Any Advice Welcome for the imminent purchase of new Sony. Should CCD's be a decider?

D

Dicky pw7

Guest
Hi
Thanks for looking. as stated any advice welcome. :confused:
We have decided (i think) to go with a Sony DCR-HC96E because,
it's is easy to hold
it looks to have all the functionality we need (home use)
sony seem to be on the top of our lists along with panasonic
mini dv for ediing
3Mp still camera useful.

I really liked the DCR-HC90 though as it has 3.31Mp CCD and the Panasonic NV-GS250 as it has 3 x 800 CCds ?

Am I getting hung up on the size of my "pick up device" :rolleyes:
 
Dicky pw7

had a look at the features and the Sony DCR-HC96E is very good, the main features is its size which is important if you travel. It should take brilliant photos for sure. It does shoot interlaced footage though but i saw from this page

http://www.parkcameras.com/sony/digitalcamcorders/sony_dcr_hc96e.htm

that it has

Progressive Scan YES
Progressive Shutter System YES

If this means it shoots progressive then it is very good feature as your footage will be more movie like.

Your other option would be to go for high definition cameras but that would be alot of money!
 
Number of MP only makes a difference for stills, as video is fixed resolution 720x576.

HC90 and HC96 are almost the same... the 96 replaced the 90. They have the same CCD.

For video what does make a difference (but isn't the only factor) is the physical size of the CCD (bigger is better), and the number of CCDs (3 is generally better than 1).

Sony HC96 has a single large (1/3") CCD. Panasonic GS250 has 3 small (1/6") CCDs. Note the GS250 is a discontinued model.

Overall quality wise the HC96 and GS250 are comparable... as one reference see this league table (based on US models)...
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/ratings.php
As well as the league table you can click through to get detailed reviews.
 
redsox_mark said:
Note the GS250 is a discontinued model.

Overall quality wise the HC96 and GS250 are comparable... as one reference see this league table (based on US models)...
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/ratings.php
As well as the league table you can click through to get detailed reviews.
:thumbsup:
Thanks I should have said GS300, the 250 is mentioned in a couple of magazines but is / was really out of our price range. :suicide:
From the link you sent I can see there is fierce competition between the HC90 and the GS300.
There's a home video test on http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Panasonic-PV-GS300-Camcorder-Review.htm I'm going to check out although people seem to be split 50/50 so I suppose all that's left is brand preference.
thanks again
 
The progressive is only on the 96e NOT the 90 though.
The 90 seems to have more features though. :confused:
 
Regarding the "Progressive" mode on the DCR-HC96E... If you shoot in Progressive, and transfer your footage to your computer, will there be any sign of interlacing at all? I'm really sick of interlaced footage, because it causes numerous problems with effects and transitions. But if the DCR-HC96E is truly Progressive, with full non-interlaced frames, then that's wicked.
 
Yes - according to the manual and specs, it uses a mechanical shutter system to shoot 25 full frames per second.

The manual says this is "intended for import to your computer as still images", and "useful for analysing high speed action". It's not clear how good the performance would be for everyday video use - they are not marketing it that way, but it may work well. I've not seen it in use.
 
After much searching and reading I'm going for the Sony HC96E.
Actual reviews for low light / indoor have tipped me.
We can't go too far wrong.
Watch out Spielberg:rotfl:
Will tell you my thoughts when it's here.
 
My TRV-900e has progressive mode. As stated by redsox_mark it is only meant to be used for improved quality capture of still images as, on my cam at least, any movement becomes slightly jerky as the picture is not updated as often (sort of :rolleyes: ) as with interlaced recording, although the effect can be quite interesting. I have done some close comparisons and definately think the interlaced recording is better for video, but never use the camcorder for taking still images. Then again my cam is about 8 years old and newer ones will be far better for photos (but still not good compared to a dedicated camera IMO) as they have a higher resolution CCD, but only applicable if saving to memory card though as anything saved to tape will be at the set PAL resolution of 720x576.

Mark.
 
Perhaps someone (one of you guys) could post some footage taken on a Sony camcorder in Progressive mode? I'd like to see what it looks like. Is it really jerky, with no motion blur, a bit like a digital camera movie clip? Or does it look more like film?
 
Sorry for this slightly OFF Topic post but could someone with access to the full manual (or better the camcorder itself) for the Sony DCR HC96 let me know whether it has an input socket for a standard external audio jack?

According to the specifications on the Sony website there is an audio-in jack.

This is contradicted by other sources such as the camcorder-info review that states "First off, there is no audio input. Sony has been lax on this front, and you won't find an audio jack on any of their MiniDV cams this year."

Can anyone shed any light on this for me as it may be a clincher between the Sony or the panasonic GS300?

many thanks
 
Thanks (again) Mark

On the Sony site under the section entitled 'Jacks' it says:

Audio In YES
Audio Out YES
.....

Does this relate to the AIS shoe? Anyway, no matter now that I can :rtfm:
:D

Thanks again for such a rapid response - things really do move quickly round here don't they?

PS quick question are the panasonic PVGS300 and NVGS300 the same models but for the US/UK market?
 
Audio in is different than mic in. The HC96 has video and audio in, so you can input analogue video+audio and convert it to DV.

Yes with the Panasonic the PV is US (NTSC) model, NV is the PAL one.
 
:suicide:

By the way, I've just made the jump and bought the Panasonic NVGS300. :eek: I'll post back with my experiences......
 
quick update . bougt the HC96, through pricerunner.
Very happy.
Haven't had to look at the manual to use it.
Although only probably use 30 % of it's features.
Would recommend.
 

The latest video from AVForums

TV Buying Guide - Which TV Is Best For You?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom