SR1 VS. UX1

Hi to all,

Is there anyone there who doing underwater video with the SR1, UX1 or the CX7? I'm ugrading to a Hi-def and is choosing between the SR1 and the UX1 and probably the CX7.

I work full time in a resort setting doing videos of recreational divers and letting them watch as soon as they're back in the resort that's why UX1 is also a choice. Will the DVD head stand up to the rigors? As with SR1, will the HDD also do the same?

For the housing, I've my eyes on an Equinox-6. Any suggestions?

Thanks and any information would be greaty appreciated.

Philip

diversthailand.com

Philip,

Have you thought about the Canon HV20 ($899) in an Ikelite Housing ($1100) with an Inon wide angel lens ($290)?

I do a lot of dailys, and I went with this set up do to quality and that Im not a fan of HDD or AVCHD because of the compression factor compared to tape. Look at this site and read the side by side tests between all the cameras you talked about and more. I shoot the Sony Z1U for bigger projects so quality is my number one concern and the HV20 does as good as you can get for a one CCD rig and it can shoot in 1080 24p. Well thats my advice hope that helps! If I had to pick from the three I would go-- Sony HDR-SR1.

Mahalo,

Scott

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/The-G...-JVC-GZ-HD7.htm

Scott,

Thanks so much for your input. Oh yes, I've heard a lot of great reviews with the HV20, one of them saying the big companies underestimated it and were left by its bandwagon.

I've seen the JVC-HD7 personally last month on an expo here in Pattaya and I liked it but the cost was a staggering 78,000 baht (around 2,400 USD) which is a far cry from the listed MSRP 1,500 online. For that price I would rather go for the bigger professional rigs.

For several years doing u/w vids I've been accustomed to the ease of using memory stick on the boat. I shoot the first dive, go to the wheelhouse to edit on my celeron (using primitive win movie maker) while everybody's having lunch; do the second dive, edit the second dive mpeg clips then burn on SVCD format using nero 7 while everybody's sleeping on the way back to the harbor.

On the way back to the shop or their hotel I'll let them watch the disc on a mini dvd player on my truck and that's it. This is why the UX1 is also a candidate. I was just wondering if it's easy to edit them and with what software.

I guess I can't do this anymore with AVCHD or HDV with the bigger file. What I don't like basically with my present set-up is the 640x480 frame. When the viz is good this is OK but when the tide is moving it really sucks. To make up for the bad viz in the Gulf of Thailand, I just insert happy and sunny JPEGs so the divers would be happy that it's their personal video, unlike other videos I've seen where there are a dozen other divers you can't distinguish whose video it is for.

With tapes I didn't like editing them on real time, i.e., if the clip is 90 mins, I wait 90 mins. That was my experience with my Sony TRV-825 (hi-8) and DCR-HC40e (mini-dv). The hi-8's qulaity is better than the mini-dv- unbelivable!

But anyway, like you said- sr1 is the best option among the three I've mentioned. With Canon I was shown a demo in Singapore last April 07 and I liked it because I can see the real small details on a 3-ccd rig. But I guess I cannot deviate from Sony. I had good experiences with it and has already acquired sony accessories.

In the next two weeks I'll be heading to Maldives after I get my work permit from the company based on Bodu Hithi to work as Videogrpaher/Instructor. They have a sony PC-130 there which they plug on to a sony vrd-vc20 for direct burning without editing so I'll be quite busy with it doing subtitles, music and credits. I would need the hi-def set-up for this job.

Thanks Scott and more power to you in Hawaii. I've checked your website and there was a good music clip on one of your sections.

Sawadee kap,

Philip

www.diversthailand.com

Philip,

 

Have you thought about the Canon HV20 ($899) in an Ikelite Housing ($1100) with an Inon wide angel lens ($290)?

I do a lot of dailys, and I went with this set up do to quality and that Im not a fan of HDD or AVCHD because of the compression factor compared to tape. Look at this site and read the side by side tests between all the cameras you talked about and more. I shoot the Sony Z1U for bigger projects so quality is my number one concern and the HV20 does as good as you can get for a one CCD rig and it can shoot in 1080 24p. Well thats my advice hope that helps! If I had to pick from the three I would go-- Sony HDR-SR1.

 

Mahalo,

Scott

 

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/The-G...-JVC-GZ-HD7.htm

I have the SR1 with Ikelite housing. I like it a lot. It may not do for the real *pro* stuff many here are into (such as selling to a network), but it is very nice and the footage I've gotton so far is very good. Unfortunately the underwater trip I took with it was during awful weather in Tahiti so wasn't much to see. I have used it topside as well. I did have a lot of sorting out to do in terms of the software and hardware and all that. Here's a thread that lists lots of the info, including the 2-month oddysey I went through to be able to edit and burn AVCHD files (I burn to HDDVD and not AVCHD although I have that capability).

http://www.sonyhdvinfo.com/showthread.php?t=9694

Just some random comments:

First of all, at least here in the U.S. the SR1 is discontinued. It's not on SonyStyle.com any longer. Not that it really matters..

Replacements are the SR5/7/8. The SR5 doesn't have a viewfinder if that's important to you.

Does the Equinox allow you to open the LCD inside the housing? Or are you buying their monitor back? For $249/349 it's certainly not an HD monitor.

Have you looked at the record times for the CX7 in HD. They're pretty short. 30-65min. depending on compression chosen. Or 85 in LP - but if you're going to shoot in LP AVCHD you might as well just shoot in SD. Personally I'm not a big fan of their proprietary Memory Stick Pro Duo media either. Although I am a big Sony fan - I shoot an HC1, edit on a VAIO and watch on a 40" Bravia.

For the same $1199 you could get the UX7 with the bigger chip. 3.2MP vs. 2.1MP if you decide to go with the DVD model. Personally I wouldn't since the HD record times on a single layer disc top out at 30min. at the worst compression ratio. Doesn't seem like enough time to record a dive.

Since all three are using AVCHD compression, I'd go with a HDD camcorder. The SR7's storage capacity is 14hrs. in HD HQ mode. Compared to 55min for the CX7 and an abysmal 15min for the UX7. But the SR7 is $200 more than the others.

Rather than needing to burn a DVD for your truck rides, can't you just plug the composite output on the camera into your monitor. It won't be in HD since I'm guessing your monitor isn't either. I think the SD output from my HDV camcorder looks better than an SD signal though.

If you have a computer with enough horsepower, the new Sony Vegas 8 - and the latest version of Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum both support AVCHD import/editing now.

hth,

Our partners on Bonaire at Buddy Dive use a UX1 in the Seatool Housing for rentals. They check in the camera, pop out the camera, hand the customer a disk, then go to happy hour.

For productions of dive groups, the new SR8 would be very appealing to me. There is a a time savings over tape based systems in post (although not as much as you'd think due to USB transfer, not firewire), and the lower quality doesn't likely affect your production.