- #SONY HDV DIGITAL HD VIDEO CAMERA RECORDER MANUAL#
- #SONY HDV DIGITAL HD VIDEO CAMERA RECORDER PROFESSIONAL#
The results confirmed that the Contrast Enhancer increased the difference between dark and light tones by 9%.
#SONY HDV DIGITAL HD VIDEO CAMERA RECORDER MANUAL#
We shot an 8-step grayscale chart with identical lighting and manual exposure settings, exported the still images and compared their contrast levels in Photoshop. One image-processing feature we dug into was the V1U’s Contrast Enhancer.
The effective resolution of 1920 x 1080 and internal color sampling in the 4:2:2 color space (4:2:0 on output to tape) indeed combine to provide a remarkable picture. Additionally, the V1U did well in our low-light test, showing an anticipated increase in noise as the gain was increased. While there is noticeable noise in dark and mid-tone areas, we did not find it too objectionable during our tests.
We say ‘potential’ only because this tends to be the nature of CMOS vs. Sony’s use of three 1/4″ CMOS image sensors and the refinement of their ClearVid technology have the advantages of higher effective resolution at the potential cost of increased image noise. The lens hood with built-in barn doors does a nice job protecting the glass and will keep you from losing a lens cap however, it appears it will also limit you to using one screw-on lens filter at a time. So, while your zoom is 1.5 times greater, your wide angle is also that much less wide.
#SONY HDV DIGITAL HD VIDEO CAMERA RECORDER PROFESSIONAL#
There is, however, a 1.5x digital extender that operates similar to professional lenses by enlarging the entire focal range by 1.5 times. The image quality is excellent, and the zoom control on both lens barrel and handle is very smooth with built-in ease-in/ease-out. On the optics front, we are glad Sony has backed away from useless digital zooms in favor of squeezing out more optical focal length with their 20x Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens. Other useful control features include a three-position neutral density filter, a status check button that reviews all critical camera settings, a dial for exposure/iris and a focus button that toggles between manual and auto. Sony even makes it easy for you to save all of your custom settings on a Memory Stick for easy transfer to another unit. The V1U allows you to customize dozens of critical settings that impact camcorder operation, performance, and image quality. While there are six user-assignable buttons, the majority of camcorder controls are nested within the menus. At the top of this column of buttons is a slider, letting you select between Auto Lock, Auto Release and holding of manually set exposure. At the rear, and a quick thumb press away, are buttons for gain, shutter speed, white balance, menu and menu navigation wheel.
The layout of frequently accessed camcorder functions and controls is very intuitive. No longer is this just the square side of the camcorder covering the tape transport, but a convex design that provides greater stability without having to increase the strap tension. The hand strap nestles your hand comfortably against a newly designed palm grip that is integrated with the tape cover. The overall weight of about four pounds will mean you’ll probably find yourself using your left hand to occasionally support the rotational torque on long shots- but hey, if you’re not using a tripod, you should be using two hands anyway, right? The V1U is among the best-balanced camcorders we’ve used.
This camcorder is packed with a host of features designed for serious amateurs and budding professionals. Sony’s latest addition to its professional HDV camcorder lineup is the HVR-V1U.
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