The Great HD Shoot-Out - Canon HV20, Sony HDR-HC7, Panasonic HDC-SD1, JVC GZ-HD7by David Kender and John NeelyPublished on Apr 30, 2007 6:00 AM 
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Conclusion
Each one of these camcorders has some truly stellar attributes, and some real drawbacks. The question is, which of these very different devices has the best overall combination of performance, features, handling, and value? At Camcorderinfo.com, we place a premium on performance (color, resolution, low light, etc.) and manual controls (aperture, shutter speed, focus, etc.) because those are the heaviest factors that impact how good your video looks. Handling, extra features, value, format, compression, and many other factors weigh into the equation as well, but we begin by assessing what kind of image a camcorder is capable of capturing, and how effectively it allows you to control that image.
WINNER: Canon HV20
Viewed through our performance and control-oriented lens, we believe there is a clear winner – and it is the Canon HV20. It shares an advantage over the Panasonic HDC-SD1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) and JVC GZ-HD7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1529) because it uses tried and true HDV MPEG-2 compression, and our tests show that HDV remains the best consumer HD format. Both the Canon and Sony HDR-HC7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1128.56) – the other HDV camcorder in this shootout – scored higher than the others in our video performance tests. In the lab, the Canon and Sony raced to a virtual dead heat, both displaying sharper images with less noise than the Panasonic and JVC.
Yet the Canon’s picture struck us as decidedly sharper than even the HC7 in the field – a finding that was contradicted only by our resolution chart reading, where the Sony had a negligible edge. (This lends credence to our hunch that sometimes camcorders are engineered for optimal testing, and not necessarily best picture quality.) The crispness of the HV20’s image was most notable in close-up shots of our model, where we could literally count every hair on our model's face. The Sony was visibly less crisp (though still quite sharp), followed by the Panasonic. The JVC GZ-HD7 trailed the pack, with the lowest tested video resolution, and the softest images of the field. The Canon also turned in a stellar low light score, thanks to a 24p mode that more than doubles the light gathering ability of its imager. In low light, it beat out the others in the same order as above. The 24p capability in and of itself is a great extra feature on the HV20, yet another reason to consider it.
Manual control effectiveness is another important consideration. The number of settings and the range of options are important, and in this respect, the Sony HC7 comes out on top. Equally if not more important is the ease with which the manual controls can be used – and since we’re talking HD video, good manual focus is vital. It’s well known that HD is more difficult to focus accurately than SD video, and to remedy this situation, three of the four camcorders in this shootout offer a focus assist option. Sony’s HC7 does not, even though two of last year’s best camcorders, the Sony HDR-SR1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) and HDR-UX1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $729.95) both included an excellent assist option called Expanded Focus. Panasonic’s SD1 has an assist that is good, but not good enough to compensate for the weakness of the joystick as a focus tool. Only Canon and JVC get the focus interface/focus assist equation right, and the HD7 gets extra points for its terrific focus ring and highly effective peaking function.
Yet the Canon’s picture struck us as decidedly sharper than even the HC7 in the field – a finding that was contradicted only by our resolution chart reading, where the Sony had a negligible edge. (This lends credence to our hunch that sometimes camcorders are engineered for optimal testing, and not necessarily best picture quality.) The crispness of the HV20’s image was most notable in close-up shots of our model, where we could literally count every hair on our model's face. The Sony was visibly less crisp (though still quite sharp), followed by the Panasonic. The JVC GZ-HD7 trailed the pack, with the lowest tested video resolution, and the softest images of the field. The Canon also turned in a stellar low light score, thanks to a 24p mode that more than doubles the light gathering ability of its imager. In low light, it beat out the others in the same order as above. The 24p capability in and of itself is a great extra feature on the HV20, yet another reason to consider it.
Manual control effectiveness is another important consideration. The number of settings and the range of options are important, and in this respect, the Sony HC7 comes out on top. Equally if not more important is the ease with which the manual controls can be used – and since we’re talking HD video, good manual focus is vital. It’s well known that HD is more difficult to focus accurately than SD video, and to remedy this situation, three of the four camcorders in this shootout offer a focus assist option. Sony’s HC7 does not, even though two of last year’s best camcorders, the Sony HDR-SR1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) and HDR-UX1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $729.95) both included an excellent assist option called Expanded Focus. Panasonic’s SD1 has an assist that is good, but not good enough to compensate for the weakness of the joystick as a focus tool. Only Canon and JVC get the focus interface/focus assist equation right, and the HD7 gets extra points for its terrific focus ring and highly effective peaking function.
The Final Breakdown
The Sony HDR-HC7 ($1399 MSRP) is an excellent camcorder, and it is the most feature-packed camcorder of these four. However, the absence of a focus assist feature is a real liability – and perhaps a fatal one – in situations where the auto focus is not performing adequately. In addition, while we love the concept behind the Cam Control multifunction dial, it represents a major step backwards from the SR1 and UX1, which had easier to use Cam Control rings. By omitting these two features seen on two recent HD models, Sony forfeited a victory, or at least a tie with the HV20 in this shootout.
The Panasonic HDC-SD1 ($1299 MSRP) is a great camcorder, but its selective feature set makes it a specialized device. For close quarters shooting, situations that demand silent operation, or a rock-solid OIS, the SD1 is the clear choice. It’s not as versatile as the other camcorders, however, with a bare-bones still capability, no headphone jack, and no accessory shoe. It’s also a camcorder that records AVCHD video, and that compression method has yet to pose a serious challenge to HDV in terms of quality and editability.
The JVC GZ-HD7 ($1699 MSRP) has some great qualities, especially when it comes to handling. Because its chassis has much in common with prosumer camcorders – a focus ring, dedicated buttons for image control – it was a pleasure to handle. The lack of a headphone jack or any means of monitoring and adjusting audio levels, however, is an unfortunate omission that we think was a big mistake. The biggest disappointment with the HD7, however, was video performance. In the grand scheme of things, it produces good looking video, but under scrutiny it just doesn’t stand up to the quality of HDV video. Low light was disappointing, but it was the relatively low resolution in both our lab tests and in the field shoot was especially notable.
The Canon HV20 ($1099 MSRP) has some big deficiencies, including its cheap-feeling construction and an awful zoom lever, but for under $1100 the HV20 delivers amazing performance and bang for the buck. We’d love to see a camcorder that really brings it all together: the handling of the HD7, the functionality of the HC7, the OIS and compactness of the SD1, and the performance of the HV20. Until that happens, smart buyers would be advised to consider the strengths and weaknesses of all of these camcorders, and choose the one that is the best overall match for their shooting style and goals.