Anybody else hava a Z1U?

[Star Video]

It's a nice little camera, and I actually like shooting with it.

With ample light, it works great. I'm still amazed how good the picture is from such a little camera.

In order to shoot better with my Z1U,

I tweaked the following in Picture profile 1:

color level: +7 (makes up for the lack of HDV color space)

Sharpness: 10 (makes up for the non-1080i chips and lens)

black stretch: on (gives me more details in the blacks, and is better in low light areas)

By the way, any websites available for setting up the Z1U?

I'd like to see other tweaks as well.

[Max Girth]

Jacques,

Please don't think I'm picking on you by pointing some things out in your post, but I really feel the need to comment on a couple of these.

color level: +7 (makes up for the lack of HDV color space)
Eh, "color space" has nothing to do with chroma levels. When people talk about color space and HDV in the same sentence, they're usually talking about 4:2:0 color sampling. This means that the two chroma channels do not have the same resolution as the luma channel. It means nothing about the chroma levels. You're boosting chroma, that's it.

Sharpness: 10 (makes up for the non-1080i chips and lens)

If you're shooting HDV mode, and capturing standard definition via the firewire port (or analog ports), then you've probably noticed that by default, the images look a bit soft. The reason for this is that the edge enhancement for HD recording gets lost in the mix when the camera does the downconversion to SD.

Good HD downconversions often add some edge enhancement back in, to match what we've been watching for years.

It sounds like you're shooting HD, monitoring SD, and adding tons of edge enhancement to compensate for the lack of edge enhancement added during downconvert...then you should know if you ever had to view your HD images on a good HD monitor, you might puke. Edge enhancement doesn't really compensate for any shortcomings...

[Baltimore Shooter]

But it's digital so it's better than BetaSP. It looks just like film! :rolleyes:

HAHAH!

Warren

[Star Video]

I know that i'm boosting chroma, exactly because the HDV compression has much less chroma then luma information.

Also, when shooting HD, I see no problems with this camera. I watch HDV playback from my camera on my Sony PHM-14M8U HDVS monitor, and it looks great.

I also don't see any detail loss in the downconversion to SD from HD, and no need for edge enhancement. I actually downconverted and edge cropped an interview that I shot in HD, and it looked just fine. I think that's a bunch of BS. The images look soft not because they're downconverted, but because it's SD.

Furthermore, I asked here if anybody else has a Z1U and what kinds of tweaks they did to the camera, not to start a debate on HDV, thank you.

[Max Girth]

Alright man, I'm sorry. I told you I wasn't trying to pick on you, but I guess it didn't matter. I'm debating camera settings and the whys, not the format. In other words, why I *wouldn't* use your settings. But if it's working for you, then cool.

-----------------------------------------------

www.nateweaver.net (http://www.nateweaver.net)

Temp Reel (http://web.mac.com/nweaver/iWeb/Nate%20Weaver%20Temp%20Reel/Nate%20Weaver%20Temp%20Reel.html)

[A Step Above Productions]

PM me I have had the Z1U for over a year and I have no problems with it.

[cameragod]

Hey Star you gave your settings and Max gave his opinion then you jumped down his throat for answering. Chill out man or nobody will venture an opinion about anything.

[freedom]

star posted: Furthermore, I asked here if anybody else has a Z1U and what kinds of tweaks they did to the camera, not to start a debate on HDV, thank you.

I don't think that was aimed at Max, but at another gratuitous shot at DV.
There are some here who should chill out but I don't think it's star in this case.

[SandRat]

I've been using it as it came. Changed some of the user preferences to my liking, but overall didn't change the look/paint. Looks good as a solid mounted camera, but anything off sticks or a steady-cam and it looks like an HD handy-cam. Won't compare to more robust HD formats, but holds up in post as a reversal interview shot with a PDW-F350 as primary. Any serious action, detail or contrast kills the image.

[Stoney]

Anyone try out the newer "V"1U? It looks the same as the Z1U but I think the difference is that the V1 does actual 24P. Is that right? I didn't even realize there was a newer model until I thought I saw a misprint in a camera ad in some website.

[Canonman]

Anyone try out the newer "V"1U? It looks the same as the Z1U but I think the difference is that the V1 does actual 24P. Is that right? I didn't even realize there was a newer model until I thought I saw a misprint in a camera ad in some website.

The V1 does do 24P. It's also uses CMOS image sensors which have some advantages over CCD based imagers. It's physically smaller than the Z1 but not my much. The V1 started shipping around mid-December.

cm

[freedom]

1/4" chips in the V vs. 1/3" chips in the Z.

[Star Video]

Hah, I laugh when I see postings about the image crapping out for anything off sticks or with movement.

Well, I have a shoulder mount for my Z1, also, i've shot plenty of ice skating for a documentary, shot at 60i, plenty of light and plenty of fast movement, and the footage looks great.

Well, this post has gone nowhere in terms of sharing camera settings, oh well...

[Frenchdub]

Hi Jacques,
Not many users on this board I guess hence the lack of info... I found this on another board:
http://www.stevengotz.com/pictureprofiles.htm
cheers
Gareth