QUOTE(gHiKiKoMoRi @ 01/20/07, 06:33 PM) [snapback]257694[/snapback]
If i'm not wrong the Z1 is a lo-level prosumer camera: any DigiBeta qill give u much better signal.
you're correct, the Z1U is a prosumer camera (around 5k) but it's quite amazing at that. i doubt that the digibeta gives out a much better signal than a downsampled analog out of the Z1U. it will have more dynamic range and a better lens, but the lower pixel count will probably make all that moot, specially under controlled studio conditions.
QUOTE
But DigiBTC is a PAL/601 standard, i mean SD, not High Definition.
So if your final output will be HDV (720p, 1080i) you'll have to scale it up... which is a really bad idea.
the final output will almost certainly never be HDV because while it's quite ok as a recording format (other than greenscreen that is) it is a bad idea to use it as a master. but i guess your point was that an upsampled digibeta shot would look worse than a native HD shot, and i tend to agree. if you downsample the z1U signal to SD the two would be very close.
QUOTE
If you wanted to record to DigiBTC from the Z1 u should do it thru SDI, which i don't think this cheap camera has...
no, but it does have an analog HD component out (which as the original post says, is before the HDV compression). you can record that direct to disk with an analog HD card, which would downsample it to SD on the fly as well if needed (although i recommend against that, better key your stuff in HD, then downsample).
QUOTE
Then again you need to capture digiBeta with a Kona/Decklink/Aja card... If you have that equipment simply use a better camera... DVCPro HD rocks, and it ain't expensive.
maybe i lost track here, but digibeta is very easy to capture, the SD-SDI card is hardly 250 bucks and it can be done on a small internal raid. the expensive bit is the digibeta camera and/or deck.
with the Z1U it would be the other way round, the camera is quite cheap, but you need quite a beefy raid to capture uncompressed HD. but then again, if you're happy with DVC PRO HD, most cards will do that as well, might be even the best bang for the buck.
QUOTE
If you finally go HDV use some of the macros in this web: the 4:x:x enhacer is my favourite for DV, although the weird 3:1:1 sampling of HDV might not really be its goal... But the HDV signal is so crap any softening will make the key better - the compression blocks in HDV are a nightmare anyway but if they get softer it might work.
i did some keying on HDV footage shot with the Z1U under less than optimal situation.. the end result was ok, but nothing to write home about (we expected that from the beginning though). i love the the 4:x:x for progressive PAL DV footage, but it only helped little with the HDV shots.
basically if you light your screen well, and if you capture uncompressed the Z1U will do amazingly well.. note however that it only records interlaced (you dont want to use any of the F modes, do the deinterlacing and speedchanges in post, and shoot 50i if it's for a 24P master), and dont turn the detail down too much (5 on the 1-15 scale would be a good start for a test).
i'm sure it has been done a lot, so search the web.
++ christoph ++
add on: consider shooting with the canon XL-H1.. it's only a bit more expensive to rent, but will give you an HD-SDI out and has a slightly better resolution.