Can I download any samples of this camcorder from somewhere yet?

Also I've head this is not a professional or prosumer camcorder, but can it perform like one?

Please see www.sonyhdvinfo.com (sister site of CamcorderInfo)

I have just 3 video clips made on the HC1 up yet... more to follow.

The HC1 is definatlely consumer oriented.... not targeted to pros or indie filmmakers. But being High Definition, it is indeed very good in quality! The "feature set" and "operation" is more consumer friendly than say the FX1 HDV camcorder.

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Sony HDV camcorder info (FX1, CX7, HC3 HC5, SR1/3/5/10, SR11, SR12, TG1, UX1, Z1) -> http://www.SonyHDVinfo.com

I'm just wondering (as an indie filmmaker) if this camcorder would be appropriate.

.edit.............

The Z1 would be more suited, with it's ability to do 1080/50i (easy to convert to 25p-like and slow down to "film 24p". The FX1 and Z1 are much larger, and have full manual controls.

The HC1 (and soon to be released "pro" version, the A1) are more "automatic but with some limited manual controls available". Still good, and HighDefinition, but the HC1 has a feature set more for consumers than Filmmakers in my opinion. Yet, at around half the price of the FX1, it could let budding indies start! (or make a "cheap" HDV deck or be a good 2nd cam in a HD shoot, etc.)

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Sony HDV camcorder info (FX1, CX7, HC3 HC5, SR1/3/5/10, SR11, SR12, TG1, UX1, Z1) -> http://www.SonyHDVinfo.com

I took a look at those HC1 clips. And what I noticed seemed to me that the interlace fields are huge. For example when a flash went off at the fire works show from a camera the flash would show up in only one (half)frame right... well thats interlace, but it looked like it didnt show up in every other scan line, it looked more like it showed up in maybe 50 consecutive scan lines, then not in 50 below it, then it was visable in 50 more below that. (50 is just an arbitrary number, I didnt count)
Am I the only one seeing this?
Or maybe its just some kinda wierd vertical lens flare... whatever it is, it doesnt look good.

Were you viewing on a (progressively scanned) computer display? Don't use WindowsMediaPlayer but VLC or something to de-interlace the output. These look best on a 1080i native HDTV (my clips are raw off the camcorder, not processed nor edited nor deinterlaced, etc.)

Few people have component output at 1080i from their computer (yet).

I found no problems viewing (on a good HDTV) when I used a high shutter speed and had motion in the video and paused the playback. I know it was interlaced, but it sure looked good and solid.

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Sony HDV camcorder info (FX1, CX7, HC3 HC5, SR1/3/5/10, SR11, SR12, TG1, UX1, Z1) -> http://www.SonyHDVinfo.com