Well, the following camera that I'm going to review is simply amazing to me as a video professional who always demand a high level of video acquisition standards.
Have a look at this short demo reel that I've created simply because I think this camera has got HUGE potential as the smallest HD capable camera with decent image quality.
http://www.dxnmedia.net/CanonTX1Demo.mov
At a price tag of below S$700, you cannot ask for much, but if we go back 10-20 years into the era of amatuer film making with Super8 & 8mm films, I can do no more than praise this little bugger.
My comparison of this camera is of course, not in the league of full HD or HDV cameras, but as a 'super8' alternative in this HD era that can be used as an acquisition tool even for professional applications.
Some features:-
- It's designed as a compact digital still cam.
- 1280x720 HD video capture capability
- Unfortunately it's only at 30fps.
But hey, if we compare to the Super8 era, u've got fixed frame rate & resolution too!
So you've gotta learn to deal with it.
Pros:-
- Extremely small & compact
- records 13mins of 1280x720 video with 4gb SDHC card. (even with a roll of negs on super8, you're limited to about 10mins of footage?) Cannot remember my figures, but a 400ft roll of 16mm neg can shoot for about 10-12 mins only too!.
There are plenty of bad areas from this nifty little toy if we're comparing to a full HDV camera, but hey at S$700 and the compact size?!!? Don't ask for much.
Cons:-
- There are noticible compression artifacts, but can deal with it.
- Irritating vertical smears when filming a light source!!! (Reminds of me the good old IT CCD days, and some of the old tube camera characteristics.)
- Lag in auto-focus, no manual focus
- Very grainy in low light conditions (but it has a unique look!)
- Lack of manual control in iris/gain
- No manual shutter control
- Lost of details in pans & motions (Perhaps turning off IS will improve it.)
- No external audio input. (but hey, Super8 films are also a big lagging behind in audio capture with optical sound)
- Highlights are a bit oversaturated, but this is the typical look of Canon Digix processors.
Again, if we compare this camera to the era of Super8 days, we cannot ask for more!
Super8 doesn't perform well in low light conditions even with a ASA400 film stock!
This camera will train you well to get your basics of lighting right! Light properly if you complain about grains!
Last but not least, I must say that for the price, the size & for the decent image quality it can produce despite some constraints, this is a freaking good cam that I'd recommend for all video enthusiast going into the HD era.
I've never praised a Canon product before, and damn I must admit that I'm raving at this camera. Even for me as a video professional, I swear that this cam will be with me all the time for my acquisition, test shots & backup needs!!!
If Canon wanna sponsor (are you hearing?), I'll be making a short film totally with TX1 in the near future!
:bsmilie:
Have a look at this short demo reel that I've created simply because I think this camera has got HUGE potential as the smallest HD capable camera with decent image quality.
http://www.dxnmedia.net/CanonTX1Demo.mov
At a price tag of below S$700, you cannot ask for much, but if we go back 10-20 years into the era of amatuer film making with Super8 & 8mm films, I can do no more than praise this little bugger.
My comparison of this camera is of course, not in the league of full HD or HDV cameras, but as a 'super8' alternative in this HD era that can be used as an acquisition tool even for professional applications.
Some features:-
- It's designed as a compact digital still cam.
- 1280x720 HD video capture capability
- Unfortunately it's only at 30fps.
But hey, if we compare to the Super8 era, u've got fixed frame rate & resolution too!
So you've gotta learn to deal with it.
Pros:-
- Extremely small & compact
- records 13mins of 1280x720 video with 4gb SDHC card. (even with a roll of negs on super8, you're limited to about 10mins of footage?) Cannot remember my figures, but a 400ft roll of 16mm neg can shoot for about 10-12 mins only too!.
There are plenty of bad areas from this nifty little toy if we're comparing to a full HDV camera, but hey at S$700 and the compact size?!!? Don't ask for much.
Cons:-
- There are noticible compression artifacts, but can deal with it.
- Irritating vertical smears when filming a light source!!! (Reminds of me the good old IT CCD days, and some of the old tube camera characteristics.)
- Lag in auto-focus, no manual focus
- Very grainy in low light conditions (but it has a unique look!)
- Lack of manual control in iris/gain
- No manual shutter control
- Lost of details in pans & motions (Perhaps turning off IS will improve it.)
- No external audio input. (but hey, Super8 films are also a big lagging behind in audio capture with optical sound)
- Highlights are a bit oversaturated, but this is the typical look of Canon Digix processors.
Again, if we compare this camera to the era of Super8 days, we cannot ask for more!
Super8 doesn't perform well in low light conditions even with a ASA400 film stock!
This camera will train you well to get your basics of lighting right! Light properly if you complain about grains!
Last but not least, I must say that for the price, the size & for the decent image quality it can produce despite some constraints, this is a freaking good cam that I'd recommend for all video enthusiast going into the HD era.
I've never praised a Canon product before, and damn I must admit that I'm raving at this camera. Even for me as a video professional, I swear that this cam will be with me all the time for my acquisition, test shots & backup needs!!!
If Canon wanna sponsor (are you hearing?), I'll be making a short film totally with TX1 in the near future!
:bsmilie:
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