Sony HVR-A1U for a Documentary: Resolution and CMOS Questions

[maks]

I would like to shoot a documentary at the end of August and am currently checking out potential cameras.

This is the one I am leaning towards the most. But I have a few questions.

It says that it has 1080 Lines Horizontal however it records to DV
according to this chart it can't be higher than 525.

Or am I looking at something wrong?

What exactly is CMOS?? How superior is 3CCD?? What exactly would I notice differently?

Also, I will be mostly shooting from afar, sometimes in the dark and will be using a wireless mic. Is this a good option?

I'm a total newbie to this, so thanks in advance

 

[BenB]

In a nutshell: You need to have a 3CCD camera. CMOS is one of many technologies that go into a camera. Most DV cams are not good in dark settings, you'll have to light it, especially evening/night scenes to get the lighting you want. Wireless mics, go with UHF, avoid the cheaper and older UHF, as they are more prone to interference. Samson's UM-1 are really great at a low price. Avoid HDV at all costs, it's really limited, and a PITA to deal with in any NLE. I had the opportunity to speak to the production managers of all the major NLEs for the chapter of a book on HDV I helped to write: Avid, FCP, Vegas, PPro, etc. All agreed that HDV native editing is a mess, and if you have to do it, always use an intermediate codec, like Apple Intermediate Codec for HDV (AIC). You won't get any image quality loss, and it'll be easier to edit with. Stay with old name brand tried and proven products. Do TONS of homework on cameras, and use one before you buy it! Remember that anyone using a specific product will most likely think it's the best thing on the market. There is no "best item on the market", just some good ones, and some bad ones, you have to wade through the mess to figure it out. Take all magazine reviews with a grain of salt. As a magazine writer, I can assure you, most mag-jockies are very biased before they ever sit down to type a word. Very few of us are honest and objective. Most video magazine writers are not trained writers nor journalists, so keep that in mind. Well, there's my rant for the day, hope it helps.

Oh, and if you use a Mac, buy my tutorials, of course...

 

[element80]

Sony's HDV's don't do so hot in the dark. I shot footage on the Z1U (basically the A1U, only it's 3CCD, instead of CMOS) and even at 18db gain, I could barely get an image. You're gonna need light in order to get good images from it.

 

[BenB]

True, and one step further, no HD/HDV camera shoots nearly as well in dark settings as some of the SD cams did, like the VX2000. Just the nature of HD/HDV.

 

[ralck]

Just to add some insights, I have a VX2000 camera. Just the other day I wanted to try shooting the moon for a transition show, wondering if I would have enough light to do so. Amazingly, it came out really well and I was surprised to see how well the detail came out on this camera. That's barely any light coming into the camera and it even picked up a bright star near the moon!

If you're not worried about hi-def, then look at the VX2000/2100 models. I really like mine and recommend it if you're on a tight budget. The 2000's you can get used for around $1200, and the 2100's you can buy new from Sony.