Semi pro SD Vs consumer HD

Magnus OverRein · January 21, 2009

Hi.

How would you compare the image quality of a semi-pro SD camera like the xl2 vs a consumer HD camera like the Canon HF100?

Edited January 21, 2009 by Magnus OverRein

James Martin · January 21, 2009

Generally speaking, they're pretty close together. If you were only going to output to SD, the Canon would have the advantage. It likely has improved dynamic range, lower noise. However, on an HD display its resolution limitations would be clear.

A more interesting comparison is to be drawn between, say HDV (consumer/prosumer borderline format) and Digibeta (Pure broadcast quality, but SD)...

Albert Smith · February 4, 2009

what I have found is picture quality is better on some of the consumer HD cameras, but it depends what your doing. Some of consumer HD cameras have pretty large very sensitive CMOS sensors, For example the canon HV30/20 which has 1/2.7" chip which is slightly bigger then the xl2s and much more sensitive. This camera has suprised me a lot in low light as did the hg 10. I shot a little video for a friend on a hg 10 and after grading it, it looked like it could have come off an HVX200 ( a $5,000 dvcproHD camera). But in normal daylight shooting conditions I would say its a tough call. Regardless what you may gain in your image quality with the newer sensors you completely lose in manual controls on the camera. say goodbye to anything like scene files and full manual controls (not just aperture or shutter priority) are hard to find, although the hv30 does do true 24p which is nice...and for 650$ are so, WOW.

DS Williams · February 4, 2009

Remember, also many consumer HD cameras have only 1 CCD or CMOS imaging sensor, overlayed with a bayer filter, where only 1/4 of the photosites are filtered with blue.

So these cams perform very poorly under tungsten light, where there is inately 4x as much red light as blue light.

And, because the cameras are so small, the electrons are bumping around in there like the 3 stooges. They'll find themselves causing random fluctuations in voltage i.e. noise....

Smaller cameras, because they're so tightly designed, are almost always noisier than larger ones, and the smaller the sensor, the smaller the photosites, and thus the less sensitive they are. Especially if there are 2 million of them on one 2.7" sensor. Ick.

Albert Smith · February 4, 2009

Remember, also many consumer HD cameras have only 1 CCD or CMOS imaging sensor, overlayed with a bayer filter, where only 1/4 of the photosites are filtered with blue.

So these cams perform very poorly under tungsten light, where there is inately 4x as much red light as blue light.

And, because the cameras are so small, the electrons are bumping around in there like the 3 stooges. They'll find themselves causing random fluctuations in voltage i.e. noise....

Smaller cameras, because they're so tightly designed, are almost always noisier than larger ones, and the smaller the sensor, the smaller the photosites, and thus the less sensitive they are. Especially if there are 2 million of them on one 2.7" sensor. Ick.

The canon hg10 is significantly less nosier then the panasonic hvx and certaintley better then a dvx... granit the hvx is noisy too... We"re talking about consumer and prosumer video their all noisy... You said "especially on a 1/2.7 inch sensor" well it maybe a one chip but all the cameras in the prosumer range are 1/3inch so the consumer canons is actually slightly bigger... I really know nothing about stuff as technical as you explained all I know is what I see and the fact I can buy a 500 camera and get a picture that honestly in low situation surpassed the hvx is very impressive. The hg10s picture being so clean I know is partly a result of avchd and the image is getting softer but still far sharper then SD. Since the hv30 has the same sensor but is hdv results are somewhat similar. As far as tungsten light maybe color depth isn't as good is what your sugesting, could be, its not something that is very apperent if it is though. And "random flucations" never have heard of this but the rolling shutter on the cmos sensors can deffinetly not be cool... Don't try to do anything with strobe lights hahah.