Anyone returned/sold their HC7 to get a HV20

[Yow Siang]

Hi,
Just like to know did anyone returned or sold their HC7 to get a HV20 instead as i heard many comments that the hhv20 beats hc7 hand down..

ys

[Lou Bruno]

I sold my HC-1 for a CANON HV-10. They are both great cameras but I needed a smaller camera for travel. Then HV-10 is by far a sharper image.

[Yow Siang]

Have decided finally yo get a HC7, HV20 cannot change white balance during recording and its no for me..

[Dave Blackhurst]

Hi Yow -
I don't think you'll be dissapointed. The 7 is a nice little package once you work with it a bit. The HV20 is tough competition no doubt, and might even sneak into my collection right along with my Sonys one of these days - if the 20 drops value as fast as the 10 did, I'll pick one up... already got a great deal on a HC7, no doubt because of the "competition" - so I'll cheer BOTH cameras on and hope their successors "fix" the few omissions or flaws! What a great time to be stuck with such hard choices!!

DB>)

[Yow Siang]

just gotten a HC7E yesterday....
I owened a FX1E before and have to say that the hc7 has resolves much more details. the noise pattern of both cameras are really different.
Lowlight wise fx1e is slightly better but hc7 has better dynamic range making the white less overexpose...
I will be getting the HG0737 lens today and do further test.

But i really love how easy it is to switch the manual control buttons but just pressing the manual button and i can switch between manual shutter, exposure and so on. if you want to see what gain you are at just do a playback and all the information is there.

[Jason Burkhimer]

Originally Posted by Yow Siang

Hi,
Just like to know did anyone returned or sold their HC7 to get a HV20 instead as i heard many comments that the hhv20 beats hc7 hand down..

ys

Yes, I did exactly that. Now Im waiting on my Brevis...

[George Anthonisen]

To be honest, I'm thinking of returning the HV20 for the HC7.

The HV20 has a great picture quality.... no doubt about that. And of course the 24p. But I'm shaking my head at everything else! The build quality is just not that great, you can't shift white balance on the fly, there is no record indicator light on the front, you can't adjust the color/sharpness strength in the auto mode.... every day that goes on, I'm finding more about this cam that I just plain DON'T like. I'm beginning to think that the small hit I will take in picture quality may just be worth it.

[Yow Siang]

just got my HC7,
why i love it..
1. great sharpness and colour especially in good light. when i say good light it starts from 18watt toilet bulb in my flat small toilet. or even shopping centre lightings. low noise.

2. It has the HD wide angle lens convertor by sony. great quality and not too expensive

3. you can easily change manual shutter, exposure and others but simply holding on to the MANUAL buttons.

4. It can change white balance on the fly.

5. It has solid build quality.. really solid.

6. Lastly It flies easily and fantastically on my steadicam merlin!

see footage at http://weddingmtv.multiply.com/video/item/22

[Yow Siang]

by the way video noise is not too much a big deal now with so many post-processing softwares like neatvideo and so on.

[Enrico Sasso]

Hi Yow,

could you say me price you payed there in Singapore for HC7 ( PAL type
I guess ) ?

Many thanks
ES

[Ray Wesley]

I have so many pluses about the HC7. The low light quality is awesome, the picture is accurate and smooth, and the features and settings are endless. Plus it is a comfortable camera to hold, get it you won't regret it.

[David Jasany]

I'm looking at buying either the HV20 or HC7. I've been partial to Canon over the years but I'm also interested in the HC7. After handling both of these cameras, I agree the Sony feels more solid than the Canon. The HV20 and controls have a flimsy feel to it that doesn't give me confidence it's going to hold up for several years.

The more I read about the HV20 it seems like people are having a few issues with it, such as possibly with OIS in 24p. I don't need 24p so I'm more concerned with having a solid camera with great audio (external mic) and video. And a few users here have experienced noise problems with the Rode Videomic, which is the mic I have. I'm not finding many threads on problems or dissatisfaction with the HC7. I also like that the HC7 can substitute for my still camera in most situations.

After reading as much as I can find about these two cameras I'm still uncertain which one is best for my needs.

[John McManimie]

Originally Posted by David Jasany

...I don't need 24p

You answered your own question. If you do not need native 24P and you feel more comfortable with the Sony, why not get it?

[Dave Blackhurst]

Hi David -
Unless you need 24P (I've done it in post with what I thought were good results... not sure where or if there's a flaw in letting Vegas do it...) or do a lot of really low light shooting, the HC7 is a better choice. The HV20 will pull a better picture when the lights are very low (better color in low light conditions, and seems to be able to "find" more light somehow), but if I had to choose one, it would be the HC7. Build quality is night and day between these two.

No matter how great the picture quality is, the HV20 still feels like a toy. I still can't get it to feel right in my hand compared to the HC7 - doesn't matter much since I usually use my brackets, but I hate to handhold this cam - I think that adds to the OIS issue since it doesn't seem to settle in to the grip very well, at least for me.

I do feel like the Canon OIS isn't as good as the Sony, especially if you have to zoom in at all. Just seems bouncier...

While I think I've got the HV20 color looking about right, the HC7 with xvcolor on seems to get better and more accurate colors "out of the box" - the HV20 took some fiddling, and adjustment is sort of picking through presets until one seems "right".

As far as stills, I think the HC7 is again a better bet for you - haven't had the time to A/B the two cams in detail, but the higher res can't hurt!

Keep in mind the HC7 may cost a bit more to "accessorize", but at least on Ebay the cost for the camera itself isn't too much different - $75-100, nominal when you consider the overall quality. I had problems with some MiniSD cards on the Canon, never had an issue with a Memory stick pro duo...

All that said, the Canon is great picture quality at a budget price - it's opening up the HDV market and competition is good. But you can sure see where they had to do things to bring the price in where they did - so if that bugs you the Sony is a better choice.

The only other consideration is that most control of the Sony is via touchscreen - some like it (I do), others hate it. The Canon menu/joystick isn't bad.
DB>)

[David Jasany]

Thanks guys. I almost pulled the trigger last night on the Canon HV20. The prices on it seem to be dropping daily. But, I emptied my shopping cart at the last minute. Even at a great price, I still have reservations about that camera.

In a nutshell, I like the Sony HC7's build quality. It's not prosumer grade, but it's a lot closer to it than the HV20s quality. It makes me wonder what else under the hood on the Canon is compromised. And like I mentioned earlier, I definitely like the HC7's higher photo resolution. I really get tired of playing a two camera hat dance for family events.

I don't care for touch screens, but I can get used to it. Some have said the lack of focus assist on the HC7 makes it very difficult to manual focus while shooting in HD. And I guess the HC7's manual focus control is even worse than the HV20s. But I imagine is just a matter of opinion and what you can get used to.

As for the lack of 24p, it appears the HV20's 24p doesn't work well unless on a stabilized or tripod mount because of the "wobble". Most of my shooting is handheld so this is a huge concern for me if I were to shoot in 24p. Some HV20 owners said they noticed the wobble even in interlaced mode.

I've decided to wait several weeks and take a look again at the HC7's prices. Even with all the price activity on the HV20, the Sony's price seems to not have had much reduction. I'm hoping with all the price competition on the HV20 the market will force a reduction on the HC7's price.