DV/Handycam recommendations
- Thread starter zimzum42
- Start date
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- Location
- the post-brexit wasteland
all i can say is that my canon dvi600 works fine with the mac, and can be controlled by final cut. i doubt there are many that won't work if they have a firewire connection, as the mac doesn't need all the compatible driver nonsense that bedevils pc users. said compatible driver nonsense comes free on a disk. the mac software on it is reasonably useful, but i prefer imovie/final cut.
Get a HDD one. I've got a Sony Handycam DV tape jobby, and it is a fiddle getting the footage off it at any sort of clarity. I resorted to buying a Sony DVD player/writer which I record off the AV output, and then stick the DVD in my PC and edit it from there.
The USB output is not very high res.
As I said it does work, but is a fiddle.
The USB output is not very high res.
As I said it does work, but is a fiddle.
twowheelsgood
Senior Member
- Location
- Zurich Switzerland
Go flash card rather than tape or hard disk. More durable and better battery life.
Do remember that if you go for a non-tape version then the video will be in a format other than mini-DV. Can you and you clients handle that?
There are lots of options. What's important? Price? Portability? Video quality?
Do remember that if you go for a non-tape version then the video will be in a format other than mini-DV. Can you and you clients handle that?
There are lots of options. What's important? Price? Portability? Video quality?
downfader
extimus uero philosophus
- Location
- 'ampsheeeer
twowheelsgood said:
Yeah I'd agree. SD has now become the standard for home video.
Personally I love the spec of the Sanyo Xacti. They start at around 100 quid but the HD ones are amazing and have a proper sharp macro mode. They also work really well in low light. Only the new Sony HD ones beat them on video quality, but being HDD you need to link them up and cant swap cards about.
I beleive the Sanyo's record at mpeg4 and the sony as mpeg2, though both say on their websites.
I'm planning on getting an HD Xacti next month.
Well, for us, the people who use them, portability, durability and quality is most important. However, for the people who sign them off, price is most important, and they are dragging their heels over a few quid, so we'll have to go off on fieldwork with the old cameras that don't work properly yet again....
It seems what we want is a Canon HD30. Any experiences?
As for SD we would quite like a JVC jobby, looks like a good one...
It seems what we want is a Canon HD30. Any experiences?
As for SD we would quite like a JVC jobby, looks like a good one...
gbb
Legendary Member
- Location
- Peterborough
very-near said:
Agreed...i have a DV tape Sony Handycam, and its a bloomin nuicance to get it downloaded by USB. I ended up getting an firewire card and cable, much much faster and easier to download to the PC.
Given the choice again, i'd go for HDD.
I've no experience of the SD card types, but i'd guess you want high quality cards, not the cheap ones, purely for data transfer rates.
downfader
extimus uero philosophus
- Location
- 'ampsheeeer
One benefit of the SD/solidstate cams is the fact that the HD wont risk failing in some conditions.. so say you're running and filming. Ofcourse a cheap lens setup might fail anyway, lol
Ghost Donkey
Guest
Have a look at the picture quality on a HDD or SD card recorder. You can loose picture quality. As long as you're happy with the pictures you see then they are certainly more convenient than tape. If I had to replace mine now I'd gofor miniDV as the quality is still better for the price and I'm already set up for firewire connections.
Todays Grauniad was saying nice things about the FLIP cameras. 60 min video and plugs directly into yer USB port. http://flipvideo.co.uk/ultra.php
