It’s probably every indie filmmakers wet dream to lay his (or her) hands on an Arri film camera. Well, you got something better – the new Arri ALEXA camera!
Depending on where you are, Canon’s new flagship might carry different letters but the the bottom line is the same: this photo is GOOD news for aspiring indie filmmakers.
According to DPreview:
The EOS 550D redefines the boundaries of Canon’s consumer DSLR range, incorporating technologies and features more commonly found in semi-professional DSLRs into the compact, lightweight body favoured by consumers. With a newly-developed 18 Megapixel (MP) APS-C CMOS sensor, coupled with Canon’s advanced DIGIC 4 image processor and the ability to shoot Full HD movies, photography enthusiasts are empowered to explore new levels of creativity.
Yes, full HD and an ISO range of 100 – 6400 (expandable to 12800) means you’ll get a lot mileage from scenes with natural (often poor) lighting.
The camera itself is too new, so the previews have been based on pre-production units but I’m pretty excited!
Sony HVR-Z5U is the same Sony HVR Z7U, however, Sony has fixed the lens on this one. Let’s find out if it’s such a good move.
First off, the new Sony HVR-Z5U is affordable – $4200 street price ($4950 list). It’s in the same league price-wise as Sony Z1 and a bit more expensive than Sony FX1 and Sony FX7. It’s very competitive pricing considering a Panasonic HVX200 goes for more than $4,200 – and in some stores it goes to $5,000.
Let’s examine what could make you upgrade to Sony HVR-Z7U – it usually costs about $1,200 more. Both camcorders use the same electronics. The controls and I/O are a bit different but it’s more a matter of personal preference rather than anything “measurable”. The key difference is the lens – the Z7U has a 12x Zeiss lens that can be REMOVED. Just so you know, this is where your $1,200 will be going – giving you flexibility to change the lens.
The lens on the Sony HVR-Z5U is a fixed 20x Sony “G” zoom lens. In this, Sony is consistent – all its camcorders in this range have sported a similar lens – all the way back to (my beloved) Sony VX2000.
If you’re easily impressed by ZOOMs, Sony estimates the 35mm equivalent is 29.5mm – 590mm! Impressive! If you go with the Z7U, it stops at about 380mm. So in practical terms, you get a lot more tele from the fixed 20x lens. Frankly, I’m not a big bird watcher, so zoom isn’t that important to me. However, if you plan to shoot architectural videos, you might need a wider lens (or adapter).
Same as the Sony Z7U, this camcorder uses the new Sony’s ClearVid CMOS with 1440×810 photosites. Through extrapolation (i.e. software), Sony achieves 1080 resolution. The sensor deliver very similar picture to full resolution 1920×1080 sensors which cost a LOT more.
So in conclusion – do you need it? If you already have a Sony Z1 or comparable, you probably don’t need to upgrade just yet (unless money is no object).
If you’re in the market for a new camera, the Sony HVR-Z5U is a very solid choice and comes highly recommended from all the reviewers I follow. The only caveat is the fixed lens but let’s admit it, at $4,200 you won’t find a camera with a removable lens anyway.
Adam Wilt at DV Magazine, is taking a first look at Sony V1.
In a typical SAT fashion: with V1 Sony has upgraded the Z1 “prosumer” camcorder the same way it upgraded the revolutionary Sony FX1 to Sony FX7. If you’re already familiar with the FX7 or you’ve already read the comparison between FX1 and FX7, you’ll find relatively few bits of new info.
At the same time, Sony V1 is significant because it confirms Sony’s dedication to putting CMOS sensors on its prosumer line of camcorders instead of CCDs. This is an important change of direction as it affects light sensitivity, vertical resolution, and more importantly the “full 1080 HD” of FX7 and V1.
Let’s go quickly through Adam’s points:
Again, it’s a “sideways upgrade” because you lose some, you gain some. Here’s Adam’s conclusion:
Sony squeezed out some features in the quest to put HDV into a PD170-sized package: analog-in recording, 50 Hz/60 Hz switchability, low-light capability, and standard video connectors on the camera body. But the result is a compact, lightweight Handycam that shoots sharp, clean HDV while offering the best laid-out controls found on a small Sony, and true progressive capture to boot. Rolling shutter will be an issue for some, but overall, the V1 looks like a worthy addition to the choices available to HDV shooters.
I’m considering switching from my web cam to this baby. Here’s a short guide on how to select a web cam.
According to HD Beat, hackers have discovered the “processing key used to decrypt the DRM on all HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc films”.
What this means in layman terms is that pretty soon, your favorite torrent tracker will feature movies in all their HD glory, be them Blu-ray or HD DVD.
Everyone (and their grandma) is predicting a demise for Blu-ray and hence Sony and even the Playstation 3. It’s been just over two months since Blu-ray’s premiere and these “format” wars are not decided in a day. If wars were decided in a day (or a month), Hitler would’ve taken both Russia and the UK (extrapolating his early successes).
HD DVD experienced a surge around Christmas when studios supporting it released more titles than the Blu-ray camp. The situation has changed a bit. While Universal is silent about upcoming HD DVD titles, the Blu-ray camp churns new titles.
Looking at the release lists, Blu-ray studios are going to release MORE movies in February than HD DVD released in 2006. I’m not eager to announce them winners just yet. These guys should’ve settled their difference a long time ago anyway. Sometimes it’s the consumer who’s the best judge of a format but the HD media doesn’t come particularly cheap as to allow open experimentation.
Kaspar had this question to ask:
I’ve come across your webpage and have been reading your reviews on HD cameras. May I ask you a question concerning this? It seems you have quite some experience — and I seem to lack it!
I am working together with a small group of creatives and we would like to make a series of short movies: some movies about dancing/arts (for fun) and some ad movies for customers (to be shown on fares, public advertisement screens, and maybe one or two clips on television).
We have experimented a little bit with MiniDV (in combination with FinalCutPro, After Effects, and Shake) and found it disappointing. We frequently had to use keyers (to get rid of a white/green background) and the results were really bad, even though we started with a pretty good white background.
I am now hoping that HD changes this a little. But I see that many HD cams use heavy compression and therefore I fear that the resulting artefacts will make editing difficult, again. Is this so?
Or more concrete: Could you tell me maybe a camera that you could recommend (without responsibility, of course) for this type of
work? A low-budget one (say up to $2000), a semi-pro one (up to $4000) and an even better one?
I thought the answer could be helpful to others as well:
I’m afraid the quality of the video won’t change much from DV to HD. The resolution definitely will change but it seems to me you’re not after resolution. From the sound of it, you have a problem with removing the background.
First off, when doing blue/green screen work, you need a studio of some sort. You could probably do it yourself but the resulting video will suffer. The key problem with greenscreen is EVEN lighting. The way it’s done in studios is that you create a “rama” with lights spread out at precise intervals. It’s rather expensive if you want to create a similar setup at a stage (if you’re dancing on a stage that is).
In terms of cameras, any camera below $6000 is going to use HDV (25Mbps) to record the signal which means a lot of compression. So you’re right about that – HD will introduce more compression artefacts, not less. At about 6,000, you can get Panasonic HVX200 which supports 100Mbps recording ( i.e. much higher quality recording).
I certainly understand your frustration. When I bought my first camera (a SONY VX2000) I was pretty disappointed as well. Then, I bought a Lowel light kit (4 lights) and I loved the results. Your goal is a bit more ambitious but I think you’ll find out that once you solve the lighting, everything else will be easy.
Keep the questions coming 
I just found this video tutorial (?) about achieving filmlike video. It talks about screen ratios, interlaced vs progressive shooting, and more.
Right-click video, then select “Save Target As…”
For a 5 minute video, it packs plenty of info. It missed one very important point (that I frequently come back to): LIGHTING.
Lighting is one of the magic ingredients when going for filmlike video. Just look at the segment in question – the blue background light creates much needed separation between subject and background. (In video, this separation is often achieved by adding a certain color – usually blue; in film, you have many more options.)
I’m not 100% sure if this is a Panasonic HVX200 in the background. I was hoping to see someone putting the new Sony FX7 to good use!
It’s hard to keep up with SONY’s new cams for one very good reason – they are skipping numbers! I thought the successor to the very successful Sony FX1 will be called FX2. Or, perhaps, FX3.
When it comes to the product name, Sony isn’t content with incremental improvements. We’re now straight to number 7. Not so when it comes to the product itself. Maybe, Sony felt that neither Canon XL H1 nor Panasonic HVX200 changed anything in the market, so why bother.
Many reviewers have likened the FX7 release to the release of the VX2100 model, hot on the steps of VX2000 (I’m a proud owner of the latter). The VX2100 offered some minor improvements in light sensitivity and a variety of interface features that made things a bit easier for the prosumer shooter.
Let’s look at Sony FX7 and see what advantages it offers.
On the negative side we’ve got:
If you look at Sony FX1′s advantages from last year, you’ll see the camera has the same things going for it with a few notable differences.
To me, the biggest difference is the sensor. In the last year, SONY has introduced a several of his low-end HD cams with CMOS sensors (e.g. Sony HC1 and Sony HC3). Is CMOS good enough for $3,000 cam though?
Harry Haruna, Manager of Camcorder Product Planning for Sony USA, had this to say:
As for resolution, because you have the CMOS technology the FX7, resolution is much higher than the FX1 in decent light conditions. On the contrary, under low light conditions the FX1 is better than the FX7, since the FX1 has a larger CCD sensor.
Hmm, I thought FX7 was an upgrade. It looks like it’s something of a sidegrade: if you have an FX1, keep it. If you don’t, you can either get the FX1 if you need a cam with a better sensor and bigger lens or go for the new FX7 with its smaller form factor and “full” HD 1080.
Still, if I was into wedding videography or guerrilla filmmaking, the FX7 could be quite tempting.
Then again, Canon has recently introduced more affordable versions of its $9,000 monster, the Canon XL H1. At just $500 more than the FX7, it introduces some much needed competition. If I can get FX1 for less than $2000 (Apple store had an offer like that), I’d be the happiest person … for the next 6 months or so.
I’m considering switching from my web cam to this baby. Here’s a short guide on how to select a web cam.
While I’m debating with myself whether I should go for a 1080 TV or settle for a 720 one, Sharp have introduced an amazing 64 ” monitor that’s 4000×2000 pixels. That’s right, it’s effectively an 8 megapixel monitor. Four times the resolution of a 1080 TV.
That’s still about 25 million pixels shy of the UHDV format (7,680 × 4,320 pixels) pioneered by JBC.
It took quite a while for cameras to catch up with regular HD, Sony recently upped their FX1 cam to “full HD 1080″ with the new Sony FX7.
Or is it? The North American HD DVD Promotional Group took advantage of CES to get out the following:
As of January 5th, the group estimates there were more than 175,000 HD DVD players sold in America, with an annualized attach rate of 28 movies per player. The group projects sales will reach 2.5 million players by the end of this year and more than $600 million worth of movie revenues. HD DVD buyers can look forward to more HDi enhanced titles, now featuring internet features that were demoed at the event, as well as more players hitting the market from manufacturers like Lite-On, Alco, Alpine, Meridian and Onkyo. Look for the trend of combo releases to continue, as the format’s backers see it as a viable way of introducing current DVD owners to the format and building a library prior to upgrading.
Numbers usually don’t lie. And the numbers here (at least in terms of players) are very much skewed in favor of the Blu-ray camp. The reason? One million Playstation 3 have been purchased and I bet this is just the beginning.
Blu-Ray is piggy-backing on Playstation 3 recent launch.
So far HD DVD leads the way with 130 titles released. Blu-ray is closely behind with 116. The titles to be released any moment are:
The Architect (Magnolia)
Bulletproof Monk (Fox)
A Christmas Story (Warner)
Flight of the Phoenix (Fox)
From Hell (Fox)
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Warner)
Rising Sun (Fox)
Rocky (Fox)
I’m a big SONY fan so I hope Blu-ray doesn’t turn out to be the new Beta Max.
I love cameras. Recently, I posted about HVX200 winning an award for design. I admit it’s a well-deserved award – HVX200 is a good-looking camera.
I just got word (and a few photos) about the upcoming Canon XH series: XH A1 and XH G1, both are based on Canon XL H1. Man, this camera is at least 10 times sexier than HVX200. Look at the specs as well:
Just compare the 1.485 Gbps throughput to my USB 1.1 vs USB 2.0 discussion. Amazing!
I’m considering switching from my web cam to this baby. Here’s a short guide on how to select a web cam.
Now, we all know HVX200 deserves an award. An award for making dreams come true for a lot of guys in video production and indie filmmaking.
There’s nothing wrong with getting a few “official” awards as well. On July 10, Panasonic got Bronze IDEA awarded to the AG-HVX200 for excellence in design”. Here’s the press release:
SECAUCUS, NJ (July 10, 2006) – Panasonic Broadcast announced that its high definition, solid state memory AG-HVX200 hand-held camcorder has received a bronze in the 2006 Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA) competition for the best designed product in business and industry.
Dislaimer: About IDEA
Celebrating its 26th year, the IDEAs are dedicated to fostering business and public understanding of the importance of industrial design excellence to the quality of life and the economy. The IDEAs are co-sponsored by BusinessWeek and the IDSA, a nonprofit association that represents the profession of industrial design to education, business, government and the public and serves the profession’s needs for information and networking.
Finally! The specs for the Panasonic HVX200 have been sent to a couple of review sites. If you’re in a video production company or (even better) an aspiring filmmaker, you should start taking notes.
Update: You can already get REAL footage from the HVX200, even footage at 60p (frame rates supported by HVX200). The camera should be available in stores, so you might also want to get my recommendations for accessories for HVX200.
Here’s a summary of the important features introduced with the new Panasonic HVX200. I’ll prioritize them for you.
Variable frame rates
Panasonic HVX200 supports a variety of frame rates just like Panasonic’s Varicam (AJ-HDC27). In 720p, the HVX200 records not only in the most popular 24p, 30p, and 60p, but almost any rate between 4 and 60 as well. One limitation is that his flexibility is reserved for 720p.
When we jump up to 1080p, the camera still delivers TRUE 24p – which is amazing considering none of the HDV cams in the same price range support it. Click here for more on HVX200 frame rates.
Robust format
Panasonic HVX200′s HD format is called DVCPRO-HD. The difference between DVCPRO-HD and HDV is about 4 to 1 in terms of data throughput. DVCPRO-HD supports data rates of up to 100Mbps. This allows the camera to record video without applying as much compression as the HDV cameras do. Another advantage in terms of format is the support of 4:2:2 color space – again linked to the 100Mbps allowance. The DVCPRO-HD has been around for several years and has been used in the Varicam.
In addition to the HD format, Panasonic HVX200 also supports standard DV, as well as DVCPRO50 (Panasonic’s more professional DV format with a much lower compression ratio).
Tapeless recording (P2)
The argument tape vs, memory is still raging on. On the negative side, memory is very expensive compared to tape. An 8GB P2 chip that can hold about 10 minutes of HD (depending on frame rate) is going to cost you $1,700. On the positive, it’s quick, durable, and best of all – bound to become cheaper. SONY has pioneered a disc system – XDCAM – which is similar but naturally, cheaper because it uses Blu-Ray discs (27GB).
Panasonic HVX200 takes advantage of its data recording medium in several ways. First, you start recording immediately after you hit the button. In fact, it’s better than that. P2 allows you to start recording BEFORE you hit the button. The memory will buffer 3-7 seconds of video, so even if you don’t have split-second reactions, you’ll be able to capture action flawlessly.
Another advantage is the ability to transfer files directly to your computer (or you could back them up to Firewire drives). During shooting you can also mark takes which you like so that you can start editing in seconds.
Lens and controls
HVX200′s lens is a 13x Leica which compares favourably to SONY FX1. The zoom ring is full manual which is another big plus. Both JVC GY-HD100U and the upcoming Canon XL H1 have interchangeable lenses although the availability and variety of quality lenses is still in question.
Audio
Panasonic HVX200′s more robust format (DVCPRO-HD) allows four uncompressed channels of 16-bit 48Khz quality audio (or two stereo pairs). This is a BIG change from the HDV format.
Final verdict (based on specs)
Panasonic has created a worthy successor to the DVX100. HVX200 excels in all areas and it could be hard for a HDV camera to compete, especially, when you consider the price. At $5,995, it’s only marginally more expensive than SONY Z1 (50 bucks more) but offers a lot more. It’s much cheaper than the interchangeable lens cameras – Canon XL H1 and JVC GY-HD100U.
That’s until you consider the cost for the media. At $1,700 per a pop, 8GB P2′s are going to be a TOUGH sell. In a year’s time, it’ll probably be 2-4 times cheaper, so don’t start stocking on P2s just now. If $6,000 is too much for you, you could get Sony HC1 for less than $1,500 – it’s a more affordable, entry-level HDV camcorder. The bigger and better Sony FX1 is midway (at $3,000 it’s perfect for wedding videography) between the Hc1 and HVX200.
Update: Check out this USB 1.1 vs USB 2.0 speed comparison.
I get quite a few emails from people interested in becoming indie producers and filmmakers. Here’s one:
Thank you for your webpage and all the valuable information it contains. I had a question please: I want to be a totally independent guerrilla filmmaker, and was wondering if
the Pansonic HVX200 would be good enough a camera to start with? Is the true 24P the most important factor here?I had intended to shoot with an HD camera of some sort, and then use the software that gives video that
“film look”.I appreciate your time and assistance. Thank you.
My answer:
Thanks for writing. I think independent film making goes beyond the hardware. It’s true that HVX200 will get you closer to getting filmlike video than say … Sony FX1. However, film and video are two very different media and you cannot expect a $20,000 production to look like a $20,000,000. It’s bound to look “different.”
That’s why, I think you should pick a subject matter that will let you “exploit” the advantages of the digital medium and hopefully mask its weaknesses. For example, you might want to try a “reality” format for your feature. Intrusive, in-your-face camerawork with a lot of close-ups will put emphasis on video’s strengths (check out Waterborne at Google Video).
Hint: Get diffusion filters, if you plan close-ups as video is quite unforgiving to ANY skin imperfections. A good make-up artists is a plus!
I encourage you to rent HVX200 for a weekend and plan a shoot around it. There’s no better way of managing your own expectations for the final result. Once you see the results, you can either select another cam or perhaps change your script a bit to accommodate the specific “look” you get from the camera.
Remember that high-end cameras give you flexibility and protect against errors but at the end, all cameras are the same. I’ve seen some amazing photos coming out of Kodak’s single-use cameras. It’s just that a high-end Canon gives you consistency and flexibility. The same thing applies to camcorders as well.
Hope that makes sense
I’ve been extolling the virtues of HVX200 for the last few months.
This time, however, it’s Sony FX1 turn to shine (review of Sony FX1). How, you ask. Very simple – it’s the first time I see the camera go for under $2,000!
Apple Store has the FX1 for $1,995 – you should definitely hurry up. It can’t be linked directly, so here’s the instructions: go to Apple Store, search for “HDR-FX1″ and voila! You got an HD cam for less than 2,000.
Update: It seems the item is out of stock now (April 7).
There’s a report at Cinema Minima that while guys from Apple and Panasonic were setting up an Apple G5 / HVX200 combo. The point of the exercise is obviously to showcase how well HVX200 integrates with Apple’s new mac.
If you’re attending SXSW, you might want to check out some of the movie premieres as well. They boast “115 features, 50 of which are World Premieres.” Not exactly equal to Sundance’s selection but nonetheless impressive. Here’s the schedule.
If you’re wondering why I went from writing about Panasonic HVX200 to writing about Sony CineAlta, your budget is probably a couple of million short. Welcome to the club.
I won’t be able to afford a CineAlta-size production any time soon. Yet, when I look at CineAlta rigs, I see some of the same accessories that are needed for low-budget filmmaking.
Recently, I reviewed a number of accessories for HVX200 that could be used to create a “killer rig”. Apart from standard stuff like tripods and monitors, I paid special attention to matte boxes and filters for HVX200 as these are essential to create filmlike video.
First, let me go through CineAlta’s specs. Right now, Sony has branded CineAlta to two cameras: F900 and F950. They can shoot at the same 24 frames per second (24p) as film and have a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels (1080p). F900 was notably used to shoot Star Wars, Episode II.
Revenge of the Sith was shot with more advanced HDW950 cameras which can record the full 1920×1080-pixel frame. When shooting in the 2.35:1 widescreen format (often referred to as “Panavision”) only about 800 of the 1080 vertical pixels are actually used.
Look at Lars von Trier’s rig for Dogville. I see a Steadycam of some sort. I see a shotgun mic mounted on the camera. I see a separate recorder tied to the shotgun mic (always a good idea to have backup). I can’t descern what the lens is but it comes with some kind of a matte box.
All of these are pretty standard stuff. Take it from the pros, you need just three things: 1) keep your shots steady; 2) more control over your image; 3) better, cleaner sound. That’s it. When you rent a rig, go for the basics first.
