HVR-Z5U to a XHA1 or XLH1 at DVinfo.net

Adrian J. Hare · February 1st, 2010, 08:49 PM

I just wondered if anyone that has this camera has used the canon's XHA1 or the XLH1. I'm thinking of selling my Canon and dropping down a size and I'm torn between the Sony and wondered the pro's and con's between them. What would you settle on ?

Thanks

Monday Isa · February 2nd, 2010, 09:55 AM

Hey Adrian,

I had the FX1000 which is pretty similar to the Z5 and I have a XHA1. There are so many minor things that I really disliked with the Sony cam that I had to get rid of it. The most major annoyance was the placement of the front hot shoe. It is to close to the LCD. You'd have to remove what ever device was on the shoe to open or close the LCD. The scroll wheel on the left side which is used to scroll through the menu and select a desirable shutter is to far into the camera and you had no real traction to move the wheel as desired. The other thing is that the LCD was very hard to use in sunlight. So is the XHA1 but it was even tougher with the Sony LCD. The color reproduction was very nice with the Sony's but sometimes to contrasty for my liking. Over all a very nice camera but those minor issues got me to get rid of the cam. If you can wait till a bit longer it looks like Canon has a nice update coming in the next week. You can also check out the AX2000 which looks like a nice camera as well. Take Care

Adam Gold · February 2nd, 2010, 12:19 PM

Just be aware that the AX2000 is the exact same cam as the FX1000, minus the tape deck (with added XLRs), so all Monday's issues would be the same on both cams.

Ron Evans · February 2nd, 2010, 12:37 PM

I don't think the AX2000 is the exact same camera as the FX1000. I believe that there are a lot of differences. Lens has Active OIS so elements are different, LCD is different and higher resolution, has XLR's etc, etc ( don't know final differences from NX5 yet not having seen a manual). I accept it has a lot in common but what is different we will have to wait and see.

Ron Evans

Adam Gold · February 2nd, 2010, 12:43 PM

Physically and ergonomically, it is the exact same cam, with the exception of the XLRs. According to Sony, the LCD is the same. They yanked out the tape deck, slapped in a card reader, bolted on the XLRs and tweaked the firmware. The "Active" mode for OIS does appear to be an enhancement.

I'm not at all saying the AX won't be a great cam (it likely will) or that it doesn't have some enhancements over the FX (of course it does) -- only that the specific ergonomic issues mentioned above with the FX are unlikely to be any different with the AX. It's the same chips, lens, body, chassis.

Adrian J. Hare · February 2nd, 2010, 03:37 PM

Guys lets not start a war here, My issue is that I have a XLH1a and I can not stand the weight and size of this cam and I am plain sick of the ghosting this camera has in record.

It has turned me off so much that I would soon change to Sony just to get away from it. The HVR-Z5u is about the size i'm after....

Monday Isa · February 2nd, 2010, 03:39 PM

"My issue is that I have a XLH1a and I can not stand the weight and size of this cam and I am plain sick of the ghosting this camera has in record."

Did you make sure that NR1 is off? That causes ghosting. If you're going from a XLH1 to a Z5 you may find that more appealing. Best of luck.

Mark Goodsell · February 2nd, 2010, 07:21 PM

I have not used the Canon cams you are comparing to. But, like Monday, I was annoyed by the LCD brightness. I used it that way for weeks until I found that there was a brightness option burried in the menu system. Turned it to the bight mode and made a HUGE difference. No problems now. I will agree that the menu dial is not optimal, but to me it isn't the deal-breaker that I read about on forums prior to buying the cam. I fully expect sony to revise it in a future revision (I think the NX cam has a better wheel).

The benefits are a great, wide angle to the lens and I personally like the formfactor (guess that's why I'm here, right). Do you have a major store anywhere near ...or a place tha rents cams that you could check one out? Keep in mind that a Z7U and even an EX1 (though slightly different) would be similar enough to get a feel for the cam if you were holding it. Good luck

Mark G

Adrian J. Hare · February 3rd, 2010, 07:33 AM

Thanks guys for your opinions,

AJH

Michael Liebergot · February 3rd, 2010, 11:30 AM

Adam it was pointed out, somewhere sorry I don't remember where, that the menu dial isn't as recessed as the FX1000/Z5 menu dial. So it seems that Sony listened to customers complaints in regards to this.
Too bad Sony never redesigned the FX1000/Z5 with the new dial. It's also too bad that it took Sony so long to put XLRs in their prosumer cams. If they would have done this with the FX1000, they would have sold a lot more units.

Monday Isa · February 3rd, 2010, 11:36 AM

I agree 100% with that Michael. Their loss though.

Michael Liebergot · February 3rd, 2010, 11:46 AM

Actually it's a loss for me. As I like the aspect of shooting HVD tape still, and would have loved to have been able to get a FX1000 and team that up with the MRC1K.

February 1st, 2010, 08:49 PM	#1
Adrian J. Hare Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Barrie, Ontario Posts: 62	HVR-Z5U to a XHA1 or XLH1 I just wondered if anyone that has this camera has used the canon's XHA1 or the XLH1. I'm thinking of selling my Canon and dropping down a size and I'm torn between the Sony and wondered the pro's and con's between them. What would you settle on ? Thanks

February 2nd, 2010, 12:19 PM	#3
Adam Gold Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Woodinville, WA USA Posts: 3,467	Just be aware that the AX2000 is the exact same cam as the FX1000, minus the tape deck (with added XLRs), so all Monday's issues would be the same on both cams. __________________ "It can only be attributable to human error... This sort of thing has cropped up before, and it has always been due to human error."

February 2nd, 2010, 12:43 PM	#5
Adam Gold Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Woodinville, WA USA Posts: 3,467	Physically and ergonomically, it is the exact same cam, with the exception of the XLRs. According to Sony, the LCD is the same. They yanked out the tape deck, slapped in a card reader, bolted on the XLRs and tweaked the firmware. The "Active" mode for OIS does appear to be an enhancement. I'm not at all saying the AX won't be a great cam (it likely will) or that it doesn't have some enhancements over the FX (of course it does) -- only that the specific ergonomic issues mentioned above with the FX are unlikely to be any different with the AX. It's the same chips, lens, body, chassis. __________________ "It can only be attributable to human error... This sort of thing has cropped up before, and it has always been due to human error." Last edited by Adam Gold; February 2nd, 2010 at 01:44 PM.

February 2nd, 2010, 07:21 PM	#8
Mark Goodsell Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: WI Posts: 367	I have not used the Canon cams you are comparing to. But, like Monday, I was annoyed by the LCD brightness. I used it that way for weeks until I found that there was a brightness option burried in the menu system. Turned it to the bight mode and made a HUGE difference. No problems now. I will agree that the menu dial is not optimal, but to me it isn't the deal-breaker that I read about on forums prior to buying the cam. I fully expect sony to revise it in a future revision (I think the NX cam has a better wheel). The benefits are a great, wide angle to the lens and I personally like the formfactor (guess that's why I'm here, right). Do you have a major store anywhere near ...or a place tha rents cams that you could check one out? Keep in mind that a Z7U and even an EX1 (though slightly different) would be similar enough to get a feel for the cam if you were holding it. Good luck Mark G __________________ Mark Goodsell

February 3rd, 2010, 11:30 AM	#10
Michael Liebergot Trustee Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,505	Adam it was pointed out, somewhere sorry I don't remember where, that the menu dial isn't as recessed as the FX1000/Z5 menu dial. So it seems that Sony listened to customers complaints in regards to this. Too bad Sony never redesigned the FX1000/Z5 with the new dial. It's also too bad that it took Sony so long to put XLRs in their prosumer cams. If they would have done this with the FX1000, they would have sold a lot more units. __________________ Michael www.lvpvideo.com

February 2nd, 2010, 09:55 AM	#2
Monday Isa Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: College Park, Maryland Posts: 913	Hey Adrian, I had the FX1000 which is pretty similar to the Z5 and I have a XHA1. There are so many minor things that I really disliked with the Sony cam that I had to get rid of it. The most major annoyance was the placement of the front hot shoe. It is to close to the LCD. You'd have to remove what ever device was on the shoe to open or close the LCD. The scroll wheel on the left side which is used to scroll through the menu and select a desirable shutter is to far into the camera and you had no real traction to move the wheel as desired. The other thing is that the LCD was very hard to use in sunlight. So is the XHA1 but it was even tougher with the Sony LCD. The color reproduction was very nice with the Sony's but sometimes to contrasty for my liking. Over all a very nice camera but those minor issues got me to get rid of the cam. If you can wait till a bit longer it looks like Canon has a nice update coming in the next week. You can also check out the AX2000 which looks like a nice camera as well. Take Care

February 2nd, 2010, 12:37 PM	#4
Ron Evans Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,222	I don't think the AX2000 is the exact same camera as the FX1000. I believe that there are a lot of differences. Lens has Active OIS so elements are different, LCD is different and higher resolution, has XLR's etc, etc ( don't know final differences from NX5 yet not having seen a manual). I accept it has a lot in common but what is different we will have to wait and see. Ron Evans

February 2nd, 2010, 03:37 PM	#6
Adrian J. Hare Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Barrie, Ontario Posts: 62	Guys lets not start a war here, My issue is that I have a XLH1a and I can not stand the weight and size of this cam and I am plain sick of the ghosting this camera has in record. It has turned me off so much that I would soon change to Sony just to get away from it. The HVR-Z5u is about the size i'm after....

February 2nd, 2010, 03:39 PM	#7
Monday Isa Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: College Park, Maryland Posts: 913	"My issue is that I have a XLH1a and I can not stand the weight and size of this cam and I am plain sick of the ghosting this camera has in record." Did you make sure that NR1 is off? That causes ghosting. If you're going from a XLH1 to a Z5 you may find that more appealing. Best of luck.

February 3rd, 2010, 07:33 AM	#9
Adrian J. Hare Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Barrie, Ontario Posts: 62	Thanks guys for your opinions, AJH

February 3rd, 2010, 11:36 AM	#11
Monday Isa Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: College Park, Maryland Posts: 913	I agree 100% with that Michael. Their loss though.

February 3rd, 2010, 11:46 AM	#12
Michael Liebergot Trustee Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,505	Actually it's a loss for me. As I like the aspect of shooting HVD tape still, and would have loved to have been able to get a FX1000 and team that up with the MRC1K. __________________ Michael www.lvpvideo.com