For filmmaking I would go with the JVC GY-HD100, unless I could afford a Varicam of F900. It?s the best of the low cost HD bunch in my opinion.
The Sony Z1 is not the only interlaced one. The Canon Xl-H1 is also interlaced. It does a pseudo progressive, but it?s not 24p. It loses resolution when in 24f (kind of like an improved version of the old frame movie mode), so it?s really pointless to have the 1080 lines if you want ?progressive? because you won?t get full 1080 lines. Besides the ?extra? resolution, the other advantage of the Canon is the HD-SDI, but I hear it has no sound. I don?t know if this is a problem for you or not.
Between the HVX200 and HD100 then. The HVX200 advantages are supposed to be codec, frame rates and color space. I say supposed because the color space for example is more like 4:2:0 than real 4:2:2 as advertised, so not really than the HD100. Codec is ?better? but DVCPRO-HD has some minor disadvantages compared to HDV, but it still overall better. Frame rates, yes, it has more (the HD100 does 50p and 60p if you don?t know. To tape it only record those in SD rez, but uncompressed it records full 720p) but you need to pick your priorities. Will extra frame rates at lower resolution cut it for you? Because the HVX200 uses low resolution chips and so produces a lower resolution image than the HD100. The HD100 is a full spec HD camera with full 1280x720, the HVX200 doesn?t even meet the 720p specs, so I don?t know how can they claim 1080 24p. It?s all uprezed, which you can do in post with the HD100 and at least you are starting from a higher resolution since the HVX200 CCDs are not even 1280x720. But for me, at this point, real 720p is enough.
Note that I don?t list P2 as an advantage or disadvantage. It?s just not ready. Too expensive and cumbersome for now. In the future it may be the ticket. The HVX200 is also said to be noisier.
So trying to address your point about each camera:
?What you like?,
HD100
Interchangeable lens:
Sure a great advantage.
Shoot to tape:
Cheap and still efficient for the time being.
720p at 24fps:
Exactly. Full HD specs at progressive rates.
Price of camera:
It?s dirty cheap if you ask me. Before buying a HVX200 plus two P2 cards, for the price I would buy two HD100?s.
Adding some more that I like:
Ergonomics:
Basically the best of all 1/3? cameras.
The HVX200 in particular is a really fat camera and not the easiest to handhold.
Professional controls:
All controls are where they should be, like a pro camera.
Filmic feel:
I have seen footage from all four 1/3? HD cameras and I feel the HD100 has the most filmic feel to it. That has to do with the way it render progressive and gamma/color curves/latitude.
HVX200
1080p at 24fps (though not sure on this, rumor has it it's up converted?)
Yes, it is upconverted. It uses lower resolution CCDs.
Variable frame rate.
Indeed a great and useful thing.
The extra frame rates is pretty much all I like about it.
?What you don't like?,
HD100
Not higher then 720p:
Yes, 1080 24p like the F900 would be nice, but none of the 1/3? cameras do it so not really an option. At least the 720p is full spec and not uprezed.
Possible split screen effect?
I haven?t heard anybody complaining about if for a long time now.
No special frame rates:
As I said it does 50p and 60p but not as many as the HVX200.
Adding some more that I don?t like or would like to see improved:
I wish the XLR connectors were on the rear like the XL2 or XL-H1 and pretty much all the pro cameras. But compared to the HVX200 that?s not a point since that camera also has the XLR?s on the side. Not a major grip though.
I wish it had a HD-SDI, just for good measure.
I would like it to have variable frame rates. I don?t really care much for 1080 because it?s a challenge at this point, at least real 1080 24p. But frame rates at 720p would be nice.
HVX200
Can only achieve 1080p and variable frame rates with p2 cards:
Actually it can only shoot HD (720p or ?1080?) in any frame rate or DVCAPRO50 with P2 cards. Without P2 all you get is old DV.
Price of p2 cards:
I hear you.
Fixed lens:
A no-no for me.
Price of camera:
The camera is not that expensive. But without the very expensive P2 cards it?s basically a over priced, over grown DV camera that you can get a dongle to turn it into a HD camera when you win the lottery.
Adding some more that I don?t like:
Ergonomics.
Controls.
Lower resolution.
That?s just my opinion of course.
