Canon HV20 Press Release, Overview and more

[Marty Hudzik]

Great job Chris. You might want to check the last paragraph as it still makes reference to the HV10 as a deck to play H1 and A1/G1 footage. I think you probably copied and pasted this from the original HV10 article. It might confuse some people so you might want to update it to make reference to the HV20 instead!

Thanks!

[Chris Hurd]

Thanks Marty -- now fixed. You're right, I'm such a hack that I did a cut and paste job on the whole lower half of that page. Too much to do and not enough time, as usual!

[Marty Hudzik]

That's not being a hack. That's working efficiently. Sometimes little things slip through the cracks! It's all good!

[Tim Le]

It's too bad about the LANC jack. For operating on a tripod you often need a zoom controller and for remote mounting (car mounts, helmet mounts, etc) you might need to start/stop the camera from a cable. I guess we can't complain too much since the camera is so inexpensive but it's so tantalizing close to having no major limitations. The LANC jack limitation can be worked around, but the solutions are pretty ugly, like a fiber optic extension for the IR remote or a servo actuator for the zoom controller.

[Yi Fong Yu]

chris h.,

i'm curious as to how many times prior to HV20 has DVI not report on somn and have the product debut as a 'surprise'. typically DVI'ers are the first ones to read/hear things about new products in the pipeline from different vendors. HV20 was a TRUE surprise for many of us here as we'd assume that HV20 was just a typo... but it turned out to be real. any other similar happenings in the past?

[Chris Hurd]

Can you think of any, Yi? Because I can't even remember what I had for breakfast this morning.

DVI has never been concerned with being "first" with any news... all that matters is getting it right...

[Dave Lammey]

Chris: you had soylent green for breakfast. That's what you have everyday. ;)

Great job on the news releases.

[Joey Atilano]

Coming from a Sony HDR-HC3 , Will the HV20 allow you to use full manual mode and adjust the Gain, Aperture, and Shutter speed ? I can't do this on my HC3 . Also does Canon usually have some sort of interval record mode ?

Thanks Joey

[Chris Hurd]

Gain is either on or off. There's some control of iris and shutter. No intervalometer in Canons.

[Paulo Teixeira]

Originally Posted by Joey Atilano

Coming from a Sony HDR-HC3 , Will the HV20 allow you to use full manual mode and adjust the Gain, Aperture, and Shutter speed ? I can't do this on my HC3 . Also does Canon usually have some sort of interval record mode ?

Thanks Joey

The JVC Everio GZ-HD7 will have all those features plus a focusing ring around the lens.

[Mike Teutsch]

Originally Posted by Paulo Teixeira

The JVC Everio GZ-HD7 will have all those features plus a focusing ring around the lens.

That JVC won't serve as a deck for my XLH1!

Mike

[Ken Ross]

Originally Posted by Ron Chau

Looks like some head to head competition with the Sony HC-5 and HC-7.

Oh, it will be more than competition for the Sonys, it will be superior! All they have to do is retain the unparralled small cam PQ of the HV10 and the myriad of features they're now adding, including 24p, and no Sony cam out there can match it....certainly not anywhere near its price range! This will be a KILLER cam.

[Paulo Teixeira]

I wouldn’t call it superior to the HC7 just yet. Its basically a tossup.

[Ken Ross]

Originally Posted by Holly Rognan

I have the HV10, and I think the reason that the Hv20 will have better lowlight performance is because IMO, the HV10 was intentionally crippled in low light.

It only makes sense because now the HV20, has progressive, which uses a stop of light and adds noise, yet the HV20 has 'better' low light performance. There is now way they could squeeze that much sensitivity by tweaking the DSP.

No, not really. The specs don't say if it's interlaced mode or progressive...I'd bet it's the interlaced mode. They also mention on-chip noise reduction which will help and I'm wondering if the lens is bigger. All these could add up to the better low-light. But I honestly don't think it was intentionally 'crippled'. Remember it had a full rez 1920X1080 sensor that no other cam had. This in itself was more light hungry.

[Ken Ross]

Originally Posted by Paulo Teixeira

I wouldn’t call it superior to the HC7 just yet. Its basically a tossup.

When Sony offers their small cams with a 1920X1080 sensor and 24p, I may agree with you! No such features in either Sony cam. ;)