Personal "thoughts" for SONY HVR-HD1000
 

I been using Sony HVR HD1000P (PAL Version) for 2 months now, some of my personal thoughts for sharing;

PROS:
Very Good in Low light situation with single chip CMOS - Better than 3CCD
(I assume no one will shoot video in total dark if 'PAID JOBS" )
Affordable pricing for A/B cam setup (Multiple Cam setup)
Long hours of Recordings even with Wide LCD screen turn on
Looks professional on shoulder mount cam.
Excellent quality in HD1080 and SD DV setting

CONS:
Slow in manual focusing (need turn ring few round only get object in-focus)
Slightly front Heavy even put on Battery NPF970 (If install -ON Camera Light).
Eye-piece unit (viewfinder very near to body cam even fully adjusted
(Don't think can use my ear-piece microphone when shooting on shoulder)
Too plasticizing feeling when holding

Conclusion:
Excellent HD/SD video quality with Single CMOS Chip from Sony.
What you pay, what you get, Great Value of money for this pro-cam.

You say the single 1"/3 CMOS is better than 3 CCD in low light Andrew, which surprises me. I always reckoned the HD1000 you have is a rehoused Sony A1, and that falls miles behind the Z1 in the gloom.

tom.

You don"t do weddings I think :) in total darkness no camera will perform but with only candlelight I really want to put my vx2100 next to your hvr-hd1000.
If it would perform better I would buy one tomorrow, even with all the disadvantages it has but I highly doubt that this is the case.
I thought this camera was a rehoused HDR-HC7?

Well guys,
1st, I must said "Totally NOT FAIR " If you compared HVR-HD1000 with Sony HVR-Z1U which is cost USD$5000 VS.. HVR-HD1000 USD$1600!.

With budget of USD5k, That's will make me to buy SONY PMW-EX1 XDCAM 3 chip CMOS rather than Z1U! so from the pricing wise, i don't think we should compared this two camcorder.

2nd, from the point of view, i owned Canon 3CCD XL1s which is SD format, In video Resolutions wise, i think SD will never get a better video quality than HD!

Again SONY vx2100 (in SD FORMAT) still cost few hundreds bucks more!

Andrew, you stated earlier: "Very Good in Low light situation with single chip CMOS - Better than 3CCD"

You didn't compare sd to hd, you just said it performed better then a 3ccd cam in low light conditions and the vx2100 is a 3ccd cam. Think you should have based your comparison with a specific cam and not generalize it to "3ccd". Think that Tom based his reaction on the same arguments as i did and that's the way you described it.

Also, the vx2100 is not produced anymore but you can still buy it in Belgium for about the same price as the HVR HD1000

Noa Put,
You're right, maybe little bit confusing here, i found that HVR-HD1000 is affordable so far for pro-entry-level videographers who willing to switch from SD to HD format!

When I first saw the HVR-HD1000 I thought I'd found the holy grail, until I saw what it was based on and what lack of good manual control it had.

If only they would have added decent manual control I might have considered this one as b-cam, but assigning all important controls to one ring is quite ridiculous. Also I read here a comment from a user who noticed that the camera had problems displaying the whites of a weddingdress right as it was overexposed but the rest of the image wasn't. This means the camera has problems separating different contrast in a picture. (see http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=119203)
Also it doesn't seem to have an nd filter which makes it even harder then to filter out those bright area's.

As I see it Sony made a mistake making this camera, if they would have made it based on camera's in the Canon xh-a1 range with the same controls but with the housing it has now and in the same price range of a xh-a1 the camera would have been a hit.

If it is indeed the Sony A1 inside a shoulder mount housing then it does indeed utilise inetrnal (and automatic) ND filtration Noa.

SUPPOSEDLY it is a rehoused HC7, which is not bad in low light, better than the A1U/HC1 by a smidge, and less noisy. Since it was released later than the HC7, it likely has some software tweaks so it's similar to the HC9, which is an updated HC7, and a bit cleaner in low light.

Sony really should consider using the sensor/electronics from the SR11/12 with reasonably proper manual controls, THAT would be a nice package.

That's the magic word. The biggest problem is not really the image quality as I see it.

Noa, no disrespect, but I think that statement may be going a little too far. I have shot with a Canon XH-A1 and found that under most lighting situations, the footage from my HD1000U was more pleasing to both my client and I. I have also shot with an XL1, XL2 and GL2 and for the most part, I feel that the SONY lines capture a more pleasing color gamut with rich coloration. It also could be due to the fact that my shoots with the canon cameras were when I was subcontracting so i didn't get the time to get as acclimated to the Canons as i do with my own cameras but I don't think this camera was a mistake by any stretch. Yes the controls are awkward and yes you have to fight with it to get the images you want sometimes but the price point is unbeatable. I am sure that SONY would agree with me in saying that this camera has a niche market and isn't recommended for people with larger budgets but it is a great entry level HDV unit.

I almost forgot posting this as it was May last year :) and in the meantime I'm working with a xh-a1, to be honest, I could not even imagine to work professionally with this camera having to choose between iris or focus or shutter and so on. If I were on a very tight budget and wanted to start in the wedding business I would buy it, just because you can't use a hv30 for instance as your main cam all the way. Then I would consider the form factor and the little more controll more important but as soon as I would have enough cash out it would go.

Sure it will find it's audience but if you take video seriously and if you have got the budget you would make a mistake buying this camera.

I do take video seriously. It is how I keep the roof over my family's head and how I express my artistry and I own this camera and I do not regret my purchase at all. i agree with you that not having access to all manual controls can be difficult but you can control this camera manually. For example, i lock the shutter to 60 in advance, have the rocker for the zoom, default focus to the ring and keep exposure on the touch lcd for quick changes, if I know I am going to have to "ride the iris" than i set focus, switch the ring over to exposure control, and queue up the spot focus to the touch screen in case i need to adjust something. You are right this is not a great UI but it can be a great camera if you are willing to rethink your shooting style. With the exception of ENG lenses almost all of the entry level/prosumer cameras are mock interfaces. The ring or dial or switch that we adjust is actually a circuit telling another part of the camera to do something, all this camera does differently is the interface, instead of a dial, i have a touchscreen or an assignable ring. True there is no gain adjustment but gain is locked in this camera to the exposure, I have never had grain issues because i lock down shutterspeed and expose very carefully. Have you ever tried shooting with one of these? I ask because I see no indication on your posts that you have firsthand experience to qualify your statements.

I am not recommending that this camera is for everyone, but in the right hands it can get stunning images, you just have to be a little more creative to work around the UI. At this price point, I for one, don't mind learning how to do it right until the better camera comes out...perhaps the FX1000/Z5 but we will have to wait and see. Best wishes.

I said, if you take video seriously AND if you have got the budget that buying a camera like this would be a mistake.
You can even get equally stunning images with a Canon HV30 (in good light conditions) and there are workarounds to controlling the most important settings on this one as well and it's even half as cheap but like the HD1000 is a big hassle to do that in run and gun situations.
But if it works for you then it's OK ofcourse.

biggest thing I wish it had was.... and xlr phantom connector!
 

otw seem to be getting some good stuff out of it!

I agree!
 

yes i definitely wish it had XLR too but you can get good adapters for a reasonable price and still come in under the cost of many of the other HDV cams out there. But man on board xlr would be nice...

is there any kind of a cable/connector that has little transformer ?? hate the box...
 

is there any kind of a cable/connector that has little transformer ?? hate the box...

Under other circumstances, in a pinch, with a different camera (do you like all the disclaimers) i once used a patch cable that was xlr to 1/4 trs male and then used an adapter to go from 1/4 female to 1/8 male to connect to the camera. So it is possible to do but I wouldn't recommend it because you have no way to control (attenuate) the signal so if the source gets too amped you could blow your input. FWIW...

line levels
 

yes.... the mult boxes i plug into seem to have selectable line/ mic position... yea... do not want to feed a line level signal into the cameras mic jack! boom....

yes that experiment I tried was a desperate act in a remote location, knowing what I know now i would never try it again... God watches over fools and children (most of the time...)

Bryan,

How does this camera work for receptions? Do you typically run a light on the camera? I am looking to replace my DVC7 with something that shoots HD and native 16:9. I also have a JVC HD1 and it tends to be way too bright outside in sunlight, any issues like that with the Sony?

Thanks

dark rooms and the 1000
 

I use one of the sony lights that has all the leds in it.. uses same batt as camera so I am only stocking one batt type.... I am a news shooter and although I normally do not shoot weedings I am in many of the same type lighting condition

Good question with a tricky answer. It does not generally handle low light situations well. I do use a Bescor MPL 635 interview light with barndoors and dimmer switch when needed. I have found ways to make it work but last fall I shot a wedding where the reception was in the couple's backyard under a tent lit with those rope Xmas lights and nothing else. In the sunlight or under professional lighting this thing is awesome. Below are some raw screengrabs from that wedding as the night progressed. You can see how things got more hairy as the night progressed.

Afternoon sun
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o..._screen_03.jpg

Around dusk
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o..._screen_01.jpg

Deep into the night - on camera light on 2nd camera at 90 degrees from this vantage
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o..._screen_02.jpg

I fixed the grain and aberrations in post but it does a great job in the right conditions. Hope that helps!

Thanks Bryan.
The first picture definitely looks nice. It seems to behave about the same as my DVC7 in lower light but with better definition. Very rarely do I shoot a reception without my 50watt camera light so I don't think it would be too big a deal.
How bright a light were you using? So the third pic only has light from the second camera? How would it look if the light was on the HD1000?

If you look up on the tent behind the B & G you can see the lighting they provided. The only additional lighting was my on cam light at about 75% power on a 50watt bulb but that % is approximate because I was only looking for a balance to give you an idea of how my PD170 saw the same image. This is a screen grab from my 170.

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o..._screen_04.jpg

So if the low light champ saw it this way than you can imagine how dark it was...

Here is side by side. Granted I corrected it before delivery but this is what has me leaning toward the FX1000 or Z5 for my next purchase
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o...en_campare.jpg

Thanks Bryan, I appreciate you taking the time to post the screen grabs. I'd say all things considered the HD1000 seems to perform pretty well for a 1 chip camera. I might just pick one up with the idea of making it a second cam to a better 3 chip camera down the road.

Right Gear with "RIGHT PAY!"
 

I must said it; "With Right Gear come with right PAY!

we hired 2 fresh video assistants for wedding shoot with HD1000 and they found it very Handy to used and the most important part we get the job done without much time in training and guiding.

This HD1000, i strongly recommend for Entry-Level & Semi pro videographer in tight budget.
we managed to used it for multiple cam in "LCD Live-feed & recording, performed great!

How many of you use SONY PMW-EX3 XDCAM EX HD Camcorder (Cost USD8k) for the wedding?

For situation like "Bryan Daugherty" we normally use spot light 600Watt and mix with dance/disco lighting or stage light setup, that will make you show and video looks good!

If you really into wedding business, Lights is 1 of the major and put in consideration point, not just you carry camcorder and start shooting!...

So you guys think "should i get "SONY PMW-EX3 XDCAM" for my next purchase list?

A EX3 is a total different class of camera compared to the hd1000 and there is no comparison between the two. if you have the budget for a ex3 you can't go wrong with it, eventhough it's not a real shouldercam with some shouldersupport add ons it's easily converted into on.

Only you won't be able to hand the camera over to your videoassistents and hope it will be OK, this camera needs a lot more experience or practice compared to a hd1000 to be able to controll it right.

Andrew, I am saving money for an FX7 at first I was gunning for the HD1000 but I am having concerns about the single cmos. I light the reception the same way you do, 2 Tota Lights @ 500w each plus a sun gun, would you mind posting a clip of the reception? I would be saving $ 900 bucks if I were to go with the HD1000, I can buy an HV20 as a second camera or an entry level glidecam with that money.

Thanks in advance.

***3CMOS always 1st Choice !
 

Noel, i will recommended you go for FX7 if you have budget for it. Picture quality are always concern if you compared with Single CMOS to 3CMOS FX7 especially in Low-light situation. if FX7 is your 1st Camcorder into Business, i strongly suggested you go with FX7, and in future when you get extra bucks then consider HD1000 as a 2nd cam.

i will try my best if possible to post video clip for HD1000.
thanks

I am going to assume that I am mis-reading this and you are not insinuating that I just "carry a camcorder and start shooting..."

I have lots of equip, including lights, this guy (I say guy because the groom booked me) didn't pay for lighting or extra personnel and informed me that he wanted no additional lighting-but on camera light was fine. I informed him of my professional opinion on the matter and he didn't share it. He was paying the bill and the client makes the decision and signed the contract. I brought the screengrabs in here because this was a good example of extreme low light and i thought it illustrative of the point of what this cam's limitations are and how good it can be.

"Dance/disco lighting?" I am a videographer not a DJ, I can recommend a nice DJ...

When I need it and a client is willing to pay for it, I use 3 ARRI 650's, 2 ARRI 300's, Chimera softboxes, lightstands, gels, scrims, barndoors, get the idea?

Sorry if I am ranting a little but your statement got under my skin a little. If you meant it in another way than I am sorry.

Gotta agree with Noa here. You all can tell how much I love my HD1000u but to compare it to an EX3 would be like comparing the EX3 to a PDW-700. They are in very different classes in price and delivery. If you have the budget for EX3 and it's media, then by all means that is the way to go. Beautiful cam.

Noel-At the time I bought my HD1000U the FX7 was discontinued and they had not announced it's resurrection. If it was around, my decision may have been much harder with the pricepoints so close. If you are buying a lead/main cam I would lean toward Andrew's assessment that the FX7 might do better for you in that price point. But I have never shot with the FX7.

Hey guys, well I was just able to use my HD1000 in a professional situation. And well to be honest...I wasn't impressed by the feel of the camera...at least the "manual" controls. I had been working at the local CBS affiliate as a News Photographer and there I used the Panasonic AG-HVX200 and got really used to the manual controls. Now, I know that I can't compare, an won't, the two given the price difference and such. But I was wondering, what work flows have you guys developed to adjust to the single function ring and the touchscreen interface.

The work flow question is a great one.

I used to shoot everything with my DVX100 and sold it and another SD Panni to go to HD.

Before I sold my DVX, I bought the HD1000 and a client bought an HC9 and then gave it to me.

In good light, I was happy with these cameras in DV as B and C to the DVX.

Now that I sold the DVX, I bought an FX1000 as my A camera and coupled it with my old Beachtek, you know for sound.

Okay, the way I use the HD1000U is to personalize the touchscreen home menu. I have it set so that I can tap a few times and get everything ready. I almost always leave the ring on exposure, and I take down the sharpness (detail) and color a couple of settings. Usually, I set the shutter to 1/30 but that sometimes depends on lighting. If you set up the touch screen it isn't bad.

I'm now using an old MKE300 for sound on this because I usually have my wireless lavs or handheld on the A camera. Set the HD1000 microphone menu to manual as well.

One last thing worth mentioning is the cinematic mode. I've shot in complete auto using cinematic mode on both my HC9 and HD1000U and I have to say it is good. You can still control white balance shift and I like to go a little hot with the color at times which looks rich. And if you do that, set the ring to focus (because exposure is auto).

With my show, I like lots of subject movement and this shoulder camera works very well. Auto functions (especially focus) has been adequate but less responsive if you are using the cinematic mode.

Hope that answers your question. Could you tell me if you are shooting for TV with this camera? I'm also impressed to hear that a CBS affiliate was using the HVX (which is now like $3700 at BH maybe just used but it is priced that way). My old producer and I used to lock horns over BETA and MinDV. I can't edit analog BETA but TV insisted that we shoot on those cameras. It was so frustrating. I liked the image, but I never got to edit anything which sucked. Plus, it added to cost, I don't shoot BETA, so, we had to bring someone in with that equipment. I was often appalled to stand in front of such a camera when I knew I could have gotten similar (and something I could edit) results with my DVX.

I'm just ranting, we all have these stories.

No I'm not shooting for TV with the HD1000. I bought it for event videography.

Well I believe they had bought them about a year earlier since they made the switch to the Avid work flow (NewsCutter XP, iNews, & Airspeed). On the HVX200 they mainly shoot to P2 Cards and occasionally MiniDV whenever they come into a tight spot. For example, during the past hurricane I lost one of my P2 cards because it got wet and had to resort to MiniDV for about two weeks in what it dried out. And honestly most of the other stations own at least one HVX200...the NBC affiliate airs their newscast in HD, the others still shoot and broadcast SD only, and all their cameras are HVX200.

That makes complete sense. I do movie related ENG and a lot for Internet. I like to control everything technically (I'm the host, writer, editor, and camera most of the time unless it is an A-List kind of thing).

Last year, I interviewed a number of A-List talent and all of them were on BETA. I interviewed Kevin Costner and it was on BETA! Needless to say, that interview did not end up on the Internet. Sore point. I've not done an A-List interview this year, but summer is coming, and I wonder what format they will be using. They should switch to the HVX. It is a great camera. A buddy of mine just shot a short film with it and lenses, and when projected in the theatre, it looked very film like.

I agree with you. The point of my post was my conflict in work flows between those two cameras. The HVX pampered by having most of the controls at my fingertips plus I had the near instant shoot/edit work flow with the P2 cards. And needless to say I miss that VERY much. But the HD1000 sports it share of 'cons', and like I had read in another post, it's a matter of adjusting our shooting style to comply with the camera. The HD1000 in my opinion would make a decent camera for TV if: 1.) Whoever is shooting invests in one of Sony's hard disk recorders to ease the work flow for the tight deadlines of TV. 2.) Most of the shooting is done in a controlled environment where one doesn't need to be adjusting settings constantly. 3.) Adds an XLR adapter.

Thankfully, my documentary work is not tight and my show deadlines are 2 times monthly. So tape is great with me. Like most folks out there who have always shot on tape, there is something about having the tape that is comforting to me.

Like most video guys, I have boxes and boxes of tapes. I try to keep them all organized, but you know how that is.

How are you archiving with tapeless? Do you just buy a new harddrive every few months or what?

Actually I record to MiniDV. I made the recommendation of the hard disk recorder in case the HD1000 were to be employed for TV then it be something that would ease work flow since TV deadlines can be pretty demanding. But an archive alternative, at least at the station I used to work in, was DVDs. We would export our stories to '.mov' and archive. They still archived to DVCPRO tape for a while when I started around this time last year but they switched since it was less time consuming and the video retained most of it's quality compared to tapes that loss quality every time one would scrobble through them over and over again.

I'm pretty much going with DVD for finished projects these days. I edit on a crazy machine called the S4KP. It was an upgrade from my AVIO that I've used and has served me well for years. I do have a MACBookPro with Final Cut and I use that for Internet compression.

With the S4KP, I think I can archive smaller projects in HDV to dvd. I know that my admission of editing on the S4KP is probably going lower my status on this forum, but believe me, I get professional results. Clients have not complained. But I've developed a number of work arounds over the years to produce quality.

Also, the HD1000 works seamlessly with the system. It accepts full HDV and, of course, downconvert. I used to use my HD1000 downconvert with the AVIO with might good results. This made the jump to the HD1000 ("jump" from the DVX100) easy.

I actually cut a feature on the AVIO finished last year. While this is not recommended, I'm so quick with the machine, I can't part with that system.

Beginners luck with the HVR 1000
 

Hello all, I just bought the Sony HVR HD1000 from Dubai at a bargain price and immediately set about launching a wedding videography business. So far my clients have been very happy with my work but personally I find the problems with gain and grainy images irritaing and I cant in good conscience charge what I would like to charge them due to that.
My questions are:
Considering that the image played back on the LCD doesnt tell you the truth about the amount of gain added, how can you be sure . My last event I tried shooting under exposed but I think it just ended being dark.
2. When shooting in manual and using the zebras at a wedding, you cant keep adjusting the exposure mid shot. Will it be advisable to buy a neutral density filter shoot in auto and cinematic mode and risk a violent beating from the groom.?
How will shutter speed aid my production. I have a wedding in june. I am thinking of renting a z1 and using it on auto. Please help