It’s clear to me that HDV is much sharper than the Digital Betacam and the two DV-based cameras when up-converted to HD. What may come as a surprise, is that when down converted to standard NTSC the HDV from HDR-FX1 was still sharper than both the DVW-709 Digital Betacam and the DSR-570 16:9 DVCam! This is due to the fact the camera is higher resolution to begin with. Further, I should note that when compressed to DVD, the difference in resolution is unnoticeable due, no doubt, to the additional compression.

So, should you shoot everything in HDV from now on? No, the lens is a very important part of any camera and has a tremendous impact on the image. While the HDR-FX1 has a very good Ziess Lens, it does not have the control that you get from professional, film style or broadcast lenses.

In addition, the larger chips of most broadcast cameras allow them to have greater control over the depth of field which, to most photographers, is an important aspects of any image.

There is no doubt that the impact of the Sony HDR-FX1 and the Sony HVR-Z1 will be felt in nearly every aspect of our industry.

Just as the Panasonic AG-DVX100a, and the Sony PD-150 before that, whittled away at a portion of the Betacam business. The HDR-FX1 and the HVR-Z1 will carve out areas from the more expensive standard definition camera business and a smaller but significant portion of both the DVC-ProHD and HDCam markets.

Perhaps even more significant and a driving force for carving off that market share is the ability to edit HDV on a relatively inexpensive yet powerful desk top non-linear editing system, like Sony Vegas 5, Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut HD. This in itself will be a driving force for this format. After all many producers will want to edit in house and keep the cash in their own pockets.

Truly, HDV puts HD production within reach of many producers and filmmakers.