I’ve used the HC1 in the field and it’s a lovely camera. I have a bit of an issue with the touch screen menu as it looks like it could easily die on you and there’s no other way to get to the menu controls but the picture quality is very good, if not as great as their pro-sumer HDV camera (Z1?), which is easily the nicest camcorder I’ve used, outside the Pro HDCAM $200k cameras naturally. A friend of mine took it to do undercover filming in Uzbekistahn where it was hot and humid and it worked like a charm so perhaps my fears are unfounded…
HDV is a fantastic format in terms of picture quality but having laid in and edited an entire high-def documentary I will say first off if you use the camera in HDV mode (as opposed to miniDV) you’ll need a more powerful computer to edit on with plenty of RAM, especially if doing multi-layer or fancy effects that need rendering, and be prepared for some random capture probs depending on your editing software of choice. Luckily most of my probs were solved with perseverence over any particular knowledge and it came out lovely, albeit after many sleepless nights as the delivery date loomed.
This is what used to happen with DV back in the day too and after a little while it all got ironed out so I’m sure HDV will go that way too.
I’ve used the HC1 in the field and it’s a lovely camera. I have a bit of an issue with the touch screen menu as it looks like it could easily die on you and there’s no other way to get to the menu controls but the picture quality is very good, if not as great as their pro-sumer HDV camera (Z1?), which is easily the nicest camcorder I’ve used, outside the Pro HDCAM $200k cameras naturally. A friend of mine took it to do undercover filming in Uzbekistahn where it was hot and humid and it worked like a charm so perhaps my fears are unfounded…
HDV is a fantastic format in terms of picture quality but having laid in and edited an entire high-def documentary I will say first off if you use the camera in HDV mode (as opposed to miniDV) you’ll need a more powerful computer to edit on with plenty of RAM, especially if doing multi-layer of fancy effects that need rendering, and be prepared for some random capture probs depending on your editing software of choice. Luckily most of my probs were solved with perseverence over any particular knowledge and it came out lovely, albeit after many sleepless nights as the delivery date loomed.
This is what used to happen with DV back in the day too and after a little while it all got ironed out so I’m sure HDV will go that way too.
Is “High Definition”, by its very name, always DIGITAL? (i.e. non-miniDV)
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DV and HDV ause the same datarate, which means the use the same tape. A quick description about the difference between the two are mainly the compression and optics. But to answer your question, yes HD is always digital.
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2) If so, I take it that when it says “DV Switchable”; it means you can switch from “miniDV” to High Definition?
Thanks again, guys!
Mufasa[/quote]
Depending on the camera yes. There should be more than one recording mode. My Sony PD-170, not HDV, but it still has more than 1 recording mode, like DVCAM, which records at a higher micro track, 15, than standard miniDV, 10.
To find the best deals online as well as find a reputable store. I guess a lot of stores will rip you buy selling just the camera and then charging you for the accessories that should come with the camera.
Anybody else have a good resource on camera/video equipment I would like to know for future reference.
What I’m trying to do is as much research up-front (thanks to you guys!) as I can, before I actually go into a Store and begin getting a “hands-on” feel.
I have a few good stores around me who will match on-line prices. (They hope you will take the classes, buy accessories, etc.)
What I’m trying to do is as much research up-front (thanks to you guys!) as I can, before I actually go into a Store and begin getting a “hands-on” feel.
I have a few good stores around me who will match on-line prices. (They hope you will take the classes, buy accessories, etc.)
In all honesty, I could really use the classes!
This is all new to me, so I’m still researching!
Mufasa[/quote]
I am sure the classes will be helpful, because there are a lot of things to know and tricks you can learn from other people.
[quote]xjayx300 wrote:
This is what has me waiting to upgrade to HDV.
What software do you use to edit?
I am on pc so I use the Adobe Production Studio…
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I was a trained Avid editor before I became a director and producer so I use Avid Xpress Pro HD at home. The latest versions seem to have all previous HDV issues nailed now but a good video card and plenty of ram are pre-requisites. Best editing software out there for broadcast stuff. Well Final Cut HD is okay I guess but I detest macs so don’t touch it.
All HDV cameras I’m aware of also record in MiniDV mode, as the tape is the same. They also tend to have a built-in downconverter so you can take in your hdv as miniDV for a quick ‘offline’ edit and then redigitise in HDV once you’ve done the edit. I found this is a quicker way of working as HDV can be quite computer-intensive to edit with.
They also get the same amount of material per tape in either mode, as opposed to DVCAM which I believe runs about 30% faster so gets about 40mins on an hour-long tape.