Sony HVR-A1U

[Tenolian Bell]

A 1/3 inch 3 chip CMOS HDV camera.

 

What difference CMOS vs CCD will make I don't know as it still goes through heavy compression to tape.

[Sam Wells]

Tenolian - it's a single CMOS chip. (And under $2,000 street price for the consumer version in July).

 

-Sam

[lux]

It's only a 1/4.7 chip as well. Fx1 is worth the extra money.

[Bill Totolo]

With the CMOS chip you don't get vertical smear and interestingly you get a histogram in the camera menu. Technically speaking every pixel is individually assignable so you can give each pixel or group of pixels its own ASA.

I've seen this camera projected next to the Z1 and for the money I think I'd go with the A1 with its interesting CMOS chip. It's an awesome little camera with amazing resolution.

If money isn't an issue I think the Z1 is superoir but what I like abou the A1 is its stealthy size.

[lux]

Sorry dear Tenobell, the camera is actually 1/3 inch CMOS chip. I've since read about it but one answer I can't find is whether it measures in f-stops. Does anyone know?

[John Pytlak RIP]

Sorry dear Tenobell, the camera is actually 1/3 inch CMOS chip. I've since read about it but one answer I can't find is whether it measures in f-stops. Does anyone know?

 

Kodak makes some image sensors too --- some a little bit bigger than 1/3 inch: ;)

 

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jht...900688a804016f4

 

Kodak is expanding its product line with the introduction of the world?s highest-resolution sensors for professional photography. The KODAK KAF-39000 Image Sensor, featuring 39 million pixels, and the KODAK KAF-31600 Image Sensor, with 31.6 million pixels, offer professional camera and camera back manufacturers resolution and image detail that was once unimaginable for digital cameras, allowing photographers to experience a new level of image quality for portrait, wedding, landscape, fashion, studio, and commercial photography. These new CCD image sensors have already been selected for use by Phase One A/S for use in their upcoming P45 and P30 digital camera backs.

 

[Jonathan Bryant]

I would be interested in how they compare in terms of latitude,contrast, and gamma. I would think the a1 would be better suited for very contrasty days where CMOS is supposed to be better in terms of latitude.(better able to capture details in bright highlights and dark shadows)

[Marek Stricek]

I would be interested in how they compare in terms of latitude,contrast, and gamma. I would think the a1 would be better suited for very contrasty days where CMOS is supposed to be better in terms of latitude.(better able to capture details in bright highlights and dark shadows)

 

Jonathan,

for start you can check the following page http://www.sundancemediagroup.com/articles...son_footage.htm

There you can download footage from Z1 and HC1 (consumer version of A1).