VideoLifestyle.com

SONY

HVR-V1P

HVR-A1P

HDR-FX1E

HDR-HC3

HDR-HC1

DCR-HC90

HDR-SR1

VX2100E

PANASONIC

SDR-100

PV-GS400

JVC

GZ-MC500

CANON

MVX-4i

CANON HV20

SONY HVR-V1E
Personal Review By Derek Yeo

November 2006

Sony has now launched its latest addition to it already impressive lineup of HD capable camcorders. It’s latest professional HDV camcorder, the HVR-V1P / HVR-V1E. As we are in PAL land, we'll be using the Sony HVR-V1E.
The Sony HVR-Z1P allows a user to switch between NTSC & PAL modes, but the Sony HVR-V1 only accepts either NTSC or PAL. The PAL version is the Sony HVR-V1E.

With the success of the HVR-Z1 and the smaller HVR-A1, this latest addition is going to be the next talk in town.
With the ability to shoot in HDV, DVCAM and DV, the HVR-V1E will rule as a videographer's main choice till the next offering by Sony.

Equipped with SONY’s ClearVid CMOS imaging technology this camcorder has three 1/4inch CMOS Sensors to give you 4 times more high speed scanning. The camcorder also has SONY’s EIP (Enhanced Image Processor) technology which is also provides you higher low light sensitivity and lesser video noise. (Though I am very surprised why they could not at least give us 1/3^RD inch CMOS Sensors instead?)

I've had the honor of putting the camcorder through a series of stringent practical tests and am pleased to give you my review of the camcorder from a practical perspective.

The weight of the camcorder is very much lighter than the HVR-Z1 as a matter of fact it weighs about 1.5KG which makes it a great contender for those who plan to use it with Steadicam devices like the Tiffen Steadicam Merlin etc.. It works very well with the Steadicam Merlin as a matter of fact. On the overall, it's even better and easier to control the Sony HVR-V1E on our Steadicam Merlin than a HVR-Z1P, which weighs a whopping 2.2KG.

That said, i love the weight & the size of the camcorder. The HVR-V1E is approximately around the size of a Sony PD 170 & the Canon XM2.

Film Look Capability

Another very impressive feature is that it has over the Z1 is the ability to shoot in true 25 progressive scan mode. So for those who had cried out why SONY is not giving them progressive... Presto! Sony delivers with their version of progressive scan video capability. But then, I personally must admit that I do not enjoy the look when the camera is setup to shoot in this mode. However, for the budget filmmakers who are after that more cinematic look I guess this is a feature thats worth to dying for. :)

Camera Features

Almost all the features you find on the Z1 can be found on the V1 (and maybe a little more!). You can now use the V1 to shoot interval recordings and that is a pleasure to have if you are planning to shoot the process of a flower blooming, clouds etc.
The V1 also has a feature that allows you to shoot in smooth slow recording and this is a pretty cool feature because it allows you to select three different duration settings ( 3/6/12 seconds). This feature is also found on the Sony HDR-FX7, which is the prosumer version of the HVR-V1E but limted of course only to one duration setting.

Still Shot & Expanded Focus

The HVR-V1 has 2 expanded focus buttons that you can activate. One to the left of the body and one situated directly behind the zoom rocker. The expanded focus button also doubles as a still photo button of which allows you to take a still when a memory stick duo is inserted.
Sony has indeed taken a step forward in this sense as the camcorder allows a videographer to either set the button behind the zoom rocker for either expanded focus (for those that do not wish to take stills with the HVR-V1E) or still photo function (for those who wish to take stills with the HVR-V1E).
It takes stills in a 1.2 Megapixel resolution.

Exposure

The IRIS button is situated on the lens barrel and conveniently allows you to manipulate the exposure via a scrolling wheel. The camcorder allows the videographer to further manipulate how the exposure controls are used via a menu screen that sets the following: direction of scroll (to denote the direction the scrolling wheel turns to increase/ decrease exposure), exposure type (this denotes how the exposure settings are used. For example, Exposure 1 allows the use of exposure with a fixed gain setting. There are other modes to control the wheel so as to only control exposure, gain settings and fixed shutter.

Zoom & Lens & Low Light Capability

YES! YES ! Sony is finally living up with the HVR-V1. With the 20X optical ZOOM and its renowned Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens. The new ED lens also gives you superb low dispersion and also a very generous opening of F.2.8 at full telephoto.

One new feature I wish i had on my Z1 and that is the MACRO ZOOM feature. When you turn this feature on via the camcorder's menu, you are able to zoom in insanely close and still get your subject in focus. This works almost like a macro lens and is awesome for shooting nature, insects and flowers. I love this feature like a crazy man on steroids!

Zooming on the HVR-V1E can be controlled via the Zoom Rocker, Handle Zoom & Zoom Ring.

The Handle Zoom allows you a variation of speed via a switch on the handle (high, low & off). However this is at only a constant speed setting but one cool addition is the further settings that you can set via the camcorder's menu to further customise the handle zoom speed to give you an incredibly slow crawl or incedibly fast zoom.

This camcorder has decent low-lighting capability at 4 lux. Technically speaking, at 4lux, this camcorder's low lighting does not surpass it's MiniDV predecessors (Sony PD-170). However, this is due to the higher resolution provided by the CMOS sensors that churn out 1080 signals. However, the gain functions in Sony HDV cams perform very well. In the event that you wish to use the gain, you might not find the electronic adjustment obnoxious at all.

There is also the very useable black stretch and the HVR-V1 features a new setting called the black compress. Black stretch actually brightens your image without blowing out the details and black compress is the one I really like, making black really black in the darker areas. What black compress actually does is compress the darker areas giving you true black tones.

We conducted a test with a small model Ferarri and activated the black compress feature via the picture profile and this made the model’s tyres looked so realistically black that it shined as if the tyres just had a nice polish finish!
Truly amazing I must say!

Anyway here is an actual snapshot of the above test with the BLACK COMPRESS turned on.