You got one right.

1. Z1
2. DVX100a
3. 700

1. DVX100a
2. 700
3. Z1

Last one looks the best

I dont like the last one at all. It looks way too dark especially when compared with the others. Just doesnt look natural.

Of all the images, the best 2 were top and bottom IMO, however, it's somewhat difficult to compare the 2 for quality since the 2 had very different color light being cast on them from the looks of it. Although, if the top was Z1 and Bottom Was 700 (what's a 700? please pardon my ignorance) and the lighting was the same, HOLY CRAP. My main issue would have been that the top one seemed to handle the reflections of light better than the bottom, but the color and dynamic range seemed better on the bottom. I'm not sure but, I did seem to notice some problems with the reflection of the fish in the middle (vertically) right side of picture. The light reflecting under it's eye and near there specifically seem to look somewhat blocky etc... I don't see anything like that on any of the other images

I would like to think that I'm an inteligent schmo, but I'm not going to say for sure.

1. Z1
2. DVX
3. 700

My guess is I'm somewhat inteligent.

You did well, Patrick.
1-Z1
2-DVX100a
3-F700

Keep in mind that 1&2 were shot at the cameras automatic settings told aperture and shutterspeed to be.
The third shot, I stopped down a big, both out of habit, and because it's actually just a tad closer to the natural light. The zoom made the shutter slow down, making 1&2 brighter than they naturally would be, but they both do a very admirable job of holding levels. However, with the added color I got in the faces of the fish in #3, now I've got lots of options in post to jam the luma a bit more without losing color nor detail.
the other very significant difference, is that the Z1 and the DVX100 are "similar lenses" in value and design.
The Fuji is more expensive glass pricewise than the other two cameras combined.

I guess I'm a complete idiot b/c I also don't know what a '700' is, though I'm guessing it was a varicam b/c of all the discussion about it lately. I'm also guessing that the top is a Z1, the bottom is the 700, and the middle is a dvx100a. I've got to agree with Frigid that the top and bottom look best, but there're such different shots (lighting, etc) it's hard to tell which is better.

I like the richness, robustness of the bottom pic; I'd much rather deal with a bit of oversaturation than not enough, I have a Sony 717 Digital Still Cam that I routinely have to tone down the saturation...

top pick looks like a wash...out

What about me spot? what about me? I figured it out first, I just didn't say anything. I replied before there were any replies, it just took me a while to type what I saw.
I'm good too right? right? ;-)

Dave

The 700/750 is a 1K a day cam plus op rental, or you can by for around 75K with glass. A next to the very high end cam. Only real thing for the field better is the 900 with the 24 pulldown card and a set of Digiprime lenses. Set you back 250K for the lenses, cam, card, sticks.

Ive been studying the HDV line as much as I can. It looks like where I will make my investment whever the funds become available. It is truly a great time to be alive with all of the coolest technology.

700 is made by JVC, native 16:9, interchangeable optics, we have the 500, (original 4:3 version), very nice camera but NOT for the faint hearted.
Bob.

So if the 700 goes for $1k/day, what is the going rate for the Z1/FX1 day rentals?

I believe Z1's are going for around 400 a day plus op.

Should be around the same as a PD150/170, that's how we're setting it. Mind you with the recent price hike on the Z1 and as we include the Sony WA adaptor it's a pretty good deal.

One small bugbear I think both the rental companies and their clients are going to have with these cameras, there's no way to save all your setups, mind you it gets even worse with some of the other cameras, all you get is a slider with no numeric values, makes it hard to even match cameras on a two camers shoot.


Bob.

Sorry chilly dude, but your post was @ 10:34, Patricks was at 10:24....:-)

what do I win? lol. Actually, I can honestly say I have never won anything ever. Isnt that sad?

POST, SCHMOST; I started right before anyone had written, I'm just not able to shut up. Should I be punished for that?

Ok, so maybe I'm not making the best case for myself ;-)

Have a good night guys.

Dave

OK, I'm going to play devils advocate here. Single frame grabs from footage from a set of cameras tells us a fair bit, mostly how good they can look and certainly when it comes to resolution the Sony HDV cameras win hands down until you spend one hell of a lot more money.
What they don't tell us is how bad things can get, now I think anyone planning on shooting HDV needs to know that so they can either shoot those scenes with something else or adjust the scene to stay within the limits of what HDV can handle.
I've seen stuff from the HDV cameras that to be quite honest, even scaled up to HiDef, a TRV80 would have looked better.
What kind of shot am I talking about. A wide shot of lots (100s) of different colored flowers in a stiff breeze, try panning accross that and see what happens. Even a fast zoom through dense swirling smoke would be interesting, Perhaps even a static shot of something with lots of detail but with heat haze in the way.
Why am I pushing this point. Well unfortunately our clients tend to hold us responsible when things go wrong, being able to warn them just what the limitations are I'll admit still doesn't fix the issue entirely but it's a big step forward.
I know I SHOULD run these test myself but I simply haven't had the time (too busy earning the bucks to afford it) to get a HDV system together.
Bob.

Could you post the images uncompressed in their native resolution, please?

Dave, didn't you mean to say "HOLY CARP"?

Jay