For what its worth...you might inquire about the comparison between the Canon HV10 and the Sony HDR-HC3 HD picture viewing quality. I had ordered the HV10 a few weeks ago banking on reports from this forum and info from press releases so far. But, the HV10 has taken a bit too long getting in to stores to be delivered to me prior to my Sept 2nd departure on vacation @ California. Rather than take a rather conspicuous Canon XL-2 or a small Sony older SD handycam, I chose to inquire about another new mini HD camera.
When I called to cancel the order from B&H for the HV10, (I talked to Ben in sales at B&H Camera) he mentioned that my choice to switch to the HC3 will not be a downgrade at all. He said his personal film viewing of the HV!0 on HD screen was "Less" desirable that of the HC3. I believe he said that his friend had a HV10 demo to try out. That was his opinion, anybody else do a side by side viewing trial yet?
Not unhappy my HC3 (arrived today overnight)! Thumbs up to B&H Camera and Ben in particular. Now on to that vacation trip... Anybody in Cali drop me a line today I may be in your neighborhood the 2nd through the 12th.
Cheers,
Christo

AFAIK, the HV10 is not available yet and none of us here are in a position to make honest comparisons/contrasts between it and competing cameras. No disrespect intended to Ben at B&H but...as a general rule of thumb, a salesman on the telephone telling me that the camera he CAN sell me is better than the camera he CAN'T sell me isn't information I'd make an expensive decision on.

If you needed the camera now and you're happy with the HC3, that's the right camera for you now. It just doesn't bear on which one will have the "better" picture, which is often in the realm of the subjective, and not something we can know right now in any case. Hopefully soon, though.

Enjoy your vacation!

I just spent the last hour with the HV10 here at Birns. We looked at a tape that Canon had brought us, played it back from the camera to 1st, a 50" pany HD plasma and then to our HD projector on to a 30' screen. The miniDV tape had shots done with the Sony HC3 then the same shot done with the Canon. One could see the Canon was sharper and cleaner....and on the 30' it held up surprisingly well.

Jim Martin

LOL!!! That's the oldest New York sales trick around. :-)


Whenever there is an overstock of a sales item or the announcement of a new product, the shelf has to be cleared of the current item before a competitor comes out with a better item.......

They are obviously trying to push the SONY before CANON competes with current purchased stock.


AND you notice.....it's always a "friend" who tries out a new item.




For what its worth...you might inquire about the comparison between the Canon HV10 and the Sony HDR-HC3 HD picture viewing quality. I had ordered the HV10 a few weeks ago banking on reports from this forum and info from press releases so far. But, the HV10 has taken a bit too long getting in to stores to be delivered to me prior to my Sept 2nd departure on vacation @ California. Rather than take a rather conspicuous Sony XL-2 or a small Sony older SD handycam, I chose to inquire about another new mini HD camera.
When I called to cancel the order from B&H for the HV10, (I talked to Ben in sales at B&H Camera) he mentioned that my choice to switch to the HC3 will not be a downgrade at all. He said his personal film viewing of the HV!0 on HD screen was "Less" desirable that of the HC3. I believe he said that his friend had a HV10 demo to try out. That was his opinion, anybody else do a side by side viewing trial yet?
Not unhappy my HC3 (arrived today overnight)! Thumbs up to B&H Camera and Ben in particular. Now on to that vacation trip... Anybody in Cali drop me a line today I may be in your neighborhood the 2nd through the 12th.
Cheers,
Christo

In fairness that was with due consideration, but I needed a mini HD camera now, and they did get me one of similar (this will bear out in time) quality in a NY overnight.
With that said, I still had reservations and requested and received a two week from seven day, return policy adjustment. I will watch these further posts and decide on my return what is the best course to take.
.....I wish for that 24P button upgrade on the HV10, that would make things so easy...
Cheers,
Christo

The HC3 is nice... what's the worst... you use it for a while, eBay it for a $100-$200 less than you spent and pick up an HV10.

I just spent the last hour with the HV10 here at Birns. We looked at a tape that Canon had brought us, played it back from the camera to 1st, a 50" pany HD plasma and then to our HD projector on to a 30' screen. The miniDV tape had shots done with the Sony HC3 then the same shot done with the Canon. One could see the Canon was sharper and cleaner....and on the 30' it held up surprisingly well.

Jim: how do the manual controls on the HV10 compare to those on the HC1/HC3/A1U? Were there any low-light shots in the sample tape Canon showed you?

As far as quality is concerned, I'm happy with my HC1 but don't mind seeing Canon give Sony some competition. Who'd have thought five years ago we'd be debating the relative merits of sub-$1500 HD cameras?

Christo,

I'm sorry, specs and footage released tell me that the HV10 will tower over the Sony HC3. granted I haven't seen much, but what I have seen is impressive, I 'd be willing to bet mo ney on the Canon.

I know you needed a camera, and the HC3 was available, so yeah good call on that. Canon optics have always been superior to Sony. The chip res is higher on the canon and has a pixel count of around 2000 where the HC3 has something like 1400.

I think Wes has the right idea.

The chip res is higher on the canon and has a pixel count of around 2000 where the HC3 has something like 1400.

HC1 also has about 2 000 000 pixel count.

I wouldn't buy either.

I want an HV10 with a hotshoe mike mount or some form of external mike input. Until then .......... FORGET IT!

JohnG

Christo,

I'm sorry, specs and footage released tell me that the HV10 will tower over the Sony HC3. granted I haven't seen much, but what I have seen is impressive, I 'd be willing to bet mo ney on the Canon.

I know you needed a camera, and the HC3 was available, so yeah good call on that. Canon optics have always been superior to Sony. The chip res is higher on the canon and has a pixel count of around 2000 where the HC3 has something like 1400.

I think Wes has the right idea.
...Just returned from 1500 miles of travel @ Cali (parks and coastal). I have no complaints about the one-handed valor of the Sony HC3 in and through some awsome shoots! (Tip-o-the hat to B&H,) they did provide me with an RMA # to exchange all for the HV-10. I'll conduct some of my own side by side comparisons then. Too bad the HV-10 missed the shooting trip, but along with the formentioned qualities it should provide me with a second camera in docs, I'll leave the sound to my XL-2 for now...