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Why HDV DP?
- HDV is both a format of the future and a format of today. Though not perfect as a recording format, its excellent high compression algorithms and ability to record on trivially inexpensive DV tape makes it an amazingly affordable path into the realm of HD.
- DP --- Director of Photography. I started shooting in HDV in January of 2005, shortly after the Sony Z1U camera became available, and seem to be shooting more and more of it each month.
- One of the most significant aspects of HDV is that it has forced numerous camera manufacturers to ‘step up to the plate’ and offer amazing quality from tiny camcorders. These aren’t just improvements over their standand definition predecessors, but a quantum leap beyond them.
- The HDV cameras have gotten so good that I recently acquired the Sony HVR-V1U, an amazing little camera that features 3 CMOS Progressive chips and a Zeiss 20:1 zoom lens, and features true progressive 1080 line 24p or 30p recording (as well as 60i) and makes truly impressive images..
- Every time I visit the editing room for one of the HDV projects I’ve shot - and see it on a large HD monitor - I’m blown away by just how good this little format and the images from these tiny cameras can look.
- There is a lot of talk, not to mention a few misconceptions, about HDV. I guess this is a chance to add a few of my own.
Of course there are other formats out there as well... At the higher ( but still reasonably priced ) end of the spectrum, I’ve been shooting more with the Sony XDcam HD cameras - the PDW-F350/355 and the PMW-EX1. Both cameras create stunning images and record to tapeless file-based data storage systems. Each of the cameras has its own advantages (witn fewer and fewer drawbacks) and footage from these cameras intercuts beautifullt.
 For the record -- there are NO STOCK PHOTOS used on this site. All the stills you see are either frame grabs from footage I shot, or production stills from jobs I was shooting. If you don’t see me in the picture, then I’m the person behind the camera.
On a slightly different topic, since web-writing puts me in promo mode, I also can’t help but mention my other side. To see some amazing production database software for film, video and theatre, please take a look at www.onsetsoftware.com
Thanks for visiting one or both of my sites. Please enjoy your stay.
----- Dave Sperling
Director of Photography
Television Academy Member
Int’l Cinematographers Guild Local 600 Member
Chief Technologist and Owner, OnSet Software
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