Thanks Gordon, I really like your reviews and tips from your websites :)

Can you make a movie with the same subject/settings, with the sx1 and sx20 ? Maybe in your next review. Will be crucial to see the differences, and to see if the sx1 is still worth his money. Thanks again.

Hi Steve, you're very welcome! The Panasonic clip was filmed with its Motion JPEG setting, becuase Vimeo can't accept its native AVCHD files. I thought it better to upload a file in the original format - both files are totally unmodified. So yes, the Motion JPEG bit rate is pretty high. A similar clip fiomed moments later in the best-quality AVCHD mode measured 72MB. PS - I find VLC player is pretty good for watching these clips...

Hi Stefano, that would be interesting, but I don't think I'll be able to get hold of the SX1 IS again for this review. I do have a similar clip filmed with the SX1 on vimeo - albeit on a different day! - for a rough comparison of detail.

Hello Gordon.

This is a link from DP Review Forum Thread that i began: forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=33026349

Gordon Laing from cameralabs.com place on Vimeo 2 videos: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 / FZ35 handheld HD video with zoom: vimeo.com/6554623 and Canon PowerShot SX20 IS handheld HD video with zoom: vimeo.com/6554304

I had the idea to compare the videos on a the same film. I downloaded the 2 original videos as mov clips.

I place theses videos together in Sony Vegas Platinum 9 and I rendered as Sony mp4 files.

You may check the quality of theses videos. But I think that the Panasonic POWER O.I.S. (Optical image stabilizer) is better than Canon IS.
With you to compare!

The link for my video : vimeo.com/6563312

A QUESTION FOR GORDON:
In the Canon and Panasonic original clip, why does the cams and especially the FZ35/38 got those horrible violet bandings at the start? Is it a problem due to the CCD chip and the reflexions of the light? Please, tell us how to avoid them? Thank you for a response.

Hi Blueman, I agree, I think the Panasonic stabilisation was more effective than the Canon while filming - or at least more effective at stabilising my own personal shake! This of course varies with different people and conditions. I believe the banding seen at the beginning of the clips is sensor blooming / saturation due to the very bright reflections on the water. Something to watch out for anyway if you're filming this kind of thing.

Gordon: Thanks for your review. Has this camera the digital teleconverter found in the SX1 model?

Assuming neither Vimeo or you have altered the clips, if you watch the blue sky you'll see that while the Canon has a bit of noise the Panasonic goes into full-scale macro-blocking. Did you see this when you watched the original on an HDTV.

Also, when the Vimeo feed "paused" the trees is the background seemed to have zero detail. Interestingly, the first time I saw GH1 video demoed by Pana at CES 2009, I saw the same "mud."

Lastly, the Pana pan strobes badly compared to the Canon. For 30p, the shutter should have been set at 1/60th -- no higher. Did you set the Pana? And, when you write in your excellent review that there is no manual control when shooting video with the Canon -- did yu mean zero control? And, if no control, do you have any idea what shutter-speed the Canon used/

Hi JCM-GDL, sadly not - see my review at cameralabs.

DVCLV, Vimeo does recompress and also changes the frame rate as far as I understand, so you can't really evaluate them for quality by playing them here - I posted them here so that you could also access the original files. I'd recommend downloading them and playing on your own computer for evaluation.

I tried downloading and wound-up with a question mark. Will try again.

Did you set the Pana shutter-speed? And, when you write in your excellent review that there is no manual control when shooting video with the Canon -- did you mean ZERO control?

And, if no control, do you have any idea what shutter-speed the Canon used?

Both were shot in their Program modes - full auto on both models. Yes, you can manually intervene on the Pannie, but sadly not on the Canon. I don't know what shutter speed was used, but it was very bright.

Hello,

I am wondering how continious video files can be recorded - I want to use a Bridge Cam as a camcorder replacement and have to record about 1hour of footage continously. The cameralabs vid said 22 minutes or 4 Gbyte (file system limitation for Fat32 ?). Will an new file be created automatically?

Thank you

My video from Canon Powershot SX20 IS HD is coming out grainy... any idea how I can fix that?