Ivan, I am surprised you have this question. The answer is not the one Ritsmer gave you. All AVCHD files at the same bitrate from the same manufacturer are usually the same and have the same performance. The problem is that the SX1 does NOT record in AVCHD. it records in plain h.264/AAC in the MOV container. That's the real problem for its uber-slowness on Vegas. All .mov and .mp4 files are very slow on Vegas. Real AVCHD files are in .mts or .m2ts containers and their internal structure is different than MOV and the generic h.264 format.

As for the GH1, please give me a URL of an .mts AVCHD file from it, and I will test it for you. But if the GH1 also records in just MOV, well, bad luck, you will still need to use proxy files. Vegas *is* optimized for true AVCHD, so if you just want a fast preview, just buy a real AVCHD camera. I have read your comments here over the last few months, and your personal emails to me, and you seem to only care to find a digicam with acceptable HD video. Unfortunately, as I told you many times, these digicams usually record in very slow to edit formats (except Panasonic's MJPEG), and they have zero controls on them.

Bottom line: get a real camcorder if you want results. Don't bother with digicams for at least 2-3 more years. And send an email feature request to Sony to optimize for MOV/MP4 editing. And unless you have 3,000 Euros to buy the Canon 5D Mark-II, which is rumored to get some manual controls with an upcoming firmware upgrade, any other digicam will be subpar in terms of video control, frame rates, and formats. And even the 5D will still require proxy editing.

On a more realistic suggestion, just buy the Canon HF-S100 or the HV30 or the HF200. Amazing image quality when the lighting conditions are good, and it can be used as a pretty good digicam too. So instead of trying to get a digicam with video all these months, invest in a camcorder with good camera capabilities.

Thank you for your kind advice, Eugenia.

You are right about the Canon SX1: its raw video files are mov files, and they are dreadful to edit on VMS9.
The Panasonic Gh1's raw video files are mts files, and Vegas' playback is 30fps, even in best (full) setting.
I tested both myself, on VMS9 Trial.

The dedicated camcorders you suggest are excellent, but they don't offer shallow depth of field out of the box. Add an adapter to the hv30 + lens, and you pay the price of a GH1, about $1499, but the Gh1 still has a much larger sensor than any other dedicated camcorder, which makes it much better in low light conditions, right?
So here am I, right now: dying to buy the GH1, but my budget doesn't allow it. Perhaps I'll wait until the competition (Canon, Nikon, Olympus) releases similar SLRs, which will play the market and make prices go down...

Raw GH1 files (MTS) can be downloaded here: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=170076

As I wrote in my recent blog post about HV20/30's imaging capabilities http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2009/04/05/still-pictures-with-the-hv2030/ , the aperture of these camcorders is bigger than any digicam. Especially the new crop of digicams that have sensors smaller than 1/2.2", like the SX1. Even my Panasonic FX150 which has a bigger sensor at 1/1.72", doesn't have any shallow depth of field because the lens it uses is small and very slow. To get a real shallow DoF you need a GH1, a 5D-MII, or a D90. These cost about $2000 with a lens, or more. And you STILL don't get any manual controls, which trust me, you need.

The HF-S100 has a 1/2.6" sensor (HV30 has a 1/2.7" which is as good), wide enough aperture for very nice still pictures as it has a faster lens than most of the point and shoot digicams, and it can produce a lot of shallow DoF when zoomed in at around 75%.

My last word on the subject is that a good camcorder is a much better possibility for video, especially when it takes good pictures too. Cheaper too.

1) The GH1's adviced price is $1499 (kit lens included) and it does have manual control in video mode.
2) I've been reading a lot about this lately and from what I've learned, a 1/2.6" sensor cannot compare with the GH1's Four Thirds sensor, not for video, and not for stills.
3) With the Hv30/20, shallow field of depth can only be accomplished by zooming in (almost) to the maximum, which is not very practicle when indoors, and even dangerous outdoors when little children are involved.

The problem I have with the GH1, as I linked to you to my email 12 days ago, is that it only records in 17 mbps. That's not enough for full 1080p in my opinion. You get some very good image quality out of the camera, just to cripple it with low bitrate.

From noted videographer Philip Bloom himself: "[I am ] not getting any noise with the gh1 but certainly getting compression artifacts…it is only 17mbps".
http://philipbloom.co.uk/2009/04/30/panasonic-lumix-gh1-first-impressions-and-first-footage/

If Panasonic pushes the GH1 to 24 mbps, and adds full manual controls (rather than switchable-only aperture/shutter control), then we are talking. Until then, it's good, but not good enough for me.

Besides, do you really need shallow DoF for your family videos? I understand if you want to do art, but if you just want to capture family moments, shallow DoF is pretty overrated. Especially with fast moving children, it will be difficult to focus without a focus addon gadget.

Perhaps I should consider buying an entry level DSLR like the Olympus E-420 first (which can be had for less than €400) and get some first-hand experience with shooting portraits with blurry background. It never occurred to me it would be difficult...

Still pictures are not overly difficult with a DSLR. But video, is. When the subject is moving constantly, keeping focus is very hard to keep. That's why professionals have to use "focus pull" gadgets to keep focus, in addition to just having focus rings.

For example, watch this GH1 video here: http://vimeo.com/4405518 and go exactly at 1':48", and view the focus pulling addon these guys are selling for the Canon 5D-MII. If you want to not getting in and out of focus all the time while children are running around, you would need something like that, with any big-sensor camera.

And these addons are super-expensive, more so than the camera itself. The only good thing here is that the GH1 has many times smaller sensor than the 5D (and much less shallow DoF too), so focusing will be easier, but not trouble-free.

With 35mm adapters on consumer camcorders the situation is much worse than the 5D for example. Think that your in-focus space is only about a few centimeters. Try keeping focus of a few centimeters with people moving all the time and with autofocus OFF (because it has to be OFF when using adapters). Almost impossible! Why do you think my own HV20 35mm adapter is in the closet for months?

On the bitrate front, the 5D-MII uses 38 mbps for its 1080p video btw, quality is outstanding, but without good frame rates and manual controls, it's as useless as the GH1 for my own needs. Which is why I said here to wait a few years before moving to that DSLR video realm.

So what is your opinion on the autofocus of the kit lens that comes with the GH1? Panasonic advertises it a small wonder that should allow making focused video. I thought the relative high price was caused by the lens, not? Should we perhaps wait until some real reviews come out? Philip Bloom is perhaps not objective, and I thought he wrote he used a prototype of the kit lens, which may work better than the kit lens itself, not?

Personally, I wouldn't expect wonders.