Need Help! Best Video Camera For Action Filming???

Im interested in buying a new video camera and Im torn between a few different choices. I have considered the Sony PD170, the Sony HDR-FX1, and the Canon XL2. Im interested in shooting HD since Im using Final Cut Pro HD but I've heard that its not the greatest camera to use for action sports because of the interlacing which would decrease the slow motion quality. I will be making a purchase within the next month so I need desperate help on which is the best choice for me. If I have left any camera's out that have much potential then feel free to let me know because Im open minded with my choices.

Matt
I love my Canon XL1s
the XL2 came out about 4 months after I bought it

the quality is superb...but the Canon tends to need a bit more light than some others
....once you figure out how to set everything...yu'll love it
....there is a dial or button for everything....

there are also filters that can be used with the lens
I have a zoom and a wide angle lens

the down side is its size
it is a monster

How about the Panasonic DVX 100(a)(b)? It shoots true progressive as well. The Sony HD camera actually shoots great video, the problem is with the HDV codec when you have lots of motion. I haven't owned a Canon but I have owned a pd150 and the DVX. The DVX is still my favorite cam from an overall standpoint.

Sony HDC-F950? Canon ZR100? (two ends of the spectrum) What's your budget, and goals for the camera?

what version of FCP do you have?

i like the Panasonic DVX100 a or b as well, you can make it really clean.

As far as Canon though, im not really a fan of, for me it just doesnt look as good as the DVX, but that is my opition. All the times we had both cameras on set, the DVX always looked better for me, and looks even better if you Color correct as well.

What is the difference between the DVX100 A and B? From what I've read so far, I think Im going to either go with the DVX100 or the HVX200. Right now Im using Final Cut Pro Studio(Final Cut Pro HD 4.5). My budget is pretty flexible right now so I just looking for the best camera that will give me the best quality for shoots such as motocross and wakeboarding.

well the HVX blows the DVX out of the water, but you need FCP 5.1 to import P2 cards. The real time Slow motion looks super clean, even the regular 24p but its a lot of $$$ after everything.

60p run thru the FCP frame rate convertor played back on a 30fps timeline with zoom done in FCP. (No comments on the audio please!) Doing a zoom in SW like that with miniDV can get real ugly!

http://homepage.mac.com/rd4tile/FileSharing7.html

we shoot 60p then bring it in on a 24p timeline, but even before i bring it in it plays back slow, but what are you talking about when you say you zoom in?

Also that three with no handle was SUPER dope, props.

I think what he's talking about is where he increases the size of the picture, therefore zooming in on the shot. Normally when you do this on footage with Hi8, it gets real grainy and bad looking. Also, that wasn't a 360, that was an OA 540 that he let go of!

That was a HS off axis 5 "osmosis" (Chris releases the handle and then regrabs it after he comes back around). If you watch the clip again you'll see me "zoom" in on him and zoom back out. This was done in FCP by ramping the scale up to 200% and then back down vs using the actual zoom on the camera (if you can zoom in and out that smoothly in cam you're a better man then me!) My point was how clean this looks because it's 60 fps progreessive HD. It's not as clean as doing a zoom in cam but a hell of a lot easier and about as good as I've seen for SW to this point.

Travis: if you drop 60fps material (shot at 720p 60 record setting) on a 24 or 30fps timeline without using the frame rate convertor it will play back at full speed. What you are talking about is setting the record mode to 720 24p or 24pn and then setting the variable rate at 60 fps - different deal.

"if you drop 60fps material (shot at 720p 60 record setting) on a 24 or 30fps timeline without using the frame rate convertor it will play back at full speed. What you are talking about is setting the record mode to 720 24p or 24pn and then setting the variable rate at 60 fps - different deal."-----Wow, that completely blew way over my head. I didn't know you could change the frame rate in FCP, I thought it was only done in CinemaTools. Also, what do you mean by a 24 or 30fps timeline. Is there a way to set your timeline where all the clips you place in it revert to these frame rates??? I dont have a professional camera yet either so I've never delt with 720P or 1080i recording. Sounds fun though so thats why I posted this thread, so I can get all the info I can out of you guys. Thanks a lot and if you have anymore tips then please let me know!

It's gotten pretty complicated with this camera. The HVX records in 3 different compression schemes: DV25, DVCPro 50 and DVCPro HD (the latter 2 record to the P2 recording media only) and has 13 different recording settings:
1080i / 60i
1080i / 30p
1080i /24p
1080i / 24pa
720p / 60p
720p / 30p
720p / 24p
720p / 30pn
720p / 24pn
480i / 60i
480i / 30p
480i / 24p
480i / 24pa

and then you've got interval and variable framerate recording as well with most of the HD record settings.

Here is a good rersource to read if you want to understand what all of the different record settings provide.

http://shop.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prModelDetail?storeId=11301&catalogId=13251&itemId =95592&modelNo=Content12072005012903035&surfModel= Content12072005012903035

To be honest, i deal more with cutting the footage more that i do with filming it. So i just say shoot it slow-mo and they do the tech stuff, but it makes sense what ur sayin.

*Also on the video clip, i must have missed that somehow.

Is there any difference between the DVX100 A and the DVX100 B? If so, then which one is better and what are the differences?

matt, this may answer your questions.

http://www.dvxuser.com/articles/100b/