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Upgrading Canon HV20

post #1 of 12
2/2/13 at 5:14pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all..
i beg your pardon if i'm in the wrong section..
I'd like to improve the quality of my video recording changing my actual camera a canon HV20.
I've had different consumer camera from Sony TRV 7E to a 3CCD Panasonic (all in Standard definition).
It's some year i use the Canon HV20 (HDV) and i recorder my vacation and my wife record my windsurfing session..
Ok i think this Camera takes good shoot..but i think too that i could catch better result with a new camera..
So i'd like to upgrade the Canon to obtain a better image quality.
The condition are with a strong light (usually in outdoor) under the sun..and the subject is moving at 20-25 knotes..
i know i'm slow on the windsurf...but i'm old too... smile.gif
So it could be a good idea take a camera capable to record at good frames (at least 50 interlaced or better ..progressive)
and in manual mode adjiusting the shutter speed..
So upon your opinion wich camera could be a good choice...?
I'm looking around and i'm interested in the following products...:
Canon XF100
Canon HF G10
JVC GC-PX100
Panasonic HC-X920
i think i could find some good offer in the second hand market for the firs two products..
I'm open also to other suggestion...
thank you very much for the time you dedicate in helping me..
master64
ps. If i could iìd like to make this upgrade before June..when i hpe to go to spent some days in windsurfing.. smile.gif
Edited by master64 - 2/2/13 at 5:22pm
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post #2 of 12
2/2/13 at 9:50pm
Unless you are worried that a tape-based camcorder may malfunction in breezy, salty and sandy air, I would keep the HV20. It set the standard in 2007 for a consumer HD camcorder and is still quite a contender. The XF100 and the HF G10 use a sensor which is a development of the HV20's sensor. Yes, it is better, mainly in low light, although not by mile, but in good light the HV20 is just as good. The effective resolution is pretty much the same.

The HV20 can be used in full manual mode. Insert an SD card into the camera, now when you half-press Photo button you will see exposure parameters. Set the camera to shutter priority mode. Lock exposure. Half-press Photo button, the camera will display F-stop and shutter speed. Increase or decrease exposure, half-press Photo button again, the camera will display new F-stop value. There will be a bunch of F4 values, these correspond to the ND filter, which covers about 3 stops if I am not mistaken. Each exposure step adds/removes 1/4 of a stop or 1.5 dB of gain when the lens opens fully.

If you think you really need 1080p50 then look at Panasonic and Sony models.
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post #3 of 12
2/3/13 at 1:11am
i have the hv30 great cam but now as well the CANON XA10 which to all tence and purposes is the same cam as the G10,its a lot better than the HV30,brilliant color and low light performance,i also have a pana FZ150 i find 50P of no value, the canon XA10s PQ blows the FZ150s 50P away.
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post #4 of 12
2/3/13 at 2:27pm
You cannot compare apples and boxes for apples.
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post #5 of 12
2/4/13 at 2:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ungermann View Post

You cannot compare apples and boxes for apples.

Thats whats done on here most of the time.
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post #6 of 12
2/4/13 at 7:47am
If I was going windsurfing I would buy a Sony GW77 just because it is waterproof.
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post #7 of 12
2/4/13 at 9:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bsprague View Post

If I was going windsurfing I would buy a Sony GW77 just because it is waterproof.

Yes, and for action sports like windsurfing shooting 50p is essential. You cannot use 24p - too slow a frame rate - and 60i (interlaced) reduces resolution.
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post #8 of 12
2/5/13 at 3:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by markr041 View Post

Yes, and for action sports like windsurfing shooting 50p is essential. You cannot use 24p - too slow a frame rate - and 60i (interlaced) reduces resolution.

Its 50i pal frame rate here and its the same resolution as the 25P Wrapped frame rate. My Tests prove it matches my GH2s resolutiion,
For sailing or whatever i know it thrashes my other cameras 50P.
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post #9 of 12
2/5/13 at 6:09am
Thread Starter 
Thank you to everybody for the time you've dedicated in answering to me..

first of all i've made a mistake...i have a HV30 and not the HV20...but if i remember fine there is not so much difference between the two models..

@Ungermann
1) Am i worried about the tape...?
You are right..i'm little worried about the life's tape mechanism...and for this reason i'm planning to put all my tapes (roughly 50) into my NAS..
So i'm thinking to have more flexibility having a camera that write the files directly on a memory..(SD, CF, or SSD)..

2) i never used a Card inside my Canon HV30...and now i've no one "miniSD" card...so...
a) i bought a Transcend MicroSDHC 8GB memory card with 2 adaptors (SD e MiniSD) for 8 Euro....

3) Thank you very much for your useful information about how to use the HV30 (or HV20) in manual mode)
The question is...until i'll receive the card...do you think it's possible use your instructions..?

@bsprague
for this particular need i wear an old (2 years...) "Contour 1080p"
see this link:
http://contour.com/videos/watch/winfsurfing-in-karpathos

My wyfe use the Canon HV30 from a safe place..on a tripod..

@markr041
you too are thinking thats an higher frame rate would be useful for action sport shhoting..?..

@flintyplus
if i have right understood your opinion (i'm sorry but i'm not so confortable with English..)
a) you disagree with the Markr041 opinion..and you think that the progressive mode id not useful..
b) you are using your Panasonic GH2S with the output 1920x1080 at 50i with good result..?

I'm waiting your comments...thank you very much to you all for you time..
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post #10 of 12
2/5/13 at 8:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by master64 View Post

Thank you to everybody for the time you've dedicated in answering to me..

first of all i've made a mistake...i have a HV30 and not the HV20...but if i remember fine there is not so much difference between the two models..

@Ungermann
1) Am i worried about the tape...?
You are right..i'm little worried about the life's tape mechanism...and for this reason i'm planning to put all my tapes (roughly 50) into my NAS..
So i'm thinking to have more flexibility having a camera that write the files directly on a memory..(SD, CF, or SSD)..

2) i never used a Card inside my Canon HV30...and now i've no one "miniSD" card...so...
a) i bought a Transcend MicroSDHC 8GB memory card with 2 adaptors (SD e MiniSD) for 8 Euro....

3) Thank you very much for your useful information about how to use the HV30 (or HV20) in manual mode)
The question is...until i'll receive the card...do you think it's possible use your instructions..?

@bsprague
for this particular need i wear an old (2 years...) "Contour 1080p"
see this link:
http://contour.com/videos/watch/winfsurfing-in-karpathos

My wyfe use the Canon HV30 from a safe place..on a tripod..

@markr041
you too are thinking thats an higher frame rate would be useful for action sport shhoting..?..

@flintyplus
if i have right understood your opinion (i'm sorry but i'm not so confortable with English..)
a) you disagree with the Markr041 opinion..and you think that the progressive mode id not useful..
b) you are using your Panasonic GH2S with the output 1920x1080 at 50i with good result..?

I'm waiting your comments...thank you very much to you all for you time..

Sorry no i do use progressive as well as 50i,my GH2 HAS 24P as well as 50i and 25P albeit in a wrapper,my FZ150 records 50P as well as 50i but its 50P has no more resolution or any advantage to 50i which is why i use that on the FZ150 plus i make Blu Rays and none of my BD players will play 50P.Regarding my XA10 it has 25P as well as 50i and tests look great in either frame rate,My GH2 also has a 720P option but that is lower resolution.If people find 50P an advantage fine,at present i have no need of it.

Edit i should clarify 720P & 24P are universial to pal and ntsc,25P is equivalent to ntsc 30P and 50P to ntsc 60P,50i is the pal 60i
Edited by flintyplus - 2/5/13 at 8:25am
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post #11 of 12
2/5/13 at 11:13am
> 3) Thank you very much for your useful information about how to use the HV30 (or HV20) in manual mode)
> The question is...until i'll receive the card...do you think it's possible use your instructions..?

No, the camcorders that primarily uses other media (tape or built-in HDD) will not display full exposure info without a card. When you inserd a card, you need to select an option called "simultaneous still shot while shooting a video" or something like that, so you can make still shots in video mode, THEN the camera will show exposure parameters when you half-press Photo button. You still will have to deduce some numbers, but it is better than nothing.
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post #12 of 12
2/5/13 at 12:39pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you very much...
So i need to wait until i'll will receive the card i bought..
As soon as it will arrive i'll try...and i inform you..
Thak you very much for your help..
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