Posted by Smarty on 11/01/07 01:42

Your initial comments are 'spot on'. And I also was a bit disappointed that
Canon does not include a neck strap / shoulder strap. Regarding the
stabilization, some folks have been using Merlins / Steadicams, and I just
use a plain old tripod with a decent fluid head.

The wide angle converter is a nice option, and I actually keep it on the
camera virtually all of the time since it makes the range of focal lengths
more useful to me than the extreme tele which otherwise exists. It also
seems to preserve the inherent image quality so well that I don't find much
to object to, unless I really search for the small imperfections in
fringing, focusing, and geometric distortion which are nearly unnoticeable.

The small size can be a problem in situations where the professional is
expected /assumed to bring in elaborate gear. Maybe somebody will offer a
cardboard, collapsible shell designed to look like a big ENG camera which
you can unfold and use for those situations... (;

I also wish they had brought the camera functions out through a LANC
interface to do remote zoom, etc. But all considered, this little camera is
a really sweet deal.

Looks like nappy is beginning to get tempted...... I am anxious to see how
you and the other true professionals here find this camera, since I judge
image quality and other related performance mostly as a non-professional
user.

An external quick charge is something I also want to get, and the recharge
time is otherwise somewhat slow and potentially inconvenient being inside
the camera. The accessories are refreshingly cheap compared to a lot of the
prosumer and pro alternatives. The high def wide angle adapter Canon sells
for the HV-20 is way less than the Century I had for my FX-1, for example. I
would up buying a couple neutral density filters since I sometimes want to
control depth of focus and / or white clipping optically instead of using
the sometimes limited camera adjustment ranges.

Good luck with all of this, and any updates would be most welcome.

Smarty

"PTravel" <ptravel@travelersvideo.com> wrote in message
news:5osassFnsi3cU1@mid.individual.net...

> 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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