Aidin Aren

The JVC camera records 720p native. The 1080i is DSP processing, just like the Z1's "24P" is DSP. When the form factor is multiplied to the level of an F900, I think heat is not as relevant an issue, on a comparative scale to a small DV camera.

I don't think it'd make much sense to A/B 3, 1/2" CCDs from a Sony 600 or even a Panasonic DVCPRO (25) to 1/6 of an HDV still, it might be fun if nothing else. The camera used was a Sony PD150. The test was performed by techs from Adobe from their Premier Pro division earlier this month. Any such test, I would say, should be done with competitive units in the same class as the Z1 rather than full sized SD cameras. You're right, it was a pixel count issue as far as the amount of pixelation detectable by the naked eye and how close to the border of acceptability the images came. There's always hype spin that goes around when a new camera breaks the mold and one of the main shaky "rumors" with the Z1 is comparing it with the F900. This just doesn't make sense to me but that's a whole other topic which I'm sure anyone interested can find info on.

The business of manufacturing I don't believe is about to change. As long as you realize it for what it is and depend on your own research more so than someone who has a financial motive, it can be navigated. The apparent Wild West atmosphere of formats and new cameras is a good thing I thing, as it spurs competition, despite the increased work required by the end user to sort it out. When I think of an alternative market atmosphere, I don't see nearly as much benefit. Advancement of the DV25 class in turn pushes the high end to do better, faster, to maintain market share. Specs to me are a guide. I think there comes a time where you have to take off the specs sunglasses and not allow creative decisions to be dictated by them but by the creative results. A standardized process of testing new technology for exactly what you expect to get out of it before you allocate budget minimizes, if not eliminates, unexpected variables.

FCP with a Lumiere plug-in. Premier Pro (native) with a free update from the site.

Low light sensitivity is a bit off as well at 3lux compared to the competition. So a flavor of HD at 5k doesn't come without technical tradeoffs.

There are comments out there saying the Z1 comes close to the F900. Ive used both and personally I think the proper way to describe it is different looks. As always it depends on the application. As mentioned you will see problems with Z1 footage with graphics intensive post. Other than that I think the image quality is great. Sort of a muted HD. Detail and highlight handling could be better but that's with all DV I've come across. The build quality and balance is better than any camera in its class hands down. LCD positioning seems logical. The viewfinder is inadequate for me, but show me a miniDV camera with a good viewfinder. If you need real 24p then DVX100. Z1 has simulated 24p. If you need great audio then Z1 may not do the job for you. The bit rate is actually lower than DVcam at 384kpbs and the low end frequency response is not that great for me. It may be acceptable for events, corporate, industrial. There's too much high end and it's not sculpted well enough in my opinion. If you use double system then it may not be as much an issue.

Hi, It might be of benefit to also ask people who have used both cameras rather then used one and read about the other. Regardles of what I own my rule of thumb is generally hesitate to make disparaging remarks about a camera unless I have first hand experience. In the small DV camera class and the price points involved I think it's more a decision of what you're willing to compromise. To me, every camera I've used in this category has one or more problems, so what problems matter less to me than others is the question I ask. If you have the budget, PS Technik makes a 35mm adapter for the Z1. Sony is "against" progressive because with 1080i 1MP CCDS progressive scan would burn up the chips. You're trading off actual 24P for more resolution. In practical visual terms, 6 times the resolution of regular DV. We took 1/6th of a Z1 HDV still and magnified it full screen. It was equivelant to a full screen DV image. And you have an LSI chip version of 24, 25 and 30"fps" look available instead of nothing. The Z1 has 16:9 chips and cine gamma controls (3 presets), if that does the job for you. Less compression on less resolution is not necessarily better than more compression on higher resolution. Z1 lays MPEG2 on tape, it doesn't capture MPEG2. A newly designed Sony HDV codec does that. It is not the DV codec. Since Cineframe is DSP you're not dealing with shutter speeds, which allows you to go 1/15, 1/8 and 1/4. Good luck