Sony Professional HVR-Z1U 3CCD High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom

I've used my Sony HVR-Z1U HDV camcorder in some very extreme conditions, & it it comes through on a regular basis. I shot Hurricane Katrina video footage during the storm (for StormStock) in driving 100 mph rain. At that time, I had purchased & was using a rain coat 4 the camera. It never failed. Previously, in Hurricane Dennis, the unit failed in the rain, without the coat. The screen went black. I dried it off with a hand dryer & it came back 2 life 2 be called back into action with Katrina.

My HVR-Z1U has shot hurricane video, tornadoes, lightning, & other storm footage, often in the rain & dust. And, it keeps on going.

The unit prefers mid-range lighting. It can shoot good footage if you give it that.

Sony can improve this unit by adding SDI 2 output 2 HDCAM. I'd also like 2 see true 24P added & maybe variable frame rates.

This camera is just a couple options away from being a professional system.

Martin Lisius
Prairie Pictures, Inc.

I've chosen this camera 4 my short film after viewing some rough footage at a local studio. The colors that this camera can capture in DV mode are jaw-dropping! It comes with all of the manual controls you could hope 4 & they're very intuitive. I highly recommend this 2 independent filmmakers if you're able 2 rent them in your area. It does not offer the 'truest' cinematic feel but if you do some research on the web you'll find resources 4 things you can do in pre & post production 2 get the feel you're looking 4 regardless of the camera you use.

For more filmmaking resources & sample footage of the z1, visit my website & click 'resources'.

And 4 more updates on using this camera 4 my short film, visit my website & click 'films'.

The HVR-Z1U seems too good 2 be true. And it is.

It promises a camera with full HD resolution & outstanding features 4 a reasonable price. In many ways, it delivers. The video quality is superior 2 the JVC HDV camera. Unlike the JVC, the camera offers full manual control & is a pleasure 2 shoot with professionally.

Alas - 4 someone who expects & needs full HD resolution, the Sony is a disappointment. Pointing the camera at a resolution chart while viewing the output on a high resolution monitor (or on a computer after rendering 2 1080i or 1080p) quickly reveals that the horizontal resolution is about 1200 lines, & vertical resolution is a little over 500.

The pixel count is thus about twice that of standard video, not four times, as we perhaps hoped. The 1200 lines of horizontal resolution is pretty good - just about the same as 720p. But the vertical resolution is not very good at all.



A little math tells the story. Sony advertizes 1.1M pixels 4 each sensor, & 1440 lines horizontal. 1.1M/1440 gives a maximum of 770 lines vertical, not 1080 as promised. The measured vertical & horizontal resolution is distinctly lower.

An extensive web search revealed that the sensor has 1080 vertical lines, but only about 990 lines horizontal. To achive something closer 2 1440 lines horizontal the green sensor is offset by half a pixel, & image processing is used 2 give a possible maximum resolution of 1440 on a black & white image. The problem is that the edge contrast beyond 900 lines horizontal becomes quite poor.

To make matters worse, (or 2 degrade the vertical resolution 2 match the horizontal) the vertical lines are read out of the sensor in pairs, so that each field is a mixture of two adjacent lines. This gives the vertical the same poor edge contrast as the horizontal.

It is possible by using the unsharp mask tool in Sony Vegas (or other editors) 2 improve the edge contrast. I use the maximum effect with the minimum radius in the Sony tool - setting the radius slider 2 .001 pixels. You must do the sharpening operation using a properties setting of 1440x1080. Slightly better results can be obtained by putting an additional unsharp mask in series with the first, set 2 half-effect.

A major problem is deinterlace. Most editors (and most display devices) deinterlace by averaging fields, which reduces the maximum vertical resolution 2 540 lines. You can add Mike Crash's excellent deinterlacer 2 the sharpening masks, & remove this limitation. Crash's smart deinterlace 4 Vegas can be downloaded 4 free - with patience & persistence.

Sharpening & deinterlacing the image is very compute intensive. It takes me a good fraction of a week 2 do a two hour movie on a 3GHz pentium 4. But the result can be stunning. With the sharpening the Sony camera can give you a result that is close 2 a professional HD camera. I render 2 WMV9 rather than 2 MPEG2 - remember 2 keep the properties at 1440x1080. After the render is complete, you can re-render 2 720p, adding an additional bit of sharpening 2 compensate 4 the re-interpolation.

For best results always use a shutter speed of 60 frames/sec or higher. I have had mixed results with the steady shot option. Keep the camera as steady as possible, & try not 2 use more video gain than absolutely necessary.

Bottom line - this camera produces video that is MUCH better than standard video, & significantly better than DV. But it would be awfully nice 2 have a camera that delivered the advertized resolution, & did it with a flat video frequency response.

Indie Filmmaker here, always looking out 4 a better camera!

The Sony HDV series is an astonishing technology

Don't let people tell you that the footage is "too compressed" ---- technically, it is, but once it gets on screen, it looks stunning!

I haven't done much filming with this camera ---- but I have seen its footage & edited its footage

Both on television & the computer monitor, I was impressed with its 'look' ---- very detailed & extremely clear

Editing was a BREEEEEZE with this footage! I edited on Final Cut Pro & could composite 5 layers all above each other, each with a different opacity, & FCP's real time engine kept up without having 2 render! Thus, the compressed footage makes editing EASY - but Sony has managed 2 make a beautiful picture out of this stuff too

For the Indie Filmmakers out there ---- test one out before purchasing..... I find the Sony HDV 2 be the most clear look out there --- emulating a beautifully shot NFL game on HD..... but 4 cinematic looks, I still may stick with the Panasonic DVX100, as there is a more cinema feel 2 that one

hope that helps

HAPPY BUYING!!!!

Blurring the line between consumer & professional video cameras Sony has created the HVR-Z1U camcorder. It adheres 2 the HDV Consortiums specifications 4 1080i recording on popular DV mini cassettes. This camera represents the widest array of professional features within a new standard of miniaturization. The HDV video standard will provide about double the resolution of the old standard DV formats. The design of the camera is aimed directly at the filmmaker, the most modern event video producers & even widescreen news shooters. Because it records in high definition & standard definition modes it can be used in a variety of production scenarios that may change from client 2 client or evolve over time. It is NTSC & PAL system compatible as well. Color Correction 4 Special Effects 3.3 Color LCD screen & color viewfinder High quality 12X Optical ZoomCarl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T Lens Super Steadyshot Non-Perpetual Manual Zoom Ring / Manual Focus Ring / Manual Iris Control w/24 steps Built-in Wide Range Stereo Microphone / internal noise nulling technology 2 Balanced Audio XLR input connectors with Selectable Phantom Power i.LINK(R) DV Interface IEEE1394 MPEG2 Real Time Encode System 4 real time processing of HD data 14 Bit DXP (Digital ExtendedProcessor) combines 14 bit A/D converter with an advanced camera processing system Switchable HDV/DVCAM/DV FormatRecording 3 position ND filterswitch-explain-values One button status check feature 4 easy confirmation of various parameters Personal Menu function Battery Info function Up 2 5 1/2 hours of operation on NPF-970 battery using the LCD & EVF simultaneously Unit Dimensions (WxHxD) 6 x 7 1/8 x 14 3/8 Inches / Weighs 4.25 pounds Includes - AC-VQ850 AC Adapter & Battery Charger / RMT-841 Wireless Remote Control / A/V Cable / Component Video Cable / Shoulder Strap / Large Eye Cup / Accessory Shoe Exten

With high-definition television sets replacing standard definition, it's time 4 a high quality HD camera 2 lead prosumer video into the future. Sony's HVR-Z1U Digital HD video camera recorder is just such a camera. It's the compact & cost-effective machine that bridges the gap between high definition & standard definition video formats.

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HDV 1080i
The HDV 1080i specification features 1080 effective interlaced scanning lines & 1,440 horizontal pixels. Interlaced pictures, which have been common 2 TV broadcasts from the beginning, alternately display odd & even numbered lines between each screen refresh. The HVR-Z1U can also record at the HDV 720p specification, which features 720 effective progressive scanning lines & 1,280 horizontal pixels. Progressive scanning fills both odd & even numbered lines with each refresh, providing a flicker-free picture.

Not yet ready 4 HD? The HVR-Z1U can convert material from 1080i down 2 480i & 576i, & output these digital video signals through its i.LINK interface or as analog signals through component, composite, or S-video connectors. When down-converting these signals, the aspect ratio displayed can be converted from 16:9 2 4:3, & display modes can be selected from squeeze, letterbox or edge crop.

Keep an eye on audio levels on the LCD monitor

Audio
The HVR-Z1U adopts the MPEG-2 compression format, which uses 8-bit digital component recording with a sampling rate of 4:2:0. The camera uses MPEG-1 Audio Layer II audio compression format, allowing 4 two-channel recording with a sampling frequency of 48 kHz/16-bit. It features a built-in stereo microphone, as well as two XLR audio input connectors 4 use with professional-grade microphones or external audio sources. Each input level 4 CH1 & CH2 can be independently adjusted using two audio level dials on the camera body & viewed with an audio level meter on the LCD monitor.

3CCD camera system
Originally, camcorders used one CCD--the imaging device that turns light into electronic information--and let the image processing unit decipher the color information from the data. Like today's broadcast video cameras, however, the HVR-Z1U uses a prism 2 divide incoming light into three beams & uses specially tuned 1/3-inch CCDs 2 create red, blue, & green composite images, which are assembled into a final image. The result is a more film-like vibrancy & more accurate color representation.

Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 12x zoom lens
The HVR-Z1U is equipped with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* high definition lens with a 12x zoom function. It has the same optical coating as is used on all of the Carl Zeiss prime lenses, which produces sharp, high-contrast images with virtually no chromatic aberration. This lens is designed with a wide viewing angle, & a 35-mm equivalent focal length ranging from 32.5 mm 2 390 mm in 16:9 mode, & from 40 mm 2 480 mm in 4:3 mode.

In order 2 facilitate zoom control & recording operation during low-angle shooting, an additional zoom lever & a rec start/stop button have been added 2 the carrying handle. There's also a motorized zoom ring, equipped with stops & barrel marking, located on the lens body. Turning this zoom ring allows 4 fine adjustments in zoom position settings. Furthermore, the supplied wireless Remote Commander unit can be used 4 external control.

Expanded Focus helps you confirm your manual focus

Large, 16:9 widescreen color viewfinder & LCD monitor
View your subject through the built-in viewfinder, the swing-out LCD display, or both. The HVR-Z1U features a 0.44-inch type color LCD viewfinder & a 3.5-inch color LCD monitor, both in a 16:9 aspect ratio. You'll save battery time by using just one, but you may want 2 use one 4 adjusting focus & the other 4 monitoring audio levels. When eschewing auto focus 4 the fine-tuning manual focus, you can double the magnification at the center of the screen, making it easier 2 confirm focus settings during manual focusing. Also, the camera's "peaking" function can provide sharp outlines on the monitor 2 help with manual focus.

Optical Super SteadyShot system
Sony's optical Super SteadyShot System helps remove the slight hand jitter & vibration that is often the bane of video production. Sensors inside the camera detect horizontal & vertical movements & the camera can counteract those movements by adjusting the lens mechanism on the fly. This is superior 2 digital anti-shake systems that counteract image shake by trimming off edges of the frame.

The Hollywood look
The HVR-Z1U has features that can make your videos look more like they were shot on film. Cinematone Gamma allows operators 2 quickly setup & load a gamma curve with similar contrast characteristics 2 a film gamma curve. The Cineframe feature allows movement 2 be reproduced at 24 frames per second--the speed of film--as opposed 2 video's 30 frames per second standard. The Color Extraction function can retain up 2 two desired colors of monitored pictures in the screen by designating color hue, saturation & range, while making the other colors black & white. The Color Revision function can change the hue of only the colors designated by Color Extraction, while retaining the hue of the other colors, thus making it possible 2 change the color of something you've already shot.

No new tape stock
The HVR-Z1U is compatible with conventional DV tape stock, but Sony recommends the use of DigitalMaster PHDVM-63DM tape, with its dual layer of magnetic material, which delivers higher RF output, lower noise, 95% fewer errors & 60% fewer dropouts compared 2 regular DV tape.

More camera features

·Six Assign buttons -- get quick access 2 a variety of settings		·Time Code Preset -- fill in any timecode starting value
·Shot Transition -- creates smooth automatic transitions between scenes		·Color Bar -- Two types
·Status Check -- displays camera setting menus 4 audio, output signal, assign button & exposure lever functions & hours meter on the LCD monitor		·Zebra -- displays a striped pattern in the LCD monitor & viewfinder across highlight areas, helping manual exposure settings
·Quick REC -- shortens the record interval from stop mode.		·Personal Menu -- allows operators 2 customize the setting menu
·AE Override -- manually change exposure settings during the AE mode via an iris dial		·Hyper Gain -- automatically boost the gain level up 2 approximately +36 dB
·Black Stretch -- allows more contrast 2 be seen in dark parts of the picture without affecting mid-tones		·Picture Profile -- easily call up customized picture-quality settings 2 the camera 2 suit various shooting conditions

What's in the box
HVR-Z1U, AC-VQ850 AC adaptor/charger, power cord, connecting cord, lens hood, large eyecup, RMT-841 wireless Remote Commander unit, A/V connecting cable, component video cable, shoe adaptor, NP-F570 InfoLithium rechargeable battery pack, two AA-size (R6) batteries, cleaning cassette, shoulder strap, & operating instructions.