How Bad is the audio on Sony HVR-Z1U in HDV mode? I want the closest camera to a Panasonic HVX200 but HDV.
by Superfly
on
Mar 12, 2007 at 10:01:07 am
Hi Everyone,
I have been putting off HD/HDV but customers are starting to ask. I keep explaining that it's 2-3 years off for event / performing arts stuff like I do but I am thinking of buying our first HDV camera. I would buy the Panasonic HVX200 in a heartbeat if I thought I could afford to store/backup the many 2.5 hour 2-3 cam jobs we do, but the firestore 100GIG only holds 100 minutes at $2K. PRICES ME OUT AS MUCH AS I PREFER PANNY!
I want the closest thing to DVX100:
3.5" Display
Real time adjustable audio both channels.
DAT quality audio (the DVX audio is insane!)
The audio is already less than stellar on the Sonys that I have owned and used, but I have read bad things about HDV compressed audio.
Is this true? If so, how bad is it?
Thanks, Superfly.
Todd Roush
Dreamscape Digital Media
Panny DVX-100's
Re: How Bad is the audio on Sony HVR-Z1U in HDV mode? I want the closest camera to a Panasonic HVX200 but HDV. by Michael G on Mar 12, 2007 at 12:08:34 pm
Ironically the audio on the Z1s is an improvment on the PD150 and 170 DV cameras. Although mpeg audio, the codec is quite good, its the big improvment in the analog input stages which makes the Z1 sound better than its predecessors.
For mission critical applications double system is the only way to get great PCM uncompressed sound. For fx and dialog, the Z1 is excellent. The money you will save on memory cards can be spent on good mics which are more important than mpeg versus PCM specs.
Re: How good is the audio on Sony HVR-Z1U in HDV mode? I want the closest camera to a Panasonic HVX200 but HDV. by Superfly on Mar 12, 2007 at 11:30:20 pm
Thank you.
That's great news.
Sounds like the editing is not half bad either.
Sounds like this may be the camera to get then?
Re: How good is the audio on Sony HVR-Z1U in HDV mode? I want the closest camera to a Panasonic HVX200 but HDV. by Michael G on Mar 13, 2007 at 3:01:59 am
Personally, I like the Canon XL H1. Best pics in HDV that I have yet seen. Interchangable lenses & SDI in/outs, but the Sony also produces good pics. Audio wise they are the same. For docos the HDV format and those two cameras are stalwarts and produce excellent results. Sony have brought out new models lately as have Canon so do a lot of web searching.
Re: How good is the audio on Sony HVR-Z1U in HDV mode? I want the closest camera to a Panasonic HVX200 but HDV. by Superfly on Mar 13, 2007 at 6:05:28 am
Right on Michael,
I sure feel you on the Cannon. Right now I believe I would have to go with 2 Sonys before the 1 Cannon for $$ reasons but the Cannon is just a beautiful piece of work. Only thing I miss is the flip screen as I am just not into eyepieces unless the sun is blazing.
Truth is, I would stick with the HVX200 Panny if it shout HDV because Panny knows what I need in a camera. Great looking 3.5" flip, live adjustable stereo audio pots, Cinegamma, 24p.
I have a funny feeling the Sony Z1U will be close now that they have added the audio pots. I love Sony batteries and I love the zoom/focus and general electronics.
Thanks for the 411 man.
Very Helpful.
S.
Todd Roush
Dreamscape Digital Media
Panny DVX-100's
Re: How good is the audio on Sony HVR-Z1U in HDV mode? I want the closest camera to a Panasonic HVX200 but HDV. by motionfx on Mar 14, 2007 at 3:49:25 pm
Yeah! The Sony Z1U is an amazing camera.
I recently had a shoot and my #1 camera was a JVC GY-HD100U with a boom mic. The pics and audio that I shot with the Sony as #2 camera are being used in the edit much more than the #1 cam.
I know this can be operator errors but they were pro's and did a great job, I just prefer the picture and audio from the easy to use Sony Z1U.
Plus it made for less capture problems (as evidenced by my emergency posts in the JCV and HDV forums)
Re: How good is the audio on Sony HVR-Z1U in HDV mode? I want the closest camera to a Panasonic HVX200 but HDV. by Carlos E. Martinez on Mar 17, 2007 at 12:51:01 pm
Sorry if I do not quite agree on the initial comments that the MPEG audio on the Z1 was an improvement over the PD170.
The PD170 audio was a HUGE improvement over the PD150, and is a HUGE improvement over the Z1 for just one reason: it records uncompressed PCM audio, which the Z1 does not.
One thing is true though: the Z1 input audio electronics are the same of the PD170, plus a limiter and external separate pots.
So I think that even if it might be alright for recording simple interviews, if you want quality audio you should do double system audio.
The combo I am proposing is using a small portable CF recorder to simultaneously record PCM audio. And this is the trick I suggest: use the Z1 audio electronics. Take the audio out from the A/V mini-jack, which is line-level, and go into one of these CF recorders.
Everything is the same: you still record your camera audio, but you will have a better quality backup of your audio stream.
Only trick: you will have to download your audio daily to your computer and make DVD copies of the wav files.
Next step would be using an external smal mixer, like the Sound Devices Mixpre, to feed both Z1 and CF recorder. This would be an improvement over the Sony electronics.
I am already implementing that for my Z1, and I bought a Zoom H4 recorder, which unfortunately hasn't yet got here (Brazil) to pass on my performing comments. But I will when it does.
Re: How good is the audio on Sony HVR-Z1U in HDV mode? I want the closest camera to a Panasonic HVX200 but HDV. by Michael G on Mar 18, 2007 at 1:19:52 am
[Carlos E. Martinez]"The PD170 audio was a HUGE improvement over the PD150, and is a HUGE improvement over the Z1 for just one reason: it records uncompressed PCM audio, which the Z1 does not.
One thing is true though: the Z1 input audio electronics are the same of the PD170, plus a limiter and external separate pots."
As a sound post facility with over 700 docos under our belt, I can assure you that both the PD150 and 170 are noisy and have a high frequency interference noise. Althought PCM they are both noisy and compared to the Z1 have required CEDAR denoising on quiet interviews and sync sound. The Z1 is much quieter so I doubt very much that it is the same electronics as the PD170. If it is then they have eliminated the noise and interference so on interviews and sync sound he Z1 is better than the PD150 and 170.
There is so much more to audio than codecs. As I said, pay attention to input electronics and microphones, so the field mixer and the microphone are the main consideration. mpeg audio is a good codec. Double system is such a pain in post production that the minor quality improvement would only be worth it for music or highly dynamic sound.
