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New Sony HVR-HD1000U Camcorder - A Shoulder-mount FX7?
Published by Matthew Jeppsen August 23rd, 2007 in Cameras, News
UPDATE: Eagle-eyed commenter Roger has spotted this camera in stock at B&H. It is priced at $1600.
Sony has announced a new HDV CMOS camcorder, the HD1000U. This particular model is a shoulder configuration, but unfortunately detailed specs are somewhat lean at this time. At first glance, it appears to to be the guts of a HC7 or FX7 stuffed into a “pro” case design. No word at this time if it also includes XLR jacks (I’m guessing not). (This larger image shows the shotgun mic plugged into what looks like a 1/8″ mini jack.) But at a entry price under $1900, what do you seriously expect? This new offering seems to be aimed at the Education and (low end) Wedding/Event market , and I think it will soon be joined by a big brother with a better, more “pro” featureset. “Pro” features or not, what will kill it for the Event market is the fact that the imager is a tiny sub-1/3″ chip that will most likely perform very poorly in low light conditions (thanks for the correction Adam). Of course, Sony could forgo the big brother concept on this model and just push the XDCAM EX instead. Which, according to Sony at NAB ‘07, should arrive in September. We shall see. Read on for the specs culled from Sony’s press release…
Shoulder-mount design
DV or HDV to MiniDV tape (no full-size tape, no DVCam?)
10x optical zoom lens (with true OIS)
1/2.9-inch ClearVid CMOS imager
6.1 mega-pixel still images, 4.6 while recording video
Side-located EVF and flip-out LCD
Smooth Slow Rec (basically a worthless feature as reported by FX7 users)
Super NightShot (IR emitter)
“Multi-function assignable lens ring” controls focus, zoom, brightness, shutter, auto exposure shift or white balance shift…one at a time.
There has been some spirited forum discussion on the HVR-HD1000U over at DV Info, and writer/shooter Anthony Burokas has also posted a snarky (and insightful) commentary over at his IEBA blog. Good stuff. Hopefully we’ll see more detailed specifications soon. For now, here’s the full press release.
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Note that 1/2.9″ is actually larger than 1/3″. Not much larger, granted, but it is in no way a “tiny sub-1/3″ chip” as described above.
It’s actually a hair bigger than the A1U’s chip and I don’t hear many people complaining about the image from that.
I suppose we’ll know more when the final spec list is released.
Doh! Must have been drinking and blogging (again)…
Thanks for the correction.
-MJ
The only people that are going to be impressed by this camera are the clients of the WEVA crowd.
Looks like whoever buys this will be getting a lot of fresh air for their $$$$.
What are Sony thinking?
HVR HD1000U I couldn’t resist commenting on the 1/2 vs 1/3 cmos chip size. What makes a diff is the megapixel capture. The a1u has a 2.97 megapixel capture. Very competative to the 3 ccds with 1 megapixelish captures. But in the end I guess it’s always about the size and how its put to use, LOL. Personally I feel that this is going to be a flop with any serious vid buff because of the short cuts Sony has taken. No XLR, interchangeable lenses?, 1080i/720p/480, 1920×1080,1080×1440 …. Sony not saying anything. Any body got any serious stats on this Paper launch? I can’t find any. There’s a reason why Canon can ask what they are asking for, they are the only competition in town.
this cam now available at B&H for $1,600
Ahh, nice catch Roger. Many thanks for the tip.
-MJ
B&H advertises the camera with DVCAM capability, but everywhere else shows NO DVCAM, anyone knows the final word on this? (I contacted B&H but received NO response)
Thanks
MaxTrans
I think it doesn’t. Check the note at the very bottom of this page…
http://www.sony.ca/hdv/HVR-HD1000U_60i/products/HVR-HD1000U/spec.html
For a very descriptive and in depth video(in HD), and tests of the HD1000u see this link by Greg Toope:
http://www.vimeo.com/467253
Great review and video samples. Just what I’m looking for, thanks Max Trans!
just got the camera n shoot for a video wedding in indoor…(low light)..oh gosh! i’m sorry guys but the image is so bad! i use the auto for everything…but stick the shutter in 1/50 (PAL)… there are noise everywhere… specially on the black colors of the groom’s dress… the indoor is not that dark…boy the looks of the body could kill… but the image quality of it is so….ahhhh a bit dissapointed…AG-DVC62 PRODUCE A MUCH BETTER image quality.
…outdoor is nice tough.
Thanks very much for the report back! It seems this camera is really hobbled by the small imager chip size.
-Matt Jeppsen
The imager isn’t any smaller than in the V1/FX7 or Z1/FX1; in fact, it’s larger than either.
Did you try the AUTO SLOW SHUTTER setting?
The HD1000 is rated at 5 lux; the HC7, which has the same imaging system, is rated at 2 lux with AUTO SLOW SHUTTER set to ON.
The imager isn’t any smaller than in the V1/FX7 or Z1/FX1; in fact, it’s larger than either.
Sure, but this camera only has one imager while the V1U, FX7, and Z1U all have three chips.
-Matt Jeppsen
Yes, and they all cost at least twice as much. And three chips should mainly affect color, not resolution or noise.
My point is you said the cam is “hobbled” by a small imager and I’m just pointing out that if there’s a problem, it’s not due to the size, as the imager is bigger than other cams that perform better.
The A1 (single-CMOS) is rated at 7 lux, so on paper at least the HD1000 should perform better.
I just think a lot of people have very unrealistic expectations for this cam, which does twice as much (in HDV!) yet costs half as much as my old V5000 Hi8 shoulder-mount…
Very true, price is a big consideration here since this camera is extremely low cost.
And three chips should mainly affect color, not resolution or noise.
Well if the “noise” in question is gain kicking in to brighten the image, three chips would definitely be an improvement over a single chip as they would gather more light and reduce the need for gain. If it is inherent processing noise, well that is another story entirely.
I tend to agree with you though that there are unrealistic expectations for this camera. Unfortunately, I kinda think Sony brought it on themselves…when you market anything to the Wedding/Event crowd, low-light is always going to be the sticking point, regardless of price point. My $0.02 anyway.
-Matt Jeppsen
Everything you say is true, but you should take care to note that three-chip cams perform WORSE in low light, not better, as each chip receives LESS light than a single chip would. People always get this mixed up, but remember the incoming light is being divided among the three chips, not multiplied. All things being equal, a single chip cam will perform better in low light than a three chip cam.
Unquestionably the gain is kicking in because he didn’t set the shutter speed to 1/25, which he should have done in that situation (and which better cams would do automatically).
I think you’re right about Sony bringing this on themselves, at least to a point. But everyone forgets the phrases “low-end”, “entry-level”, “professional appearance” and “corporate and education” which were prominent in all the marketing materials.
Believe me, I have no dog in this fight but overall I think it’s great that Sony even has an entry at this price point, which no one else has even tried to do. Perhaps for a good reason.
Everything you say is true, but you should take care to note that three-chip cams perform WORSE in low light, not better, as each chip receives LESS light than a single chip would. People always get this mixed up, but remember the incoming light is being divided among the three chips, not multiplied. All things being equal, a single chip cam will perform better in low light than a three chip cam.
I am willing to accept that I have been completely misinformed on this topic for years…but you’re gonna have to show me a few citations first. :-)
I have simply never heard that before, and it doesn’t really make sense in my mind.
-Matt Jeppsen
There’s only a fixed amount of light that can enter the lens.
Each chip only sees one color, so the light has to be split by a prism, just as it was in the old days of three-strip technicolor, which famously needed massive amounts of light to work. Each chip gets about a third of the incoming light (just less than an f-stop, what a coincidence), all of which would be going to a single chip in a one-chip cam.
I’ve never heard it explained any other way.
Do a search at DVInfo and you should come up with hundreds of posts.
Quote from basic cam primer on CCI: “With a 3-CCD camera however, there is actually one CCD devoted to each of the red, green and blue colour spectrums. A special prism is set up to convert the light entering the camera into the three different colours, they are processed separately, and then combined into a final image.”
If you have citations to the contrary, I will gladly and humbly eat my words.
Thanks for the explanation and tips for research! I’ll do some reading on the topic.
-Matt Jeppsen
And thank YOU for a lively and vigorous discussion board…
I appreciate your expertise Matt and Adam. For a new guy like myself I want to hear from those who have gone before me. Keep it up I can use the education!
sorry to interupt again ;) when i use HD1000
i never use 1/25 shutter… never for a wedding in indonesia! for a clip that has concepts perhaps but u don’t do it for a wedding in my country, coz it’s not even close to ‘film like’ (we use to call 24p).
for 1/25 it looks a bit jitter and gets worse when u’re trying to make it slow mo (we use slow mo often for wedding kiss n wedding ring procession)
yes i read the written text of 6 lux and so on… but my experience with cheaper camera such as AG-DVC62 or DVX102,PD150,VX2000,FX1 they are much much better in low lux ( i know the price r also much2 different)
but gosh! even i change the whitebalance to ‘outdoor’ in order to get a brighter color…i really think i bring a handycam to a wedding now…a big lousy handycam.
trust me, u better put more lighting when u shoot indoor,specially for a wedding.
well…A NOT so GOOD back up HDV cam i supposed
do u really believe what it says in the written text? if it is so true than how come FX1 (1/3″ 3CCD) is equal or even better in low light with the big boy DSR series which has 2/3″ 3CCD?? ( shutter,iris,n everything in manual mode with the same number)… i’ve similar experience when comparing CCD and CMOS handycam…written text mostly just marketing words.. what u see is what u get.. my fault is i don’t have the chance to SEE it first coz it’s quite brand new here, i just SEE the WRITTEN TEXT which shows “a not so bad HDV for a backup” and…oh gosh the LOOKS really has misslead me ;(
DCP has posted part 1 of their review of this camera. It covers the basics and Sony Smooth Slow Record mode (27 clicks in the menu to turn it on? Wow). A note on resolution…it seems the smooth slow motion mode halves resolution. Yikes. http://digitalcontentproducer.com/hdhdv/depth/test_drive_sony_hvrhd1000u_0114/
Next edition will talk about low light performance.
-Matt Jeppsen
It’s certainly true that lux numbers are just marketing hype and should be taken with a BIG grain of salt.
The FXes, and for that matter the VX/PDs, are completely different cams and can’t be compared to this one or each other. That the FX1 does low light better than this one or the DSRs is irrelevant. Chip size alone isn’t the only issue in low light. A massive front lens also helps.
The Smooth Slow Record function on this cam, as on all the other Sonys that have it, is a joke and always has been. It’s four times the speed at 1/4 the resolution. I can’t imagine anyone using it in a professional setting, and this has been known for at least as long as there have been cheap little HCs. Simple math says that with a fixed data rate this is the case.
Come on, people — everyone knew this was an HC7 in a big package from the moment the specs were released. The HC7 is around $1100 now and this one is $500 more for the shoulder mount. If you want the features of an $8000 cam, buy one.
Well you are correct and wrong at the same time here Adam. While it as correct that a beam splitter is used to separate light in a CCD system, the generalized statement that CCDs are less light sensitive is simply incorrect. There are too many other variables at play here such as the native sensitivity of the chip itself if you have a CCD which is more sensitive than a CMOS chip even with the negligible light loss from passing through a beam splitter. Now on the CMOS side MOST times the image is passed through an OLPF (Optical low pass filter) also keep in mind that newer 3CMOS chip cameras handle light the same way (beam splitter) as the CCDs just replacing the sensor type. So it really isn’t fair or comparing apples to apples to make a generalized statement to sy CMOS is more sensitive than CCD technology it really does rely very heavily on how those technologies are implemented and the image data processed in a given camera.
yes i know it is alot cheaper..but in france they sell it around 3000usd similar price to fx7!!
oh boy poor france…i never think that sony would sell such a ‘cheap’image for a cheap camera..
i mean panasonic sell a cheap AG-DVC62 (1500usd shoulder mount) but believe me its not that ‘cheap’ in quality.
Kendal–
Appreciate the clarification. But note that I never said CMOS was better or more light sensitive than CCD. My only point was three chips were at best equal to, and generally somewhat less sensitive to light, than one chip.
Ahh yes I see what you are saying now re-reading it, well my understanding is this: Due to the way a single CCD has to sample the entire light spectrum with a limited amount of photosites as opposed to sharing the load over 3 channels even though the net result is a minor light loss due to being split the amount of sensitivity applied to each individual channel is greater therefore the sum of the whole system is a camera with greater sensitivity. This is also true to the fact that a single CCD system will often implement a bayer pattern filter to process the image which has some light loss there as well, as less color accuracy due to the need to interpolate more of the data from a single CCD. I did find one case which uses a single CCD which could be more efficient. Once again I believe its more about other hardware used such as the filters, and even type of beam splitters used can all effect the sensitometry of a camera.
“A typical Bayer filter single-chip image sensor absorbs at least two-thirds of the visible light with its filters, while in a three-CCD sensor the filters absorb only stray light and invisible light, and possibly a little more for color tuning, so that the three-chip sensor has better low light capabilities. A single-chip image sensor using CYGM filter is more sensitive than a three-CCD sensor though.”
This is very interesting information I hadn’t heard before. You learn something new every day. I totally agree with you that it is more about the other hardware, most specifically the small front element of the lens, that hurts the low-light performance in this cam. A 37mm diameter just cannot haul in as much light as a 72mm diameter. That’s high school physics (about my level of knowledge).
Thanks for the input.
The HD1000 is a solidly made camera, is not the “retro shoulder mount VHS looking plastic camera� described by critics, is made of high impact ABS plastic. Following the tradition of Sony it has a very appealing look. Any non connoisseur will immediately recognize the HD style by the lens shade and the black color. Since shoulder mount was a definite necessity for my business this proved an excellent choice. The shoulder pad needs to be adjusted to your needs to be able to balance the weight, the camera tends to be a bit front heavy but nothing like the Canon XL2 which made my right arm grow larger than my left. Contrary to opinions I had no problems with the hybrid LCD menus or focusing with the EVF and found it comfortable even in low light. As an amateur event videographer I’m yet to find a perfect camera for low light conditions (within my pocket’s reach) so I was not expecting much and as such I’m always depending on my trusty custom on board light that possesses a 10, 20 and 30 watts bulb. I have no problem convincing anyone for the need of extra lights even stubborn “Bridezzilas� and clergymen. As mentioned before I’ve used the Cannon Xl1s and the Xl2, also the Sony HVR-A1U and the HDR-HC1, although the HD 1000u cannot give you the rich colors of the Canon Xl2, or the manual choices of the A1U, the HD footage when down converted gives you better definition than the XL2 . The definition is exactly the same as the HVR-A1U. The lack of XLR can be remedied by the acquisition of the XLR adapter and a better quality shotgun mike. The main reason I acquired this camera was because the hand held cameras and the front heavy Canon where killing me in long takes where tripods where not feasible. I used the dreaded camera mounts but they were also prohibited in some instances. At no time I got this camera because it “looked� professional, In my part time business I deal with people on a one on one basis and the professionalism is established by the way I conduct myself but, then again the looks of the camera do help. I shot my 1st wedding in 1968 with a Bell and Howell 306, today I still keep the tradition of any amateur: within the limits of my budget, I make any camera work for my needs.
I have to agree with MaxTransfer. This is a low cost but pro-looking videocam.
You really can’t expect much from it.
Just make sure that it can get your job (whatever job it might be) done and that’s it.
Andy
I have to agree with MaxTransfer. This is a low cost but pro-looking videocam.
You really can’t expect much from it.
Just make sure that it can get your job (whatever job it might be) done and that’s it.
Andy
Quote: “can get your job done”
Ha, ha. With this camera, that might be very hard…
Indoor video is near impossible, even with fairly bright lighting.
And then even outdoor, under the optimal lighting condition, the SD video quality
is unusable out of box. Anybody figure out why yet?
Once again, schools and what not stucked with dozens of HD1000, need to hire me
solve that “problem”… he, he, he….
Not sure why anyone would shoot DV on an HDV cam, but I guess everyone has a right to choose their own workflow.
Terms like “near impossible” and “fairly bright” and “unusable” are pretty vague, so it’s hard to figure out what’s going wrong. The HD1000 certainly shouldn’t perform any worse than an old HC3, and that cam has no problems in any of the areas you described.
Mine will be arriving next week and I’ll do some tests alongside my HC3s and FX1 and see how it compares. Until then, it’s probably best to read the manual and make sure you’ve got it set right, or else it’s a bad unit.
guys,…once again i told u… i have it last month (1st hd1000owner in indonesia perhaps ;)… ) and have used it already for 4 wedding project along side with my 2 fx1… i shot wedding events with 3 camera+ 8m jimmyjib… live to lcd projectors..sometimes live feed to dataton (3giant screen).. what i type is what i see.. i’m not some amateurs who don’t know how to set the camera(iris,shutter,gain,wb,etc) and i don’t have eyes problem,not even eyeglass or softlens user… i’m telling u that indoor lowlight for this camera is suck!u will see lots of grain.
never use 1/25 shutter speed coz i always do slow-mo in editing for wedding kiss or ring procession.. but outdoor is not that ‘unusable’.. bring lots of light then it will solve the problem…i’ve used AG-DVC62 shouldermount..cheaper but the video quality is similar to fx1..
now panasonic introduce its cloning in hdv format ag-hmc70 (SD CARD!! 16gb for 130min HDV footage…cheaper..no P2 or SxS) i’m sure it will beat hd1000 down to the ground!
I’m relatively new to HD. I picked up this camera because it is the first I found that fit the bill for me. I needed a *basic* pro camera, not a full-featured pro camera. And the price is right.
I tried it out yesterday and last night. In ordinary ambient diffused daylight, shooting indoors, it performed very well. The images were very clean and noise free.
I shot at night in a room with only a few incandescent lights. Without cranking up the gain, it was quite clean. A modest increase in grain produced a decent image with some noticeable noise.
I will be shooting with lights most of the time, so if this camera is not what one would describe as “stellar” in low light, that doesn’t matter to me. However, my tests show that it will do just fine in modest ambient light.
Now ….. need to find a decent, relatively inexpensive lighting setup ….
> guys,…once again i told u…
You seem to be the only person I can find online that is whining about this camera.
Oh, no, there are a few people whining, but it appears that most of those are trying to get the performance of an $8,000-$10,000 camera for under two grand. As I’ve said all along, all you gotta do is read the specs and look at the price before you buy.
Mine arrived last week and here are my initial observations, cobbled together from various posts I’ve made elsewhere:
It’s light and heavy at the same time, in a good way. Very light for its size, but still a good 50% heavier than my FX1. The bulk is comforting. With the big battery on the back it’s nicely balanced, but we’ll see how I feel after several hours of shooting.
Shoulder pad is, as others have mentioned, unbelievably hard. They couldn’t stick a pad on it?
Also, while it has a huge lens shade, they give it a cheap plastic lens cap and no place to put it while shooting. It just dangles there. At least my old VX2000 had a clip so you could stick it to the hand grip while shooting. For this price they couldn’t give you the “barn-door” lens shade like the FX1? And, no, the FX1 shade doesn’t fit, or I’d order another one. Tomorrow I will go into my local Sony Style store and try the FX7 lens shade. I’m sure it won’t be the same. Perhaps they’ll come out with one.
Auto focus, even in very low light, appears crisp and very fast. I went outside at night with only patio lights fired up and aimed at a wood column. After a moment’s hesitation, the lens snapped into sharp focus, enough to read the grain on the wood. Have no idea how much gain it was adding; will try to run some tape this weekend and see what the actual figures are. It does display full data code on playback if you tell it to.
Annoying: if you even touch the focusing ring, no matter how lightly, a message pops up in the viewfinder telling you it’s on auto-focus and you have to push the manual button to make the ring work. Obviously if you’re in manual already this isn’t an issue. But if you’re shooting auto and using your left hand on the lens to help steady and point, you’ll be touching this ring a lot whether you want to or not.
Don’t plan on holding this thing on your shoulder if you’ve got anything mounted to the bottom of the camera via the tripod screw. A tripod plate or XLR adapter will dig directly into your collarbone and well into the shoulder-rest area.
You can defeat this somewhat by not using the little set-pin on the tripod plate (if it has one) and sliding the mounting plate far forward, so that the pin is not in the locking hole. And you could get a locking shoe adapter and mount the sound box on one of the cold shoes (it has two).
Also, the viewfinder is very….pixel-y. Not at all like the old B&W CRT viewfinders in old cameras. But this is to be expected with very tiny LCDs. Just takes some getting used to.
Interestingly, this isn’t a sliding shoulder rest like we’ve seen in the past. It screws into a pair of discrete mounting holes; to adjust it you must remove it completely and re-position it over a different pair of holes. There are nine holes allowing for five positions if you want to use both screws, or nine, I guess, if you’re okay with using only one. This could prove slightly troublesome if you need to switch shooters quickly.
I’ve also ordered the long camera plate to go with the 503HDV tripod head. Even though the cam is still rather front heavy (as the back appears to be largely empty) the CoG appears to be somewhat rearward of where the tripod mounting screws are; it’s actually slightly aft of the DISPLAY/BATT INFO button. So a longer plate will allow for more adjustment of the cam on the legs.
Another nice thing: Full size I/O jacks so you can use regular cables for everything, covered by proper doors with sort-of real hinges, instead of the little dangly covers from the past.
Oh, and I figured out the lens cap thing, even though it isn’t mentioned anywhere in the literature; the way the leash attaches to the hand-grip, you just pull the other end of the leash and it snugs the cap up against the grip. The leash is still dangling, but at least the cap isn’t banging around while you’re shooting. Still would love a lens hood with the barn doors, but I understand why they don’t have one (yet). On the FX1 and FX7 hoods (neither of which fit), the locking set screw for the hood itself is on the opposite side from the barn-door switch, which means the set-screw bangs into the forward hand grip beside the lens when you try to lock it on. If they can design a hood with both of these pieces on the side by your left hand, it would work.
I just shot some fairly low-light stuff backstage at a musical production. Under the worklights the cam added between 9 and 18dB gain. At 15-18 dB the grain was very noticeable. I think most people would consider this “unusable” for HDV, but if you like that “filmic” grainy look you may think it is fine. Color fidelity was fine.
At 9-12 dB the grain is there but you have to look for it. It is mostly visible in dark mid-tones, not in the blacks.
At 6dB and below it is not noticeable at all. Very clear, crisp HDV images, and very quick and accurate autofocus.
Here the HD1000U is half the price of an FX1, and performs admirably for the price. I have both and I think I’ll need to turn sharpness and color up on the FX1 and down on the HD1000U to get them to match.
Great post, Adam!
-Matt Jeppsen
This camera is semi-useless for videographer-wannabe who are fairly into still photography. You see, most photographers worth any salt, use their left eye to look thru their viewfinder, while the right eye is blocked by the camera body, creating NO distraction to what the left eye is seeing. Their left eye eventually grew into the dominant eye (meaning will be hard for them to be a sniper also).
Now comes this shouldermount camera that demands the guy use his right eye to look thru the viewfinder, he is gonna have a hard time. In fact, years ago, while shooting my very first wedding (for free of course) using a shouldermount DSR-250, standing behind the groom with the camera on my shoulder, as the bride was coming down the aisle, I nearly fainted because I was trying so hard to shut my left (dominant) eye so I can see what is in the viewfinder with my right eye. The viewfinder fogged up with sweat coming down my forehead, could have been a disaster.
So, for those of you getting out of still photography because too many amateurs have flooded that field, this is not the camera for you, or you would have to work very hard to change your dominant eye (not gonna happen).
BTW, anybody solve that SD-mode-look-cr@ppy-lots-of-noise-even-in-bright-daylight problem yet? Or you just shoot in HD only? Suffering in silences? LOL
> most photographers worth any salt, use their left eye to look thru their viewfinder,
> while the right eye is blocked by the camera body,
ROFL!!!
Speak for yourself. I’ve always used my right eye. And the other eye is NOT effectively blocked — it DEPENDS ON THE CAMERA. (My Hasselblad, for example, doesn’t “block” the other eye).
So I guess all those other videographers out there are screwed since they pretty much *all* require viewing through the right eye for the simple, obvious reason that most people are right handed and would prefer the camera on the right shoulder.
~sigh~
And I guess all those other $50,000+ video cameras out there are also “semi-useless” for the same reason you site.
Whatever.
Never heard of the following:
1. Left eye shooting
2. Still cameras that blocked view of the other eye.
3. Shoulder mount cameras that did not have the viwefinder positioned on the left side of the camera.
4. Problems with the HD1000U shooting HD, specially in daytime.
5. Not having any salt.
thanks
MaxTransfer7
Yeah, this is a new one. I’ve never seen a pro video camera, from this one up to the $250,000 F23, that didn’t have the VF set up this way. Although I’ve used some where the VF slid out enough that you actually could use your left eye if you wanted. Never saw anyone do that, though.
While there are plenty of things to get annoyed about with the HD1000U, this isn’t one of them.
And while I haven’t heard of any complaints about the SD DV performance in good light, as alleged above, why would anyone want to shoot that way when you could shoot HDV and either downconvert upon capture (three different ways!) or do it in post?
Sounds to me like someone didn’t read the manual.
> why would anyone want to shoot that way when you could shoot HDV
> and either downconvert upon capture (three different ways!) or do it in post?
Agreed.
I shoot everything in full HD and capture it to my computer in full HD. If I want SD, I downconvert in post. (I could do the downconvert when capturing, of course, but for my needs I want the capture in full HD). I’m pretty sure I would do this with any HD camera, regardless of its ability to shoot in SD.
I’ve been using this camera for a while now. Likes / displikes:
LIKE:
- Light weight
- Quiet
- Price. I simply can’t afford a $5,000+ HD camera right now. When I can, the HD1000U will become my B roll camera.
- Very long recording times with higher capacity batteries (I have 5 of them, now, each capable of around 8 to 10 hrs of shooting)
- MiniDV
- External mic. input and headphone connector
- HDMI output
- the “quasi manual” ring (on the lens)
- playback. I find that the HV20 (which I love) won’t show me the image I just recorded as I do a play + rewind. It always shoots too far back. In the HD1000U, if I choose “PLAY” and then “REWIND,” I see what I shot immediately.
- sufficiently lit environments look just great
DISLIKE:
- Very low light performance. I knew that going into this, and it is hardly a problem since I am shooting either studio or sunlit outdoors.
- Why can’t it do 24p? That would be nice
- The shotgun mic. is okay, but picks up too much sound to the left and right. Picked up a better mic. for that purpose (though I mostly use lavalier microphones).
- I’d like a larger lens (greater light gathering capability).
- I can understand some people’s complaints about SONY cameras that use that “touch screen” thing. I agree that it causes the LCD to get coated with smudges, but I don’t dislike this all that much when I consider how much they packed into those menus.
Overall, I am very happy with it. For low light and when I want a much more “convenient” camera, I use the HV20 (which is mainly my B roll camera). For everything else, I use the HD1000U.
For me, shooting 90% in studio and the rest of the time with lights on location (interviews), this camera fits the bill.
Tom–
My list of likes and dislikes is very similar to yours. I don’t really care about 24p but if the HV20 and 30 can do it, this one should probably do it also.
On our last shoot I had my FX1 plugged into the sound board, so I used my Rode VideoMic with the HD1000u, and got really very nice sound, with a much better low end than the stock mic and better rejection from the sides.
whining?? yes i will add more coz i’ve tried panasonic that ’soon to be launch’ AG-HMC70 HDV cam 3CCD IN SD CARD..16GB could capture more than 2 hours HDV footage on its highest quality! they bring the sample product last week to indonesia… try it have a look on the footage captured even in low light MUCH BETTER!…even the skin tone also marvelous…
THEY present it..COMPARE IT STRAIGHT TO HD1000…side by side.
hehehe then u’ll be whinning with me ;) oh one more whining thing..it price is under 2000USD! order now..it will be in ur studio in may.
dislike:it has NO focus or manual zoom ring..gosh!
like: it has 2 XLR input…that even in any SONY 4000usd DON’T HAVE ;)
bring hd1000 down to the ground! i try to sell my hd1000 next month…anyone?
AVCHD–>future format??NLE final cut pro 6 or EDIUS 4.5 could handle it but needs PC horse power
At a maximum bit rate of 13Mbps, that’s half the data of HDV. I cringe to think what the video will look like.
And the Sony V1, street price about $3000 as of today, has XLR.
B&H has a preliminary price of $2200, so unless my math is wrong that isn’t “under 2000USD!”
Not that there aren’t some very nice features on the Panny, but this is old news.
> And the Sony V1, street price about $3000 as of today, has XLR.
Oh.
Only uhm … **TWICE THE PRICE**
Is anyone paying attention, here?
adam i said “compare both of them side by side” means we have both of them in the presentation room…they show it live! on 40″ panasonic true HD LCD TV n there are 20 production house owner including me watched the comparation of 13mbps vs MPEG-2
n there are NO DIFFERENT AT ALL!except the low light n skin tone of HMC70 is much better.. hope i’m not the one having eyes problems with all the other production house owner ;)
yes 2200usd in ur country perhaps… ;) i say FX1 is 2700usd in indonesia
Tom–
I think we’re all paying attention. I’m not sure what comparison you’re making here.
The allegation was made that no Sony under $4k has XLR, and I was pointing out that this isn’t true. And by the way, this allegation is even stupider when you consider the A1U, which also has XLR and is less than $2K.
I wasn’t comparing the V1 to the HD1000, which is, as you said, roughly half the price of the V1 and probably does a little more than half as much. But simple math says that a $3000 V1 is not **TWICE THE PRICE** of a $2200 Panny.
do u really thing A1U small handycam with single 1/3″ cmos tape based which price is about 2100usd can be compare to HMC-70 3ccd SDCARD (no xpensive P2 or xpresscard) shouldermount less than 2k?
by the way do u realy could buy v1 for 3k? coz i have it for 3500usd in indo..
i have always been a sony minded..my hdvplayer,A and B camera fx1,even my hdv hdr-hc3 handycam..they all sony..but after i used hd1000… i just realize that ’sony is not always right’.
cheers
>>do u really thing A1U small handycam with single 1/3″ cmos tape based which price is about 2100usd can be compare to HMC-70 …
No, of course not. I never said it could. But you were the one who said “it has 2 XLR input…that even in any SONY 4000usd DON’T HAVE”… when I just showed you two HDV Sony cams under $4K that do. And the A1U is $1850 at B&H after rebate… the same place that the V1U is about $3K.
All I’m doing is checking your math and correcting your misstatements.
tx adam.. i know what i missed now… i mean comparing the new panny 2k with its spec n price to any sony product wich has 3ccd,HDV in SDCARD,2XLR,shouldermount… we will end up n find a sony with the price range of… 4k??
…maybe thats what tom is trying to say ;)
If you’re looking for XLR inputs on the HVR-HD1000 (or any other camcorder), then you and your readers may be interested in a new product I developed. It’s a XLR adapter, that includes a low-noise preamp (something that passive-type adapters don’t have). It allows you to reduce the camcorder hiss while recording fine audio detail:
http://www.juicedlink.com
This is a very good camera for the price. The low light performance is not a mayor problem .If you are a “pro” you must have a set of portable lights ( and an assistant )for interior takes. For balanced sound just get and adapter and problem solved.
I have two of these units and and i make them perform very well ,interior ,exterior ,day or night. I think the key is to get creative and work around the camcorder limitations. If your client
wants a cine style wedding or commercial , then you can rent a Cine Alta ,Varicam or may be even move to film (super16).
well good 4 u… we have some ’situation’ here..the wedding planner in indo tends to use 25%dimm light in a very huge ballroom (2000m2) ..good for the eye ,bad for the camera such hd1000…the wed planner NOT allowing us to turn on any 1000w lighting of mine.. so 10 tiny 100w battery light with 10 assistant standing for 25×8m live show on stage??…i will look like a ‘pro’ ;) …but FX1 did a very good job 4 me… (now i know why hd1000 didn’t sell well in indo)
Very good point hartono,i usually have to talk to clients about the
importance of indoors lighting and i agree that some wedding planners are inflexible. When i said portable lights i was refering to a pair of 500w lights that most of the time they agree to let me use for the most important moments. I like to use lights when working indoors regardless of the camcorder or camera being used.
Let me add that the FX1 is and excellent choice for indoor work.
I like to rent most of my equipment but the SONY HD1000U had such a good price that i got two of them knowing their limitations. So far they have performed well. I wish SONY makes the needed upgrades in the future, this camera is a good workhorse.
My regards.
I totally agree with mayate46, the price of the HD 1000 is the #1 factor going for it. And I also understand that anything else we may wish the HD 1000 had (like XLR connectors, more controls, 3CCD, etc) will spell: Mo’ money.
There are some of us that would go with the HD 1000 they way it its and work around its shortcommings or add the necessary equipment. As far as additional lighting during weddings, I had talked to BRIDEZILLAS and just communicate to them the need of additional light and the importance of the end result of what will be the only remembrance of their wedding, I make them compromise between the actual ceremony, the public and the filmming of the wedding and what willl be the only thing they will have for the rest of their life to re-live those moments, I make them think carefully how important is to follow with my requirements so they’ll have the best quality video instead of in their future when they see their wedding video they would feel they should’ve have listened to the videographer because the bride, groom, preacher, family, etc are not clearly seen because of lack of light.
In hands of an experienced videographer the HD 1000 can do almost anything.
thanks
MaxTransfer7
i really hate when the inflexible wedding planner said “why the other videographer can work n produce great footage without that 1000w lamp? why should u turn that light on? is ur camera not good enough?”…i really can not say “hey man its a Sony.. brand new!”
yes it is cheap thats why i don’t expect xlr n lots of other manual…just this darn low light makes it hard to believe that its a sony.
need more reports leave me mail at http://www.glendaledailyplanet.com I very seldom get back to the same place here.
We are looking to use these for video journalism
how good is the infra red?
thanks Ed
i really loved your site and found it to be very friendly and helpfull.
I’ve owned the HVR-HD1000U since April. I wanted a HDV camcorder in addition to the Sony HC3 I already had and wanted a reasonably priced HDV camcorder that had microphone and headphone jacks. I couldn’t afford to spend $1000s on an FX1 or 2 or similar camcorder. The touchscreen menu system on the LCD monitor is similar to my HC3 (and the HC7, etc.) with a few HVR-HD1000U specifics like the control ring to select exposure, focus, zoom and shutter speed. I’ve shot 6 events with the 1000U so far. Based on my first experience with the 1000U, I learned to put focus, zoom, shutter speed and mike level on auto - basically idiot proof the camcorder. I now adjust just the exposure with the ring. It’s got alot of great features going for it, but the physical and ergonomics aspects of the 1000U can be quite overwhelming. This camcorder is heavier than my old VHS camcorder! Try getting up from a crouched position while shooting and you’ll see how difficult it is to gracefully stand up with a decked out 1000U (even without the light and receiver mounted on top) on your shoulder. It’s hard to maintain keep the shot steady while standing up. You’ll be worn out before an hours long reception is over for sure. I prefer mounting the 1000U on a tripod than putting it on my shoulder for hours of use. Putting it bluntly, I’d rather carry my HC3 or similar camcorder for hours over using the 1000U for 30 minutes because of the weight! The 1000U is like a tank compared to the FX1, but alot more affordable. The LCD monitor and viewfinder are located high on the camcorder and I found it difficult to look up at either even if they’re adjusted downward. My concern is neck strain while shooting for awhile with the 1000U. I basically don’t like to look upward while shooting with the camcorder on my shoulder. I can handle shooting through my DCR-VX1000 camcorder’s viewfinder than I can with the LCD monitor or viewfinder of the 1000U. Even if the camcorder is on a Bogan tripod, legs fully extended and the tripod head/camcorder not extended upward, even with me at 6′1″, I had to look up. I need to buy a step stool just to look at the monitor and viewfinder since they’re both high up on the camcorder. I’m used to shooting the first dance with a lighter and smaller camcorder and I can move around the couple alot more gracefully while maintaining a continous shot with my HC3 or VX1000 held out in front of me - not so with the 1000U. It’s like shooting with a huge betacam! I have to look out for the pro and amateur photographers and my right side is blocked by the 1000U’s body. For more comfortable shooting for hours at a reception, I’d have to buy either a special camcorder shoulder mount for the 1000U, a heavy duty monopod. Attaching it to a tripod and carrying all that around would result in the loss of freedom of movement - something I wouldn’t want to hassle with while shooting a reception crowd of dancers. So, for now, my 1000U’s been on a tripod for weddings and the much lighter/less awkward HC3’s been used to shoot receptions. I still need to use my NRG vari-lite with my HC3, but it sure beats adding more weight of that NRG light to the already heavy 1000U!
Hi, I apologise for coming in here. My name is Akin… I am just entering the wedding/events videography industry. I bought the Sony HVR HD 1000E from Dubai with the bag and the NPF 950 batteryy for under 950 poundsin total but here ends the fairy tale.I shoot in HDV and down convert it to DV but i am always dissapointed at the sheer diffrence betwen the crisp and clear playback on the cameras LCD and the stuff downloaded on my computer. The captured result is so grainy, I can almost cry. I know that iI cant expect a downconverted HDV to look like HDV but My JVC handheld that cost just over a hundred pounds while obviously not in the same league produces exactly what I see on the camcorder and it seems to reproduce the colours quite clearly.
Is it my settings or my inexperience pls help. My only booking so far was for £150 , dont want to remain at the range forever. I also use the HVL 1 BP lights as well
watch this trailer http://www.halfwayto.blogspot.com
ignore the internet quality but the true resolution on my hi res copy is awesome, ive bleach bypassed it and added film fx.
That was done on hc1 and a HD1000, virtually the same except the HD1000 is slightly better in low light. For the price no body can complain, no one!
Unless you’ve been Hypnotised into the size thinking because it looks like a 10,000 pound camera it should act like one.
My feature film halfway to heaven’ is being looked at by top dvd distributers
and it really is a good film considering what it was shot on.
Im one customer glad i bought it and PROOF that its not always the hi end camera but the talent behind and infront when making story films.
My shorts can be seen at http://www.shoot50.blogspot.com and were all done on HC1.
I checked out the demo reels. Nice work, James!
Thanks tom
I like the HD1000 its all i could afford. for that price i am pleased, yes i
would have had a z1 if i could have stretched to it but i couldnt.
Yes maybe if i was a millionaire the HD1000 would be a kids toy. But at very little income it was hard for me to even save for this.
LIKES: Nice image outdoors or well lit, side loader (hc1 was bottom load nightmare) HDMI, i even like the simple idea of the lights on the side lighting the words. TAPE, MEMORY or PLAYBACK.
its lovely to see what mode it is in if your directing actors and doing cam.
DISLIKES: the way you can only control 1 manual thing at a time. For speed this is not good. i can live with it. not unless anyone knows another way.
I think the sound on this cam is pretty good as well. i love the look of it. before anyone say’s looks don’t matter. I would agree only the acting industry is full of shallow people.
I call this camera the ‘Hair Comber” because if an actor see’s the hc1 they think what a load of shite. I know its a pretty good cam but they dont see it like that. As soon as i pull out the hd1000 they think TV, BROADCAST cinema or whatever. suddenly their comb comes out and make up and their performance is so much better.
Its crazy what looks can do isnt it?
thanks tom
regards
james
hi akinola,..yes thats what happened to me the first i shot wedding in this ‘NICE’ big camera (some people might say)..i bought it in february…use it for 20 weddings since then.. now i wanna SELL it for 1200USD(+wide lens n bag)!…
from july ’till now i cannot find anyone interested.
here’s the clue :
1.)the LCD is rubbish! so shot everything ‘under’ n u’ll get brighter in PC editing
(actual recording is brighter than the LCD.. so don’t do exposure too much..don’t set the exposure in auto coz the default AE tends too produce so much grain in low light condition)
2.)outdoor and setting studio for film with enough time spending in lighting arrangement is Good (for its price) but for wedding ballroom or lowlight church?? it is run n gun..so be prepared
3.)spend more time for colour correction in editing.
4.)buy a wide lens ;)
cheers..love my FX1..
anyone interested my HD1000?? need cash to buy HVR-MRC1K..add it on my FX1..oohh lovely!
Thamks so much Hartono. vey very helpful. Will tray and apply it on my future engegement.
Just to clarify a few points
by shooting under do you mean under exposed?
Should i just shoot in DV instead of HDV because the downconversion may be the cause of my worries
lastly is there a diffrence between wide angle lens and wide conversion lens because on some sites there’s a hunderd pound diffrence between the two
My editing software is Pinnacle 11 ultimate
Thanks again… Akin
Urgent help needed. This HD1000 is only excepting the onboard mic. very strange. if i plug my beachtek in via mini jack, then senhiesser k6 me66 into the xlr of that it doesnt work. it has some sort of distortion sound. even when set on manual.
I plug the same mic into it via a lead that is xlr one end and mini the other and the same again. i tried both methods on my SONY HC1 and it works fine.
Surely it must be a fault with the camera or a setting i dont know about. But it’s strange because the onboard mic is via the same plug.
If i plug the onboard mic through the beachtek it doesnt work so what the hell is going on here???
james
hi..akin..
yes under exposed
i think it is wide conversion lens..i bought a’non sony’ brand
its about USD60 in my country ;) it just a handycam wide lens.
james:
hahaha…finally some one shout it loud!
same thing here..what i did :
1.)buy more than one mini jack (mono n stereo)different brand..n do trial n error ;) i got it fixed after the 4th mini jack (mono)!
2.)don’t plug it too deep…..plug it 3/4 of its length…n use tape to tighten it…hehe sound stupid huh?but yes it works (why i don’t hear any complaints about it from this camera’s worshippers?)
so once again,…yes it is cheap for its price,isn’t it?
Hi Hartono, is it better to downconvert in camera or to use software and if you do, what software is best?
Don’t know bout downconverting from cam vs software. But I use TMPGEnc to convert avchd> whateva and it simply just rockz! It’s very fast and probably the cleanest conversion utility that I have found. Luv2 hear what the prof’s use tho.
I’ve owned the HVR-HD1000U since April 2008 and I’ve used it for several weddings so far. I’ve attached a Rode microphone along with a passive XLR adapter. Organ music in particular causes the audio to start clipping resulting in unacceptable distortion unlike any camcorder I’ve ever used since my DCR-VX1000. I’ve used consumer camcorders as well, but they don’t clip the audio like the HD1000U even if I set the audio to auto. It’s difficult to adjust the mike audio level for organ music as well as ambient audio throughout the wedding. I’ve noticed clipping with and without music and it’s still hard to monitor. The bottomline: it’s impractical and impossible for me to continually monitor for audio clipping especially when I can’t hear it as it occurs. Once you hear the clipping occur, a great moment will be forever recorded with that noisy distortion. It’s hard to hear especially when recording dancing scenes. If anyone has a solution (a portable compressor or a reasonably priced active XLR switch/filter, how about the one at http://www.juicedlink.com?), please pass along. I don’t plan on using that camcorder for any event until I get the audio clipping problem resolved. I now have a Canon HV-30, but with its pros far outweigh its cons. The HV-30 is a consumer camcorder and produces better video AND audio compared to the big and bulky and more expensive HVR-HD1000U (which costs about 3 times as much as the HV-30). I consider the HV-30 to be a far better camcorder for weddings than the HD1000U. By the way, I’m considering buying 2 more HV-30 camcorders. I bought the HD1000U for its headset and mic jacks and the ability to monitor audio levels, but the HV-30 has those features too. As for distorted organ audio from the HD1000U, I’ll have to substitute the same organ audio from my Sony HC-3 (it has no mic or headset jacks) or recently purchased HV-30. I used the HD1000U for part of one reception, but unfortunately I don’t have HC-3 or HV-30 audio from those two camcorders.