Sony HVR-A1P (is it any good)

[glenpinn]

hey guys, well some might recall my posts regarding buying a new HD cam, and had almost decided on either a panny HS300 or the TM300 (both AVCHD cams) and i decided not to go for HDV cams for various reasons (mainly tape format)

anyway, last week i bought a friends VX2100E dv cam for $500au just to do some more family stuff (replaced my NV-GS400) but i have had a chance to buy one of these Sony HVR-A1P HDV cams at what appears to be a decent price but i just need to ask what you good people reckon about this particular model cam.

as always i appreciate your help and advice

cheers

[zoobie]

well, it's a whopping 4 inches long...
look up reviews here
www.camcorderinfo.com

[minidv2dvd]

the a1 uses the same oversaturated cmos sensor as the consumer version hc1. the canon hv20/30/40 is a better cam for HDV work. you can add an external mic and lens hood if it doesn't look "pro" enough. and for the price you can get 2 or 3 hv30s.

[turk690]

And the HC1 is first generation, with all the ills (any?) 1st gen stuff always have, for better or for worse. Although I haven't touched an HC1, I have tried an HC7 and its Canon HV20/30 counterparts and I agree with what camcorderinfo.com has to say.

[glenpinn]

hey thx guys, you answered it all for me in your replies.

theres one thing i look for when i ask for opinions that helps me make my mind up one way or another, and that being how many negative replies one gets in such a short period of time, and in this case, 3 replies all basically saying "DO NOT GET THIS CAM"

its all i needed to hear, considering i had my doubts about HDV recording in the first place, then this was offered at what seemed a bloody good price, but i needed to hear it from those who are more in the "know" than i am.

cheers and thx again.

[mrswla]

theres one thing i look for when i ask for opinions that helps me make my mind up one way or another, and that being how many negative replies one gets in such a short period of time, and in this case, 3 replies all basically saying "DO NOT GET THIS CAM"

And how many of those three replies actually owns or has had hands on experience with an HVR-A1U/P?

I own both the HC1 and and A1U and both are great cams. Let me know where this great deal is, so that I can get it then.

[edDV]

Depends on the price. These still go for a 2x$ premium on eBay vs the consumer oriented HC3 so it may offer a resale opportunity. The HC1 and A1 had more manual controls vs. later Sony models.

For $ compare to a HV20/30 with a Beachtek DXA-2s.

For performance, read the camcorderinfo reviews then ask for more.

A low use VX2100E for $500au is a major bargain.

[glenpinn]

And how many of those three replies actually owns or has had hands on experience with an HVR-A1U/P?
I own both the HC1 and and A1U and both are great cams. Let me know where this great deal is, so that I can get it then.

i read enough about the A1U from camcorderinfo and several other places to realize i could get a better cam in the price range this guy wanted ($1750au) and he ended up selling it apparently for $2250au in ebay so he scored a fair bit more than i was going to pay.

if your inclined, he pointed me towards this Sony HDR-HC1E going in ebay for $1500au or best offer.
it recently got passed in at $1800 and relisted.
i was going to offer $1200 and see if he accepted, but im thinking he just might not go that low.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=200356011498

[zoobie]

you mean passed over?
that's probably more than it cost new
I remember some idiot in Texas listing 10 of these that he never had...

[glenpinn]

you mean passed over?
that's probably more than it cost new
I remember some idiot in Texas listing 10 of these that he never had...

"passed over" ???

and given several of these A1P cams sold recently in ebay aust for over $2200 i thought the $1750 tag he offered me was decent, obviously not.

what you guys think of the HC1 for $1500 or best offer ???

A low use VX2100E for $500au is a major bargain.

yeah these still sell for about $1700au here in OZ and the one i bought was actually bought from ebay as a faulty camera and my friend paid $1000 for it. it wasnt faulty, the guy who owned it for 1 year didnt know how to use it.

was used mainly for skate filming and some college production shoots. great cam in low light too, shits on the GS-400 i have, which isnt so good in low light, but has a great picture otherwise.

i wish i still had my AV-DVX100E now, i wouldnt be bothering about new cams if i still had that.

[zoobie]

passed in???

I was speaking of the HC1....
What's $1500au in US dollars?

[glenpinn]

I was speaking of the HC1....
What's $1500au in US dollars?

$1500au = $1200us

so which of those 2 HDV cams is the best one, or cant you compare them like that.

[edDV]

IMO the Canon HV30 beats the first generation Sony HC1 and camcorderinfo agrees.

[mrswla]

the HC1 is a consumer cam. The A1 is are prosumer cam. The A1 has XLR audio inputs and can record in DVCAM mode. Both have the same optics. I have both and use both. I use the A1 for the main audio and then mix video from both cams. I spent $1500 us on the hc1 and $2600 with a $400 rebate on the a1. Both were brand new units.

[mrswla]

I would agree with edDV, see if you can get a cannon hv20/30 for the price you are trying to spend. Cannons are known to have better low light levels than sonys.

[zoobie]

With one of these little cams, you could then "pro up" with the R & G rig below...
http://vimeo.com/3107236
too bad it cost more than the upsidedown camera

[glenpinn]

I would agree with edDV, see if you can get a cannon hv20/30 for the price you are trying to spend. Cannons are known to have better low light levels than sonys.

the canon HV30 sells here in aust for about $1200au upwards to $1600 ($900us-$1300us) depending where you buy.

i cant, as yet, locate the panasonic HDC-HS300 or TM300 AVCHD cams but the 200 series of the same cams are still about the $1500 mark.

EDIT: well i didnt think the canon HV40 was out in australia yet, but here we go, $1299au ($950us) for this one in ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BRAND-NEW-Canon-HV-40-HV40-Camcorder-AUSTRALIAN-STOCK_W0QQitemZ...3A1%7C294%3A50

$1249au here at this store
http://www.ozdirect.com/pid/84345/product_info.php?source=adwords&client=daily1&osadca...FU8wpAodizl_wQ

would this cam still shoot in 1440x1080 ???

i see it listed over at camcorderinfo.com, but man it takes a hiding from some of the public in their comments.
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Canon-Returns-with-Another-HDV-Camcorder-the-HV40-35813.htm

anyway, im still in 2 minds about HDV, and especially this HV40 cam, i think a HV30 would be a better option if going with HDV.

the HV40 is a ponce of a cam to look at side on, i mean its horrid.

the Canon Vixia HF S100 is the canon cam i would get i think if i was going AVCHD to sd card, but overall the HS300/TM300 cams seem hard to beat overall.

[zoobie]

You'd have to buy from a certified dealer on eBay or it voids the cam's mfg warranty. You need that to get a mfg's extended warranty.
For example, if you're spending $1000, what's another $100 for a 3-4 year extended warranty? These high tech cam are expensive to fix.

You may be able to get around this with a unrelated 3rd party warranty but I wouldn't want to try these if the mfg's is available...