Canon Vixia S30 Vs. Sony HDR-HC1

[Obtong]

I partnered with an elementary school teacher on a video project for Veterans Day and this is the time my Vixia S30 (HDV) has chosen to stop working. I don't want to let them down so I want to be able to finish the project over the weekend in time for their Monday assembly. I can use a Sony HDR-HC1 miniDV HDV to finish the project using HDSplit for capture. Would I expect to see a noticeable difference in quality between the video from each camera, especially in a video made up from clips from both cameras.

Using miniDV tapes adds extra steps and time, I know, but I can handle that. I have a Dell M4500 workstation with a firewire port that has handled my other transfers well.

I don't have the funds right now to purchase a decent video camera to replace my broken Vixia S30, so I may use the Sony HDR-HC1 until I can afford something better. I hope the Sony won't disappoint.

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

[smrpix]

Test it. Cut some clips together and see if you find it acceptable.

[johnmeyer]

I think your post is slightly in error, but I think that is probably a typo. The Vixia S30 is a 1920x1080 HD (not HDV) camcorder, whereas the HDR-HC1 actually is an HDV device, recording at 1440x1080 but, using non-square pixels, it produces an output that is 1920x1080. Obviously it will not have quite the same ability to resolve in the horizontal direction.

However, in answer to your question, you can intermix them and it will look just fine (see below for an actual example). I have been doing this for almost a decade, using my semi-pro Sony FX-1 (HDV), that I've had since 2005, as my main camcorder, but then using various other camcorders to get different angles when shooting a live event. I often shoot weddings with four camcorders, with some cameras shooting 4K, most shooting 1920x1080, and then my trusty, wonderful FX1 with me on the controls, providing the main video at 1920x1440. The fantastic glass and the other pro features of that old workhorse gives me video that still looks absolutely amazing.

So, don't worry: intermixing footage from those two cameras will look just fine.

Below is a link to a highlight video from a wedding I shot several years ago. I've queued it up to the beginning of the ceremony. The entrance shots were taken with my HDV FX1. I used four cameras. The shot from behind was taken with my Sony AS100V action cam. I can conceal that so no one can see it, which makes it great for getting shots towards the audience. The shots from the audience' left side was taken with a Panasonic Lumix ZS100 pocket camera shooting 1920x1080 (it can shoot in 4K, but it shuts itself off after only ten minutes). The shot from the audience right side was taken with a Sony CX700.

I don't think you'll notice much difference.

The only issue -- and this can be a bitch to get right -- is to match the colors. If you ever have to do this again, I recommend that you set all cameras to their indoor or outdoor preset, as appropriate, because auto white balance can shift and make it even more impossible to get good color matching. You can also balance against a white card.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a19t5FrDnM&t=54s

[edit]I notice that YouTube defaults to displaying at 720p. I suggest you change that to 1080p, which is the resolution I used when uploading.

[Obtong]

John, thank you for your reply to my posting. I found the info you provided very helpful, as was the video. To my eye all the clips looked great. Thanks also for the tip about matching the indoor/outdoor presets.

I recorded a few clips of tape and imported them into Vegas. I exported the combined clips at 1080-60i and was quite pleased with the results. I feel I now have the confidence to proceed with the Veterans Day project and also to use the Sony HDR-HC1 with other projects until I can afford a new camera. Thanks.

[johnmeyer]

It sounds like you have it all figured out. If you have any questions about using Vegas for this, let me know. I've used it for 20+ years, have written hundreds of scripts for it (Vegas Pro), and posted thousands of times on the old Sonic Foundry / Sony forum.

One thing to note is that if any of your clips are from the same moment in time (i.e., you were filming with multiple cameras) PluralEyes is a wonderful add-on to Vegas that will sync everything up at the push of a button. You can then use Vegas' "Multi-Camera" feature to quickly switch between cameras.

P.S. One thing I forgot to mention is that I did a rotten job of matching colors in that example I posted. I'm not sure why I didn't do a better job. It does show, however, that what I said is true: it is really tough to get them to match.