I want to buy a small HDV camera. I have been looking at the Sony HC3/HC1/A1 and the Canon HV10. I was supprised to find out that all those Sony cameras have a sensor with half the full HD pixels in area and even less than HDV. Starting at 30% less pixels than the HDV recording formal, doesn't seem like a good way to get sharp, high resolution HD (ok, only HDV) video.

Does anyone know how they compare, especially in horizontal resolution? Maybe Canon's lenses, or whatever, are limited enough that the difference is not perceptable. I sure sounds troubling.

Comments?

Rick

well, first off, HD is defined as anything with either 720 or 1080 lines - at least according to this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-definition_video

which means that HDV (1440x1080) = HD. hence the name

sony claim that the CMOS on the HC1 can produce 1920 x 1440 still images and that it has 2.97 mega pixels. both suggesting that it's resolution is actually higher than HDV - but it's also not terribly consistent. what figures for resolution did you get? and where from?