Canon HV30 question...

jmpatrick wrote on 6/10/2008, 10:52 AM
I've narrowed my camera choices down to two: The Sony HC-9 and the canon HV30. The Canon looks to be the PQ winner, but I'm concerned about two issues. First is noisy audio. Some claim the HV30 has a noisy transport and footage shot with the on-board mic will be problematic. Second is the HV30's flimsy build. I handled the camera for a few minutes last weekend and agree it wasn't as solid as my Panasonic GS120, or my old Sony 8mm. Maybe somone can ease my concerns on these two points.

The Sony looks like it could take a bit more of a beating, and I haven't heard anything that scared me other than that it didn't handle low light as well as the Canon. The only Sony I ever had lasted over 10 years, so they seem to hold up well.

I'm using the camera primarily for shooting footage of the family, and maybe a little corporate video work.

jp

Comments

nolonemo wrote on 6/10/2008, 11:19 AM
I have the HV30. The build quality is not an issue for me. The audio is definitely a problem, after coming from a Sony TRV-18 where motor noise was virtually undetectable. If you are sensitive to motor whine, the HV30 will drive you crazy. My experience with omnidirectional external mics is that they have to be at least 10" off camera before they stop picking up motor noise. I taped an acappella choir with an AT-822 mounted on-camera with a shock mount, and the audio was unusable even in moderately loud passages (fortunately I also was recording to a Zoom H2 near the statge). Directional mics fare better, as long as the mic capsules are forward of the camera body. Check out the forums at HV20.com, motor noise has been dicussed at length, and there are lots of sound samples of motor noise with various mics and setups.

Having said all that, if you just use the internal mics (which have reduced high end sensitivity which tends to cut the perception of the motor noise) and are not too picky about the audio, in most situations where there is any background noise, the motor noise is not super intrusive.
Terje wrote on 6/10/2008, 11:19 AM
Was there a question in there? If you wonder which, I like the Canon a lot, but then again, the HC-9 is supposed to be good too. I don't think you'll go wrong with either. Never had a problem with my Canon being "flimsy" though, I feared it when I got it, but it has done very well.
CClub wrote on 6/10/2008, 4:47 PM
It's funny... everytime the HV20 or 30 is talked about on this forum or others, the "flimsy" issue comes up. I've said it myself: I have an HV20 and it feels like that plastic microscope you got for Christmas when your friend got the shiny metal one. The Sonys just feel like solid gadgets. But I've done a lot of things with my HV20 and never had a problem yet. I won't be basing my next decision between Canon vs Sony on the feel but on the features, as they both deliver very nice footage.
jmpatrick wrote on 6/10/2008, 7:23 PM
How's the camera noise on your HV20?
Sebaz wrote on 6/10/2008, 7:47 PM
I advice you to go with an AVCHD camera. Sure, HDV might be currently the best format when it comes to editing, but that will change soon, and keep in mind that with HDV you are restricted to 63 minutes of tape, so if something happens while you're replacing the tape you lost it. On AVCHD currently you can shoot a non-stop 2 hours and 11 minutes of video at the highest quality.
Then there's the issue of tape noise. I had a Sony HC7 and a Canon HV20, both were returned and motor noise was one of them. As long as you have tape, you have motor noise. I had it with the Sony and with the Canon. With AVCHD I don't have any annoying noise at all, just the ambient noise. So when I go to enjoy nature and then watch the footage, I don't have to hear a seriously annoying whining noise.
Terje wrote on 6/10/2008, 9:29 PM
My issue with non-tape cameras is similar to Sebaz' issue with tape camcorders. Which is funny. I travel a lot, some times for long periods of time, I can not dump my footage to HD at regular intervals. What do you do if you discover, at the hotel, half an hour before the trip to the Great Wall of China, that you are running out of storage?

With tape I pop down to the reception and get another one. I always have spare ones with me, and even if I don't, every drug store from here to Kuala Lumpur, inclusive, have tapes. They don't have hard drives and memory cards.

As for tape noise, I am not quite sure how that is an issue for people. If you use the on-board microphone you obviously don't care much about sound, so what is the issue? Get a decent off-camcorder microphone, they are not that expensive.
Serena wrote on 6/10/2008, 11:28 PM
>>>with HDV you are restricted to 63 minutes of tape, so if something happens while you're replacing the tape you lost it. On AVCHD currently you can shoot a non-stop 2 hours and 11 minutes of video at the highest quality.<<<

Something is just as likely to happen during the deadtime no matter what media you use. Except for systems that actually do allow continuous shooting.