Hi,

I am looking to purchase a Sony Z1 HDV Broadcast Camera and I am interested to know what quality the stills are both from those taken from the video footage and those specifically captured as stills. Any ideas?

How can I compare the quality to a digital camera? i.e. It is the equivalent of a 'X' megapixel camera.

Also, if anyone can recommend a better camera then the Z1, for around this price, please let me know.

Thanks

If you want to take stills, use a stills camera. If you want to take video, use a video camera. Stills taken from HDV footage will be HDV resolution (1440 x 1080), which is the equivalent of 1.6 megapixels I believe.

__________________
video editing guides - my videos - wedding guides




follow us on twitter.com/videoforums
become a fan on facebook

Thank you.

I was hoping that I could use some frames from shooting to use as a picture. But alas, technology has not developed that far yet!

When you say picture, what is the destination format? Printed media? Remember that typically speaking we're sold stills cameras on numbers. You don't NEED a 5 gazzillion mega pixel camera to produce decent prints, but you won't get brilliant results at large print sizes.

__________________
video editing guides - my videos - wedding guides




follow us on twitter.com/videoforums
become a fan on facebook

Also, the Z1 is only "broadcast quality" for SD broadcasters and only in certain areas (reality tv, adventure etc.). If you're hoping to sell to HD broadcasters then they won't accept HDV instead.

And.... pixel count is only one factor that affects picture quality, pixel for pixel a stills camera will always produce better results.

The compresssion used on video is huge.

They make casualty in Bristol -I was chatting to the camera dudes in town last year - they had some z1 - they use them to throw out of windows / attatch to cars that they crash... it aint right !

I think it all depends. Broadcasters WILL take footage from that kind of camera for HD too, depending on the circumstances - The BBC aired a 3 part docu about the Guiana rainforest earlier this year - that went out in HD and I spotted a Z1 and an A1 being used for some of the less accessible places, like the abseil down into a waterfall canyon and a trip up the river to find a rare monitor lizard.

Having the shot is the most important thing after all.

There are two types of "Broadcast quality" the broadcasters' definition and the advertising definition.

My mobile phone is "broadcast quality" in that, if I had footage of a plane crash taken with my mobile, the news channels would broadcast it. In the same way for crash-cam shots and inaccessible areas, broadcasters will accept footage from Z1 and HDV camcorders. This is not to be confused with "broadcast quality" as defined by the broadcasters themselves.

ANd....

Broadcast quality has no relation to what is broadcast.
By the time the picture gets to your front room it has been vastly compromised. Try plugging just about any cam into your tv and you will see what I mean.