• Cinematography

  3CCD SD vs 1CCD HD

  Posted by Liam Johnson on December 10, 2006 at 10:41 pm

  I am in the market for a camcorder but im torn between the 2 options when choosing.
  Idealy id love to get a 3CCD HD bit its a bit far out of my pricerange.

  The camcorders ive been looking at right now are Everio MC500, Sony HDR-HC1/HC3, Panasonic PV-GS180, Sanyo VPC-HD1A, there is also a used JVC GR-HD1 for 1100 ive been looking at as well but its really tight for me price wise.

  But im really open to any suggestions.

  Ill be planning to use this camera for multiple projects including weddings, some school projects, and maybe attempt my own videocast.

  Deleted User replied 19 years, 7 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
• 1 Reply

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  Deleted User

  December 13, 2006 at 7:20 pm

  You may have inadvertently posted your question in this pro cinematography forum. You might instead try posting related questions to the COW’s Event Videographers forum:
  https://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/new_view_posts.cgi?forumid=11

  As for your question, I’m not familiar with the cams you mention, but I suspect they are relatively low-cost cams.

  Based on my limited experience doing relatively low-budget wedding and event shooting, a cam’s low light (available light) performance is a critical consideration.

  For example, Sony’s VX2100, PD170 (which have three 1/3″ CCDs) and DSR-370 (which has three 1/2″ CCDs) are able to record relatively good-quality SD video in typical, dimly-lit indoor wedding & event environments.

  Cams with smaller or fewer CCD/CMOS imagers, or cams with noisy electronic gain circuits, or <$15,000 cams with relatively high-resolution imagers (HD or SD) are typically much less light sensitive and "clean-looking" compared to the VX2100, PD170 and DSR-370. However, if the events you'll be videotaping will primarily be outdoors or brightly lit, there's a wider choice of cams you might select from. Also, since a cam's built-in mic is rarely adequate in most situations, I'd also recommend selecting a cam which can easily and reliably connect to an external microphone when required, such as a wireless mic worn by a groom. High-quality sound accounts for at least 60% of the effectiveness of a video production. If at all possible, test the cam you're considering in the intended environment before making a final purchase decision. Good luck with your research! - Peter

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