as I see it.

[Bryan Daugherty]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

...As I see it Sony made a mistake making this camera, if they would have made it based on camera's in the Canon xh-a1...

Noa, no disrespect, but I think that statement may be going a little too far. I have shot with a Canon XH-A1 and found that under most lighting situations, the footage from my HD1000U was more pleasing to both my client and I. I have also shot with an XL1, XL2 and GL2 and for the most part, I feel that the SONY lines capture a more pleasing color gamut with rich coloration. It also could be due to the fact that my shoots with the canon cameras were when I was subcontracting so i didn't get the time to get as acclimated to the Canons as i do with my own cameras but I don't think this camera was a mistake by any stretch. Yes the controls are awkward and yes you have to fight with it to get the images you want sometimes but the price point is unbeatable. I am sure that SONY would agree with me in saying that this camera has a niche market and isn't recommended for people with larger budgets but it is a great entry level HDV unit.

[Noa Put]

I almost forgot posting this as it was May last year :) and in the meantime I'm working with a xh-a1, to be honest, I could not even imagine to work professionally with this camera having to choose between iris or focus or shutter and so on. If I were on a very tight budget and wanted to start in the wedding business I would buy it, just because you can't use a hv30 for instance as your main cam all the way. Then I would consider the form factor and the little more controll more important but as soon as I would have enough cash out it would go.

Sure it will find it's audience but if you take video seriously and if you have got the budget you would make a mistake buying this camera.

[Bryan Daugherty]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

..Sure it will find it's audience but if you take video seriously and if you have got the budget you would make a mistake buying this camera.

I do take video seriously. It is how I keep the roof over my family's head and how I express my artistry and I own this camera and I do not regret my purchase at all. i agree with you that not having access to all manual controls can be difficult but you can control this camera manually. For example, i lock the shutter to 60 in advance, have the rocker for the zoom, default focus to the ring and keep exposure on the touch lcd for quick changes, if I know I am going to have to "ride the iris" than i set focus, switch the ring over to exposure control, and queue up the spot focus to the touch screen in case i need to adjust something. You are right this is not a great UI but it can be a great camera if you are willing to rethink your shooting style. With the exception of ENG lenses almost all of the entry level/prosumer cameras are mock interfaces. The ring or dial or switch that we adjust is actually a circuit telling another part of the camera to do something, all this camera does differently is the interface, instead of a dial, i have a touchscreen or an assignable ring. True there is no gain adjustment but gain is locked in this camera to the exposure, I have never had grain issues because i lock down shutterspeed and expose very carefully. Have you ever tried shooting with one of these? I ask because I see no indication on your posts that you have firsthand experience to qualify your statements.

I am not recommending that this camera is for everyone, but in the right hands it can get stunning images, you just have to be a little more creative to work around the UI. At this price point, I for one, don't mind learning how to do it right until the better camera comes out...perhaps the FX1000/Z5 but we will have to wait and see. Best wishes.

[Noa Put]

I said, if you take video seriously AND if you have got the budget that buying a camera like this would be a mistake.
You can even get equally stunning images with a Canon HV30 (in good light conditions) and there are workarounds to controlling the most important settings on this one as well and it's even half as cheap but like the HD1000 is a big hassle to do that in run and gun situations.
But if it works for you then it's OK ofcourse.

[Ed Sharpe]

otw seem to be getting some good stuff out of it!