Sony HDR-SR11 vs. Canon HV30 at DVinfo.net

Zach Olson · June 5th, 2008, 11:34 PM

Hey guys,I'm a bit new at Vidiography,though i have been doing photography for some time,and i'm kinda stuck between two pretty nice HD video cameras.
This will be my first real camcorder,but i am very familiar with apurature,shutter speed,filters ect. due to my photography,so user friendliness isnt a problem.
I have the money for either one,so thats not a problem either.
The Problem is there are things i like and dont like about both cameras,and I was wondering about your opinions of wich is the better cam.
For the Sony:
I like the smooth slow motion(I Shoot allot of skateboarding) and nightvision is nice(though not necissary),and the hard drive is nice for storing footage
Though i hate the fact that its Interlaced,and doesnt have 24FPS Progressive mode.I have heard 1080i is rather inferior to 1080p,especially for action shots.
For the Canon:
I like the 24/30p and,from watching videos shot by both cams,the canon seems sharper and clearer,with more vivid colors,and the playability with all the settings.It would be nice for short films and skate vids.
Though for me,the cassettes are a huge turn off.
At 16,I dont exactly have allot of money to spend on cassettes,so i was wondering if they are Re-Writable.If so,that would push me strongly towards the Canon.
So...wich is better?
Nice forums BTW ;)

Robert M Wright · June 6th, 2008, 08:31 AM

If you don't want to use tape, perhaps you should be considering the Canon HF100, rather than the HV30.

You can re-use tapes, but I think most of us here would advise against it.

Robert Morane · June 6th, 2008, 08:43 AM

And you could get the HF100 for less than $650 (amazon) a lot cheaper than the Sony.

Zach Olson · June 6th, 2008, 12:41 PM

Thanks for the fast reply,I'll have to look into that.

Zach Olson · June 6th, 2008, 04:32 PM

alright,i think ive made up my mind,and i think i would regret it if i didnt get the hv30
this video http://vimeo.com/855957 convinced me(the hv20 is comparable to hv30).I like the color saturation of the hv20/30.
I think I'll use the $400 i save buying hv30 instead of sr11 on a bunch of HD tapes,a video tripod,and sony vegas :P

Ken Steadman · June 6th, 2008, 10:28 PM

I chose the SR12 when it came out and I'm pretty happy with it I was looking at the HV30 but I chose the SR12 simply because I hate capturing tape, When I shoot I want to watch and edit it quickly not wait around. If you have a PS3 editing wise thats a real bonus because can put your test renders on a flash drive and run it through HD to see how it looks without burning a blueray (saves time saves money). That said I think if you want the "film" look on video it's easier to get with the HV30 because you have more options lenswise and for 35mm adaptors. If I was a lot less lazy and didnt have a PS3 I would have gone HV30.

Zach Olson · June 6th, 2008, 10:39 PM

:p yeah im not denying that the sr11/12 are extremely nice cameras.Thats why my decision was so hard,but for me,i like the ability to have 24p,gives the films that movie look,and i dont have ps3 so yea.
But i dont like tapes either.Thats where the sr11 has a huge advantage.

Robert M Wright · June 7th, 2008, 07:03 AM

The HF100 (and HF10) also shoot 24p, and record to an SDHC card.

Bruce Foreman · June 7th, 2008, 03:43 PM

Zach, I have the HF100, sold an HV20 which I liked to get away from tape and as much moving mechanism as I could.

The only things lacking in the HF100 that the HV20 had are "zebra stripes" for overexposure indication, and an electronic viewfinder. For working outdoors I find some kind of an LCD hood is necessary (I recommend the screen "hoodie" from cinetactics.com). Actually I found that necessary with the HV20 as the viewfinder on that was not convenient to use - no tilt.

You will have a one time expense of purchasing an SDHC card or two (make sure they are class 4 minimum). I found some 4GB (about half an hour of recording time at max definition) cards on sale at Best Buy for $27 each. Two of the other cards came with the necessary SDHC reader/adapter.

To edit AVCHD you do need plenty of computer "horsepower", check the computer specs required for the software you intend to use.

I like the HF100 and the workflow, I use Pinnacle Studio 11 which edits AVCHD with no transcoding and outputs to a variety of file formats as well as to a BD compliant file on standard DVD+R.

Bruce Foreman · June 7th, 2008, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert M Wright

The HF100 (and HF10) also shoot 24p, and record to an SDHC card.

In addition to that it also shoots in 30p which gets away from the 24p pulldown "complications". I'm using that and love the smoothness of it.

Robert M Wright · June 8th, 2008, 06:25 AM

I don't have an HF100 yet (will be getting one soon), but I like Transcend's flash memory (currently use their cards in my still cameras). You can find their 8GB class-6 SDHC cards for around $35 now (at Newegg.com).

Zach Olson · June 8th, 2008, 08:27 AM

I'm going to look into,and decide between the hf100 and hv30.
There are pros and cons to both(as always,it can never be easy),so i'll just have to weigh whats most important to me.
Thanks for the help and quick response guys.

Pietro Impagliazzo · June 9th, 2008, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert M Wright

If you don't want to use tape, perhaps you should be considering the Canon HF100, rather than the HV30.

You can re-use tapes, but I think most of us here would advise against it.

Re-using tapes could damage the heads somehow?

Or the problem is just related to recorded material fidelity?

Robert Morane · June 9th, 2008, 05:32 PM

Is there any good footage of the HF100 , how does it compare to the HV30?
I am seriously thinking of getting one or the other and can't make up my mind. I have a Canon A1 and love it but also want a small cam.

Zach Olson · June 9th, 2008, 10:12 PM

Well I just ordered hv30,so i shall repost after I get the cam and take it for a spin,to see what i think about it.

June 5th, 2008, 11:34 PM	#1
Zach Olson New Boot Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portlan Or. Posts: 6	Sony HDR-SR11 vs. Canon HV30 Hey guys,I'm a bit new at Vidiography,though i have been doing photography for some time,and i'm kinda stuck between two pretty nice HD video cameras. This will be my first real camcorder,but i am very familiar with apurature,shutter speed,filters ect. due to my photography,so user friendliness isnt a problem. I have the money for either one,so thats not a problem either. The Problem is there are things i like and dont like about both cameras,and I was wondering about your opinions of wich is the better cam. For the Sony: I like the smooth slow motion(I Shoot allot of skateboarding) and nightvision is nice(though not necissary),and the hard drive is nice for storing footage Though i hate the fact that its Interlaced,and doesnt have 24FPS Progressive mode.I have heard 1080i is rather inferior to 1080p,especially for action shots. For the Canon: I like the 24/30p and,from watching videos shot by both cams,the canon seems sharper and clearer,with more vivid colors,and the playability with all the settings.It would be nice for short films and skate vids. Though for me,the cassettes are a huge turn off. At 16,I dont exactly have allot of money to spend on cassettes,so i was wondering if they are Re-Writable.If so,that would push me strongly towards the Canon. So...wich is better? Nice forums BTW ;)

June 6th, 2008, 08:43 AM	#3
Robert Morane Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 267	And you could get the HF100 for less than $650 (amazon) a lot cheaper than the Sony. __________________ Measure twice, cut once!

June 9th, 2008, 05:32 PM	#14
Robert Morane Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 267	Is there any good footage of the HF100 , how does it compare to the HV30? I am seriously thinking of getting one or the other and can't make up my mind. I have a Canon A1 and love it but also want a small cam. __________________ Measure twice, cut once!

June 6th, 2008, 08:31 AM	#2
Robert M Wright Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Minnesota (USA) Posts: 2,171	If you don't want to use tape, perhaps you should be considering the Canon HF100, rather than the HV30. You can re-use tapes, but I think most of us here would advise against it.

June 6th, 2008, 12:41 PM	#4
Zach Olson New Boot Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portlan Or. Posts: 6	Thanks for the fast reply,I'll have to look into that.

June 6th, 2008, 04:32 PM	#5
Zach Olson New Boot Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portlan Or. Posts: 6	alright,i think ive made up my mind,and i think i would regret it if i didnt get the hv30 this video http://vimeo.com/855957 convinced me(the hv20 is comparable to hv30).I like the color saturation of the hv20/30. I think I'll use the $400 i save buying hv30 instead of sr11 on a bunch of HD tapes,a video tripod,and sony vegas :P

June 6th, 2008, 10:28 PM	#6
Ken Steadman Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: DC Suburbs Posts: 86	I chose the SR12 when it came out and I'm pretty happy with it I was looking at the HV30 but I chose the SR12 simply because I hate capturing tape, When I shoot I want to watch and edit it quickly not wait around. If you have a PS3 editing wise thats a real bonus because can put your test renders on a flash drive and run it through HD to see how it looks without burning a blueray (saves time saves money). That said I think if you want the "film" look on video it's easier to get with the HV30 because you have more options lenswise and for 35mm adaptors. If I was a lot less lazy and didnt have a PS3 I would have gone HV30.

June 6th, 2008, 10:39 PM	#7
Zach Olson New Boot Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portlan Or. Posts: 6	:p yeah im not denying that the sr11/12 are extremely nice cameras.Thats why my decision was so hard,but for me,i like the ability to have 24p,gives the films that movie look,and i dont have ps3 so yea. But i dont like tapes either.Thats where the sr11 has a huge advantage.

June 7th, 2008, 07:03 AM	#8
Robert M Wright Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Minnesota (USA) Posts: 2,171	The HF100 (and HF10) also shoot 24p, and record to an SDHC card.

June 7th, 2008, 03:43 PM	#9
Bruce Foreman Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Angelo Texas Posts: 1,518	Zach, I have the HF100, sold an HV20 which I liked to get away from tape and as much moving mechanism as I could. The only things lacking in the HF100 that the HV20 had are "zebra stripes" for overexposure indication, and an electronic viewfinder. For working outdoors I find some kind of an LCD hood is necessary (I recommend the screen "hoodie" from cinetactics.com). Actually I found that necessary with the HV20 as the viewfinder on that was not convenient to use - no tilt. You will have a one time expense of purchasing an SDHC card or two (make sure they are class 4 minimum). I found some 4GB (about half an hour of recording time at max definition) cards on sale at Best Buy for $27 each. Two of the other cards came with the necessary SDHC reader/adapter. To edit AVCHD you do need plenty of computer "horsepower", check the computer specs required for the software you intend to use. I like the HF100 and the workflow, I use Pinnacle Studio 11 which edits AVCHD with no transcoding and outputs to a variety of file formats as well as to a BD compliant file on standard DVD+R.

June 8th, 2008, 06:25 AM	#11
Robert M Wright Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Minnesota (USA) Posts: 2,171	I don't have an HF100 yet (will be getting one soon), but I like Transcend's flash memory (currently use their cards in my still cameras). You can find their 8GB class-6 SDHC cards for around $35 now (at Newegg.com).

June 8th, 2008, 08:27 AM	#12
Zach Olson New Boot Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portlan Or. Posts: 6	I'm going to look into,and decide between the hf100 and hv30. There are pros and cons to both(as always,it can never be easy),so i'll just have to weigh whats most important to me. Thanks for the help and quick response guys.

June 9th, 2008, 10:12 PM	#15
Zach Olson New Boot Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portlan Or. Posts: 6	Well I just ordered hv30,so i shall repost after I get the cam and take it for a spin,to see what i think about it.