Sony Professional HVRZ1U 3CCD High Definition Camcorder

Product Description

Product Description With high-definition television sets replacing standard definition, it's time for a high quality HD camera to lead prosumer video into the future. Sony's HVR-Z1U Digital HD video camera recorder is just such a camera. It's the compact and cost-effective machine that bridges the gap between high definition and standard definition video formats.

See large image HDV 1080i The HDV 1080i specification features 1080 effective interlaced scanning lines and 1,440 horizontal pixels. Interlaced pictures, which have been common to TV broadcasts from the beginning, alternately display odd and even numbered lines between each screen refresh. The HVR-Z1U can also record at the HDV 720p specification, which features 720 effective progressive scanning lines and 1,280 horizontal pixels. Progressive scanning fills both odd and even numbered lines with each refresh, providing a flicker-free picture.

Not yet ready for HD? The HVR-Z1U can convert material from 1080i down to 480i and 576i, and output these digital video signals through its i.LINK interface or as analog signals through component, composite, or S-video connectors. When down-converting these signals, the aspect ratio displayed can be converted from 16:9 to 4:3, and display modes can be selected from squeeze, letterbox or edge crop.

Keep an eye on audio levels on the LCD monitor Audio The HVR-Z1U adopts the MPEG-2 compression format, which uses 8-bit digital component recording with a sampling rate of 4:2:0. The camera uses MPEG-1 Audio Layer II audio compression format, allowing for two-channel recording with a sampling frequency of 48 kHz/16-bit. It features a built-in stereo microphone, as well as two XLR audio input connectors for use with professional-grade microphones or external audio sources. Each input level for CH1 and CH2 can be independently adjusted using two audio level dials on the camera body and viewed with an audio level meter on the LCD monitor.

3CCD camera system Originally, camcorders used one CCD--the imaging device that turns light into electronic information--and let the image processing unit decipher the color information from the data. Like today's broadcast video cameras, however, the HVR-Z1U uses a prism to divide incoming light into three beams and uses specially tuned 1/3-inch CCDs to create red, blue, and green composite images, which are assembled into a final image. The result is a more film-like vibrancy and more accurate color representation.

Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 12x zoom lens The HVR-Z1U is equipped with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* high definition lens with a 12x zoom function. It has the same optical coating as is used on all of the Carl Zeiss prime lenses, which produces sharp, high-contrast images with virtually no chromatic aberration. This lens is designed with a wide viewing angle, and a 35-mm equivalent focal length ranging from 32.5 mm to 390 mm in 16:9 mode, and from 40 mm to 480 mm in 4:3 mode.

In order to facilitate zoom control and recording operation during low-angle shooting, an additional zoom lever and a rec start/stop button have been added to the carrying handle. There's also a motorized zoom ring, equipped with stops and barrel marking, located on the lens body. Turning this zoom ring allows for fine adjustments in zoom position settings. Furthermore, the supplied wireless Remote Commander unit can be used for external control.

Expanded Focus helps you confirm your manual focus Large, 16:9 widescreen color viewfinder and LCD monitor View your subject through the built-in viewfinder, the swing-out LCD display, or both. The HVR-Z1U features a 0.44-inch type color LCD viewfinder and a 3.5-inch color LCD monitor, both in a 16:9 aspect ratio. You'll save battery time by using just one, but you may want to use one for adjusting focus and the other for monitoring audio levels. When eschewing auto focus for the fine-tuning manual focus, you can double the magnification at the center of the screen, making it easier to confirm focus settings during manual focusing. Also, the camera's "peaking" function can provide sharp outlines on the monitor to help with manual focus.

Optical Super SteadyShot system Sony's optical Super SteadyShot System helps remove the slight hand jitter and vibration that is often the bane of video production. Sensors inside the camera detect horizontal and vertical movements and the camera can counteract those movements by adjusting the lens mechanism on the fly. This is superior to digital anti-shake systems that counteract image shake by trimming off edges of the frame.

The Hollywood look The HVR-Z1U has features that can make your videos look more like they were shot on film. Cinematone Gamma allows operators to quickly setup and load a gamma curve with similar contrast characteristics to a film gamma curve. The Cineframe feature allows movement to be reproduced at 24 frames per second--the speed of film--as opposed to video's 30 frames per second standard. The Color Extraction function can retain up to two desired colors of monitored pictures in the screen by designating color hue, saturation and range, while making the other colors black and white. The Color Revision function can change the hue of only the colors designated by Color Extraction, while retaining the hue of the other colors, thus making it possible to change the color of something you've already shot.

No new tape stock The HVR-Z1U is compatible with conventional DV tape stock, but Sony recommends the use of DigitalMaster PHDVM-63DM tape, with its dual layer of magnetic material, which delivers higher RF output, lower noise, 95% fewer errors and 60% fewer dropouts compared to regular DV tape.

More camera features ·Six Assign buttons -- get quick access to a variety of settings   ·Time Code Preset -- fill in any timecode starting value ·Shot Transition -- creates smooth automatic transitions between scenes   ·Color Bar -- Two types ·Status Check -- displays camera setting menus for audio, output signal, assign button and exposure lever functions and hours meter on the LCD monitor   ·Zebra -- displays a striped pattern in the LCD monitor and viewfinder across highlight areas, helping manual exposure settings ·Quick REC -- shortens the record interval from stop mode.   ·Personal Menu -- allows operators to customize the setting menu ·AE Override -- manually change exposure settings during the AE mode via an iris dial   ·Hyper Gain -- automatically boost the gain level up to approximately +36 dB ·Black Stretch -- allows more contrast to be seen in dark parts of the picture without affecting mid-tones   ·Picture Profile -- easily call up customized picture-quality settings to the camera to suit various shooting conditions

What's in the box HVR-Z1U, AC-VQ850 AC adaptor/charger, power cord, connecting cord, lens hood, large eyecup, RMT-841 wireless Remote Commander unit, A/V connecting cable, component video cable, shoe adaptor, NP-F570 InfoLithium rechargeable battery pack, two AA-size (R6) batteries, cleaning cassette, shoulder strap, and operating instructions.

This review is from: Sony Professional HVR-Z1U 3CCD High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom (Electronics)
I've used my Sony HVR-Z1U HDV camcorder in some very extreme conditions, and it it comes through on a regular basis. I shot Hurricane Katrina video footage during the storm (for StormStock) in driving 100 mph rain. At that time, I had purchased and was using a rain coat for the camera. It never failed. Previously, in Hurricane Dennis, the unit failed in the rain, without the coat. The screen went black. I dried it off with a hand dryer and it came back to life to be called back into action with Katrina.

My HVR-Z1U has shot hurricane video, tornadoes, lightning, and other storm footage, often in the rain and dust. And, it keeps on going.

The unit prefers mid-range lighting. It can shoot good footage if you give it that.

Sony can improve this unit by adding SDI to output to HDCAM. I'd also like to see true 24P added and maybe variable frame rates.

This camera is just a couple options away from being a professional system.

Martin Lisius
Prairie Pictures, Inc. Get More Full Detail>>