OT: this camera any good? Sony HVR-HD1000U

TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/7/2008, 10:07 AM
I need a new camera, mine was destroyed in a fire. It was a $450-ish mini-DV camera. Worked for what I used it for but I was thinking of getting a "nicer" one. Was thinking of a HDR-FX7 or something along that. But then I was on BH today & found this. More detailed specs.

It just seems to good to be true. Kinda like someone walking up to you & giving you a sack of $$.

Comments

farss wrote on 1/7/2008, 1:24 PM
It's the HC7 in a big empty box.

Bob.
Cliff Etzel wrote on 1/7/2008, 1:56 PM
Bob said: It's the HC7 in a big empty box.

ROFLMAO :-D

Cliff Etzel - Solo Video Journalist
bluprojekt
farss wrote on 1/7/2008, 2:06 PM
It does seem to have the potential for some interesting case mods.

Practical:
Tape storage, spare batteries, I was going to suggest audio gear like cables but no XLR inputs so forget that. Hang on, you could fit a whole mixer in there!

Impractical:
Clear side panels with lights.
A fish tank, sort of like the iPond but more humane.

Bob.
TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/7/2008, 8:47 PM
the ring can be used to do manual focus, zoom, etc.

is there an attachment for the HC7 that allows that?
Spot|DSE wrote on 1/7/2008, 9:12 PM
No. But Bob is correct, it's *mostly* an HC7 in a box with a few technical and physical improvements.
Made predominantly for the event market, it's inexpensive and takes nice pictures. It's a decent camera in its class. How many of us own HC series camcorders that wish they were bigger for better stability?
TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/7/2008, 9:17 PM
that's why I was looking for a shoulder cam. Love those things. Used a shoulder Panasonic DVCPro camera a few years ago. The only thing I hated about it was the b/w view finder. Had a hard time knowing the brightness was off. :)

But the fact it's a shoulder cam, HDV & & not above $2000+ is really attractive.
farss wrote on 1/7/2008, 10:02 PM
I should admit we're buying two of them!
But realistically for the event people the S270 would seem like the camera that'll meet their needs. Sure it's going to cost a fair bit more but it'll mean we can finally retire our 250s which have been a great camera for the wedding guys shooting on a budget. To get the most out of a shoulder mount camera it has to have mass, it has to have controls on buttons not a touch screen and the buttons have to be in the right places.
Also it needs mounting points for lights etc. It needs to record more than 60mins/tape and use a beefy battery that can run the camera and a decent light for over one hour. All this stuff does cost money and to justify the spend it needs to work regularly.

If that's outside your business plan then my approach would be to buy whatever of the small cameras meets your needs and buy one of the zillion shoulder mount gizmos. If need be pimp the rig up like Grazie has done. You get a rig that suits your ergonomics and if you need to strip it down you can. You get the best of both worlds.
Regardless before buying the 1000 I'd really suggest trying it on your shoulder. I have a feeling it's going to be nothing like what a big shoulder mount camera handles like.

Bob.
stopint wrote on 1/8/2008, 2:21 PM
it's nice to see sony give you a rebate form to get a copy of vegas pro 8 if you get this camera...i think rebate is good till march...
riredale wrote on 1/8/2008, 5:12 PM
Sony should bring out a version of this camera with a turret on the front with three fixed-focal-length lenses. That'll look even more retro.
TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/8/2008, 8:15 PM
But realistically for the event people the S270 would seem like the camera that'll meet their needs. Sure it's going to cost a fair bit more but it'll mean we can finally retire our 250s which have been a great camera for the wedding guys shooting on a budget

I don't do much wedding. More like theature/ballets. That's why I want the focus/zoom rings, to get quick zooms & adjust focus on difference distance. Auto focus is a real pain & manual is also a pain when I have to go through a menu. I'm sure you know that. :D

What type of camera would you recommend for that ~$2k? that's the bind I'm in. I can't find older model cameras for less.
Laurence wrote on 1/8/2008, 11:14 PM
Yeah the HVR-HD1000 is an easy camera to put down, but remember that an HC7 is a pretty amazing camera that blows away even the best SD cameras that we all used a couple of years ago by a pretty wide margin. Having the current consumer quality in a shoulder mount package that is easy to hold steady, has a shotgun mic, and looks professional is not that bad IMHO. My guess is that if you got one you'd be pretty pleased with the footage you'd get, and that the theater folk you are working with would be pretty impressed as well.

The thing I'd miss most is the XLR audio inputs.
stopint wrote on 1/11/2008, 6:34 AM
actually you get vegas pro 8 if you buy both the hd1000u and either the hvr-dr60 external hard disk or a certain monitor...not just the hd1000u
dreamlx wrote on 2/20/2008, 9:59 PM
Yesterday I could play a bit with a HVR-HD1000 (unfortunately only 30 minutes), and here are my personal thoughts:

Advantages:

Shoulder cam
Image quality similiar to the FX1 in good lighting conditions

Disadvantages:

More noise than the FX1 in dark areas
No internal ND Filters
Most functions only available through touchscreen
No XLR inputs

As we are shooting many weddings I tried to find out if this camera would be good for us. So I tried to think about one simple scenario:

I am in a church, then go to outside. With my FX1 I generally do the following: Change my white balance preset and switch to ND1 or ND2. These manipulations take me about 3 seconds. Now with the HD1000 I have to first go through the touch screen menu for changing the white balance. Afterwards I have to find my ND filter and screw it on. At this step, I have the risk of touching the ND filters surface because I am in hurry. All these manipulations would need at least 30 seconds, where I could miss important things. So I would say, that for shooting weddings, the HD1000 would not be my camcorder of choice.

However I would say that for mainly shooting things that are well lit, and where you have no time constraints, the HD1000 will be very good (and surely excellent for the price).

This was just my personal opinion but I thought I might be usefull so I posted it.