Canon HV20 CINE mode

(Note: all the info here is for PAL HV20E, for NTSC HV20, there are some slight differences, but the general idea remains the same)

I, like many who are making video on a budget, got a Canon HV20 not long ago. You know, it's THE camera to get in 2007, mostly due to its excellent image quality, true progressive scan mode, and some other interesting features like zebra, manual audio gain control, external microphone input and headphone jack for audio monitoring. All for a reasonable price tag.

What is CINE mode

One of the favourite combos is 25P/CINE mode, and for a reason: getting the ever elusive "film look". 25P offers a true 25 frame/sec, progressive scan mode, and as it has been stated before, it also offers the best low light performance. CINE tries to stay at 1/50th shutter, opens aperture as much as possible before gain creeps in, and gives you a low contrast, high latitude image (less likely to get blown out), which is perfect for post production. It also features a soft image, which to some is due to less in-camera sharpening, to others is an effect necessary to avoid "choppy" transitions between frames in 25P. Whatever it is you may like it or not.

It's been debated on lenghty forum threads whether CINE mode loses image detail or not, without ever arriving at a conclusion. It seems that it loses some mid to low frequency detail. That lost detail is not recoverable in post. Unfortunately, there's no way around this, and you should bear in mind what are your priorities. Do you want a crisp, detailed image? Try TV or AV. Do you want the advantages of enhanced latitude, and getting closer to "film look"? Go CINE. Above all, do your own tests and decide for yourself which mode is the best for the project at hand.

+info:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=100882
http://www.hv20.com/showthread.php?t=750
http://www.hv20.com/showthread.php?t=1142
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=96017
http://www.vettaville.com/canon_hv20_cinemode_softness.htm