Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens)

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

This camera is awesome. The battery power is great and I get over 6 hours of video on my 64GB memory card (depending on the video quality). Excellent camera. DSLR images with the battery power and memory of a video camera.

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

Out of the box its great as you can set it up pretty quickly and start shooting high quality video on a sensor that its a little bigger than the one on the Canon 7D. Not as big as the 35mm but really close up there. Excelent for the indie Filmmaker. Yes Zooming is manual hense the fact that is a DSLR updated for video with a professional film style handling and control.The lens that comes with the camera alone is an 800$ Sony A mount 18-200 mm with image stabilization. Compared to other DSLR this one has a more confortable camcorder feel, without all the gadgets and accesories needed to make an standard DSLR an Easy to use video camera. It could use a little more features but understanding that the price is beneath the 5000 bucks professional mark, what you get here is a high end prosumer model that is capable of very professional settings and high quality film. I bought this camera as an independent filmmaker and i am very pleased. Works perfectly with Memory Stick Pro Duo and SD Cards class 10.A lot of the complaints people make about the camera ARE EXPLAINED in the manual, like the fact that you need o lower input volume in order to get better controled sound in the Dolby 5.1 included Mic. No XLR ports but i always get my sound recorded on an external device so its not a problem for me. Its not an "easy does it all" family vacation camera, but for indie filmmaking and documentary, even commercial and tv spot use its perfect. Has an external mic input and a headphone out jack, complemented with two different kind of smart shoes, so you can set up a shotgun mic, an external monitor and lights package with ease. The HDMI output its clear and free of compression, so if you want to record on an external Hard Drive without compressed files you can do it, as easy as selecting the Hard Drive in the touchscreen. The image tweaking its not as extensive as in the Sony Fs100 but its pretty close there, with manual controls for Gain, exposure, rolling shutter, etc. And for 3000 bucks less money than the Fs100 i think you get a pretty good deal.A lot of Canon Fans have been critics of this camera without even using it, I Am a CANON enthusiast and personally own a Rebel T3i, but i think that some of my counterparts are a little scared that this camera IS a LOT more confortable to handle than a T3i, 5D or 7D rigged for video. And archieves slightly better quality than the High end 7D sensor. The interchangeable lenses is a door open to a whole universe of experimenting with the camera, with small adaptors available online you can set up a Canon or Nikon Glass and even Primes with ease, saving money using the glass that you already own. Nevermind the trolls, this is a great camera that yes, it could have used a little more features but that would have meant increasing the price range to say a FS100.The camera Is recognized by imovie and Final Cut, so Mac users like me out there be happy. Includes a full copy of Sony Vegas pro 11 in the kit with lens. Also a lot of people have been complaining about the pinky record button being weird, but they dont take into consideration that the "pinky button" as they call it its exceptionaly usefull when recording on a tripod watching the camera from above, i think that that WAS the idea of having a button in that place. I dont think that it ever was meant to be used as a pinky button.Has a little bit of grain in low light conditions on auto, but you can change that by tweaking the exposure and gain controls manually. Bottomline its a wonderfull camera that does a lot with the things that brings unto the DSLR table.

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

Great camera which impressive results. Poor ergonmics means it takes time to learn. Not for someone who can't live without power zoom.

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

Great camera for the price point. Image quality is fantastic, although it exhibits a bit of aliasing and moire, but FAR less than a DSLR. Many great pro features, like focus peaking, zebras etc. We use it as a b-cam/crash camera to the FS100, and it does a great job - although you will have to spend some time tweaking the image on the FS100's profile (or in post), because both cameras use different sensors. Skip the stock lens if you already have lenses for your FS100 and share them as needed.

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

I can't brag more on the performance of this camera. And with a little getting used to, the user interface isn't as bad as you first will think.

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

I just got my VG20 from Sony who are a sponsor of the program I work for. I have been using it for general purpose interviews and live events for the past few months. I can honestly say it is quite the powerful camera, more pros than cons, however I will now attempt to explain what I would have liked to know previous to choosing this camera.

I choose this camera for numerous reasons. I wanted a large sensor to help me work around uncontrollable lighting in certain situations. I also need interchangeable lenses so that I can use my Canon lenses, as well as to match this camera with a Canon 60d which is now a b camera. The lens that comes with this camera is sharp and well saturated, although Sony's picture profile tends to boost both of these. Slight distortion to the image at its widest focal length, but the depth of field control gets very pleasing after about 50mm. I would suggest purchasing an ND filter in order to shoot in bright outdoor situations and maintain a wide open Iris.

Also, another review mentioned that the full 24Mb/s recording could not be achieved with a class 10 sd card. Remember that the class rating is simply the minimum write speed of the card (class 10, minimum 10 Mb/s). You must not look for the class as much as the WRITE speed of the card. You will need one that writes at minimum 24Mb/s if you want to record at the highest setting. I have class 10 cards that are 15Mb/s that are plenty fine for my 60D, but I need Sandisk Extreme 30Mb's cards for this VG20.

Results are impressive. It produces very pleasing footage with tons of contrast. However, there are no selectable picture profile settings, which leaves you stuck with the stock Sony look. It looks good don't get me wrong, but if you like to color correct or grade your footage to a decent extent, the flat and cinestyle picture settings on Canon DSLR'S just gives you so much more latitude to work with. It is however nice in some instances to get perfectly usable footage without having to colour correct.

The auto focus on this thing is unbelievably good. The touch screen interface is obviously slightly playstationy, however the ease at which you can touch to focus, as well as set tracking points becomes undeniably convenient no matter how much of a purist you may be. Also the Face recognition is of the best I've seen, and instantly locks on to any number of obvious faces in the frame. The LCD is also very clear and sharp, although just slightly less than the ones on the Canon DSLRs. The built in microphone definitely produces usable environment audio, as well as other ambient noise. However external microphones are of course always needed in most situations. Also the built in image stabilization works well.

Sony has packed many of the things that have people clambering after DSLR's into this camera. It is quite the compelling package. It also offers solutions to many of the problems facing DSLR shooters: recording time limits (Vg20 shoots until your memory card is full), Sharper compression and processing (no H.264), and reduced moire and artifacting (although still apparent). The battery lasts for about 3 hours (the high capacity one over 6!), perfect for longer events.

Now for the Cons. Many of these cons are somewhat negated by the fact that there is no real competitors to this camera. Things that you would want or even expect on a video camera at this price point are missing because of inclusion of many DSLR features. You have no xlr ports. You don't have manual buttons for everything you would like, although they give you the ones you couldn't possibly go without. The touch screen isn't for everyone, but you will get used to how to use it efficiently. The lack of color profiles. The lack of a servo-zoom. It's lens heaviness can become awkward too.

Overall, I give this 4/5 stars mostly because I think Sony could have gone with a more competitive price point for this Camera. It produces great results, but the basically same results can now be achieved with Sony's Nex 5 and 7, which cost only a portion of what the VG20 costs. You pay a little extra to have a video camera that actually looks like a VIDEO camera and can offer you some of those ergonomic advantages. On the whole, I am very impressed with the performance and quality of footage the VG20 can produce. It looks professional too, and we all know how undeniably important that can be in the industry. This is a great option if you love the look DSLR's can produce, and can't get over some of their shortcomings. But don't think that this is the perfect camera, because then you need to go buy a Red Scarlet.

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

We use this camera for video advocacy. For this kind of job, the size works perfectly, as does the eight. High quality / exchangeable lenses are a great add on by Sony. In all, very happy about our acquisition!

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

Pro grade picture quality! However, didn't know it's a manual zoom camcorder. Not sure if I'll get used to this manual zoom...

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

I love this camera. The video it produces is so crisp, clear and full of options. Im a first year film student and I love using the VG20 for my class projects. It does take a lil while to get use to the weight if your using it handheld, I bought the Manfrotto Fig Rig Camera Stabilizer and it paired very well with the VG20. Another thing you must buy with this camera is a larger camera bag. I bought the Case Logic SLRC-206 SLR Camera/Laptop Backpack and rearranged the pads to fit the VG20 and a lot of my other items including my iPad and it works perfect. Both items I mentioned are available from B and H.

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

I'm a Writer/Producer and I was looking for something small, powerful, compact and light for different projects - most notably shooting a web series. The NEX-VG20H is a great camera, but I found some things that were a little - for lack of a better word - annoying. There is NO AUTO ZOOM. This just seems silly to me. I must have missed it in all the reviews I read, but this is by far one of the biggest gripes I have about this camera. The lens is great and I'm fine with manual zoom, but this does not help if you plan on shooting semi-professional type video. Secondly the audio jack is located next to where your hand grips the camera. Depending on the size of your hand, this can rub against your finger and over time really start to irritate you. It seems like a silly place to have it, but with how compact this camera is, I'm not sure where else it could have gone. If you're looking to just use it as a still camera, the images are crystal clear. If you're looking to shoot video with it, I would definitely do your homework.

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

My work rented this camera for a shoot and I was pleased with the quality. It has it's obvious flaws but its much better for video than a DSLR. The auto focus is fast and accurate. Better AF than the Canon xf100 and if you say it's not then you have not had the two side by side. The camera suffers from the DSLR rolling shutter due to the sensor size. The audio monitoring through the headphones has a annoying delay but is usable. A juiced link is all that is needed to have XLR audio. With audio meters on screen for peeking and no problems editing the codec in premiere pro. The shutter and gain are easy to control with practice. The big plus for this camera is the 60p at 1080! Even The c300 does not offer this at the moment. All the canon's are 720 at 60p. In my opinion this is huge at this price range. Get it! At 2k is hard to beat for the price.

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

I've used this camera for three weeks now. I was using my Canon Vixia HF S10 when I realized that I needed shallow depth of field to shoot my videos. My options were limited. The best way to achieve shallow depth of field is with a dSLR, and I already use a Canon 60D for that purpose.However, I often shoot video for really smart professionals and entrepreneurs and this camera was the perfect fit, or so I thought.The first thing I noticed about this camera is it is lens-heavy. It has 18 mm-200 mm silver zoom on the front end of it. It has a handle at the top which is awkward to hold. It is not formfitting. If you hold the camera at waist height, the lens will tip forward and appear unbalanced. It is clearly awkward to hold from the top handle.I have owned a Sony VX 2100 which was a SD Mini DV tape-drive camera and had excellent ergonomics. Holding that camera from the top handle was beautiful. It had a rocker switch for the telephoto lens as well as an on off record button that you operated with your thumb from the top handle. This camera has no such luxury. In fact, it does not have any rocker switch for the zoom. Ironically, the remote control includes a telephoto and wide angle button switch that is absolutely useless since there is no automatic or remote control zoom function.Aesthetically, the camera looks awesome. Sitting on top by the handle is a funky looking multidirectional microphone that allows you to achieve 5.1 channel sound. I cannot understand why anyone would use the built-in microphone except to pick up ambient sound. I always use a wireless mic and the built-in mic, though cool-looking, fails to achieve the sound quality I need.The carry-handle has a convenient cold shoe and a microphone input also attached to the top handle. The camera has an adjustable up/down electronic eyepiece viewfinder that I never use. Holding the camera through the strap attached to the side of the camera, the power button appears comfortably natural by my right thumb. It has clear and simple controls for on-off and record. It also allows you to switch easily from movie mode to photo mode with the press of one tiny button.When your palm is resting against the right side of the camera as you slip your hand through the camera strap, there are two buttons near your pinky that are somewhat awkward to reach and unusually positioned. One is a record button, and the other is an extended focus button.The extended focus button allows you to achieve an immediate zoom for the purposes of achieving proper manual focus. You will find this to be a useful function, but it's in an awkward position.The record button by my pinky is also awkward to reach. The only time I find it useful is when shooting on a tripod from waist height at a sporting event. While attempting to zoom in and out manually to watch the action, I found the record button on the right side of the camera easy to use. However, if you're holding the camera in your right hand in a shooters position, the record button using your pinky is a stretch to reach and not comfortable to depress with your pinky.The camera takes SDHC memory cards and shoots to AVC HD. Wanting to shoot at the highest quality setting, I purchased a class 10 SDHC memory card, popped it into the camera and began adjusting my camera settings. The camera creates video at 60p, 60i and 24p. It also shoots in high-definition and standard definition. You have the option of shooting at different speeds of 24 MPS, 17 MPS and two lower settings. For some inexplicable reason, the camera does not allow you to shoot at the highest quality 24 MPS setting while using a class 10 SDHC memory card. That defeats the purpose of using the class 10 SDHC card and achieving the highest quality, hi-definition video. Instead, you have to drop down to the next lower setting of 17 MPS in order to allow it to write to AVC HD using a class 10 card.The 3" viewfinder is touch screen and quite simple and fun to use. Anyone who has an iPhone will appreciate this viewfinder. The manual controls allow you to set iris, exposure, gain, white balance, auto exposure and more. With so many manual features, you would expect a single button to reset everything to automatic, yet there is no such button. Instead, you must drill down into the manual functions while in live shoot mode and figure out intuitively which one will allow you to revert to auto mode. It's a challenge.The controls on the actual camera are again simple and easy-to-use. You have your iris button, aperture button and a button to switch from play mode to live mode.The really cool thing that I like most about this camera is its ability to obtain a shallow depth of field where the subject is in focus and the background is out of focus. I do is typically static head shots someone sitting or standing in one position.The camera does not have a facial focus feature while in movie mode. It does have it for photo mode. When your subject moves and you are in manual focus mode, you have to refocus manually. It does have an electronic focus feature that is totally silent. That is a really cool function, but it has one major drawback. It is slow. It is also inaccurate.When shooting video of myself, on my own, despite being the primary subject in the viewfinder, the camera will often track my background as being in focus and I will wind up out of focus. That is such a waste of my time and my shot. Frustrating too.When shooting video on my own, this becomes a true challenge. The only workaround I have found is to start out 2 feet in front of the camera and allow it to focus immediately on me. After a few seconds when it focuses, I then start walking backwards and stop every few feet so the camera can refocus each time. This is an extremely frustrating feature that I'm still trying to work around. If someone is operating the camera then it is easy to refocus by pushing the focus button until the subject is in focus.However, since I often shoot my own videos, this is extremely frustrating task that should be a no-brainer for a camera that cost in excess of [$]. Every camera I have used before this has had an excellent autofocus system. Not this one. Once in focus though, the image looks great. That brings me to the telephoto lens. As I mentioned at the beginning, there is no rocker switch to advance telephoto or wide-angle. It is totally manual.While shooting video of my daughter's volleyball game, it was extremely difficult to achieve smooth zooms by manually twisting the zoom lens. It is not an easy turn. In fact, it is a slow-turning zoom that comes with significant effort, especially when shooting fast-moving play and you want to get all the action.If you have time to set up a manual shot and you have a close-up static subject with a nice shallow depth of field, then this will be the camera for you. However, when you want the video camera to do double duty at your kids sport event and also use it to shoot static subjects, you're going to have a real challenge achieving competency for both uses with this camera.My next challenge with this camera involves taking the footage off of my memory card and uploading it to my Mac computer. I use Final Cut Express for my editing and FCE does not recognize this particular AVC HD format. It gave me many error messages when trying to log and transfer video files. In fact, I was so frustrated with a lack of intuitive ability to log and transfer the raw footage into my Final Cut Express software, that I was tempted to return the camera to B&H Photo. My Canon Vixia HF S10 video camera never gave me any problem and the raw footage was always immediately recognized, transcoded and error-free.I wasted hours trying to figure out a workaround to get the raw footage into my editing software without error messages. The bottom line was that the AVC HD files have to be re-wrapped into a different format in order to allow Final Cut Express to recognize them as Quicktime .mov files. There are free workarounds that I tried with varying levels of success. I then learned of a piece of software called ClipWrap that cost $50. It rewraps .mts files (native AVC HD video files) to .mov files and does so really fast.I only wish Sony had let me know before I bought this camera that the video footage would not be natively applied or accepted into Final Cut Express.All in all, the camera is small, is lens-heavy, shoots beautiful outdoors footage, has difficulty shooting in low light and appears grainy, as most video cameras do. The zoom lens is awesome as long as you're not using it to achieve smooth zooms or wide-angle shots that are moving quickly. If you're willing to use a wraparound to convert your video files into a format that Final Cut will accept and want a camera that looks different from all the rest, then this camera may be right for you.Before finally deciding to buy this camera, I strongly considered the Pro Canon HF 105, the new professional camera in Canon's line-up. However, I did not need all of those features and it did not have an interchangeable lens system to achieve shallow depth of field.Another camera I strongly considered was the JVC 105, which natively plays directly to Final Cut Pro. However, that also did not have an interchangeable lens system and found that it was too advanced for my needs.As of right now, for my static video shoots, this camera should be ideal for the time being.Observations:This is the upgraded model from the NEX VG10. Some of their ergonomic choices are not easily understood including the placement of the pinky buttons; the fact that there is no rocker switch and the incompatibility to make these video files recognized by Apple software.Also unusual is that they have eliminated the 30 fps function and instead only allow you to shoot at 60i, 60p and 24p. Although I'm sure there is some engineering principle to explain why the camera will not record at 24 MPS using a class 10 memory card, the promo materials should clearly state this. It doesn't.The camera itself without the lens retails for [$]. With the lens, before tax, it comes to [$].Depending upon how this camera does over the next few months, I may consider switching to the top of the line Canon Vixia Prosumer camera which has gotten stunning reviews but alas has no interchangeable lens system.I do love using my Canon 60D to shoot video. However, it does have file limitations that cause the camera to shut off after 12 minutes of continuous usage. In addition, with extended usage the camera overheats, gives you a heat warning, then shuts down. You literally have to let it cool off for about 10 minutes in order to use the camera again.CONCLUSIONIf you want a really cool looking camera for static video shots with great interchangeable lens system and shallow depth of field, then this camera's right to you. Otherwise, you may be better off moving to a level above including the Canon professional line, the JVC professional line compatible with Final Cut, or moving one level below to the top-of-the-line Canon prosumer level.Till next time, see you on video!

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

Outstanding HD video!! Images are also outstanding and with facial recognition you know images will be in focus.
I will have to get used to manual zoom on this Camcorder.
This has replaced my very old Sony DCR-VX2000 which in its day was a great Camcorder.

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

This is the first large sensor camcorder I have found that can do what the $5,000- $15,000 cameras can do. Everthing that you wish a DSLR could do for video. Viewfinder, stereo audio in with manual levels and headphone out. All of the manual controls are easily accessible. The lens is very high quality and solid build, much easier to operate smoothly than my Canon DSLR lenses. The built in surround mic is a joke, so get an external audio mixer like Sound Devices Mix Pre D. I am a pro sound tech, and think the audio recording internally is fine for almost all projects when used with a mixer like this. I never like having to record double system sound.

You can spend 3-10x more, but this camera has the goods in terms of image quality and pro features. It is also small and light and lets you shoot pro quality unnoticed. The new $1,000 Zeiss fast lens will be great, as the supplied lens is not fast enough for all interiors, like weddings, etc.

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

Fortunately, U can`t exaggerate how brilliant this camera is. Yes, absolutely brilliant !! Now facts :
1.) Large ,brightest ever ! , APS size sensor.
2.) Large, super sensitive APS size sensor. That alone, sets this videocam miles apart from competitors.
3.) 1920 × 1080/60p. Yes, finally 60p !!
4.) Complete, real,on the fly !!, MANUAL exposure control- aperture,shutter,gain, ISO.
5.) Continuous, perfect, smart AUTOFOCUS. Very ,very SHARP. U don`t actually need/want Manual Focus in movie mode- it is SO GOOD !!
6.) Wondrous , bright, brilliant colour rendering, sharp, sharp, sharp lens !!!
7.) Lenses are INTERCHANGEABLE.
Couple things to point out: 1.There is wide spread false opinion between video folks about this new Sony cams, that AutoFocus not fast/good enough compare to pro/semipro cams. Please , Don`t believe it. They almost persuaded me not to get this Sony cam. But being hardhead as i`m, how happy !! I`m now that I didn`t believed them and tried it. Forget that DSLR constant hit or miss tinkering with manual Focus. This cam AF very !! quick Sharp and smart. I shot through the thick glass in Zoo in very dark Penguins enclosure, not only AF "handled" glass but kept targeted penguin on a third plan/row in dead focus even when zoo keeper passed the frame on second plan, in front of targeted penguin. On AF IQ is stunning and colour is absolutely gorgeous. Actually, I bought this cam because of the unique colour in the first place.
2. Manual exposure operation: U set Manual Aperture, Man Shutter and manually control Gain Manual Wheel. U`ll be looking ( as I did) for OK/Enter button : It is "Manual" button! It serves as "OK/Enter" User Manual is silent on this.
3.Wonder Sensor is extremely!! light sensitive. In above mentioned penguin enclosure I could hardly see, and I had "zebra" flashing in the part of picture which is easy to control. So U definitely need Graduated ND filter. I recommend 0.6 GND- 2 stops , tried it-works perfectly everywhere, yes, in dark places too. I find the Graduated ND much more useful in regular shooting than solid ND, which of course U also must have for super bright conditions. Once again, u don`t want to take of 0.6 GND filter even shooting
in a dark church.
4.Shooting on tripod: set Stabilizer to "Off" Default is "ON Standard".
I almost never shoot handheld unless I have to.(Don`t see the point: to spend thousands on super gear and then shoot handheld stuff ??!!) If U do ,BTW, After Effects have " killer " Warp Stabilizer Effect. Easy to apply , makes wonders!! Check it out.
Conclusion: Absolutely incredible cam. Next closest thing cost almost three times more ! Don`t listen snobs. Don`t even think !! Get it right away ! You will be Very Happy, as I am .

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

The large sensor and interchangeable lenses make this a very cabable and versatile camcorder. Images are of highest quality. As an example, I have used the VG-20 to get outstanding images of the Monarch Butterflies that come for the winter to the California Coast. Because the beautiful clusters of butterflies are usually high up in the trees I had to use my 500mm Canon Telephoto lens with a lens adaptor. I used the "expanded focus" feature and the "peaking" function to obtain extremely sharp video. Without these functions the video I produced would have been impossible. I also like the IR remote and the AV/R remote wired connector which allow me to control the start/stop without touching the camera, which is imperative when shooting with extreme tele lenses.

Comments about Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder (with Lens):

Love the camera, hate the touchscreen.