Help me decide which HD camcorder to buy

[I Hollingworth]

I currently use a Standard definition Panasonic camcorder and edit footage in Adobe Premiere Pro. I now wish to upgrade to an HD camcorder and still use the same software untill I can afford to upgrade to an HD vertion of Premiere Pro. My requirements are a/ to be able to capture footage into Adobe PP in standard definition. b/ to be able to control the camera through it's link with the computer. and c/ naturaly an excellent quality of reolution. I am considering 3 camcorders Canon HV20/ Sony HC7/ and JVC HD7. I am aware that the later is a hard rdive format. If anyone one has experience of any or all of these cameras I would be greatful for your thoughts
Ian

[rhubarbe]

The JVC has a very badly implemented OIS and this is why it is being dumped (look on eBay) in NTSC markets. Down to £550 now already.

HV20 or HC7, horses for courses, you decide, it's very close to call.

Did I say I like the HV10!

[senu]

Originally Posted by rhubarbe

Did I say I like the HV10!

Yes you did .. a few times before

To the OP Get the HV20.. the PQ with the Sony is a "much of muchness".
However,
Progressive mode aside , you get a little more for your money with the Canon. ( and are likely to actually get it cheaper)
Sony miscalculated how much more added value a few of the HV10 and 20s features would add to the HC7 and always price themselves high anyway IMHO
As hinted (loudly) give the JVC a miss .On paper it is a spectacular kit. in reality JVC sadly missed an opportunity to be a market leader with it

[glesgaguyav]

I agree with the previous posts, not because I am an HV20 owner
But if you do any in depth research you'll find that the Canon just pips the competition for video quality, the cameras manual options are not the easiest to use (manual focus is a small wheel on the side and the backlight button is set right beside the LCD making it akward to operate)
Remember their old slogan ? "Canon make Cameras" well they made a good one with the HV20

[I Hollingworth]

Originally Posted by glesgaguyav

I agree with the previous posts, not because I am an HV20 owner
But if you do any in depth research you'll find that the Canon just pips the competition for video quality, the cameras manual options are not the easiest to use (manual focus is a small wheel on the side and the backlight button is set right beside the LCD making it akward to operate)
Remember their old slogan ? "Canon make Cameras" well they made a good one with the HV20

Thanks all for the info but can you address my requirements about transfering into standard definition Premiere Pro etc

[redsox_mark]

The HV20 and the HC7, being HDV camcorders, can shoot HD and downconvert to DV to be captured. In this case the camcorder will output DV, so any editor which edits DV will edit it.

The JVC does not do this (it is not a HDV camcorder).

[rhubarbe]

load of rubbish posted by rhubarbe deleted before anybody could read it.

[redsox_mark]

I did see it...

[felix2]

Hi, I haven't posted anything on here for a while - been too busy working and using my Sony HC7

And probably taking a bit of a break from the huge amount of waffle I produced deciding between the HC7 and the HV20 myself not long ago. The 3rd post in this thread lists links to all said waffle when someone else asked about the choice (have a look if you're bored!).

Originally Posted by glesgaguyav

Remember their old slogan ? "Canon make Cameras" well they made a good one with the HV20

Yup, you'll get some of the best images from some of Canon's cameras, camcorders, scanners, printers and so on... And I can't believe how cheap the HV20 has gotten over the last few weeks (now £100 less than the HC7 on Amazon)! But for me, the Sony's and Canon's relative strengths and weaknesses still make me very happy I got the HC7 (at the price I did). Different people's mileages do vary, and they are close...

[senu]

Although I recommended the Canon..
Sony do make camcorders.. and very good ones at that. From budget to broadcast level.

All 3 of my camcorders are Sony Models

To the OP, your question about capturing SD via Premiere was hidden in the text, but as Mark has said, you can Down covert HDV to SD in camera for capturing to PC...If the output is set to DV out ( rather than HDV), any software capable of capturing SD will "see" the camcorder as an SD model and Capture in the normal way via firewire
If you just must Edit HDV, you can use Premiere Element 3 or 4 for less than 1/5 the cost of Premiere.

[rhubarbe]

Originally Posted by redsox_mark

I did see it...

Yes, I thought you would. I could see you were there when I wrote it.

[felix2]

Originally Posted by senu

Although I recommended the Canon..
Sony do make camcorders.. and very good ones at that. From budget to broadcast level

Yes, and on this particular toss-up, it's a close one, depending on quite what you're after. Actually, my HC7 threatened to show its first sign of build quality weakness today, when the zoom rocker switch didn't spring back properly -i.e. after zooming in (or out) a bit, it would carry on rather than stop I was on the verge of panicking, and was showing someone else the problem when it seemed to click very slightly, and now works perfectly again... I'll be keeping a beady eye on that...

Apart from about 2 minutes of footage that I've captured to the PC as HDV (just to try it out and see what it looks like), I've shot everything (a few hours' worth already ) in HDV, and downconverted it in the camera's output to SD DV firewire, into the PC to edit as SD DV-AVI (or occasionally to my DVD recorder). I've got to shoot something in 4:3 SD DV next week for someone though, so they can use the tape.