Re: Thoughts on Sony HVR A1?

Hi Elaisha, sorry about the late post but I've been out shooting with my Z1U and A1U. I really like the little A1U as my "B" Camera. I use it extensively as a wide master to cut away from my Z1U. With a slight color correction these 2 cameras can be made to match pretty well. You can view footage I've shot with these cameras at freestyleyoga.com The A1U is a single chip CMOS sensor camera. This little sensor does a pretty good job in good lighting. Lower lighting gives it a bit of trouble. I've used the sony HVL LBP 10 bulb LED light. It's a daylight balanced light but a small piece of gel can correct to match other light sources. It runs about 500 and has built in barn doors, a diffuser and a spot lens that can really throw some light. It's naturally configured to provide light in a 16X9 pattern. It also draws power from a variety of sony batteries and has an attachment to repo the battery to your pocket or belt. I would highly recommend a different mic as the provided sony mic sounds very tinny. My 3 pet peeves about the camera are: 1) the zoom control is a small lever rather than a rocker 2) the exposure lever is a bit odd and only displays itself as a bar rather than f stops. 3) bottom tape loading requires removal from tripod and shoe removal. You can buy a custom shoe online that will let you change tapes without removing the shoe. My 3 favorite things about the camera are 1) really good quality picture from a single chip camera 2) Really small size allows stealth mode and fitting into strange areas for cool shots. 3) It's low price that allowed me a 2nd camera I could use as a deck instead of my Z1U. I currently use the Sony supplied wide angle. I would advise spending some cash on your lenses as picture is everything! Century optics are very good! 1 more thing. Focus is super important with HDV. For interviews I would go manual and use a field monitor when possible. For run and gun on auto the camera will sometimes be slow to focus when changing subjects at varying depths of field. Overall - it's a really dependable little camera with a good picture. Don't plan on using the 24 or 30 cinemamode as they are only "effects" added to the picture. You're better off using magic bullet or something else to add a film look if that's what you're going for. Best of Luck! Kind Regards, Chris