Canon HV20 Press Release, Overview and more
 

Here's a copy of the HV20 press release from Canon USA:

http://www.hdvinfo.net/articles/cano...essrelease.php

And a brief overview... what's new, etc:

http://www.hdvinfo.net/articles/canon/hv20overview.php

And some images:

http://www.hdvinfo.net/articles/canon/hv20images.php

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

HV10 should remain a good seller as a smaller cheaper alternative.

24p Cinema Mode!

Oh my God! This is IT! After looking at the FX1 two years ago, the HC1 arrival, ..the HC3...the Canon HV10 and the announced HC7..I think this is the HDV camera I have been waiting for...

I think I want to pre order! This is huge.

The only thing running through my mind right now is Justin Timberlake's "Bringing sexy back"

This is beyond huge!! True 24P in 60i from a $1099 camera! Double bonus for the Cinema mode with cine color, low knee and black stretch! Triple bonus for Vegas users who will probably be able to remove the pulldown right now thanks to the work done for the Sony V1. Quadruple bonus for that CMOS sensor from the HV10 which is something else. The images it makes really has an amazingly nice texture to it.

Only bummers are no LANC, maybe no manual focus ring and the lens isn't wide at all. Colored peaking and a histogram would have been nice too.

I'm just an enthusiast, but I remember seeing the 24P mode of DVX100 at a professional video show here in NYC when it was first introduced. I thought to myself, "One day... perhaps this feature will trickle down to a consumer level camcorder."

A couple years later, I remember going to the FX1 HDV launch in NYC and thought to myself...one day..it will trickle down to something affordable.

I can't believe that with this one camcorder..both of those dreams will be realized for me.

That day is today. I'm so excited.

I am very excited too!

I think this camera would be perfect for all the hobbyist and enthusiast who want to make movies but aren't making money from it. What you would save over a $3K+ camera you could buy quality accessories like tripods, sound and lighting equipment. I cringe when people buy expensive cameras like the XH-A1 or HVX and then get a $300 tripod. There is so much more to video/filmmaking than just the camera.

This camera is going to be huge. It has an awesome pedrigree inherited from the HV10. If nothing else, it's going to drive the other manufacturers to add similar features at this price point. It's small size and weight has all sorts of crash cam, B-roll, and remote mount applications for pros. And another thing, the 24P in 60i could be recorded by the little HVR-DR60 hard disc recorder by Sony! Oh man, hahaha!!!

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.

In any case the HV10 is still a great cam, but cant wait to see how the HV20 stacks up.

If you can only record 24p in HD, will you be able to record in HD then downconvert in camera to SD?


Well you be able to put a good mic on the HV20 like a MKE300? Or will it have to be a Canon mic?

In one of my older posts I remember to have complained about the practices of big manufacturers to overcharge for features and leave the "low-end prosumer" (i.e. the serious hobbist, no-budget indie filmaker) continuously unsatisfied. I also remember to have predicted a camera coming out from Canon at the price range of 2500 to 3000 with "24f, focus ring, mic jack, headphones jack and no xlr's". Excluding the focus ring (add a focus dial instead) I guess I was dead right in my dream and dead wrong in my understanding of the new marketing approach of Canon!

1099$ !!!

Wow!!!

With their A1 and now the HV20, they seem to be the only company (out of the "big 4") to actually learn from the RED project and follow up aggressively, in their own way (and market)!

Way to go Canon!

Thanasis

P.S.1 Can you control exposure from the focus dial? I remember the XM dial control was quite usable (with the exception of the big visual steps up-down in the picture). But as a control was fast to access (one push) and friendly. Is this similar?
P.S.2 Can you add a non-proprietary microphone in the shoe of HV20? Or we will have to devise our own solution?
P.S.3 In the accessories page of the HV20 (http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/co...modelid=14869), there is no wide angle lens! Rather strange, no? Is this a mistake, or what?

I'm very happy that I waited a bit. I was going to get a HV10 for b-roll and deck, but now I'll surely wait for this camera.

Thanks Canon.

Mike

Incredible!
 

For this price, you could buy two, and still come in under the xh a1. And imagine the possibilities if you were to combine this with a redrock micro! I am so jonesed about this camera. I was saving up for either the xh a1 or the Sony hvr v1u, but I think this will do just fine. I could get one sooner! Is it as pro as those to other cameras? Of course not, but I can get near the same visual quality for such a low price.

Take a bow, Canon.

Same thought here ... I really wanted a LANC jack. But it's impressive that Canon actually LISTENED to customers and provided the mic input that everyone was howling for. And the form factor will appeal to those who didn't care for the upright look of the HV10. Overall, sounds like a KILLER package.

Unfortunately I don't think you'll ever see a LANC jack on any consumer Canon camcorder anymore (pretty sure they just got tired of paying that licensing fee to Sony). Canon seem to have relegated LANC to the realm of three-chip "professional" camcorders only.

Just updated the "overview" page:

http://www.hdvinfo.net/articles/canon/hv20overview.php

Added a paragraph about Frame mode and why it can't happen in the HV20.