I'm looking to upgrade my 2 yr old HC90 SD miniDV with a HD model. From all I've read it seems tapes are a good way to go -- archive them for now until Mac HD DVD drives become affordable. There are 3 Sonys in that category with a few closeouts left online. I want something small (the HC90 is tiny) but the best low light performance possible (I've read some "new" models have more low light noise). Everything I shoot will be in 16:9 and HD. Other than backlight, nightshot, and a few AE settings I don't use many features. I wouldn't use an ext mic or light, wouldn't use manual focus, etc. Which is the best for me? Thanks for your help.

Well, to begin with, you won't want to be waiting for any version of HD DVD -- you'll be waiting a long time, as the format is now officially dead. What you'll need is Blu-Ray if you want a HighDef disc format.

But that aside, your best bet right now is the HC7 if you want a Sony. It's been replaced by the HC9, which doesn't have any more features, really, so you are likely to find HC7s for a good price.

Another cam you might consider is the Canon HV20, which has also been supplanted by a newer model, and there are some great deals available.

If it were me I'd get the HC7.

I'm not stuck to Sony. In the past they offered the best rounded camera -- better low light than Canon, better IS than Panny, better IQ than JVC. However, it looks like Canon may have solved the low light issues with 24/30p. You think the Canon is a better option now or the HC7? Also, what about the HC3 or 5? You can find pretty good deals online in the closeout departments. Thanks.

corp miler:

If you haven't, you might read: "CamInfo Selects 2007"
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/conten...-2007-33545.htm

and "The Great HD Shoot-Out - Canon HV20, Sony HDR-HC7, Panasonic HDC-SD1, JVC GZ-HD7 - HD Camcorders"
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/conten...-JVC-GZ-HD7.htm



Rich

__________________
FireWire Survey

If low-light is important, I've read that the HV20 does this a bit better than the HC7, and the price is lower. But some people complain about the build quality of the Canon vs. the Sony.

Only the new HV30 does 30p, but be sure you like how this mode looks before you commit to buying a cam because of it.

I have a couple of HC3s I use as backup cams and as playback/capture decks and they're great, but not so much in low-light. We're doing a four-cam shoot right now of a theatrical production and they really struggle and add huge amount's of gain when the lights are dim, even though our FX1 breezes right through these situations without a hiccup.

The 3 and 5 lack some features of the 7 and 9, but if the added features aren't important to you, then hey, go for the best deal. I'm sure they have details about the features elsewhere on this site or at B&H. Off the top of my head I think the 7 and 9 benefit from a larger chip; mic and headphone jacks; OIS vs EIS and maybe a couple other things. The 5 was actually a downgrade from the 3 so if you can find the HC3 at a good price then that may be the most cost-effective buy.

I happen to be a Sony-type guy. Nearly everything in my house has SONY on the front, including my kids. Having spent about 25 years in and around the Network and Cable TV Production business, I saw enough Sony stuff to be a little biased in their favor. But you can't go wrong with the Canon either.

Take a look at all the other threads on the HC3 page. Lots of people have already asked and answered all these questions...

His HC90 does 30p too. I think that the HC90/HC96 camera is as good as it gets in consumer department, it has a rather large 1/3-inch sensor, has 30p mode, and the shutter can be manually locked at 1/30. I wish I bought this one instead of the Elura 100.

30p mode looks good, some shows and concerts are shot with 30p, it has similar cinematic flavor to slower 24p, but much easier to edit, because pulldown does not have to be removed. Just load to 29.97 fps timeline and set "progressive source" in the project properties. Clean framegrabs too.

The trouble with 30p that many (most?) TV sets and DVD players on American market do not recognize 2:2 cadence of 30p, so they lose resolution. My Panasonic plasma recognizes 2:3 pulldown, but does not recognize 2:2, same with my OPPO 970 DVD player, same with my Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player. I am thinking of getting a player that can properly work with 2:2 pulldown.

I believe that 30p will be supported better in the future. If the footage is not intended for PAL conversion, I think that 30p is definitely better (as in: simpler to work with) than 24p.

---
Michael, Canon Elura User Information

He's looking for HDV, as the thread title indicates. Of the choices under discussion -- the four Sony HCs and the two Canon HVs -- only the HV30 does 30p.