Customer Reviews

Sony Professional HVR-A1U CMOS High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this camera to start my production business with and it was the best move I could have made. This camera is great for a beginner like me. It is user friendly while still allowing for ajustments. The HD is also amazing, my customers that have there videos in HD are absolutely floored we they get their finished product. A few things that I can recommend are getting a tripod as well as an extended battery. The stock battery only provides about 45 min with LCD and if you add anything other then the shotgun mic it lowers it even more. Make sure you use only high quality tapes. (I found out the hard way) Good tapes for this camera are going to cost about $10 to $15 but they are worth it when you reduce the time for re-tape due to drop-out on the film. All together this for me is a great camera for the price. Anything better is going to run you about $8000 or more.

Correction: High-definition video camera records in 1080i, or 480 NTSC (known as standard DV or DV) specification with analog down-converting. -->It does NOT record in 720p, or 720i. However, this is not an issue, just a correction. Also, all the output (for editing) is firewire; a digital format. You can watch the output on a TV using composite, svhs or component. Audio is RCA L/R.

As the other gentleman observed, this is more a serious amateur (dare I say pro?) camcorder that begs to be used. This is far more than the average user would want or need. It's bigger and heavier than the basic camcorder. But it shoots HDV 1080i and has gained a reputation as a documentary camera in situations where the camera may get damaged.

Key features over the sibling HC1 and HC3
It's same size as the HC1, except the added on audio "stalk".
No built in flash, but you are shooting video, not stills.
Audio is far more flexible than the other ones. HC3 is in-camera only. HC1 L&R channels are tied together, no independent controls. HC1 also will only accept unbalanced input (or spend $269 on BeachAudio converter and another $200 on shotgun to get equivalent). A1u is balanced input (XLR) and separate audio.

A1u also has black stretch switch for better definition of darker shaded scenes. Also if you output to 4:3 SDV, you can choose letterbox, stretch or cropped output. Other camcorders don't offer this (not sure about HC3).
Overall a1u has over 50 added features vs HC1.

Also, if you intend to edit HDV, it's an expensive proposition. Be sure to thoroughly research this before committing. It requires a fairly beefy PC. Expect to consume about 13 gig per hour of video.

You can output SDV today and edit that with any $50 video editing program and later on re-output in HDV and burn to Hi-def once that becomes mainstreamed... futureproofing yourself.

7/08 -- While AVCHD (flash memory) cameras are now becoming popular, they require even more powerful PC's to edit and as of this writing, software to edit the files is only now becoming available. So make sure you look at the entire workflow before jumping in. One nice thing is most all HD camcorders have either HDMI or component video out and can be used to play back to a HDTV in at full resolution. It's pretty awesome and will make you glad you bought one, even if you have to possibly wait to buy the rest of the components needed to edit.

PS Look for the Sony HVR-A1U in "Ice Road Truckers" and "Deadliest Catch" and other similar HD programs.

This camcorder is from the Sony Professional division with pro level warranty support. Sound is 70% of the experience and this camcorder delivers pro level XLR connectors with 48V power. For best sound results manually set the volume as high as possble keeping the peaks below 0db. The CMOS sensor produces amazing HD quality. A head shot of a person wearing a ball cap facing into strong direct sun with a deep shadow across their face does not blow out the highlights and shows full details in the shadow. I'm using Sony Vegas 7 to edit the results and I'm very happy with both the camcorder and Vegas.

This is bigger than the small consumer camcords but is about the same size as my old Sony Digital 8 camcorder and it's smaller than any other pro camcorder. Pro shooters are always amazed and comment on how small it is. Nothing produces this level of pro results without spending a lot more money.

While as good or better than the current crop of small HD consumer camcorders for shooing in low light there are better pro models such as the Sony Z1 and V1 for low light. The manual settings are via the touch screen and a not included PDA stylus is a must have to keep finger prints of the screen. 24fps can be done but you need Cineform Connect HD to do the pulldown from the Sony CF24 as the native CF24 is choppy until you use Cineform. If 24fps is a must the Sony V1 is a better choice.

I have been shooting consumer video since 1981. I started with a reel to reel system, worked with a camera and VHS portapack, did 8mm, Hi-8 and replaced my Digital 8 camcorder with this HDV camcorder earlier this year. Primarily, I use it for family functions, but I do shoot things that require me to gather better sound than what comes out of the built-in mics. The primary reason I bought this camcorder was - at the time - it was the lowest price HDV camcorder that had a way to connect to external audio sources. I wanted a Canon A1, but didn't want to wait the extra year or two it would take to save up for that!
I also liked the idea that it used tape. I have a DVR that I fill up all the time and then have to dump onto tape or DVD to store what I want to keep. Also, in my informal in-store tests, the picture with the AVCHD codec just didn't look as good... at this time. I use standard DV tape mostly, but I clean my heads regularly and only record on the tapes once. I can think of two lost half-seconds of video where the key frame was corrupted in about forty hours of collection.
Primarily, I found three things to be important going from SD to HD. One, picture stability. Use a tripod as much as you can and don't make sudden movements. Two, you need a lot of light to shoot good HDV. Three, focus is absolutely critical in HD.
The touch screen menu system took me awhile to get used to. However, you can adjust the menus to have a personal set of menus; putting the menu selections you use mostly at the beginning of the list. Even so, Murphy's Law seems to dictate that you need to hit at least two menus to get to what you want. On a tripod, I find I can navigate quickly to the fader button without too much shake; this is much harder to do when I am doing a handheld shot. Also, I strongly suggest you get an LCD protector for the screen.
In bright light, the camera is fantastic. I've shot landscapes that just blew me away watching on a 46" plasma HDTV. My son played flag football and I covered that - a la NFL films - all in close up and with lots of action in the frame. It looked great and very clear, even in slow motion.
Inside, it's a little different. Family functions tend to take place in low light: table lights, kitchen overhead light, that sort of thing. The camera is not designed to shoot in those light levels (to be fair, no HDV camera seems to be at this time). The video can get very grainy (especially with a lot of dark areas in the frame) and the colors tend to go reddish. I'd say it compares to my Hi-8 camcorder from the early 90's in terms of sensitivity. On the small LCD screen, it's pretty much impossible to determine how grainy it will look. You won't be able to tell until you play it back on something normal sized and then the artifacts can be distracting. I would say anything below a bright kitchen needs some additional light. I've tried a couple of LCD lights that fit on the camcorder, but I haven't found one that I like yet, so I won't recommend one at this time.
However, so far, the stuff I have shot at school seems to look fine under lots of fluorescents. And HDV seems to have a wider range than standard video. You can have a lot of light and dark in a frame before you completely blow it out and have white glowing blobs instead of kids in a spotlight against a dark background (parents have had camcorders for an entire generation; you'd think they would have noticed this by now!). And the camera does have a "Zebra" function that will alert you to areas of your frame that need to be toned down.
The final thing is focus. Again, in bright light, this isn't too big of a problem. Even in flag football, the auto focus worked remarkably well, adjusting to the focus point within a second in almost all cases. Indoors, it does okay with one big exception that I just found out: Christmas tree lights totally screw it up. I don't know what it is, but our tree lights, my friend's tree lights and my aunt's tree lights all had the auto focus totally confused. However, the focus can be manually controlled by a switch on the side and through the dial at the front of the camera. I quickly zoomed in all the way, focused and then began to shoot. In any case, I recommend you zoom in all the way before you shoot as it is very difficult to tell on a three inch LCD screen if the scene is properly focused, but it is very easy to tell when you are watching it on a 46" HDTV!
There is a single button on the side called "ASSIGN" that you can have set up to do a number of things. However, you cannot assign ANY function to the button, just SOME functions. For example, you can't set it to black fader.
A "nice to have" would have been an HDMI out. You have two proprietary outputs for standard video and component HD video that I have hooked to my HDTV permanently. I need both of them because the component only outputs the video, so I have to use the RCA outs of the standard audio as well.
The 10X zoom is okay. I think I would have liked about 15 - 20X though, especially since I primarily use the camera with a tripod. Another issue with a tripod is when you eject a tape. It exits from the bottom, so - at least on my tripod - you have to take it off the tripod, take the connection plate off and then reconnect it after you put in a new tape. This is an annoyance for me about twice a month as I generally shoot 60 minutes of tape every couple of weeks; not critical, but more of why did they change it from the top loading mechanism on my Digital 8 camcorder?
The battery life with the original stock battery that would get sucked dry in less than an hour. However, I picked up a six hour battery and got rid of that issue. Actually, that helps to balance the camcorder in my hand when I use the audio breakout box which fits on the top of the camera towards the front. I use that a lot because the built-in microphones seem to pick up more sound from the sides rather than straight on and they really seem to pick up a lot of wind noise. The external microphone that comes with the camera isn't bad. I shot a football game with thirty mile an hour gusts and only the worst ones came through the wind screen.
The camera will shot still pictures to a Sony MemoryStick. I have a 1GB stick and can fit something like 800 pictures on it. The pictures are okay (no flash) and they are in the 16:9 format of the camcorder. One nice thing is to be able to take a still while recording video. Again, in flag football, I could be shooting the action and then taking a still or two while the kids were running and the 10X zoom was much better than my 3X on my snapshot digital camera.
The camcorder comes with a hood for the lens with a built in lens cover. Unfortunately, if you want to put on any filters, the lens shade can't be used. I have a clear filter on my lens to prevent scratches, use the 37mm lens cover from my Digital 8 camcorder and generally live without the hood.
All in all, I'm pleased with the camera and generally astounded with the quality of the video. It took me a couple of months of use before I was totally comfortable with the camera layout and didn't accidentally turn it off when I wanted to start shooting. It's taken me longer to figure out how to best shoot in HD versus SD, but I'm getting there! I'd recommend the camera though there are now consumer level camcorders with external audio options that you might want to research before buying this one.

This camcorder is the best I have ever had!I have 5 others all higher and lower priced models for my business, I do video photography as one of my jobs. I love this camera, I dont know what would do without it! My kids can even operate it, we have made so many quality movies at home. I also use this camcorder for paid wedding and special occasion videos, it works great and I love the brand I really perfer it to others. Its not for you if you arent going to use alot or have a problem with the size, I dont think it's that big but then again I use some equipment thats enormous. This is not a palm Caamcorder.
Once you figure out if this is the camera for you, you will be please, I enjoy it a lot!! There are descriptions of the camcorder, options and quality of the product on this page.
I love it and hope my short review helps. I know this is a non-detail review but all the info is on this page. This isnt for a person looking for a $400 dollar camera, if you want quality movies or use it for your job, ect. I really think this one is great! Hope this is useful, Camcorder Fanatic

I recently had the Canon GL1 and thought it was time to upgrade to Hi-Def. After reading about 30 customer and 20 pro reviews it was the only camera that was offered pro features and great image quality worth way more then the price. It is all because of the CMOS sensor the camera uses. It consumes less power, less money to produce, better image quality then CCD and does not smear light. Some people say it's a consumer camera because it only has a one chip sensor instead of three like a CCD sensor but a CMOS sensor is a lot different then a CCD. A single chip CMOS sensor is three mega-pixels just like three CCD chips. It should be considered a pro camera instead of a consumer camera.
OK; now what the camera can do..... It has a touch screen which is handy but you have to keep wiping it off because it smudges easily. The personalized menu is a great idea; you can have all your most used items at a touch away. The cineframe and cinematone features are a good idea if you want your movies to have a more professional Hollywood look to them. The picture quality in good light is almost identical the image quality of the Sony Z1U which cost $4,000 and that's really amazing!! The low light performance is not that good, this is a downside of the CMOS sensor. I really like the exposure lever, one strange thing is that the camera does not give exposure increments like F1.6 ..... F2.6 it just gives you a bar. Three quarters of the bar is for exposure and the last quarter of the bar is gain which digitally brightens the picture and makes the picture real grainy. Just make sure you adjust the exposure manually in dark places and turn the gain off by not going to the last quarter of the bar. It has some other great features and that I am not going to go in to but you can read about them on this page. One other thing is that this camera is quite compact and I am really amazed at the picture quality that it takes.
Over all it is great camera and a good choice for any one who needs a good Hi-Def camera for a low price.
I hope this review helps and I will be adding more to this review.
06/29/08
I don't know what the problem was with the guy below me. I think he had problems in low light with the camera, this camera is not the best in low light. The auto focus is a little slow indoors but it's a lot better in good light. He also had problems with the mic, there are a lot of settings for the mic and you have to set them right to get good sound. When rewinding tapes I did not think it made a horrendous noise but it does make different pitches as you rewind it. The camera is small, they made it compact so pros could get great images in tight places. If you need a good low light camera go with the Sony V1U.
07/18/08
Price went up $300 from when I bought it, I guess I made a good investment.

My first impression was that the camera was very small, but thinking well for what I need is the perfect. Weddings and sweet 16, and family videos is my thing. New Camcorders are so small, it is logical that the HVR-A1U, is a small camera at professional level.

HVR-A1U:
Awesome video quality, but must purchase MiniDV HD, not normal cheap video tapes, that's the secret, buying high quality cassette it makes big difference.
Is small camera so you can shoot in places where you will not allow a large professional camera.
The sound quality is beautiful, I give you a tip, if you're shooting and talking at the same time, and you have to turn the microphone to where you speak, because if the microphone is not pointed toward you, the sound volume is lower. You can also buy another microphone; HVR-AU1 is able to plug 2 microphones at the same time.
Must buy a larger battery, does not necessarily have to be the sony, there are other more affordable options for less than $ 30, compared to $100 Sony.
The light is very important if you want to work at semi-professional/professional level, led lights is the best option but are a bit expensive ($ 200 - $ 1000) but you don't have to worry about battery dying, a single charge serves you up to 8 hours of filming.
You will need, 37mm 0.5x or less, wide angle lens for tiny room situations. Buy the 2.7 telephoto too. Don't buy cheap ones, get something nice because affects the quality of video big time.
Buy 37 mm, filters (3 piece Filter Kit consisting of an Ultra Violet (UV), Circular Polarizer (CPL), and a Fluorescent (FLD) Filter), the best is the Polarizer, for shooting in sunny days.
Good editing software. I use a simple Pinnacle Studio Collection HD. Fast and easy to learn without complications. For the more advanced people Sony Vegas and Adobe Premier is probably the best
.
Price: I got the camera from B&H photo in New York, I paid $2049, and Sony had a promotion, so I got $150 rebate from sony. total cost: $1899, not bad for a professional camcorder.
That's it, guys.

Overall I really like the camera and greatly recommend it to everyone.

hd cameras are expensive. this prosumer model is a cheaper alternative to all the glam, but actully does a very good job shooting hd video. i have used mine to create green screen videos, travel videos, and other little youtube videos. adobe premier renders the hd video from the camera very well, and setup on the camera is very easy. i have been using sony cameras for about 10 years now and this one is by far my favorite. the mic is decent quality, but has two inputs for mic cables if you want to use your own. there are settings to allow you to do special camera tricks and assign functions to a button. touch screen lcd is nice, but the lcd could be a lot bigger and i would not complain. bottom tape feeding is a little annoying, especially if you are using a tripod. you have to take the camera off the tripod, then you can change the tape. a camera with a side mount for the tape is much handier, and probably faster and quieter too.

This camera is loaded with great features that are hard to find in prosumer grade miniDV / HDV, but the CMOS sensor doesn't cut it for me.

Having xlr inputs as well as minijack that accepts both mic and line level signals is essential in my line of work. So is easy on the fly manual exposure and audio gain control, manual focus, long battery life and consistent white balance and last, but far from least is good image quality in less than stellar lighting conditions. The A1U did not deliver on this last criteria. My only complaint about this camera is it's slow lens and noisy sensor. The camera relies far too much on gain rather than aperture to increase exposure which adds grain, color artifact and a shift in color balance and contrast.


Sony did a great job of cramming a lot of these features into a small camera while retaining an intuitive set of controls. For things like white balance and manual audio controls the LCD menus can be cumbersome to navigate, but the physical buttons and dials on the body of the camera make accessing exposure, focus, and zoom plus a custom assignable button a snap.

I intended for this camera to augment my main camera (Sony FX-1) on video shoots. I am a serious hobbyist. My first perception of this camera was "man it's smaller than I thought it would be". The dollars per cubic inch ratio is very high.
Second observation: In daylight I used the cam to shoot some baby hummingbirds in their nest. I thought "no big deal", but when I reviewed the tape on a high def monitor I was stunned by how good the pic was. (I guess I never tried that shot with my FX-1.)
Third: in low light, like at a dance recital, the autofocus can have problems. I don't think you want to be more than 60 ft from the subject. Also be zoomed in, that seems to take care of autofocus issues.
Fourth: the mic is great for live music. This camera excells at guerilla music shoots, where you have to move around a lot. I often put it on a monopod for an overhead shot.
Fifth: must be unmounted to swap a tape. Decide for yourself whether this is important. If you are shooting a recital in the dark and have to unmount the thing, swap tapes, and remount in_the_dark then maybe this camera isn't for you.
Sixth: for what it's worth, the cam captures all colors pretty well except the deep reds. Before the commies start crying ;) let me say that I edit this cam's footage together with the FX-1 footage. The FX-1 goes down to a deeper "blood red" which pwns the a1u's footage.
Seventh: None of my cams have problems with tape. Simply buy the tdk or sony 10 packs at Costco. Try to stick with one brand of tape though. (No need for $10 tapes.)
The A1U has earned its way into my inventory. I am glad that I started with an FX-1 (heavy artillery), augmented with the A1U (when the shot is more important than the deep blood reds), and rounded out with a used FX-1 from B&H.
I'd recommend a preowned FX-1 over a new A1U though.