JVC GY HM 700 Video Review

[Sean Adair]

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

1440x1080 and 1280x720 resolutions at "SP" quality can be streamed as HDV out of the firewire port. As far as I can tell all modes and bitrates can be downconverted and streamed as DV, but I haven't had a chance to personally confirm this.

Right... This is what I understood. HDV (19 or 25) or SD DV only through the firewire. Theoretically, we could sustain the higher bit rate, and even go to FW 800 for ProRes type bit rates that are still reasonably compressed. There is an attraction to having extended high quality storage in a remote drive for long form doc work etc.

The HD-SDI output is a great opportunity for expansion, but not the same as having access to that 35mps stream. I suspect the EX-HD format was never specced for this. Still, I'm not crushed by that omission.

With the price of SDHC media, I think it's becoming a non-issue, and that is a real revolution in tapeless acquisition. $500 worth of media now will go a LONG way. It's reasonable just to charge clients for the media they use in many situations.

Meanwhile, I'm still not happy with archiving tapeless footage. Redundant hard drives aren't so expensive either, but it's far from ideal and the media isn't quite cheap enough for that yet on long form projects anyway. Editing from my DR-HD100 drive, and archiving raw footage from the simultaneous tape recording was was working out well.

[Frederic Segard]

I know that JVC is not know for good low light performance, and being very noisy. Did anyone of you that evaluated the HM700, have any footage? If not, would you say that the HM700 and the GY250 are pretty much the same in low light?. And how would you compare it to other cameras, like the Pany HVX170?

[Stuart Wilson]

I've just come from a local dealer and queried the lens choices. The cam I looked at had the 16X Fuji on it, and as I was there, the JVC rep called and told the dealer thats what they are shipping with, with the 20x as an option, no mention of the 17x. Dealer asked about the Canon 14x, and was told no plans to ship with it. Wonder whats going on here ??


Stuart

[Sean Adair]

Frederik - Did you watch Phil Blooms video review? I think that gives you a decent answer.

Stuart - I suspect that someone in that chain is misinformed. In the States the lens situation is quite clear (shipping now with 17x, 14x package available later). The 16x lens would be a disappointment on this camera if UK went that route. In any case the 20x lens is more expensive than the camera alone. The 13x wide angle should be available there and is a nice option for many type of project.

[Phil Bloom]

Originally Posted by Stuart Wilson

I've just come from a local dealer and queried the lens choices. The cam I looked at had the 16X Fuji on it, and as I was there, the JVC rep called and told the dealer thats what they are shipping with, with the 20x as an option, no mention of the 17x. Dealer asked about the Canon 14x, and was told no plans to ship with it. Wonder whats going on here ??


Stuart

that is nonsense. All the info I have been told is 17x Fujinon as standard. 14x Canon is extra. I have emailed the main man at JVC UK to get a clear definitive answer. Not just for the UK but for the world. As soon as I get a reply will let you know. It's the end of the financial year so everyone is mad busy.

[Steven Lyons]

anyone willing to share their experiences with the camera, particularly in reference to the jvc hd 200 series and the sony ex3.

particularly perceived resolution, noise level in picture and low light performance.

[Tim Dashwood]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyons

anyone willing to share their experiences with the camera, particularly in reference to the jvc hd 200 series and the sony ex3.

particularly perceived resolution, noise level in picture and low light performance.

I think you will see a flood of HM700 footage from the early-adopters this coming weekend, but empirical comparisons to the other cameras will come later.

[Steven Lyons]

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

I think you will see a flood of HM700 footage from the early-adopters this coming weekend, but empirical comparisons to the other cameras will come later.

thanks Tim,
yes I would expect to see a flood of footage posted these coming weeks,
but I was hoping to hear from someone like yourself,having had a history with the hd100, then the 200 series (having already commented on the disappointment with noise level of picture with this series of camera)...how the new cameras compare with the previous models,
as I have said I think the hd100 was a great camera.

put it this way as soon as someone says the noise level in picture is no better or worse
than the 200 series, I am back in the sony camp.I can live with less sensitivity in low light, but not that horrible noise pattern, reminds of the disasterous days when svhs cameras tried to become professional in a credible way.
If it has improved, I will definitely stay in the jvc camp.

[Stuart Wilson]

Originally Posted by Phil Bloom

that is nonsense. All the info I have been told is 17x Fujinon as standard. 14x Canon is extra. I have emailed the main man at JVC UK to get a clear definitive answer. Not just for the UK but for the world. As soon as I get a reply will let you know. It's the end of the financial year so everyone is mad busy.

I agree Phil, its a bit of a nonsense when it seems dealers and reps dont know whats happening. However, I can only relay the events and comments made to me yesterday. I actually held and used the camera for a very short while, and it deffo had the 16x Fuji on it.

However, I have since spoken to JVC themselves, and they have now confirmed that from around June, they will ship with the 14x Canon, but they will be more expensive than with the Fuji 16x option. They have no intention of packaging the 17x Fuji, but you can buy the cam body only and then purhase the 17x or indeed any other lens you wish separately. I have literally just come off the phone to them. I pointed out other countries seem to be shipping with the 17x, and the reply was they are totally different companies, ie JVC UK, JVC USA etc. Maybe JVC UK want to use up any stock of the 16x Fuji they may hold, I dont know??. Seems a shame to 'downgrade' what appears to be a nice cam with this apparently lower grade lens. But hey ho, lets see what transpires if anyone can actually run a 700 with the different lens options, and an EX series side by side, so footage can be compared. This is something I would like to see before making any decision to spend what is a lot of money to me, on a new cam.

Stuart

[Sean Adair]

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

1440x1080 and 1280x720 resolutions at "SP" quality can be streamed as HDV out of the firewire port. As far as I can tell all modes and bitrates can be downconverted and streamed as DV, but I haven't had a chance to personally confirm this.

A followup, as I mull the prospects of using my DR-HD100 with the new cameras:
Does the firewire stream continue to operate with downconversion when shooting in HQ modes. For instance, Can I shoot 35mbs onto the SDHC cards, while recording 19mbs onto the DR-HD100? Will 1080p downconvert to 720p, 1080i, or not at all? This would potentially be for "emergency" card & workflow backup of footage.

One cannot record SD DV to the cards, but you do have a relatively quick path recording downconverted SD DV codec to the DR-HD100, I assume with the camera in 720p mode. This footage could then be streamed immediately in real time to a deck to get a standard DV tape to a client that needs this workflow. Shooting with post downconversion processing would add time/money to an SD handoff gig, although these are dying off slowly for me.

The first scenario is theoretical, and not deal-breaker material, but the answer will let me decide whether the DR-HD100 will be a worthwhile utility to keep, instead of selling this with my HD200.

EDIT: Found the answer to most of my original posted question about the FW output here:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/1011033-post150.html

The 35mps > 19/25mps downconversion is the remaining issue which Tim might have now that the camera is in his hands.

[Lee Roberts]

Originally Posted by Phil Bloom

that is nonsense. All the info I have been told is 17x Fujinon as standard. 14x Canon is extra. I have emailed the main man at JVC UK to get a clear definitive answer. Not just for the UK but for the world. As soon as I get a reply will let you know. It's the end of the financial year so everyone is mad busy.

Hmm....I spoke directly with my dealer's JVC rep and he said exactly the opposite: the 14x will be standard and the 17x will be extra, which was one factor in my decision to grab the 700 now instead of when the Canon lens came out.

If anyone has more info on this, it would be appreciated. I'm going to call th rep again on Monday and see if I can get clear answer, to (at least for U.S. consumers).

Thanks,

Lee

[Phil Bloom]

the info is so confusing. I contacted JVC UK again who told me the 16 x is shipping with the camera or the Canon.

It seems everyone has different info. Guess we will know when it ships!

[Stuart Wilson]

Originally Posted by Phil Bloom

the info is so confusing. I contacted JVC UK again who told me the 16 x is shipping with the camera or the Canon.

It seems everyone has different info. Guess we will know when it ships!

I agree Phil, it is confusing. I must add that I think its pretty poor PR by JVC as well, when depending on who you talk to, you get a different story. My JVC dealer DEFFO had one with the 16x, so, I think its reasonable to assume that is what it will currently ship with. Canon apparantly being available Juneish at a premium. I assume therefore we may see a price rise when they ship with the Canon. I cant see why JVC would ship their flagship semi-pro cam with the 16x lens. Surely it would be better to fully utilise the quality of images the cam can produce, and not restrict it with a less than ideal lens, or ship with the 17x Fuji as standard until the Canon is available.

Stuart

[Phil Bloom]

I agree, my footage clearly shows that this 16x Fujinon cannot deal with bright back light causing purple fringing from hell. The camera deserves SO much better than this lens!

[Gareth Watkins]

Hi Phil
I see on the CVP site they are offering it with the 16x & the 20x ... no mention of the 17x. The same is true on the French video shop site I often use....
Is the 16x really that bad?

regards
Gareth