Personal "thoughts" for SONY HVR-HD1000

[Bryan Daugherty]

Originally Posted by Andrew Kiu

For situation like "Bryan Daugherty" we normally use spot light 600Watt and mix with dance/disco lighting or stage light setup, that will make you show and video looks good!

If you really into wedding business, Lights is 1 of the major and put in consideration point, not just you carry camcorder and start shooting!...

I am going to assume that I am mis-reading this and you are not insinuating that I just "carry a camcorder and start shooting..."

I have lots of equip, including lights, this guy (I say guy because the groom booked me) didn't pay for lighting or extra personnel and informed me that he wanted no additional lighting-but on camera light was fine. I informed him of my professional opinion on the matter and he didn't share it. He was paying the bill and the client makes the decision and signed the contract. I brought the screengrabs in here because this was a good example of extreme low light and i thought it illustrative of the point of what this cam's limitations are and how good it can be.

"Dance/disco lighting?" I am a videographer not a DJ, I can recommend a nice DJ...

When I need it and a client is willing to pay for it, I use 3 ARRI 650's, 2 ARRI 300's, Chimera softboxes, lightstands, gels, scrims, barndoors, get the idea?

Sorry if I am ranting a little but your statement got under my skin a little. If you meant it in another way than I am sorry.

Originally Posted by Noa Put

An EX3 is a total different class of camera compared to the hd1000 and there is no comparison between the two...

Gotta agree with Noa here. You all can tell how much I love my HD1000u but to compare it to an EX3 would be like comparing the EX3 to a PDW-700. They are in very different classes in price and delivery. If you have the budget for EX3 and it's media, then by all means that is the way to go. Beautiful cam.

Noel-At the time I bought my HD1000U the FX7 was discontinued and they had not announced it's resurrection. If it was around, my decision may have been much harder with the pricepoints so close. If you are buying a lead/main cam I would lean toward Andrew's assessment that the FX7 might do better for you in that price point. But I have never shot with the FX7.

[Adalberto Lopez]

Hey guys, well I was just able to use my HD1000 in a professional situation. And well to be honest...I wasn't impressed by the feel of the camera...at least the "manual" controls. I had been working at the local CBS affiliate as a News Photographer and there I used the Panasonic AG-HVX200 and got really used to the manual controls. Now, I know that I can't compare, an won't, the two given the price difference and such. But I was wondering, what work flows have you guys developed to adjust to the single function ring and the touchscreen interface.

[Jonathan W. Hickman]

The work flow question is a great one.

I used to shoot everything with my DVX100 and sold it and another SD Panni to go to HD.

Before I sold my DVX, I bought the HD1000 and a client bought an HC9 and then gave it to me.

In good light, I was happy with these cameras in DV as B and C to the DVX.

Now that I sold the DVX, I bought an FX1000 as my A camera and coupled it with my old Beachtek, you know for sound.

Okay, the way I use the HD1000U is to personalize the touchscreen home menu. I have it set so that I can tap a few times and get everything ready. I almost always leave the ring on exposure, and I take down the sharpness (detail) and color a couple of settings. Usually, I set the shutter to 1/30 but that sometimes depends on lighting. If you set up the touch screen it isn't bad.

I'm now using an old MKE300 for sound on this because I usually have my wireless lavs or handheld on the A camera. Set the HD1000 microphone menu to manual as well.

One last thing worth mentioning is the cinematic mode. I've shot in complete auto using cinematic mode on both my HC9 and HD1000U and I have to say it is good. You can still control white balance shift and I like to go a little hot with the color at times which looks rich. And if you do that, set the ring to focus (because exposure is auto).

With my show, I like lots of subject movement and this shoulder camera works very well. Auto functions (especially focus) has been adequate but less responsive if you are using the cinematic mode.

Hope that answers your question. Could you tell me if you are shooting for TV with this camera? I'm also impressed to hear that a CBS affiliate was using the HVX (which is now like $3700 at BH maybe just used but it is priced that way). My old producer and I used to lock horns over BETA and MinDV. I can't edit analog BETA but TV insisted that we shoot on those cameras. It was so frustrating. I liked the image, but I never got to edit anything which sucked. Plus, it added to cost, I don't shoot BETA, so, we had to bring someone in with that equipment. I was often appalled to stand in front of such a camera when I knew I could have gotten similar (and something I could edit) results with my DVX.

I'm just ranting, we all have these stories.

[Adalberto Lopez]

Originally Posted by Jonathan W. Hickman

Could you tell me if you are shooting for TV with this camera?

No I'm not shooting for TV with the HD1000. I bought it for event videography.

I'm also impressed to hear that a CBS affiliate was using the HVX (which is now like $3700 at BH maybe just used but it is priced that way).

Well I believe they had bought them about a year earlier since they made the switch to the Avid work flow (NewsCutter XP, iNews, & Airspeed). On the HVX200 they mainly shoot to P2 Cards and occasionally MiniDV whenever they come into a tight spot. For example, during the past hurricane I lost one of my P2 cards because it got wet and had to resort to MiniDV for about two weeks in what it dried out. And honestly most of the other stations own at least one HVX200...the NBC affiliate airs their newscast in HD, the others still shoot and broadcast SD only, and all their cameras are HVX200.

[Jonathan W. Hickman]

That makes complete sense. I do movie related ENG and a lot for Internet. I like to control everything technically (I'm the host, writer, editor, and camera most of the time unless it is an A-List kind of thing).

Last year, I interviewed a number of A-List talent and all of them were on BETA. I interviewed Kevin Costner and it was on BETA! Needless to say, that interview did not end up on the Internet. Sore point. I've not done an A-List interview this year, but summer is coming, and I wonder what format they will be using. They should switch to the HVX. It is a great camera. A buddy of mine just shot a short film with it and lenses, and when projected in the theatre, it looked very film like.

[Adalberto Lopez]

I agree with you. The point of my post was my conflict in work flows between those two cameras. The HVX pampered by having most of the controls at my fingertips plus I had the near instant shoot/edit work flow with the P2 cards. And needless to say I miss that VERY much. But the HD1000 sports it share of 'cons', and like I had read in another post, it's a matter of adjusting our shooting style to comply with the camera. The HD1000 in my opinion would make a decent camera for TV if: 1.) Whoever is shooting invests in one of Sony's hard disk recorders to ease the work flow for the tight deadlines of TV. 2.) Most of the shooting is done in a controlled environment where one doesn't need to be adjusting settings constantly. 3.) Adds an XLR adapter.

[Jonathan W. Hickman]

Thankfully, my documentary work is not tight and my show deadlines are 2 times monthly. So tape is great with me. Like most folks out there who have always shot on tape, there is something about having the tape that is comforting to me.

Like most video guys, I have boxes and boxes of tapes. I try to keep them all organized, but you know how that is.

How are you archiving with tapeless? Do you just buy a new harddrive every few months or what?

[Adalberto Lopez]

Actually I record to MiniDV. I made the recommendation of the hard disk recorder in case the HD1000 were to be employed for TV then it be something that would ease work flow since TV deadlines can be pretty demanding. But an archive alternative, at least at the station I used to work in, was DVDs. We would export our stories to '.mov' and archive. They still archived to DVCPRO tape for a while when I started around this time last year but they switched since it was less time consuming and the video retained most of it's quality compared to tapes that loss quality every time one would scrobble through them over and over again.

[Jonathan W. Hickman]

I'm pretty much going with DVD for finished projects these days. I edit on a crazy machine called the S4KP. It was an upgrade from my AVIO that I've used and has served me well for years. I do have a MACBookPro with Final Cut and I use that for Internet compression.

With the S4KP, I think I can archive smaller projects in HDV to dvd. I know that my admission of editing on the S4KP is probably going lower my status on this forum, but believe me, I get professional results. Clients have not complained. But I've developed a number of work arounds over the years to produce quality.

Also, the HD1000 works seamlessly with the system. It accepts full HDV and, of course, downconvert. I used to use my HD1000 downconvert with the AVIO with might good results. This made the jump to the HD1000 ("jump" from the DVX100) easy.

I actually cut a feature on the AVIO finished last year. While this is not recommended, I'm so quick with the machine, I can't part with that system.

[Akinola Williams]

Originally Posted by Bryan Daugherty

I do take video seriously. It is how I keep the roof over my family's head and how I express my artistry and I own this camera and I do not regret my purchase at all. i agree with you that not having access to all manual controls can be difficult but you can control this camera manually. For example, i lock the shutter to 60 in advance, have the rocker for the zoom, default focus to the ring and keep exposure on the touch lcd for quick changes, if I know I am going to have to "ride the iris" than i set focus, switch the ring over to exposure control, and queue up the spot focus to the touch screen in case i need to adjust something. You are right this is not a great UI but it can be a great camera if you are willing to rethink your shooting style. With the exception of ENG lenses almost all of the entry level/prosumer cameras are mock interfaces. The ring or dial or switch that we adjust is actually a circuit telling another part of the camera to do something, all this camera does differently is the interface, instead of a dial, i have a touchscreen or an assignable ring. True there is no gain adjustment but gain is locked in this camera to the exposure, I have never had grain issues because i lock down shutterspeed and expose very carefully. Have you ever tried shooting with one of these? I ask because I see no indication on your posts that you have firsthand experience to qualify your statements.

I am not recommending that this camera is for everyone, but in the right hands it can get stunning images, you just have to be a little more creative to work around the UI. At this price point, I for one, don't mind learning how to do it right until the better camera comes out...perhaps the FX1000/Z5 but we will have to wait and see. Best wishes.

Hello all, I just bought the Sony HVR HD1000 from Dubai at a bargain price and immediately set about launching a wedding videography business. So far my clients have been very happy with my work but personally I find the problems with gain and grainy images irritaing and I cant in good conscience charge what I would like to charge them due to that.
My questions are:
Considering that the image played back on the LCD doesnt tell you the truth about the amount of gain added, how can you be sure . My last event I tried shooting under exposed but I think it just ended being dark.
2. When shooting in manual and using the zebras at a wedding, you cant keep adjusting the exposure mid shot. Will it be advisable to buy a neutral density filter shoot in auto and cinematic mode and risk a violent beating from the groom.?
How will shutter speed aid my production. I have a wedding in june. I am thinking of renting a z1 and using it on auto. Please help

[Tom Hardwick]

Originally Posted by Akinola Williams

Considering that the image played back on the LCD doesnt tell you the truth about the amount of gain added, I tried shooting under exposed but I think it just ended being dark.
2. When shooting in manual and using the zebras at a wedding, you cant keep adjusting the exposure mid shot. Will it be advisable to buy a neutral density filter

First thing to say is that the v'finders are wysiwyg, so they do indeed show you the effects of gain, shutter speed, aperture, white-balance and Steadyshot.

Next - never under-expose a shot and hope that you can pull it in post. Adding gain-up at the scene of the crime is always better than struggling to fix it in post, I find.

And - don't ever think of shooting a wedding with auto exposure. White dresses and dark suits will ruin your shots by having the exposure fluctuate all over the place - better to be in manual and make smooth and controlled changes to the iris. You also don't need extra NDs on the Z1 - shorten the shutter speed by a stop or two - it's much better than adding filters and reducing the efficiency of your lens hood.

tom.

[Adalberto Lopez]

Considering that the image played back on the LCD doesnt tell you the truth about the amount of gain added, how can you be sure

You can always invest in an external monitor like an ikan: V8000HDMI 8" High Definition TFT LCD Monitor or Marshall Electronics -- V-LCD70P-HDA. They can be mounted on the cameras hot shoe. That will be pretty useful since the HD1000 has two mounts. It'll make adjusting focus, exposure, and even framing easier since the camera's viewfinder tends to overscan.

Regarding the exposure and auto mode, follow what Tom says, don't shoot underexposed nor on auto, it'll be a pain to fix in post.

[Bryan Daugherty]

Welcome to the boards and congrats on your new endeavor!

Originally Posted by Akinola Williams

...Considering that the image played back on the LCD doesnt tell you the truth about the amount of gain added, how can you be sure?
2. When shooting in manual and using the zebras at a wedding, you cant keep adjusting the exposure mid shot. Will it be advisable to buy a neutral density filter shoot in auto and cinematic mode and risk a violent beating from the groom.?

Again, this camera is great if you push it. But in order to push it you need to know what you are working with in the image. There are some circumstances it just won't work for. If there isn't good light or if there is too much backlight this camera can not cut it...actually most HDV cameras cannot compensate for that. (Check out the Z5U/FX1000 boards for more info on which cams can handle that...) So how do you find out what you are working with?

Originally Posted by Adalberto Lopez

You can always invest in an external monitor like an ikan: V8000HDMI 8" High Definition TFT LCD Monitor or Marshall Electronics -- V-LCD70P-HDA. They can be mounted on the cameras hot shoe. That will be pretty useful since the HD1000 has two mounts. It'll make adjusting focus, exposure, and even framing easier since the camera's viewfinder tends to overscan...

Hands down no question, a large external HD monitor is the single best investment you can make. Recently I hired in a second cam on a live stage show who uses an EX1. Great cam, ~$6000 US but similar 3.5 inch monitor...he is a great shooter but my images with my HD1000U were much more consistent, why? because I could see when issues would appear and correct immediately. I applaud camera manufacturers for increasing the size and quality of on-camera monitors but when you are mounted on a tripod or steadicam, an external HD monitor is the only way to go. Especially if you are pushing your gear to it's limit.

As to your next item...

Originally Posted by Akinola Williams

Hello all, I just bought the Sony HVR HD1000 from Dubai at a bargain price and immediately set about launching a wedding videography business. So far my clients have been very happy with my work but personally I find the problems with gain and grainy images irritaing and I cant in good conscience charge what I would like to charge them due to that....

Wedding videography in general and HD wedding videography specifically, take lots of time and events to master. Here in the US, the HVR-HD1000U is currently around $1600 (US$). I would really caution you against overpricing until you have more time with the gear and process. Spend some time looking at the clips posted here and then check out the websites associated with those clips and see what kind of pricing they are charging and what kind of equipment they are using. I think you will find very few people using equipment in the HD1000U price range and charging high end production rates. It takes a long time learning and a lot of investing to get your rates where you want them (I am still working on it myself.) The equipment is only a small part of that equation. The other factors: experience; quality/grade of final product delivered; editing time; consumables; local market average rates; global/local economy; and your reputation would play much larger roles. Yes, we want a good ROI, living wages and a little money to put back for new investments/upgrades but I would really caution against raising rates too quickly.

Make sure you spend some time in the following boards on here. The wealth of information is astounding (and it's free!)
Wedding / Event Videography Techniques
Taking Care of Business - the business side of videography
DV / HD Post Production... and Beyond! - find your editor and learn more about ways to push it.
Show Your Work - always good to see what your colleagues are doing (and watch for a new wedding "show your work" sub-community coming soon to the wedding sub-forum.)
Distribution Center - The Digital Video Information Network - DVD/BD authoring and web rendering tips and techniques...

Best wishes and happy shooting!

[Kren Barnes]

Great links Bryan..we too are a wedding videography group based in Canada and uses 2 HD1000u for our shoots...they are great but lighting is a major concern..had the same situation with couples who did not want any video lights for the reception (they wanted to keep the mood), put in my 2 cents but eventually they are the customer and they know what to expect with no lights..

Here are some of our samples..a bit of post production work but well worth it...

Dario and Tanja- Part 2 on Vimeo

Remember its not the camera but the person behind it that makes the story !!

[Bryan Daugherty]

Kren, Welcome to DVi. I hope you find the links useful. If you haven't had time to check out the boards in detail yet, I would highly recommend getting familiar with the search drop down (in the forum nav) and the "New Posts" button. I am sure you will find lots here to learn from and to contribute to.

I really like my HD1000U and believe bang for buck it really is a great cam, that said, the lighting, oh man the lighting...it really is a pain when you frame the perfect shot and realize you have maxed out the exposure adjustments and can't squeeze anymore light out of it.

I always try to educate my clients on video needs but at the end of the day, the one who pays has final say. I do have a clause in my contracts to protect me though, in the event there is an issue. Never had to inact the clause but better safe than sorry, right? I look forward to seeing more of your video samples.