Just got my HV20 today from FedEX.

Wow-- It's nice and small! Just like the Optura's 30/40s.

I quickly shot some footage and played it on my 30" tube. Really nice. Lots of detail. [Watching it on a LCD computer monitor is just not the same.]

I have a PDX10, and the beautiful footage I get out of that camera, and deinterlaced with DVFilm will give me footage that is very similar to the 24p HD mode on the HV20.

Am I disappointed? Nope. This is pretty kick ass cam. And I don't have to process the footage with DVFilmmaker.

I'm not a big fan of the LCD, it is a bit small...and it doesn't close with authority like my PDX10.[which has a magnesium body]

The 24p mode still doesn't look like "film"...but it is a very pleasing image for storytelling.

But damn, the picture quality is as good as the 3 chip PDX10.[which cost $1,600!]

I will have to shoot more stuff to play around with--but so far, I'm very pleased.

Dave, both (actually all 3) were in auto, but both Canons had their slow shutter speed locked out. So shutter speeds were probably all 1/60.

I'm pleased to hear this; I sold my PDX10 package last week and immediately flipped the cash in my Paypal account to B&H for the HV20. Not having to process the footage for 24P... priceless!

Hello.

I just received the hv20 today from B&H.

I personally do not see any problems with the auto focus on this particular camera.

The only side effect this camera has produced so far is this repetitive voice inside my head that keeps saying "WOW!" over and over again.

This is one sweet camera!

Oh yeah? Watch me! ;)
Seriously though, I don't think it will be suited for payed work since your clients will freak out when they see this little camera. But I strongly believe that you can make good looking amateur movies with it. It's not useless in that matter since it has 24p, cine gamma and a mic input. I bet you can even sell those movies as long as the clients don't see the camera, just the images it produces.

Hey Ron,

Go for it man! :)

Ron,

Second thought, maybe we can make a large housing for it that looks like a big pro camera, or gut an old bulky big camera and stick the HV20 inside!!!

The clients would never know!!! :)

Mike

John, the one thing that confuses me is why you would say that HD footage looks 'very similar' to SD footage. Any footage I've shot with any of the HDV cams I've owned, blows away the best SD cams I've owned. I currently have the VX2000, have used the VX2100 and still have an older TRV900. None of these can even come close to the footage of the HV20 let alone any of the other HDV cams I've owned. The resolution is so much higher with the HDV cams and it certainly shows in the much greater detail that is visible.

LOL! That's exactly what I plan on doing.

Once I get a few movies under my belt with it I'm sure the actors will no longer mind its size after they see the image it can produce. :)

I guess I better clarify my statement... Shooting indoor stuff, faces and things..there is more than enough resolution on the PDX-10 and its wonderful widescreen mode.

Of course, I'm only looking at the footage on a 30" CRT HDTV.

What will really make the HDV shine is going to be wide shots[like a city skyline for example]--where the limited resolution of SD shows it's limitations.

I guess the best way to describe it is the difference between 1080i Football games on CBS and 720p games on Fox.

Closeups look great on both channels and formats.. but during the wide shots of the whole field.. you can see that 720p doesn't have enough resolution to show each individual player as --it is not as crisp as 1080i. [Of course nothing I've said is anything new for the professionals on this board.... ]

I will definitely take the HV20 out today and do a shakedown with it.

Got it John, makes sense. I'm sure you'll love the HV20!

Agreed, Canon may not be marketing it this way, but once you attach a 35mm adapter to it with a follow focus unit, a matte box and a better microphone, would it still not be a pro camera? Add a decent tripod + shoulder rig and the overall package would still end costing less than a so called 'pro' camera.

At the end of the day it's not about what camera you use, it's what you can do with the camera you use. I can't see anything that would be stopping someone from shooting a feature film using one or more HV20's. Unlike the XHA1/G1, or even the XLH1, they're true 24P with a 1920x1080 sensor.

A year or so ago I remember DV magazine testing out a bunch of HD cameras including Sony's top of the line CineAlta F900. I'd love to see the HV20 in that line up and how it's results compare to the others.

Would place the image of this camera or the HV-10, any day, next to the feeds that I get from the HD Discovery channel even using the component output to my Sammy 56" DLP....God only knows what I'll get when a feed it the HDMI output. Amazing.

Luis

Twice now folks have posted what seems like a negative statements from me about the HV20, ie: not a Pro camera and not your prime #1 Pro camera etc..

They are not negative at all! I was just a little irritated that people were complaining that it did not have this or that pro feature. This little camera rocks, it is awesome!

Mike

Whoa, some pretty heavenly statements for this little camera. Yes, I think it is great (resolution) and will fool most people when they see the image it can produce.

Compared to, say, a DSR-250 the average joe would assume the 250 would offer greater detail, resolution, etc. I'd not consider pitting the HV20 agianst a F950, but, for a consumer, it's near impossible to get this kind of resolution under $1500. Sure, it'd be nice to see where it stacks up. This thread should be called the "Praise the mighty HV20" or such now.

Sorry Mike, it wasn't specifically directed at you! Just the statement.

Just to let you know, my HV10 did the EXACT same thing this past weekend, it only lasted for 4-5 minutes... I turned off instant-autofocus and it seemed to do a better job, then I switched back to I-AF and it was perfect again..

Honestly don't know what caused it, but I don't think the HV20 is to blame...

It is that Luis, it is that! Having owned the HC1, HC3, FX1 and FX7, I honestly feel the image the HV10 & HV20 produces is the best of the bunch. I find myself getting more and more tired of Sony's edge enhancement and the artifacts it produces. I really think Canon got it right with these units.

Glenn,

Don't worry, what you said was fine, I just wanted to make sure that everyone knew I thought this camera was great.

You know, I have found one little problem. The way the door or flap for the HDMI port opens it is not going to last very long. Does not have enough give so that it can be moved out of the way. It is kind of bending the cap and that is not good. Horder to close after use have it hooked for a while. Anyone else notice this? I sure would not return the camera for that!!! I still have gaffer's tape! :)

Mike

Mike, I think you hit on the one annoyance I've found with the HV20. Pretty short list, but still you'd think Canon would have realized this was not the way to cover a port door.

Just took it out today and shot some outdoor street scenes here in NYC.

Oh my God...some of this stuff looks as almost as good as the travel videos on PBS! [I'm using Rudy Maxa's Smart Travels as a reference in terms of picture quality]

The footage from the true 24p Cinema mode really screams "pro" to me. I just can't believe I shot that stuff myself!

It really has to be appreciated on a big tube CRT.

This is a groundbreaking camcorder for this price point.

The question I have to ask again...is there a way to lock exposure? Edit: I guess I can...have to experiment some more.

Well, I thought it might be just mine, but I guess not. The small tab at the bottom needs to be able to fold out more, slip out of the hole more. This cover will not hold up.

Are you listening Canon? Longer tab to slip out, or a lower durometer reading on the rubber so that it will bend easily.

Gee, I guess when it breaks off I'll buy another HV20. :) :)

Mike

Same here Mike, the rubber cap of the HDMI port is kind of "wacky" it needs a little push at the top to close well. The Mic port cover is much better.
Well what the heck a let them skimp a little on that as long as they don't do it with PQ.

Luis

Good thought, but how are you going to reach the buttons on the camera if it is inside a box? :) I think a 35mm adapter, lens, mattebox, rails, shoulder mount, microphone, etc. will make it look pro enough. If not pro, then at least very different.

Right. I think the HV20 would be even more suited for feature films than for documentaries and such since the manual controls are not so easily managed on the HV20 as they are on the XH-A1 for instance. Feature film = more time to carefully setup your camera right for each shot.

Very exciting stuff!
Is there any chance you could upload some raw 24p footage with cinema mode on? Filefactory etc is free.

Many thanks
Fergus

Here is the first link. It is a shot of Grand Street in NYC. 61mb in size.

http://www.filefactory.com/file/373172/

Just watch out for the pop ups on this site.

This is raw from the camera file.

Thanks, downloading now! It's a .ts file? I thought raw was .m2t?

Mike

Here is one more:

This is a shot of a street in Chinatown, NYC.

http://www.filefactory.com/file/87c449/

This one is 47 megs in size.

And here is one more 45 megs in size

http://www.filefactory.com/upc/138961


These file have not gone thru any reencoding... just a file extension matter after I cut out just the segment I wanted and saved the segment from MPEG Streamclip.

Thanks for the clips, John! One question, in the Canal clip, did you edit those two clips together, or was the shot change in-camera?

The reason I ask is, I'm playing with reverse telecine in Cinema Tools in anticipation of buying this camera, and I noticed that the pulldown signature changed between shots. If it's the latter, then pulldown removal is going to be quite a chore!

pulldown removal
 

i've been using the HDV - intermediate codec work flow in FCP and when it imports the clips the pulldown pattern starts randomly on different clips. there are a couple ways to tackle it. you chop off x amount of each clip so that the cadence is the same through out, or you process each individually. i've been doing it individually. linked is a read me that has the cadences and the according cinema tools option.

http://file.meyersproduction.com/hv2...0READ%20ME.rtf

check out the clips i've got in there too...

http://file.meyersproduction.com/hv20/

there might be a way to capture as HDV instead of AIC that doesn't create new clips at any timecode break, then convert that long clip to AIC. perhaps processing everything as one big file the cadence might stay intact. the HDV workflow is very new to me. i need to hop onto the apple FCP boards and see what's up over there. i'm sure the HV20 is being discussed...

The shot change was done in camera.

John, Austin

Thanks so much for taking the trouble to upload the clips. I am just looking at them now (my PC struggles with 1080p h.264 though!)

Any chance you could upload any raw samples showing a comparrison between the cine preset being on and off?

Thanks again

Hi, I share the excitement =) Thanks John, great to see an HV20 in action. Also, said it before, will say again, can't wait to hold my very own HV20. Will have to wait 3-4 weeks here in NL however...

Still, I found this post particularly interesting:

Joe, what were the circumstances and could you keep us posted on when this happens and whether the IAF off/on trick solves it every time?

john I forgot to ask if your samples were taken with the cine preset on? They look a touch softer than the other 24p samples I have seen and I just wondered if that could be due to the sharpness setting being lowered within the preset?

Thanks

I was playing with the cine preset shooting outdoors at night and I found it does soften the picture quite a bit. On the other hand it does tend to virtually eliminate any grain.

cine gamma on color chart
 

shot on a patched together color/rez chart. doubt the colors are accurate out of the printer. but it's a reference

http://file.meyersproduction.com/hv2...est%20cine.mov


also you other guys shooting, i think i'm having issues with the OIS, does anybody have any handheld walking around footage?

these are some of issues i'm having

http://file.meyersproduction.com/hv2...ues%20720p.mov

let me know.

Thanks for the colour/rez chart Austin. The cinemode defnitely softens the image which reduces resolution.

I think personally I am more likely to shoot without the cine preset, dial down the exposure a couple and use Magic Bullet look suite in Vegas

Without a LANC and tripod, you'll have a pretty tough time shooting pro stuff.
I like how it looks, etc, but the lack of a LANC will be a deal-killer for many. This is probably the plan...to get you to upgrade to the next level with LANC.

Very professional footage can be shot with a tripod sans LANC.

In regards to the HV20 missing a LANC port, how easy is it to use the zoom controls on the LCD screen with the camera on a tripod/monopod?