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SONY HVR-Z1U 3 CCD Professional HDV Camcorder
 | Sony Professional HVR-Z1U 3CCD High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom ASIN: B00097HL6K Binding: Electronics List price: $5,946.99 USD Amazon price: $4,399.95 USD |
Creative People, Please Buy this Incredible Camera! for about $4900 from amazon.com
A few disclaimers to consider while reading my review:
- From March 2004 to December 2004, I watched more HDTV then anyone on the planet
- I had never owned a video camera, let alone edited video, before purchasing the Sony Z1U
- I was intrigued enough to take the plunge and purchase the world’s first pro-sumer 1080i High Definition Camera after reading reviews and listenting to the camerman from Jag
- This review applies to both the Sony Z1U and Sony FX1
- While both cameras record identical picture quality, the Z1U offers a few more features warranting the "pro" designation
The Z1U arrived at my door in Chicago a week before I was due to return to Buenos Aires. It was unpacked, charged up, and connected to the tripod in no time. I spent about an hour walking around my neighborhood filming architecture, people, moving cars, dogs, and squirrels.
After rewinding the tape I connected the camera to my old 60 inch HDTV. I was floored as I switched between HDNET, Discovery Channel HD, ESPN HD, HBO HD, and my Z1U footage. The picture clarity was as amazing as the DirecTV HD broadcasts which had dazzled my friends and I for the past year.
The only rational thing I could think to do was jump on-line and buy a Sony FX1. The decision was mine as I was responsible for purchases in co-founding Motamorfosis Productions. You see, I didn’t want to get stuck holding the reflector all the time while Tamir used the Z1U. Also, as a trader, I understood the concept of edge.
One year ago HDTV cameras were only found in top productions. An equivalent picture in 2004 would have required a $50,000 camera. The Z1U at $4,900 and the FX1 at $3,300 make HD productions a whole lot cheaper. They are both less than half the size of prior HD cameras. And footage can be edited on a fast home PC or Mac. These are edges that creative people should take advantage of.
With a few months of practice filming and editing, the results being episodes 1-3 of MariposaHD.tv, we can get a little more specific in our review:
Camera’s Pros:
- Records an amazing picture comparable to satellite and cable distributed HDTV
- Phenomenal Color Reproduction
- Great Built in Mic
- Beautiful 3.5 inch swivel LCD Display
- Zoom is highly controllable in handheld, shotgun, or tripod filming
- Excellent autofocus
- Easily adjustable focus and iris control
- Internal steadyshot does an admirable job
- Lightweight and well-balanced design (4.25 Lbs)
Camera’s Cons:
- Low-light performance, while sufficienct, has room for improvement
- Fast editing requires a very fast PC
- Editing software not included, we recommend
Camera Specifics:
- True 16:9 aspect ratio 1080i screen resolution
- 3 Chip Advanced HAD CCD system
- 12X Optical Zoom
- Carl Zeiss Lens
- RealTime HD codec engine which allows efficient MPEG2 compression of clear HD images
- Comes with 570 battery, charger, remote control, cleaning cassette, cables for connecting to a PC or Mac, and to HDTV with component cables
Recommended accessories:
