Streaming Learning Center

I just spent about a month with the Canon EOS 7D, specifically to evaluate its HD video shooting capabilities. The results were very impressive, with amazing depth of field, and relatively low noise in low light situations. You can read my review here.

Click over to the article to see some of the sample videos I shot with the 7D.

If you bought a camcorder ten years ago, chances were it was DV and stored its video on DV tape. Three years ago, it was likely HDV and DV tape. Today, it could be any one of five or six HD formats (AVCHD, HDV, DVCPRO HD, XDCAM HD, AVC-Intra) stored on four or five different storage mechanisms (tape, SD card, P2, SxS, hard disk, optical disc).

Concerned about navigating through this maze of options? Well, if so, you’re in this right place. Over the next 3,000 words or so, I’ll detail these options and others, tell you which ones to care about, and the questions to ask before buying your next HD camcorder. I’ll even detail the top four camcorders to consider in 2009.

To make my word count and maintain my sanity, I’ll focus on 3CCD camcorders that cost between $3,500 - $5,000, which I think is the real sweet spot for high quality and value. If you’re a bargain basement shopper, or indie film maker or wannabee, you might learn some valuable information, but you’ll probably want to buy a different class of camcorder. With so much to get through, let’s jump right in.

Many digital shooters started with DV video, which hammered the nail in the analog video coffin and democratized video production by dropping the price of capturing very good video from $25,000 (BetaSP camera and deck) to well under $4,000 (Sony DCR VX-2000 and FireWire cable). Another strong feature was that DV was simple; simple to edit, simple to understand and simple to explain.

In the world of high definition video, things get much more complex, with a multitude of very different formats competing for your purchase dollars. Understanding the similarities and differences between these formats is critical to making the correct purchase decision, and as always, the various product camps and their loyalists spew fear, uncertainty and doubt about competitive formats. It’s always an election year when it comes to high definition camera gear. So, in this article, I’ll take a stab at explaining the differences and similarities between some of the more prominent high definition formats.

If you’re considering buying a new affordable HD camcorder, you should have at least three formats in mind: tried-and-true HDV, up-and-coming AVCHD, and the ever-more-affordable DVCPRO HD. By a stroke of good fortune, I have three such camcorders in hand right now, and I thought it would be a good time to discuss their relative merits. Specifically, I’ve got the Canon XH A1 ($3,299 street), the Panasonic AG-HPX170 ($5,195 street), and the brand-spanking-new Panasonic AG-HMC150 ($3,495 street). Granted, the HPX170 is a much more flexible camera targeted at higher-end markets than the other two, but it will at least be on the radar screen for folks comparing the other two.

If you’re considering buying a new affordable HD camcorder, you should have at least three formats in mind: tried-and-true HDV, up-and-coming AVCHD, and the ever-more-affordable DVCPRO HD. By a stroke of good fortune, I have three such camcorders in hand right now, and I thought it would be a good time to discuss their relative merits. Specifically, I’ve got the Canon XH A1 ($3,299 street), the Panasonic AG-HPX170 ($5,195 street), and the brand-spanking-new Panasonic AG-HMC150 ($3,495 street). Granted, the HPX170 is a much more flexible camera targeted at higher-end markets than the other two, but it will at least be on the radar screen for folks comparing the other two.

I've been a user exclusively of tape-based cameras since the analog days. So, beyond the implications of the AVCHD format, I was intrigued by the opportunity to test Panasonic's AG-HSC1U, because it stores all video and still images on SDHC cards. A 4GB card is included with the camera. You can find the camcorder online for well less than $2,000, with spare Panasonic 4GB cards for as low as $150 (gulp!)—although Kingston offers a card that should be compatible for around $50.

Although AVCHD first appeared in consumer camcorders, a variation—AVC-Intra—will soon show up in broadcast cameras from Panasonic. Given that the MPEG-4 technology that fuels AVCHD is roughly twice as efficient as the MPEG-2 technology used in HDV, the new Sony-Panasonic standard will likely supplant HDV in the prosumer space. For this reason, it’s a standard you need to know about, even though you may not use it for a while.