Tag Archive for 'hvx200'

Canon HV20 Camcorder

Published by Administrator August 24th, 2007 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras, News bits and Video Production. 1 Comment

Although I’m not a big fan of “consumer” camcorders like Canon HV20, I’m always tempted to try them and see if they compare well to my preferred segment (that’s $3,000 to $8,000).

Canon HV20 CamcorderFirst off, the good news. It’s a small camera that you can fit virtually anywhere. It weighs less than a kilo (with battery), so you can CARRY it anywhere.


The sensor is a single CMOS sensor with over 2 million active pixels. That means a native support for 1080i format (1920×1080 pixels).

The bad news is its light sensitivity, mic inputs, and the battery life. Battery life can be extended by purchasing a better battery (BP-2L14) and you should definitely consider it if you’re shooting anything longer than an hour (which is most stuff).

DV.com’s Chuck Gloman has a more detailed review of the camera. Overall, he was impressed by the outdoors footage and the form factor. I’m still not convinced I’ll trade a small-factor Sony (like Sony HC3).

I’m considering switching from my web cam to this baby. Here’s a short guide on how to select a web cam.

Q: HD quality of different cams

Published by Administrator January 22nd, 2007 in Digital Technology, Film School, HD Cameras and Video Production. 1 Comment

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 :)

Filmlike video

Published by Administrator January 20th, 2007 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras and Video Production. 0 Comments

I just found this video tutorial (?) about achieving filmlike video. It talks about screen ratios, interlaced vs progressive shooting, and more.

Filmlike video

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!

Sony HDR-FX7

Published by Administrator January 19th, 2007 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras, News bits and Video Production. 4 Comments

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.

  • Affordable (Canon XL H1’s price is almost 3 times higher)
  • Real HD 1080 support (unlike FX1’s 1440×1080 chip)
  • Good video with low light capabilities (though admittedly worse than FX1 because of the CMOS)
  • Long battery life
  • Standard HDV (using MiniDV cassettes)

On the negative side we’ve got:

  • Fixed lens (though it has been bumped to 20x zoom)
  • No XLR inputs for audio
  • No true 24p

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.

Sony HDR-FX7Hmm, 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.

Canon XH Series

Published by Administrator July 28th, 2006 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras and Video Production. 3 Comments

Canon XH A1 cameraI 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:

  • 1.485 Gbps uncompressed HD-SDI output (XH G1 only)
  • GenLock input and Time Code input /output (XH G1 only)
  • 3 x 1.67mp CCDs (1/3rd-inch, 1440 x 1080, same as XL H1)
  • Digic DV II processor supporting 30fps & 24fps (same as XL H1)
  • Built-in 20x HD OIS lens with new “Instant AF” autofocus system

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.

Panasonic HVX200 gets an award

Published by Administrator July 13th, 2006 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras and Video Production. 2 Comments

Panasonic HVX200Now, 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.

Panasonic HVX200

Published by Administrator April 18th, 2006 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras and Video Production. 2 Comments

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.

Panasonic HVX200Variable 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.

Email: Is HVX200 enough?

Published by Administrator April 15th, 2006 in Digital Technology, Film School and Storytelling. 0 Comments

I get quite a few emails from people interested in becoming indie producers and filmmakers. Here’s one:

Panasonic HVX200 (Front): offers variable framerates at 720p

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 :)

HVX200 vs HD100 (a shootout)

Published by Administrator March 29th, 2006 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras and Video Production. 3 Comments

Panasonic HVX200Barry Green at DVXUser just conducted another camera shootout. The stated reason was to dispell certain rumors that the JVC HD100 performs MUCH better when the action is fast-paced. The rumor itself claimed that when shooting action, the HVX200 became a SD cam.


You can review the screenshots of the Vegas strip. To quote Barry himself, the shootout proved:

A) the HVX is every bit as high-def as the HD100, whether shots are moving or not, and any claim to the contrary is simply and easily demonstratable to be a falsehood.

B) the HVX is clearly, obviously higher color sampling, which should dispel the 4:2:2 vs. 4:2:0 controversy.

C) I could detect no veracity to the notion that there are “overexposure artifacts” in the HVX when in 1080 mode; something that was not part of the initial claim but I figured hey, this was a good chance to see whether there was truth to that rumor or not.

So if you want interchangeable lenses or a shoulder cam, get the HD100, otherwise - HVX200!

SXSW showcases HVX200

Published by Administrator March 14th, 2006 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras and Video Production. 0 Comments

Panasonic HVX200There’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.

Sony CineAlta Rigs

Published by Administrator February 27th, 2006 in Film School, HD Cameras and Video Production. 3 Comments

Sony CineAlta rig - George LucasIf 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.

Sony CineAlta rig - Lars von TrierFirst, 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.

HVX200 at the Olympics

Published by Administrator February 12th, 2006 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras and Video Production. 0 Comments

BBC’s ENG teams will be using Panasonic HVX200 during the Winter Olympics in Torino. The information is based in part on an article that talks about BBC experimenting with Panasonic’s P2 tapeless technology.

Panasonic HVX200 (Front): offers variable framerates at 720pThe major issue with HVX200 at this point is that its PAL version hasn’t been released. BBC definitely shoots PAL. It’s not clear whether Panasonic sent pre-production units to the BBC.

Talking about sports coverage, BBC will probably using the interlaced modes and not the progressive frame rates.

Sony is not left in the dust either. It provides a complete solution to NBC for their coverage of the Olympics. The acquision is handled mostly by Sony HDW-730 HDCAM.

Update: It seems the BBC distances itself from more traditional media. Maybe it’s affecting camera choices as well!

Kevin Smith touts HVX200

Published by Administrator January 15th, 2006 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras and News bits. 2 Comments

When Steve Jobs endorsed Sony HC1 at the Macworld San Fran 2006, I thought the race for best HDV cam is over. Not so quick, Steve!

Kevin Smith endorses HVX200Kevin Smith went up on the stage too (naturally not at the MacWorld, it’s reserved for Jobs). He’s standing next to Panasonic ’s Joseph Facchini. If that’s not clue enough, hover above the image…

Yep, Kevin Smith endoresed the HVX200. He apparently went too far, tossing vulgarities left and right. He did end his presentation on a high note though - saying he loves Panasonic HVX200 so much, he’d like to take it to his bedroom and get real down and dirty with the HVX200 and his wife. That’s the indie filmmaker’s threesome…

I have one question though: If he loves it so much, why did he shoot Clerks 2 on film? So between his wife and the HVX200 … he chose film.

Four-camera shootout

Published by Administrator January 11th, 2006 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras and Video Production. 2 Comments

Barry Green (from DVXuser) has been teasing us for some time now about a four-camera shootout. The four cameras in the shootout are:

I expect that by the end of the week, Barry will be done. Disclosure: Barry is one of the people behind DVXuser so he faced some “suspicions” from some of the posters there. They expected his report will be skewed in favor of the HVX200. That’s why he has some “witnesses” to verify his findings.

Update: There’s been a major forum war on the finding of the four-camera shootout. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no winner-loser. If you want the raw 40 pages of posts, I have two links: DVX forum and Dvinfo forum.

Canon XL H1 - 24F and more

Published by Administrator December 18th, 2005 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras and Video Production. 0 Comments

Now that Canon XL H1 is finally out (it’s been out in Japan for a month), we’re able to see some test footage.

Canon Lenses availableCanon’s flagship HDV camera offers a variety of features - the most important of which is the XL mount which supports interchangeable lenses. Right now, there are only 2 lenses specifically designed for the Canon XL H1 but filmmakers can use Canon’s impressive line of EF lenses (right).

The most important question for the H1 though was about its 24 frame mode, called 24F. Some has gone so far to call it 24 “Fake” because the video doesn’t look filmlike at all. Most experts have agreed that Canon’s 24F is not that much different from Sony’s CineFrame which produces equally poor results.

Based on a review of Panasonic HVX200 footage, it would seem that none of the HDV cameras offer an acceptable 24P mode. HVX200 utilizes a different standard (DVCPRO HD) with rates of up to 100Mbps. It’s doubtful that any of the HDV-based cameras will offer something remarkably different.

It’s not cheap either - Canon XL H1 price has been pegged at $8,999. All of the other HDV cams are lower - some like the Sony FX1 cost 3 times (!) less.

Panasonic HVX200 wiki

Published by Administrator November 20th, 2005 in News bits and Video Production. 0 Comments

You’re probably aware I try to contribute to the Wikipedia project. I’ve contributed info about movies as well as video production. Recently, I covered basic lights and lighting setups.

I started putting some info about the upcoming Panasonic HVX200, I wonder if that’s worth anything. A quick inspection revealed that there were no entries for other HD camera models as well. I’m still not sure, if it’s worth proceeding in this direction but I guess it can’t hurt.

So if you’d like to put some info about YOUR favorite HD cam, head straight to Wikipedia. You’ll take some of the burden off!

Sony HDR-FX1: one year later

Published by Administrator November 14th, 2005 in Digital Technology, HD Cameras and Video Production. 14 Comments

Sony HDR FX1Sony’s first HDV cam, the HDR-FX1, stirred the HD video production world with its introduction an year ago. In that time several new HDV camcorders came on the market (Sony Z1 and JVC GY-HD100U). Sony’s main competitors in the DV field both have announced their HD cams: Canon XL H1 and Panasonic HVX200.


So where does the Sony FX1 stand right now? Is it still a good buy or it’s worth to wait a little longer? I’ll answer these below.

Different shooters have different needs. In my recent post about HD cameras for guerilla filmmaking, the FX1 wins fair and square. What about other uses though?

Let’s look at FX1’s advantages:

  • Affordable (Canon XL H1’s price is almost 3 times higher)
  • 1080i support (actual chip is 1440×1080)
  • Vibrant video with some low light capabilities (3 lux)
  • Long battery life
  • Standard HDV (using MiniDV cassettes)

On the negative side we’ve got:

  • Fixed lens (albeit a good Carl Zeiss one)
  • No XLR inputs for audio
  • No true 24p

If your end-product stays on video (DVD) and you don’t need balanced audio, Sony FX1 offers the best value. Wedding and corporate videographers will have an easy time selling their services as well. The FX1 is black and sexy and although it’s not a shoulder cam (like JVC GY-HD100U or Canon XL H1), it does look professional.

On the other hand, if you need balanced audio and you hope to be able to transfer to film, it’s best to wait a bit. Here’s why:

Canon XL H1 has interchangeable lenses and supports Canon XL mount and full range of lenses. This will allow you the flexibility to simulate a “filmlook” more easily. For example, shooting with a tele lens to create a narrow depth of field.

Panasonic HVX200 is the only cam under $10,000 that supports variable speeds (including true 24p). If you’d like to create filmlike video with real slo-mo effects, this is the cam to get.

In short, the FX1 is best suited for videographers who acquire, edit, and distribute on video. Aspiring filmmakers will find the features limiting, but hey, you only pay a fraction of what others are paying so you can’t complain. If $3,000 is still too much for you, you could get Sony HC1 for less than $1,500 - it’s a more affordable, entry-level HDV camcorder.

Update: Sony released Sony FX7, a three-CMOS sensor camcorder that provides a “horizontal” alternative to the Sony FX1.

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