Which professional video camera is better?

Which video camera is better: Sony NEX-VG20 or NEX-VG10?

• I wish to know the noteworthy points and the downfalls of getting both cameras and the overall better camera. Which one should I get? If not any of these cameras, which one should I get which is under $2500? (I'm currently going with the NEX because of the amount of mega pixels and the feel since other HD cameras are not as HD as the NEX.)

• Answer:

  "Megapixel count" is for still camera image capture quality. Video resolution is measured in horizontal line count. Standard definition video is 480 horizontal lines. High definition is either 720 horizontal lines or 1080 horizontal lines. "Ultra high definition" is higher than 1080 (See RED or Silicon Imaging cameras). "Full HD" is more of a marketing term than a technical specification. In this case, "Full HD" equals 1920 columns x 1080 horizontal rows of video resolution... or a little over 2 megapixels. If you are expecting a huge difference in video quality based on this "megapixel count", you are setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. Yes, the NEX-VG cams can capture 14 megapixel (VG10) or 16.1 megapixel (VG20) stills - but this does NOT translate into something that is allowing for "more high definition than other camcorders" unless you are comparing to much less expensive consumer grade cams that only record 1440 x 1080 high definition video. The claimed advantage of the NEX-VG series is the ability to use the A-mount or E-mount interchangeable lens systems. Since any camcorder over about $500 has a "lens filter diameter" spec and can have screw-mount lenses (and filters), adding lenses to them is just about as easy. Personally, I would much rather have a larger lens filter diameter and larger 3-chip (CCD or CMOS) array that allows for MUCH better low-light capture quality than the bayonet mounting system. In this case, the HDR-FX7 recording to low compression HDV format video to miniDV tape will behave better under low-light than the VG10 or VG20... though for a few more $, the HDR-FX1000 will run circles around the VG series under low-light conditions. I admit that the FX7 and FX1000 still image capture is not as good as the VG family, but the video will be better - and that is the reason for a camcorder. The VG family captures - at best - 24 mbps data stream. This is more compressed than the HDV data stream of 25 mbps captured by miniDV tape camcorders. Remember, video compression = discarded video data... Though under good lighting conditions, you won't be able to tell which camcorder captured which video. You did not tell us what you plan to edit with and on. We have no way to know if your computer is capable of handing AVCHD-compressed video or if the editor you want to use an deal with the AVCHD-compressed MTS files. There is no useful software included in the box with the camcorder. Sony Vegas or Adobe Premiere are the usual Windows suspects; current versions of iMovie, Final Cut (Express or Pro) or Adobe Premiere are the usual Macintosh suspects. Assuming you look at the miniDV tape camcorders, we also do not know if your computer has a firewire port (required for miniDV tape; not for AVCHD flash memory camcorders). If your computer does not have a IEEE1394 compliant port, adding one may be needed - if that is even possible.