How much better is a 3CCD over 1 chip videocam?

[TriciaWD]

Hi y'all

I am looking around at the choices for our 1st videocam (family, casual user). Most of the 3CCD cameras are way too expensive. But there is one that is close to my price range (in the $500 USD). It is a Panasonic PVGS65. (10x optical zoom, 1.2 Mpixel, no stabilizer) . I am considering the Panasonic versus the Canon ELURA85 (1 chip, sd slot, stabilizer, 18x optical zoom, 1.33 Mpixel)

How much better (%) are the videos with the 3CCDs? I have heard that the 3 chips improve the color. What else do they improve? Is there anything else that people know about these 2 cameras?

Thanks!

[MJS]

All of the high end cameras are 3 chip. The color definition and depth is just better than their single chip counterparts. The panasonic that you mentioned is getting good reviews for being a less expensive 3 chipper. It has the image stabilization and can be left on a tripod while you change tapes if you are taping something long. It even has a mic input if you decide to use a shotgun or lav. Not a bad deal really. Go to a local store and check out the quality against others in the price range and see what you feel more comfortable with. If the image looked good, controls were decent and I had the cash, the 3 chip would be my choice.

[Skyman]

The main advantage of a 3ccd camera doesn't show up till you are matching colour from more than one camera. The extra information saved by the extra ccd's enables more acurate colour matching. for the home user even one who is fussy about colour will not notice a marked improvement especially if they manually white balance the camera. ok people go and look up your cameras instruction book and play around with the white balance, a white sheet of paper will do as a white point source, and if you want to get creative play around with white balancing on pale blue and yellow paper. your eyes will thank you.

[howndawg]

All of the points made, cover off the main advantages of single chip vs 3 chip. Fundamentally though the main issue for me is performance under low light conditions, just due to the technology differences. Single chip cameras are more often than not CMOS based image arrays and inherently have horrible operation in low light and are thus prone to noisy\grainy results. Under very good lighting conditions the CMOS type camera operates quite well where the signal to noise issue doesn't rise above being annoying. Alternatively, CCD technology has much better S/N, thus in low light conditions the camera still provides useable pictures.

I have used CMOS based video cameras in the very early days of my videography business but have quickly learned that the many activities during the course of a wedding for example, needs attention to deal with a great degree of lighting variations. CCD technology in combination with multi arrays is the way to go.

In addition, in a multi-camera shoot adjusting for matched white balance is another huge advantage.

[dtronic]

The days of 3CCD camera superiority has ended. Although it may have been true that a CMOS camera would have trouble with low light etc in the early days this is no longer the case and often a 1CMOS camera can now even be superior to a 3CCD. For more technical info check out http://hdtv.videotechnology.com/HDTV-CMOSvsCCD.htm

[kkolbo]

The Panasonic that you mentioned is an excellent choice in the price range. I have matched it to PD150's in the past with great success. In the price range you are looking at audio is badly neglected, but for home video I don't see you doing a boom mic or field mixer set up, so the extra audio is not required.

3CCD's do have advantages and drawbacks. More power is consumed, but the color tends to be more saturated and pleasing to me, even in the price range.

The days of 3CCD camera superiority has ended. Although it may have been true that a CMOS camera would have trouble with low light etc in the early days this is no longer the case and often a 1CMOS camera can now even be superior to a 3CCD. For more technical info check out http://hdtv.videotechnology.com/HDTV-CMOSvsCCD.htm

In the longterm this will be true, but as of May 2007 it is still coming. CMOS sensors are still developing with great promise. Even then, a single CMOS still does not do as good a job as a single CMOS chip. Take for example the best 3CMOS camcorder in the prosumer market, the Sony V1. That is a great unit. The picture and low light performance is much better then the single CMOS units on the market. It still does not unseat the quality of the 3CCD Sony Z1. Soon they will but the Z1 just looks better.

Your mileage may vary.