Good HD Cameras?
 

What are some of the better HD cameras on the market today?

OK are Sony HDR-FX1's good camera's for there under $2k price tag? I am shooting with a Sony DSR-PD170, I love it but since everything is going HD I need to as well I'm guessing but I don't want to jump into a camera just b/c i know its brand. I want to make sure I know why I'm buying it, I know why i bought my Nikon D300 and my PD170

stay away from the sony fx1.... body mounted mic picks up every snap crackle and pop every time you change hand positions or move the camera at all. The v1u is more suitable.

Sony kick ass.

I've got the same question. But, I also heard that I should get a video camera w/ 3CCD (whatever that stands for). Is one more important than the other, or should we just get a camera that has both?

Why not read a book about video production first?

This will give you three pieces of info...

1) You will know what sort of camera to buy.

2) You will know how to make better videos than anyone else here.

3) You will know there is no Hi Def on the Internet.

I just did a quick search about hi-def and this is what I found:
"High-definition image sources include terrestrial broadcast, direct broadcast satellite, digital cable, high definition disc (BD), internet downloads and the latest generation of video game consoles.

Most computers are capable of HD or higher resolutions over VGA, DVI, and/or HDMI"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-definition_video

So, am I missing something?

Well there is HD on the internet just not the same as on TV. I know video production thank you. Im just new to HD (I know the difference from SD) and wanted other peoples personal opinion about camera models. Trust me me I know what they do and how to use them LOL just some cameras have there issues and others are amazing.

Like I would not have known to stay away from the FX1 b/c of the mic had I not asked, I usually like shotgun mounted mics the PD170 is great when it comes to sound. I have found you get a more reliable source of info when you ask real people using the stuff. Not just read what the advertisers write about stuff.

err just noticed what you meant about the cameras mic, its teh reason i love teh shotgun mic which i see teh V1U has. I like the price too. Thanks for the info.

No you got it right. 25k is a sliding scale depending on codec. We run HD at 1280x720p and its only at 2200K and its HD quality. Using h.264 codec.

Canon XHA1 is my personal fave. Great colour and easy to use. The HV30 or HV40 is a good choice for a sub 800 dollar camera, but you have to have a lot of room to get the entire shot in or get a wide angle lens.

It is honestly a tough question to answer and a bit of a personal one at that. Every one has favorite brands and favorite features. Not to mention budget and specific use. I know lots of people that get by with a less than 3 CCD camera but some say that 3 chip cameras are mandatory.

If you are on a tight budget and do not need a professional level camera have a look at the Canon HV30. For a pro level Canon look at the XH A1.
I am personally a Panasonic kinda guy and have used both the AG HMC150 and the AG HPX170. Love them both.

I am not a fan of Sony at all. Way too proprietary, they tend to not play well with Final Cut Pro, my editing application of choice. But I have friends that swear by them. Hit up some of the review sites and happy hunting.

BTW, dont forget to budget for lights! HD is a light hungry beast and proper lighting can make a cheap camera look good.

Sinclair

Thanks for the info, i also use Final Cut however I havent ran into any issues with my Sony PD170, i will look into canon tho, they do make great cameras, as for budget i just have to keep it under $3k

interesting discussion. that hv30 at 599 on amazon looks interesting. anyone else use it for internet video type stuff...

Fuck reading a book, youre doing just what you should. Ask here on GFY so you can get answers from pepps that use HD camera. I use the Canon A1. ( i think its model # A1) I will find out for sure But very good and easy for the operator and its light. Great audio

What is the difference between "i" and "p"? as in 1080i and 720p.

1080i is the shorthand name of a format of high-definition video modes. 1080 denotes the number of horizontal scan lines - also known as vertical resolution - and the letter i stands for interlaced. In the alternate format of high-definition video mode, known as 1080p, the p would stand for progressive scan.

Thank you Wikipedia... i didn't really know either

This is turning a great discussion.

For what we are making, mainly web videos does it matter if a camera is 1080i or 1080p? Also does 3ccd on HD make any difference? That Sony v1u is looking really good if 3ccd isnt an issue i love shotgun mics you just get so much better sound quality. And I love how Sonys are under lower light, are there HD cameras similar?

YES

Why HD movie downloads are a big lie...

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=511

CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) has to do with color separation and light sesitivity.

"Better color separation can be reached by three-CCD devices (3CCD) and a dichroic beam splitter prism, that splits the image into red, green and blue components. Each of the three CCDs is arranged to respond to a particular color."

"higher quantum efficiency (and therefore higher light sensitivity"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge-...s_of_operation

Wikipedia to the rescue again:winkwink:

WOW HD using a third of the data rate of a DVD ! Either that codex is AMAZING or you are wrong.....

The camera I'm liking so far is the Canon XH A1

I've seen the Canon XH A1 and it's awesome.

MPEG4, especially when made with H.264, shows the same quality as MPEG2 at about a third or so of the bitrate. Quoting from the Apple web site,
Even with that, though, a 720p file has roughly 3 times the pixels of an NTSC DVD file. Apple's 720p trailers are usually 5000-6000, for example.

imagine what happens when you try to cut the bit-rate down by a factor of 4 like Apple?s iTune HD rental service or you try to cut it down 10 times like some websites. Granted the usage of higher-end codecs like H.264/MPEG4-AVC or VC-1 can lessen the losses in quality, but no compression technology in the world can handle fast changing video with low bit-rates without severe degradation. People often hear MPEG-4 and the knee-jerk reaction is that it?s automatically better than MPEG-2 because they see a bigger number but that?s only true if it?s at or almost the same bit-rate.

In light of the fact that 8 mbps 1280×1080 video gets you sued, you have to wonder what Steve Jobs is thinking when he says Blu-ray and HD DVD will get killed by download services such as his newly launched 4 mbps 720p ?HD? iTunes movie rental service. I guess if consumers believe the lie that you can do HD with these low bit-rate downloads, then Steve might be right. But with cheap 42 inch 1920×1080 full 1080p LCD and Plasma panels coming out spring this year at less than $1400, consumers are going to be in for a surprise when they see the difference between the free stuff coming over the airwaves versus the crap they actually pay for coming from Satellite and download services.

Video quality reference table from best to worst:


Source/service CODEC Resolution Bit-rate
Blu-ray H.264 or MPEG2 1920×1080 1080i/p 40

Xbox Live Video VC-1 1280×720 720p 6.8
DVD MPEG2 720×480 480i * 8
Apple iTunes QuickTime/H.264 1280×720 720p 4
Web ?HD? downloads H.264 1280×720 720p 1.5

* Can up-scale well up to 1080i or 1080p because of reasonable bit-rate.

Do NOT quit your day job. :thumbsup

Hey great call on that Canon XH a1, i already have a shotgun mic for it and love how digital everything looks and size is amazing. Anyone know a good place to buy one at? B&H are having one of there stupid 2 week closed period. Plus I know there has to be a place to get a good one without spending a fortune.

Hell anyone have a used one for sale?

Personally, I'd take the Panasonic HVX200 over the Canon A1 any day... but that's just me.

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