JVC is coming on strong w/their new HDV solution, called "Pro HD" which is a little weird, but it's a good teaser they've got on their website for those curious... http://www.jvc-victor.co.jp/english/pro/proHD.html
It's still only 720p, but it looks to be a very nice cam.
Yes, it would be interesting to see an interchangeable lens on an HDV cam. Haven't found if it's supposed to have a higher bandwidth though. About 720p, I read in a DV Magazine article that 720p was designed to have the same perceived resolution as 1035i. This was before 1080i was really out there. For this reason they concluded that the resolution difference b/t the 720p and 1080i was insignificant. Do you agree or disagree with their assessment?
Well it better have higher CCDs than the last one. There was no reason for them not to use 3 CCD chips especially for the cost they were charging out of the gate.
I sure am curious - it looks real front heavy, after using the Z1 one of my favorite things about it was it's weight and form factor - it just feels good in your hands. Also, I have always had bad luck with JVC quality - but a nice piece of glass on an HDV camera sure sounds intriguing.
I hope JVC has a cool cam on their hands but it's gonna be tough to beat the Sony's.
There an interesting article by Canons lens designers that delves into this a little as well as explaining MTF and how to measure it. They do make much the same observation, that for a given lens shooting 720 may look sharper than 1080. It's all to do with how the lens / prism / CCD systems interacts.
Bear in mind that a lens capable of 1400 line resolution over its range of focal lengths and apertures is a very expensive piece of glass. In fact reading the article I can see why most of the guys shooting 35mm don't use zoom lenses.