HAs anyone had any experience with the Canon HV20 or HG10? I need help deciding on a camera.?

Question

I am in the 3D industry and im looking at getting a camera for doing some of my own personal projects. I have researched alot of different makes and watched clips on you tube taken with the cameras. These 2 cameras stood out. The Hv 20 seemed to have more of a cimematic look as apposed to the HG10 but I like the HG10 for the fact that you dont have to capture the footage but if the HV 20 is better i dont have a problem capturing footage. The clips i am making reference to are Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U1QLruk1Ms they are filmed with the Hv 20. The HV 30 didnt seem to have such a cinematic look which is mainly what i want. Is this effect just due to good camera work and editing or has it got to do with the camera being a minidv and being filmed in 24p? Would I be able to achieve it with the HG10. Any help or advice is greatly apprecieted.

Answer 1

Both cameras are great choices, but I would recommend going with the HV20. I have honestly never used the HG10, but I have read quite a bit on it. I often use the HV20, and am very familiar with it, so I may be partial.

         The first thing that comes into my mind is that they are different formats; the HV20 is HDV (tape based miniDV) while the HG10 is an AVCHD hard drive camera (tapeless). I know it is probably more convenient not to capture to the computer, but I still prefer HDV for 2 reasons:

     1) MiniDV tapes are compatible with most, if not all, editing programs. Looking at AVCHD, the only software that I have found to work is the Sony Vegas Series. Don't get me wrong, the Sony Vegas systems are very good, and a very popular choice, however, you are limiting yourself. Also, there is much better software out there such as Apple's Final Cut Pro, and my personal favorite, Avid Media Composer. With the recent growth of tapeless media formats in the consumer and professional range, I expect these programs will allow for AVCHD editing in the future, but just not right now.

2) I have not had the best experience with AVCHD cameras. In general, HDV gives you better picture resolution, while AVCHD does not yield true HD. It is my understanding that AVCHD is more compressed in order to save memory space, which compromises the video quality. By no means does this mean the picture quality on the HG10 is bad, it is still very very good, it just might be better on the HV20.

   The HV20 is an excellent little camera, that excells in point-and-shoot situations. However, I have one problem with it; it seriously lacks good manual controls! If you are the type that really wants to take control of your image, this camera may frustrate you. The white balance, aperture, and shutter speed buttons are hidden in a menu that you have to scroll through every time you want to change anything. The HV20 also lacks of manual focus ring. Instead, it has an annoying, inaccurate little k**b on the side of the lens. This is usually not a problem, as the HV20 has the fastest, and one of the most accurate autofocus functions I have ever seen.

    I imagine that the HG10 has similar quirks, being that it is a similar camcorder at a similar price, so its not something to take into huge consideration, you will do fine in auto mode.

Regarding your question about a cinematic look, both cameras will be able to be equally as good, as both have 24p. The same goes for the HV30, the HV20's upgrade; the video you saw was probably just not filmed in 24p... Just in case you want to consider that camera as well... Going back to the cinematic look, its not just about 24p. To be honest, 24p does not look much like film, at least until you put it through post production. 24p is a great feature if you are willing to put up with editing hassels. If you are interested in taking the cinematic look, further, I would consider a 35mm adapter. Apart from the film grain that 24p gives you, these adapters give you a nice and shallow depth of field, immitating that of 35mm film cameras. Redrock Micro is famous for excellent adapters, and I hear Cinevate Inc. makes them too!

http://www.redrockmicro.com/

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controll...

Sorry if I got a bit carried away. Good luck!