HDV cameras

[Jason Love]

The sensor chips picking up light on HDV cameras are bigger than DV cameras right?

 

So I presume using a HD camera means produce better light, colour, and depth of field results that are somewhat closer to 16mm quality than standard DV is?

 

What about using a HD camera on standard DV resolution? Is the properties of light, colour, and depth of field etc... maintained in both 1080 and 576 resolution? [PAL] Or if you use a HD camera with standard resolution is it the same as using a DV camera?

 

Im using a Sony HVR V1E on standard resolution 576 DVCAM mode 25p 1/50 shutter speed. Am i wasting my time shooting with this camera in standard DV?

[Rob White]

The size of the CCD/CMOS varies between HDV cameras, just as it does between DV cameras.

 

On the Sony HDV cam's i've used, they have a 1/3" sensor (same as an XL1 or DVX100), but it's is 16:9, rather than 4:3. This means that when you shoot HD, you get the full 1/3", but when you go down to SD/DV, it uses a center cutout, effectively ignoring 33% of the sensor - 17.5% each side - and gives you a 1/4" chip. (which generally fond on small consumer cameras, like my cheap Panasonic DS-29)

 

The output of this i find is usually below par for the price of the camera.

[Jason Love]

The size of the CCD/CMOS varies between HDV cameras, just as it does between DV cameras.

 

On the Sony HDV cam's i've used, they have a 1/3" sensor (same as an XL1 or DVX100), but it's is 16:9, rather than 4:3. This means that when you shoot HD, you get the full 1/3", but when you go down to SD/DV, it uses a center cutout, effectively ignoring 33% of the sensor - 17.5% each side - and gives you a 1/4" chip. (which generally fond on small consumer cameras, like my cheap Panasonic DS-29)

 

The output of this i find is usually below par for the price of the camera.

 

 

So I should shoot in HDV 1080 for the quality, then downsize resolution in post?

[Rob White]

So I should shoot in HDV 1080 for the quality, then downsize resolution in post?

 

Personally, i have some issues with the HDV format (GOP being the main one), so i would shoot SD (maybe do some research and see if the widescreen mode uses the full CCD), or hire a different SD camera if the money was there. Or you could just do the project in HD.