Cheers,
Novicedocmaker

To start, HD and HDV (high definition vs. High definition Video) are one and the same as far as I am concerned, anyone tell ya different is just trying to sell you something expensive. AVCHD stands for ‘Advanced Video Codec High Definition’ and is just the latest one to hit the market (panasonic and sony started using it in 2006). It currently is doing a good job of storing HD video. It isn’t the ‘future’ it is just the current format, and it will be replaced by another codec in the future.. thats the way these things work.

Hope that answers your first questions.

I would stay away from the DVX100b, and the XL2. neither can record HD to a DV tape. They use very expensive hard drives. The GL2 and the DVC30 are not high def and you will be let down if thats what you were looking for. I believe it is truly silly to go non HD at this stage of the game if you are shelling out this kind of money.

The Sony HVR-A1U, the v1u and the Canon XH-A1 have all the things you are looking for and are the safe bet. It is up to you to fiddle with them in the shop and see which one feels right to you. I am not a camcorder reviewer so I can’t tell you which one is best. I personally use a Sony…

Hope that answers your second bunch of questions.

The Animal

What’s the difference between HD and HDV? And is AVCHD really the future? The latest issue of Videomaker magazine seems to suggest that with the new cameras coming out this year from Sony and Panasonic.

One guy who’s trying to sell me his camera is telling me that his recommendations for cameras are DVX100B, XL2, GL2, DVC30, or anything Sony. I believe the last part about Sony.

I really think the Sony HVR-A1U and the V1U models are sweet. I also like the Sony VX-2100. Finally one friend recommends the Panasonic HVX200 DVCPRO and the Canon XH-A1.

My head is spinning with all the choices. I do agree with you that MiniDV tape is cheap and is more durable than the memory sticks or whatnot.

I’m interested in having a camera that can do the run-n-gun piece for news websites but I also want one with excellent resolution, XLR inputs, and low-light performance for doing the documentary-style full feature or the special event (i.e. weddings).

Could you help me sort this out?

Sony also tends to work better with the editing software, less fiddling on the back end. No, hd Mini dv tapes won’t work either. You gotta shell out the big bucks for solid state memory. Then pay more for a card reader so you can empty the sticks on the fly. It sounds like the work you are doing is higher end than what I do, so maybe lenses are really important to you, but i find i really don’t use much more than a wide angle and a fish eye from time to time.

Tell me more…

The Animal

My understanding here is that the HD resolution from a consumer level Canon camera (ex. HV20) or a prosumer Canon (XL-A1) won’t transfer onto a minidv tape. Does that also include the HD mini-dv tapes?

I’m trying to see which way to go on brand and Canon seems to be ahead (lens capabilities, Canon’s HDV vs. Sony’s AVCHD) except for the above mentioned flaw.

thanks,

Jack

To make things as easy as possible for our users we are going to end up grabbing sound from MICs built into the room. So I think the only thing we are worried about now is getting decent video that can be transferred via firewire. My coworker seems to think we will be around $1000 for a camera. I looked online and some reviewers seemed to really like the Canon Elura 100. And it is still very much in our price range.

i am gonna talk at length about computers next week. But to help you out a bit now, Yes, you can do a live feed from virtually any camcorder as long as it has a ‘firewire’ output, through a mac. I think the ‘iMovie’ software that comes with OSX will be all you need. That being said, doing it this way takes a lot of RAM and mac minis are notoriously short on RAM. Make sure that you test before you buy, and pack as much RAM as you can in the little sucker… 2 gig at least, or you will be getting drop frames.

Doing live feed is great, you don’t need DV tape. But you may regret not having the other option when your hard drive is full and you have to go buy one in a rush.

For hard drives, you will need to look at externals. Find one with a firewire or firewire 2 option, as they work better with macs. Western digital makes affordable 1.5 terrabite drives, you will use that space up quick, so get one as big as you can afford.

Thanks for your comments, tell me how it goes, and contact me any time if you have more questions.

The animal

Thanks for the MIC recommendation, I will certainly keep that in mind as we will need to think that through. I am guessing that you are asserting that the MIC built into the camera sucks? I heard that some of the more expensive HD cameras have better MICs. Is that true?

Thanks so much for your help.

Try a Samsung SC-D365. it is very inexpensive, uses DV tape and has an external audio jack so you can attack your microphone. It is a ‘mini’ jak, not an ‘xlr’ so make sure you find the right kind of microphone. Most photo/video specialty stores can point you in the right direction.

The Animal

I am new to the digital camera arena, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!