Posted by PTravel on 10/31/07 21:37

"Smarty" <nobody@nobody.com> wrote in message
news:ND5Wi.2498$hd1.1296@trndny01...

>
> PTravel........Has your HV-20 arrived, and if so, any initial opinions of
> it?
>
> Smarty
>

It just came. This thing is tiny! It's going to be quite a change getting
used to it, after my VX2000. I haven't had a chance to evaluate the
image -- that will have to wait until I get home tonight. I'm a little
irked that it doesn't have a proper buckle for a neck strap, but I'll kludge
something, probably using the tripod connector. I shoot, mostly, from the
chest, using the strap to provide support for the front of the camera. I
find I'm much steadier that way. I really need to find some way to support
the front of the HV20 (though the OIS seems pretty good -- probably better,
or at least "stronger" than on my VX2000).

It seems pretty solid for a consumer machine, though the joystick for
navigating the menus looks like an obvious weak point. I like that the
filter threads are outside the built-in lens cap. As I recall, my VX2000 is
also 43mm, so I should have a UV and circular polarizer for it already. I
ordered the Canon WA lens -- it arrives tomorrow, but the WA field of view
on the camera seems fine -- comparable to the VX2000 -- so I don't know how
much I'll need to use it. Assuming everything is okay tonight, I'll order a
couple of extra batteries and a quick charge.

If the video quality is as good as everyone says, I'll be a happy man. For
the kind of travel video that I do, there are times when having a big
prosumer machine is a good thing, but there are also many times when it's
not, as it draws far too much attention.

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