OT: Sony's HC1 for feature???

p@mast3rs wrote on 9/4/2005, 5:58 AM

Is it feasible or should I be looking more towards the FX1/Z1? Cost is an obvious issue but is there that big of a deal between the FX1 and the HC1? I know Spot wrote a review not too long ago but I am unable to locate it currently.

I am not so much worried about the smaller cam and its appearence with regards to looking "professional" but what exactly do I lose by not going with the FX1? Will be able to use an XLR adapter with the HC1?

Id love to find a good used FX1 but it seems Sony has made a quality product and no one wants to sell theirs.

Thanks.

Comments

Paul_Holmes wrote on 9/4/2005, 7:51 AM

camcorder info announcement and details

Spot|DSE wrote on 9/4/2005, 8:55 AM

you lose manual control of aperture, which might be a big deal, it might not. If your lighting is fairly consistent all the way through, then it should be OK. Otherwise, if you have shifting light, you'll absolutely always want to have a good means of measuring every shot, ie; DVRack with HDV plug, or something like that. You lose a few other things too, but the EIS and CMOS of the HC1 will go a long ways to helping compensate for the missing features.
Were it me, I'd spend for the A1, just for the blackstretch, CF modes, and much better audio capability.

p@mast3rs wrote on 9/4/2005, 9:03 AM

But the A1 isnt due for release anytime soon is it? Plus I havent seen the cost of that.

JohnnyRoy wrote on 9/4/2005, 9:06 AM

> Is it feasible or should I be looking more towards the FX1/Z1?

Anything is feasible. It depends on what you will use it for. The bottom line is always, what features do you need and does the camera have them?

> Cost is an obvious issue but is there that big of a deal between the FX1 and the HC1?

You can read the comparison table for yourself. Only you can decide what’s important to you.

> what exactly do I lose by not going with the FX1?

From what I’ve read at CamcorderInfo.com you don’t have the manual control with the HC1 that the FX1 will give you. HC1 has EIS vs FX1 OIS. You don’t get as good low light performance. That fact that the HC1 has a bottom loading tape was a non-starter for me. (yes you can get a bracket to offset the mount but there is something about buying a new camera and having to implement workarounds to use it that bothers me). You might not like the touchscreen interface on the HC1. It doesn’t have any assignable buttons like the FX1.

Look at it this way, for $3700 street price (FX1) vs $1700 street price (HC1) I’d say there is a $2000 difference in there somewhere. Will it affect you? Again, it depends on how you’re planning to use the camera.

> Will be able to use an XLR adapter with the HC1?

Not natively but then the FX1 doesn’t have this either. Just buy a Beachtek device and you’re all set. I wouldn’t make this a buying criteria. This one is easily fixed.

> Id love to find a good used FX1 but it seems Sony has made a quality product and no one wants to sell theirs.

If you need HDV and are on a budget, the HC1 is a nice little camera that may get you by until you make enough money with it to afford an FX1 or Z1. DON’T sit there and say, I can’t start until I have this or that. Start with whatever you can and then expand and grow from there. You can always sell the HC1 later and make the next guy happy (by then there may be used FX1’s from owners who have stepped up to the Z1).

~jr