Yet another 'what camera should I buy thread'. I just wanted to post my own before breaking the bank. This will be my first real camera and I am thinking about the canon HV-40. It looks pretty good and it priced pretty well but how good would it look on a big screen? Are there certain accessories I should look into as well?
The Canon HV-40
- Thread starter Phishphan3
- Start date
I've not looked at the specs for the HV-40, but I'm sure they're pretty similar to my HV-20, which looks great on the big screen.
Of course ultimately it's more about light control and scene composition than camera resolution or features, but the Canon HV's make pretty pictures without trying very hard.
thanks for your input! I will probably get one within the week. im pumped!
I hope I am not hijacking.
I hope I am not hijacking the thread, but to stop any duplicate threads I thought it may be best to ask about the HV-40 here.
I have been looking at recommendations and specifications of the HV-40, but being in an area that Canon does not service well, I find that there are no units to look at and test within hundreds of kilometers. In fact, I have not found one store at all yet that has a unit in stock, or are planning on stocking one, and I am now calling 500 KMs away.
I want to put any camera I purchase next to a very specific roll so I need to know a couple of simple things for sure. I hope that someone with a PAL version of an HV-40 can edit and post online a very short uncompressed clip of a couple of dozen frames so I can see what it is capable of. It would help me immensely. All I need is for the video to be captured in 24p with no pulldown, and for the lens to be set to the forced infinity setting. If you can have a small object held at 5 feet, 10 feet and maybe 20 feet it would let me know how good the optics are on the camera (distances do not need to be exact). If file size is an issue, a dozen frames would be great as long as they are not compressed.
Any help would be welcome and appreciated.
I hope I am not hijacking the thread, but to stop any duplicate threads I thought it may be best to ask about the HV-40 here.
I have been looking at recommendations and specifications of the HV-40, but being in an area that Canon does not service well, I find that there are no units to look at and test within hundreds of kilometers. In fact, I have not found one store at all yet that has a unit in stock, or are planning on stocking one, and I am now calling 500 KMs away.
I want to put any camera I purchase next to a very specific roll so I need to know a couple of simple things for sure. I hope that someone with a PAL version of an HV-40 can edit and post online a very short uncompressed clip of a couple of dozen frames so I can see what it is capable of. It would help me immensely. All I need is for the video to be captured in 24p with no pulldown, and for the lens to be set to the forced infinity setting. If you can have a small object held at 5 feet, 10 feet and maybe 20 feet it would let me know how good the optics are on the camera (distances do not need to be exact). If file size is an issue, a dozen frames would be great as long as they are not compressed.
Any help would be welcome and appreciated.
I was in the same boat as you awhile ago. Best Buy does carry the camera, and if they are not in stock they can order it for you (for free) and then you can decide whether or not to buy it. I think Radio Shack carries it as well if you just want to look at it. Wal mart also carries it (although I don't know if they stock it) but it is the cheapest for about 850. Best Buy will price match too so definitely menchion the wal mart thing.
As for seeing shots, look at www.vimeo.com and just type in HV-40 into the search bar. people doing tests exactly like the ones you are looking for are up on video. They also have shots with different lenses too
As for seeing shots, look at www.vimeo.com and just type in HV-40 into the search bar. people doing tests exactly like the ones you are looking for are up on video. They also have shots with different lenses too
I was thinking of final cut pro, or sony vegas for editing. Do you think that will pose any problems?
Phishphan3
Being in Australia, there is no Best Buy or Wal Mart. I will definitely look at any video on the link you posted. Thanks for that.
My only concern is that I have read online that the NTSC version of the HV-40 still uses pulldown while the PAL version uses pulldown free 24p. My experience with many online video posts is that most of them come from USA. Americans are great at posting videos and generally being helpful, but are stuck with the NTSC version of the HV-40.
OK, I have just had a good look at the video on the site. I had some good luck, the first video is in forced infinity and from a SECAM country which will have the PAL version of the HV-40 (SECAM is very close to PAL technically). From what I do see, the forced infinity is exactly what I need, and the PAL version does not use pulldown in 24p. Though I did see evidence of pulldown (sometimes semi removed by software in post) in the American footage. I see why some American Indy filmmakers are ordering in the PAL version from other countries. It isn't a lot of trouble getting the correct transformers to run 220-240v AC on 110v DC. I have done the reverse myself in the past on many occasions. Pulldown may not be an issue for you though. It is a massive issue for me as I will be doing a large amount of chroma and luma keying and the fewer post processes I do the better.
Thanks again. The HV-40 actually exceeds what I was expecting in other areas as well.
Being in Australia, there is no Best Buy or Wal Mart. I will definitely look at any video on the link you posted. Thanks for that.
My only concern is that I have read online that the NTSC version of the HV-40 still uses pulldown while the PAL version uses pulldown free 24p. My experience with many online video posts is that most of them come from USA. Americans are great at posting videos and generally being helpful, but are stuck with the NTSC version of the HV-40.
OK, I have just had a good look at the video on the site. I had some good luck, the first video is in forced infinity and from a SECAM country which will have the PAL version of the HV-40 (SECAM is very close to PAL technically). From what I do see, the forced infinity is exactly what I need, and the PAL version does not use pulldown in 24p. Though I did see evidence of pulldown (sometimes semi removed by software in post) in the American footage. I see why some American Indy filmmakers are ordering in the PAL version from other countries. It isn't a lot of trouble getting the correct transformers to run 220-240v AC on 110v DC. I have done the reverse myself in the past on many occasions. Pulldown may not be an issue for you though. It is a massive issue for me as I will be doing a large amount of chroma and luma keying and the fewer post processes I do the better.
Thanks again. The HV-40 actually exceeds what I was expecting in other areas as well.