DV vs HD

[392]

Guys, I've been overseas for 5 years and out of the loop. Wow have things changed!! I've got a couple of projects to produce and the cameras I have are the VX2100 and GY500u.

How do these hold up to the new HD cameras like the JVC GY-HD110U.

If I still work in these formats will this be ok for the future? With everything going widescreen and HD, is DV and DVcam on the way out or does it have a future?

Any help is appreciated as I'm way behind the times and need to get caught up fast!

Many thanks and Merry Christmas, Tim

[edDV]

Depends what market you are targeting. There will still be 4:3 video around for some time.

Your GY500u won't do 16:9 natively but the VX2100 will. Wide DV still makes a nice picture.

The JVC GY-HD110U is specialized to 720p/60 HDV but makes a great action cam. Good 1080i HDV is available for less.

Editing HD can be a challenge. Understand the full work flow.

[392]

Thanks Eddv

I will still have to shoot in 4:3. The VX 2100 dies a poor job at wide as it's not a native wide camera. The resolution is too soft.

My market is mail order instructional martial arts videos. I would prefer to stay in 4-3 as my cameras are basically new and don't care to upgrade at this time.

[JohnnyMalaria]

There are also objectionable artifacts with the MPEG2 compression used by HDV, notably with fast action - martial arts would probably fall into that camp. Of course, most HDV camcorders can record in DV, too.

I have some footage of an outdoor scene with heavy snow falling and red cardinals flying around to and from a bird feeder. At one point, one of them flies directly towards the camcorder. A really nice scene save the obvious blockiness of its red breast. The color and overall detail are marvellous but the blockiness is *very* distracting. (When I play the video with VLC, I can make the snow go up, too - depending on the settings!)

[lordsmurf]

The more I read about HDV, the less I like it. I'm planning to skip HDV altogether, and go for something higher end.

[edDV]

XDCAM-HD has a bit more bandwidth (35Mb/s) and more audio channels but is otherwise the same. AVC-Intra would be nice but is currently too expensive.

[lordsmurf]

I'd love for my next camera to be able to mount my Nikon lenses. I've posted some of the DV articles (scanned) here before. I'd be willing to budget $5,000 for it, when the time came. For me, that's a few years off, so I'm curious what the market will have for me at that time!

[edDV]

I'd love for my next camera to be able to mount my Nikon lenses. I've posted some of the DV articles (scanned) here before. I'd be willing to budget $5,000 for it, when the time came. For me, that's a few years off, so I'm curious what the market will have for me at that time!

Canon has a lock on that market with power zoom lenses for the XL series. Watch for a used Canon XL-H1 (new ~ $6000 with a 20x standard detachable zoom). You can use Canon EF or EOS camera lenses.
http://www.usa.canon.com/app/html/XLH1/genuine_canon_optics.shtml

[JohnnyMalaria]

Bear in mind that any camcorder that can accept other lenses via an adapter will only be as good as the lens built in to the camcorder. i.e., no point investing $1000s for lenses if they ultimately go through a crapola one. Of course, if you already have the lenses then that's a different story - but don't expect miracles(!)