Comparison of FX1 and HC1?
 

What is the biggest difference with the HC1 and the FX1?

3CCD vs. 1CMOS, size, and price.

FX1 =

No rolling shutter
better lowlight
wide-angle is actually wide
sharper images and more accurate colors
bigger
more expensive

I had just heard that people were jumping all over the HC1 now that it has been discontinued because it was a really really good camera...

Primarily because it would make a great B roll type camera, and would cut well with the FX1 or Z1 as the primary... It is, afterall, HDV....

Maybe it's because it's a HDV camera, but the picture is still better than a DVX100 and that's saying a lot, no?

The resolution may be better, dunno about the image quality as a whole.

The biggest issue: Useability.

If you want to point and shoot between the hours of 8am to 5pm, and don't mind wandering iris, slow focus, and marginal skin tones, the HC1 will do.

The FX1 has quickset buttons, push button focus, iris wheel, focus ring, etc. Stuff to help you get the shot in live situations instead of fumbling with the HC1.

The HC1 does poorly in even dim lit rooms. Even at maximum gain, it's not enough for situations where you don't care about grain or image degradation (i.e. news and reality stuff). It's a daylight camera. Even in a studio the additional frustration of trying to light for an HC1 is not worth it.

So, again the biggest difference is: Useability.

Let me add to this. I've said a lot about the HC1. When setup right, or in situations when I managed to follow the action with sufficient focus, the image is very useable. In some case I've had to warm the image a bit, whether in balance or post. In all cases, there was ample available light, in which case, any camera would see clearly.

Locked off and setup correctly, the HC1 will suffice as a B-cam for that important or difficult angle, providing there is sufficent lighting to do so.

The HC1 would make for a good scout or location camera. Small enough to carry comforably, you could scout and frame shots for location work, etc.

The HC1/HC3 is the best tourist cam, where auto settings are ok, and/or an Fx1 would be too imposing, and you still want HDV resolution.

In cases where folks want to add their own homemade adaptor for film looks, losing extra steps of light in the process, a well known issue, would impose further limitations on the HC1.

If you want to experiment with HDV, or are considering a switch and rental is not an option. Then the HC1 or similiar would be a good first purchase.

However, if you want to capture more useable HDV and in manner that's easier, with less frustration and less limitations, the FX1 or Z1U is the ticket.

Technically speaking, the HC1 will give you HDV material, but it will not allow you to see "everything" in HDV. For that you need a better camera.

The FX1 is definately a nicer cam to use. I have both the FX1e and HC1e. You could really see the difference in the shots in dlow light situations. For daylight, its no prob. But HC1e is really nice for travelling...

Last year I had the FX1 and now the A1U but again its hard to deny the higher quality optics and low light performance of the FX1. Unfortunately I do just as much taping with family as I do side work and I've already made the mistake of taking a large cam on vacation...

I just wish I had the budget for both because having one always makes for instances where you wish you had the "other one".

I know the frustration. If this camera had a push button focus and a real iris control wheel, it would open the door for many projects. You can't help but wonder what this camera's original intent was to be. That adding a few more menu options and an add-on XLR, call it an A1U and presto, professional product.

I may offend, but it's just my opinion, it missed the mark by a few more options.

Manfrotto 521Pro or Bebob Engineering Zoe DVL LANC controllers will fix the Push-Autofocus problem, but can't help much with the iris wheel!

My VZPGL is missing that push button focus feature. It's really distracting to use a larger LCD to check focus when trying to follow through the action. You more or less have to trust that you've got it via the viewfinder. Trust me, it's not 100%.

I'm already setting sights on better camera's, however, the engineer/tinkerer in me wants to pursue the issue. Why? Because it's there.

Here the FX1/HC1/HC3 camera comparison: http://www.fxsupport.de/02.html