Sony HVR-HD 1000U

Sean Lyons · November 11, 2008

Hello all,

I recently bought a Sony HVR-HD100U and have some questions that I'm hoping someone can help me with.

First matter of business, please let me know if I am posting this topic in the wrong forum. I was guessing that my camera would qualify as a "HD" cam so I'm taking a swing in the dark.

Second matter of business. This is the first camera I've owned that can hold the title as "semi-pro" (if it is considered that). Anyways, this is a step up from my mothers sony handycam I've been using for the past years. So on that note any answers that I may get, I beg of you sir's (or madam's) take mercy on my virgin cinematographer skills and knowledge. :P

Third matter of business. (DON'T READ THIS SECTION IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT MY "STORY" If you haven't read any of my post then you should know I like to let you know a little about my self, as if to set a back story in your mind so feel as if your helping out a distant friend you havent talked to in a good while, instead of some random kid on a forum who asks A LOT of questions...So that being said, here we go.

I'm 18. recently found my love for film when I became a "techie" in the Technical Theatre class at my high school. I became very involved, and quickly learned that i was a thespian at heart! I also learned that I wasn't too shabby at stage design. I learned all the aspect of the stage and everything you needed to know about the "backstage lifestyle & working style" I then became friends with some people that were in a media tech. class we had available. That was the introduction to the film world. My eyes were opened and realized that I would enjoy film more than theatre. Sadly I didn't have any room for the class. Graduated high school and now stuck with trying to find as much experience as possible. played around with friends making a "youtube" style production team and make videos when ever I can. My love for this is great. for example I just spent $1700 on this camera. enough said. I'm looking to take my love and turn it into a career (side note: email me if anybody wants to help lyonspsean@gmail.com ;) ) So this camera is my first real big step, woot woot!

Fourth and final matter of business. My new camera!! It's a beauty! So far I have enjoyed every minute of it. Unfortunately I have already had one scare with it. I was using it and it just "froze" It was still on but it wouldnt respond to anything. It could zoom in and out but that was it. I toggled between the features and even attempted to turn off the LCD screen but that didnt even respond. Finally I disconnected my battery in a final attempt to shut her down. It started up fine as if nothing happened.

Anybody know what happened?

Ok, from here on I'm just going to lay out my questions and hope they get answered. Thanks in advance!

- I've seen video shot with this camera using the slow motion feature. Is it only the "3 second slow shot" or is it something else? How would I go about finding/using this?

- I've also seen video of the time-lapse feature. Tell me how, o' mighty ones!!

- Can my lens be changed or am I limited to lens converters only?

- Random question- Is there such thing as a left handed "left eyed" camera? just curious..

- What is the difference between CMOS and 3CCD? Is one better then the other?

- Should I have asked these questions before I purchased my baby? (the camera)

- What can I add on to this camera? Put on the shoes? Anything else cool and/or nifty?

- Will Obama make a good President?

- Are there any "Cool and/or Nifty" features I haven't mentioned or may not know about?

- What is the point of having still image capture on a video camera?

- If I turn my shutter speed to the slowest setting will I achieve a Time-lapse look?

- Would you sell your virginity on Ebay? If so, how much? ( I would, for the price of 1 million dollars!!!! (in dr. evil voice)) B)

Ok, I'm done ranting. Again thank you in advance for any and all help that I receive. You are already greatly appreciated, even for reading all of this.

Thanks,

Sean Lyons

Jeff Kolada · December 4, 2008

Hey sean,

I picked up this camera as a backup while my v1u was in the shop, and I now use it as a B-cam. But I think i've played with it enough to answer your questions. I am 20, and a sophomore at Ohio University so I was in your situation not too long ago.

- I've seen video shot with this camera using the slow motion feature. Is it only the "3 second slow shot" or is it something else? How would I go about finding/using this?

Scroll through the menu, and read the manual. It's called "smooth-slow recording"

- Can my lens be changed or am I limited to lens converters only?

Stuck with converters unfortunately. But that's what you get for 1700.

- Random question- Is there such thing as a left handed "left eyed" camera? just curious..

There is, but for a hefty price.

- What is the difference between CMOS and 3CCD? Is one better then the other?

CMOS is sony's censor. 3CCD has one CCD chip for each main color. CMOS is one much more intensive chip that picks up all the colors. It puts out pretty nice colors, but there are still some issues. Either way, both chips are color chips.

- Should I have asked these questions before I purchased my baby? (the camera)

Probably. I think most people (me at least) would have advised to pick up a camera with more manual controls. I know this cam has them but they are a pain to get to and you can only do so much. For 1700, I would have advised staying SD, but getting a high quality like a panasonic DVX, Sony PD170, or Canon XL2. These cameras would give you a very good sense of the things you need to learn (focus, aperature, shutter, white balance, frame rate...) The 1000 has many of these, but because it's technically a consumer camera in a big-ass body, when you change one thing it will tweak the others automatically.

- What can I add on to this camera? Put on the shoes? Anything else cool and/or nifty?

Don't worry about cheapo accessories if you're going to be shooting shorts. Pick up an XLR-Mini microphone adapter, and get a decent boom pole and shotgun mic. Sound makes a huge difference. So audio, tripod, and then pick up some lights. Not necesarily production lights, you can go to Lowes or Home Depot and pick up some clamp lights with different wattage bulbs. Start reading up on lighting if you want to do cinematography.

- Will Obama make a good President?

Haha, it will be an interesting four years one way or another

- Are there any "Cool and/or Nifty" features I haven't mentioned or may not know about?

After owning this cam for a while I just realized that it has nightshot. This is the first time i've owned a cam with nightshot in a while. It's corny and consumerish but it's a fun little toy. Don't worry about the "nifty" features and focus on the manual controls that you control through the "manual" button and the ring.

- What is the point of having still image capture on a video camera?

I thought the same thing until I took a trip to south america for a study abroad. I didn't want to take my video and still camera, so i just bought a memory stick and plugged it into the cam. The thing takes pretty nice pictures, or at least good enough to look back at or show your friends.

- If I turn my shutter speed to the slowest setting will I achieve a Time-lapse look?

Nope. Play with the different shutter speeds. Slow it down and you'll get a "dude just got hit in the head and is dizzy as hell" blur effect. Speed it up and you'll get the 28 days later "zombies are chasing me" effect. What beginners don't realize is shutter does not affect the framerate. It affects how fast the "film" is exposed to light.

- Would you sell your virginity on Ebay? If so, how much? ( I would, for the price of 1 million dollars!!!! (in dr. evil voice)) B)

Too late.

Ok, I'm done ranting. Again thank you in advance for any and all help that I receive. You are already greatly appreciated, even for reading all of this.

Not a problem, always happy to help people out. If you want to learn stuff, go shoot. You'll learn alot by doing. When you're not doing, browse this forum or dvinfo.net, or read books! Cinematography and lighting books. Scriptwriting books too. Hope I was helpful, and if you need anything else feel free to shoot me an e-mail.

-Jeff

jeff kolada

jeff@jeffkolada.com

www.vimeo.com/jkolada

Adrian Sierkowski · December 4, 2008

RE: CMOS and CCD. CMOS can also be a 3chip system as in the Sony EX cam series. The main difference in in how both deal with converting light into energy. CCD has problem with vertical smear when lights overpower it whereas CMOS has a problem with rolling shutter effects (google it and you'll see what it is rather than me saying lol). I Find CMOS preferable these days, but rolling shutter is something to be very aware of. The 1 chip CMOS cameras are normally a Bayer mask, which could also be put on a CCD afaik, in which the photosites are set to pick up different colors on a single chip. As for CMOS artifacts; well, i haven't yet had any which to my eye were "deal breakers," but I also haven't and wouldn't want to deal with flashed on CMOS cameras.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge-coupled_device

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMOS

http://dvxuser.com/jason/CMOS-CCD/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayer_mask

Jeff Kolada · December 5, 2008

Thanks Adrian, that was the bit that I don't know too much about.

btw, here's another link all about the HD1000. There's some useful and some not useful stuff on there.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/sony-hvr-hd1000/

Jojo DSouza · June 30, 2009

Hi Jeff,

your replies to Sean were really neat. in fact it was the way you answered me that got me to join this community.

I picked up a Sony HVR-HD1000p about 6 months ago and it was working beautifully until one fine day it suddenly (during a shoot), went totally dead - no reponse at all. I kept it idle a few days making arrangements to send it around 600 km's away from me for repairs and the day before i was about to pack it and send it off, i said to myself "one last roll of the dice" and i turned it on and 'walla', she came on perfectly, as if nothing was ever wrong.

A month later in a similar situation the same thing happened again - and now it's still not coming on for nearly 15days or more. I suspect both the times i may have used an NP-750 battery by mistake, that's the battery for my simpex-lite..

The dealer says something like this should not happen and as per procedure it should take around 30 days to repair under the warranty ???? and they do not seem to have any clue about the possible reason this happened !!!

I live in Goa - India, and the dealers here only sell consumer stuff, not even 'prosumer'

Your tips to Sean were so bang-on, it was a great feeling to read it and then think to myself "hey!, I've got the same cam too"

thanks a ton

Jojo