Bestselling Sony Professional HVR-Z1U 3CCD High Definition Camcorder Review
July 22, 2010 by eCamera Talk
Filed under Camcorder, Sony
Sony Professional HVR-Z1U is a 3CCD High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom, it has become a bestselling camcorder on Amazon, many people are choosing it, so I think I should share it with you guys today. Well, let’s find out what’s really cool about it.
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.
The Sony HVR-Z1U camcorder comes with some brilliant features, let’s take a look.
Features:
HDV 1080i
The HDV 1080i specification features 1080 effective interlaced scanning lines and 1,440 horizontal pixels.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Of course, these are just the key features this Sony professional camcorder delivers, you’ll find out more when you get the camcorder.
Specs:
- High-definition video camera records in 1080i, 720p, and 720i specification with analog down-converting
- 16:9 widescreen recording; 4:3 conversion capable
- Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 12x optical zoom Lens; optical Super SteadyShot System dampens hand jitter and vibration
- 3CCD camera system; records to conventional DV tape stock
- Powered by NP-F570 InfoLithium rechargeable battery pack
Price as Reviewed: $5,889.95 (on Amazon)
Well, what’s your opinion on the Sony Professional HVR-Z1U 3CCD High Definition Camcorder?
Purchase or learn more about the Sony HVR-Z1U Professional Camcorder on Amazon and eBay.
