Travel Videos

[Gabor Lacza]

Hello Guys,
I do travel a lot since my job (ship) and my plan to use the camera is to make travel videos...you know like the ones on Discovery Channel.Travel videos about interesting and beautiful places. Which camera would you recommend for this ?? Z1(1080i) or HD100(720p) ?????

Gabor

[Bill Pryor]

The Z1 has been out and in use for several months now, but the JVC has not been actually released yet. If you are in no hurry, I would wait till the JVC is out and then compare the two in person if you can.
If I were in your shoes and needing a camera fairly quickly, I would go with the Z1. I'm always a little concerned about the first model of a new JVC camera. The Z1 is a bit of a second generation, since Sony introduced the FX1 first.
I've seen footage from the Z1 (on a DVD) and I have to say it looks very good. I was an HDV naysayer until I saw that DVD.

There are some things about the JVC camera I find promising. I like the fact that it's a shoulder mount camera, yet still small and light enough to hold as any "handycam" type camera. I also like the fact that you can use standard 1/2" chip camera lenses with an adapter, as well as the Fuji 1/3" chip lenses.

I don't know if the JVC has optical stabilization, since it uses standard lenses rather than electronic ones. That might be a negative for the kind of shooting you may be doing.

So, overall, I (my opinion only) would go with the Sony Z1 unless you have the luxury of waiting to compare both cameras. I still think I would be more pro-Sony because if you're traveling, that means you need reliability over all else, and Sony cameras seem to have a good track record in that area. On the other hand, there are some attractive things about the JVC too, like the 6 frame GOP HDV format as opposed to Sony's 15 frame GOP.

It's a tough decision.

[Gabor Lacza]

Bill,
thank you very much for your input and opinion. It is a tough decesion especially that I need the camera for a shoot in July.That is the time when JVC will come out so I dont have time to check footages from the camera before I buy....Anyway I think I will wait untill June to see what is happening to make a decesion than.
Gabor

[Daniel Weber]

I just returned from a 2 week shoot in Southern Asia with the Z1. I shot in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Indonesia. The camera worked great.

I would really suggest getting the Z1 for one reason alone. The size of the camera. It is much harder to travel into some countries with a professional looking camera. The JVC has much more of a professional look than the Z1. I can travel like a tourist and get shots that most professionals can't because people leave you alone and think that you aren't professional. Don't know how long this will last once word gets out about the Z1, but for now it works great.

One thing though, I found myself using the viewfinder more than the LCD as the trip went on. The LCD draws a crowd real quick. It is great to shoot with, but it draws attention.

One more thing. I ended up ditching my Portbrace camera bag right before the trip for my Portbrace Run Bag. It still provided support and a lot of storage without looking like a camera bag. People just thought it was a small duffle bag. Very covert.

Dan Weber

[Mark Grant]

Yeah, particularly in Asia I've found quite a few places have signs outside saying 'no professional cameras'. No idea whether they really enforce it, but you'd have a hard time claiming that the JVC camera isn't, while the Z1 just looks like a big consumer camera.

Similarly, while I presume you'll be staying away from potential war zones, there was a guy on a mailing list I was on who said he was shooting news footage in East Timor with a TRV900 because at the time (before the 'peacekeepers' arrived) he'd have had a real hard time getting in and getting around with a Betacam... whereas the TRV900 looked just like a normal consumer camera.

[Bill Pryor]

The documentary "Saltmen of Tibet" was shot with a VX1000 because the producer knew he couldn't get professional gear past the Chinese. And there was a documentary shown on PBS a few years ago shot with TRV900s in China for the same reason.

[Gabor Lacza]

Good point regarding the size of the camera...but the problem is that if I really want to make professional shots(with movement) than I do need a shoulder mount like a dvrigpro or glidecam or a tripod may be, than I will have a problem there again because with a dvrigpro the Z1 will look very professional..dont even mentioned a shotgun and a matte box...
Hmm....what to do..??!!

[Steven Gotz]

I am thinking that the DVJuniorRig might work. Or the DVCaddie. I just can not decide between them. And I am leaving for Greece in a month.

[Gabor Lacza]

Z1 it is...I decided to buy one...Everybody says good things about it so nothing I can lose....I bought it from B&H today online so by Friday I will have it...Thanks everyone for your suggestions and input.
Gabor