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In use:
The first thing I had to do before I could shoot anything was attach the 2 x XLR adaptor to the hot shoe on top of the camera, this is securely locked into place via a wheel. Then it was simply a case of securing the microphone into the mount and away I went.
I immediately felt at home with this little camcorder, even though I’m used to high-end shoulder mounted affairs. One feature that I really liked was the A1E’s ability to switch the viewfinder from colour to black and white. I found this helps with focusing, as you don’t have colour to get in the way, though for most of my test shooting I was using the auto-focus setting, then switching to manual once the camera had found focus for me. For those who are happy to gamble with auto-focus mode, you won’t be disappointed. I spent considerable time using the A1E in auto-focus mode as I suspect this is where it will be set with a lot of end users. The camera thinks intelligently here and doesn’t hunt all over the place at every given opportunity like some other branded camcorders I could mention.
The camera is native 16:9 widescreen, but if you wish to shoot for 4:3 format there is a menu function that puts 4:3 guide markers on the screen to help you compose your shots. The A1E also has many of the Z1’s picture enhancement features such as ATW Sensitivity, Black Stretch, Cinematone Gamma and Skintone Detail.
Although the A1E is a HDV camcorder, like other Sony HDV models, you can switch to DVCAM or even standard Mini DV modes. Though if you intend shooting in HDV mode I would highly recommend using Sony’s special HDV Digital Master series tapes, simply because this is a superior tape stock that will virtually eliminate the chances of dropout with the HDV format.
As you may or may not know, the HDV format uses the MPEG-2 compression method similar to that used on standard domestic DVDs. Because of the way the Group of Pictures (GOP) works if you were to be unlucky enough to get a drop-out, it could affect several frames and not just a single frame as with standard DV formats; using Sony’s Digital Master series tapes will be a good insurance policy against drop-outs from ever happening.
Overall the A1E works like a dream, nicely balanced with a comfortable ergonomic shape, easy to operate the various switches and controls with clear menu readouts.
Build quality:
I said earlier that this is one of the sexiest little camcorders I have ever seen, but it is “Lara Croft Tough Sexy” and not “Gwyneth Paltrow Sexy” if you know what I mean. What I’m saying is this, the HVR-A1E is one tough little camera. Although it’s small, curvy and cute, it is very solid with a reassuring weight to it. Nothing about this camera feels flimsy or plasticy. Overall the A1E is up to Sony’s usual build quality standards and does not disappoint in this area.
Picture quality:
Just like the HVR-Z1E the HVR-A1E uses the same high quality HDV 1080i lines format so even though the A1E is a much smaller single CMOS sensor camcorder, I was still expecting something a little bit special. I shot around 30 minutes of mixed footage, both outdoors and indoors. The single CMOS sensor is a first for Sony, up until now camcorders such as the PD170, VX2100 and the new HVR-Z1E have all used 3-chip CCD models so this was an interesting time for me and I couldn’t wait to view the footage.
I didn’t bother getting into any computer editing with the A1E, instead I simply plugged the camcorder straight into a Sony HD flat panel monitor; model LMD-232W, which Sony kindly loaned me. I operated the A1E’s playback controls via the included remote control for convenience. I sat back, hit play and waited eagerly with anticipation for the HDV pictures to be transmitted from the A1E to the Sony HD monitor. Up until this point the camcorder had pleased me in almost every way. After the very brief moment it took the A1E’s mechanism to spin up, the pictures started to roll. The quality of the pictures that were produced from this little gem really impressed me, and then some. I have to admit, I didn’t really know what to expect from the single CMOS sensor, but it did not disappoint; considering the price of this little camcorder, it really is truly remarkable that these stunning images could be produced. The A1E is going to retail at around the £1,740 mark and I seriously doubt that you could find any camcorder in the world at this price that will produce pictures as sharp and nicely saturated as this little beauty.
Even with the camera set in full auto mode, it dealt with the exposure very nicely; some cameras have a tendency to overexpose slightly in auto mode, but not this one. Everything seemed to be exposed incredibly well and even though I was shooting outdoors in mid-day sun (not the most ideal shooting situation when the sun is high in the sky), there were no untoward signs of hot spots in the footage. The white clouds against the blue sky had plenty of punch and 3-D imagery. The A1E handles indoor footage under domestic household lights better than any other camcorder I have tried in this class. The low light capabilities are simply excellent. In a dimly lit room with the curtains drawn there was no sign of the gain kicking in, which retained an overall nice crisp image. The auto white balance judged the indoor lighting very well and reproduced them more than adequately, though the A1E did tend to lean towards the “Warm” end of the colour spectrum, but this was only slight and better than most camcorders I have tested in this price range.
Uses:
So who is the HVR-A1E aimed at? Well, that’s a difficult one, but from what I have seen during the single day I had it on loan from Sony I would say that the A1E would be one serious hobbyist camcorder, but because of it’s compact size and HDV 1080i lines image quality it could quite easily be used in those broadcast situations where something small and lightweight is required. Think Roger Cook and the Cook Report, where his cameramen might have to throw a camcorder in the bushes as they run away from a villain they are investigating (of course they will come back for the camera later), or those bungee jumpers or skateboarders who film their stunts. Better still, think “Jackass”, those crazy dudes from across the pond use cams like this one all the time. If you are a professional wedding videographer you could do a lot worse than buy one of these to toss in your kit as a second camera.
The HVR-A1E is the unofficial replacement for the PDX10 (now deleted) and I suspect this new HDV incarnation will be used in similar shooting situations including: weddings, corporate, news, documentaries, reality TV, independent filmmakers, wildlife to name a few; the list is endless. Pretty much any application where size and weight is important such as extreme conditions, underwater, aircraft footage, etc. Even big-time Hollywood directors will end up using it on their feature films for the dvd extras.
Summing up:
The HVR-A1E has the same HDV-DV down convert function as the HVR-Z1E so you can shoot in HDV mode and edit in Standard DV mode if you don’t yet have an edit system capable of dealing with HDV.
Socketry includes the usual analogue component output, audio, iLink (FireWire) as well as a USB output,
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