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Sony HDR-HC7 HDV Camcorder

Do You Own or Plan To Own A Sony HDR-HC7 HDV Camcorder?

  • Total voters
    184
Multimedia said:
That's not what my sales person told me. He said it includes if you drop it and break something external on it. $180 for 4 years.

Woot! We just reached 40 voters. Only 17 of us in the HDV camp. :(
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Multimedia, I just contacted Sony sales and they told me that ProVantage is NOT an authorized Sony reseller and that I would not be able to purchace a Sony warranty on a camcorder bought from provantage.com. They had an alphabetically sorted listed of authorized resellers, and they read me reseller names that start with P, and ProVantage wasn't there.

How did you get confirmation that ProVantage is an authorized reseller for Sony?

Thanks!

-Brad
 
Multimedia,
I think you're incorrect about HV20 not being true 24P.

Read this article:
http://www.hdvinfo.net/articles/canon/hv20overview.php

paying attention to this section:

The HV20 also offers the option to shoot 24p. Its CMOS image sensor is natively progressive, so this isn't the same thing as Frame mode found on the Canon XL and XH series of High Definition camcorders, but visually they should look the same. The process uses a 2:3 pulldown for recording to tape. The 24p option is available only in HD mode, not in SD mode. There is no 30p option. European and Australian 50i versions of the HV20 will include a 25p option instead of 24p.

But what about Canon's Frame mode, found on their XL and XH series of High Definition camcorders... why not just use that technology in the HV20? The answer lies in the fact that Frame mode relies heavily on a process called Pixel Shift, which is used only in three-chip camcorders such as the Canon XL H1 (the process involves offsetting the green image sensor one-half pixel in the horizontal axis relative to the blue and red image sensors). Since the HV20 is only a single-chip camcorder, it can't have Pixel Shift. Without Pixel Shift, there's no Frame mode. This isn't an issue, though, because the CMOS sensor in the HV20 is already progressive to begin with... it doesn't need Frame mode, which transforms an interlaced video signal into a progressive one. 24p on the HV20 is similar to 24p on other camcorders such as the Canon XL2 and Panasonic DVX100, except it's in High Definition.

P.S. I've had my HDR-HC7 for about 2 weeks.
 
Sony Warranty Salesman Told Me They Are And Sold Me The Warranty

aggiebrad said:
Multimedia, I just contacted Sony sales and they told me that ProVantage is NOT an authorized Sony reseller and that I would not be able to purchace a Sony warranty on a camcorder bought from provantage.com. They had an alphabetically sorted listed of authorized resellers, and they read me reseller names that start with P, and ProVantage wasn't there.

How did you get confirmation that ProVantage is an authorized reseller for Sony? Thanks! -Brad
Click to expand...
Sony salesman put me on hold, went away and came back telling me they were and sold me the warranty. ProVantage is closed 'til Monday now so I can't call to ask again til then but they told me they've been a Sony dealer for decades. This is sure confusing. :confused: :eek:

800.336.1166

They're not listed as a dealer in the locator section either. Wonder why he told me they were ok? They started out as a mail order catalog company in 1984. Perhaps authorized mail order companies are not listed in the Sony Dealer Finder.

Who Is ProVantage? said:
]PROVANTAGE Corporation was founded in 1984 by CEOs Arno Zirngibl and Michael Colarik. Recognizing the need for quick, high-quality distribution of software to programmers and software developers, PROVANTAGE improved upon the typical mail order organization. Combining the lowest prices with quality service, the best product information, and convenient ordering, PROVANTAGE is a model in reseller sales in the United States and The World.

The World's First PC Products Buyer's Guide

The first company in our industry to publish a Buyer's Guide, PROVANTAGE now mails over 1.5 million copies each year. The guide lists popular new and featured products with functional and product indexes to help you find the right products to meet your needs. New Version/New Listing indicators provide information on what's NEW and HOT in the industry. The PROVANTAGE Buyer's Guide includes development languages and tools, business applications, as well as PC hardware and peripherals.
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How Far Is It From Rear Battery To End Of Extended Viewfinder Dan?

danieljoelle said:
Multimedia,
I think you're incorrect about HV20 not being true 24P.

Read this article:
http://www.hdvinfo.net/articles/canon/hv20overview.php

paying attention to this section:

The HV20 also offers the option to shoot 24p. Its CMOS image sensor is natively progressive, so this isn't the same thing as Frame mode found on the Canon XL and XH series of High Definition camcorders, but visually they should look the same. The process uses a 2:3 pulldown for recording to tape. The 24p option is available only in HD mode, not in SD mode. There is no 30p option. European and Australian 50i versions of the HV20 will include a 25p option instead of 24p.

But what about Canon's Frame mode, found on their XL and XH series of High Definition camcorders... why not just use that technology in the HV20? The answer lies in the fact that Frame mode relies heavily on a process called Pixel Shift, which is used only in three-chip camcorders such as the Canon XL H1 (the process involves offsetting the green image sensor one-half pixel in the horizontal axis relative to the blue and red image sensors). Since the HV20 is only a single-chip camcorder, it can't have Pixel Shift. Without Pixel Shift, there's no Frame mode. This isn't an issue, though, because the CMOS sensor in the HV20 is already progressive to begin with... it doesn't need Frame mode, which transforms an interlaced video signal into a progressive one. 24p on the HV20 is similar to 24p on other camcorders such as the Canon XL2 and Panasonic DVX100, except it's in High Definition.

P.S. I've had my HDR-HC7 for about 2 weeks.
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That sounds great but it says in the manual that it "records the 24p as 60i". So why would they publish that caviot?

I need a favor. Would you please publsih what the distance is between the rear of your stock battery and the end of the EXTENDED ViewFinder? the FH-100 battery is 1" longer than the stock FH-60. I'd like to know if the extended viewfinder goes back that full inch and if not how much more or less?

i.e. what's the measurement? You're the first owner I've had direct contact with. Thanks Dan. And congrats on the early get.
 
Canon HV20 and 24p

Regarding the HV20 and 24p, this is straight off the Canon website...

"You can change the camcorder's frame rate to 24p, which provides the same frame rate as movie film." That sounds far from fake and would be false advertising otherwise.

I will be purchasing the HV20 when it comes out. Canon wins with this feature and has better optics.
 
"Video shot with the HDV (PF24) standard will be recorded on the tape as 60i"

phooey74 said:
Regarding the HV20 and 24p, this is straight off the Canon website...

"You can change the camcorder's frame rate to 24p, which provides the same frame rate as movie film." That sounds far from fake and would be false advertising otherwise.
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I'm the last guy who doesn't want it to be true. I'm with you. I merely quoted directly from the manual.
Canon HV20 Instruction Manual Specifications page 101 said:
System Footnote 1. ...Video shot with the HDV (PF24) standard will be recorded on the tape as 60i.
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Do you have a copy of the Canon HV20 Instruction Manual PDF from the Canon site?

I wonder if you can only access the real 24p from the HDMI port?
 
FH-100 Battery Will Not Be Too Long Out The Back - Extended ViewFinder Covers It

danieljoelle said:
Multimedia, The distance from the back of the stock battery to the back of the EXTENDED viewfinder is approximately 7/8".
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Awesome. Thank you. That means the ViewFinder will perfectly cover the NP-FH100 InfoLITHIUM® H Series Super Stamina Rechargeable Battery PackNP-FH100 so that large battery won't be blocking access to the viewfinder and will appear more like it's part of the camera rather than a big block sticking out 1.8". Of course the diminutive size of the HC7 in the first place will make both that 1.8" long battery + 1.6" for the Raynox HD-5050PRO High Def 0.5x Wideangle Conversion Lens on front add a huge 3.4" length to the 5.5" body for a total of almost 9 inches long - little less than 3x it's 3.25" height and width. Wow!

Available at B&H for only $89.95.

Also must get a 3.7oz Raynox HD-2200PRO 2.2x HD Telephoto Lens available at B&H for only $99.95.

Gotta get one of these new Super Quick AC-VQH10 AC Adaptor/ChargerAC-VQH10 Rechargers too.

And don't forget the Auto On Capable Sony HVL-HL1 3 Watt Video Light for only $27.95 at B&H.

Still looking for a Lens Hood. Anyone have any luck yet?
danieljoelle said:
In regards, to the 24P issue for the HV20, reading this thread might shed a little light (lots of video pros there...):

Canon HV10 / HV20 HDV Camcorders

"Since the HD 24p mode is recorded to tape as 60i..."
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Still no definitive understanding that I guess won't come before NAB. I'll try to find Canon PR next week for an answer. Canon has already said they will not reveal a lot of detail about this camera before NAB. So we may just have to be patient and wait.

Note: I modified your link to include the whole Canon DV10/20 section of the DVi site and put your link with the quote that goes directly to that post #40. Thanks.
 

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$748 In Accessories For Sony HDR-HC7 HDV Camera

I've posted the top 5 accessories with photographs in an extreme edit of my last Post #84.

1. the NP-FH100 InfoLITHIUM® H Series Super Stamina Rechargeable Battery Pack $160 (times 2 for me) B&H Now Taking Orders But Not In Stock Yet

2. the Raynox HD-5050PRO High Def 0.5x Wideangle Conversion Lens $90 In Stock at B&H

3. 3.7oz Raynox HD-2200PRO 2.2x HD Telephoto Lens $100 In Stock At B&H

4. new Super Quick AC-VQH10 AC Adaptor/ChargerAC-VQH10 Rechargers $129. In Stock at B&H

5. the Auto On Capable Sony HVL-HL1 3 Watt Video Light for only $27.95 at B&H $28

6. Also the 4 Year Service Plan with Accidental Damage from Handling Protection (ADH) $180

7. SanDisk Mobile 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo™ with MS Duo™ Adaptor. $60.00 after $20 Fry's rebate. (Circuit City $170)

I'm up to $748 for my minimum set of must have accessories. So it's safe to say a tricked out HC7 is easily more than $2,000. :eek: :) The above does not include the external audio solution which I expect to spend another $500 to $1,000 on.
pengu said:
Whose definition of "must-have" is that?
Click to expand...
Mine of course. ;) Your milage may vary. Perhaps a better choice of words would be "best kit".
 

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Raynox Are Superior Quality To Sony

craigmohrman said:
Multimedia,

Is there anything wrong with Sony's offerings other than the higher price?
Sony VCL-HG0737Y $190
Sony VCL-HG2037Y $190
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By the looks of the Raynox site and the word of mouth about Raynox in general I would say there's little doubt Raynox glass is better than Sony's. Plus you get a full set of adaptors from Raynox so you can use them with any other cameras in future. I doubt Sony glass is as good. Plus the Raynox lenses look a lot better don't you think?

The Raynox site has a large supply of examples of what their lenses can do including video downloads? Make sure you have Flip-4-Mac installed. They're WMV Clips.

Please READ the Raynox Website text. NEW CONCEPT OF LENS DESIGN:

Raynox wide is .5 not .7 - Superior Width
From The Raynox Website said:
The model HD-5050PRO/HD-5005PRO Super Wideangle conversion lens is designed to broaden the angle of view, including 100% more area in the picture, when attached to the lens of Digital Video Camcorder. Its compatible with the whole zoom area and stays in focus*.

The HD-5050PRO/HD-5005PRO is made of the high-index optical glass elements with new concept of lens designing using three-group/four-element lens formula. This new concept in designing the lens made it possible to achieve an amazing high definition wideangle lens of the 600 lines/mm resolution power at center (MTF30%).
Click to expand...
Raynox Telephoto is 2.2x not 2x - Superior Telephoto Reach
From The Raynox Website said:
The model HD-2200PRO High-Definition Super Telephoto Conversion lens is made of the high index coated optical glass elements with new concept of lens designing using two-group/four-element lens formula. This new concept in designing the lens made it possible to achieve an amazing high definition Telephoto lens of the 200 lines/mm resolution power at center (MTF30%).
Click to expand...

Did you notice how HEAVY the Sony lenses are?

Sony Wide is 11.3oz (320G) vs 3.8oz (110g) Raynox
Sony Telephoto is 13.4oz (380g) vs. 3.7oz (105g) Raynox

Both Sony 24.7oz = 1 pound 8.7 oz
Both Raynox 7.5oz = less than 1/2 pound and less than 1/3 the weight of the Sony pair.

Why would you want to buy lenses from a company that doesn't specialize in engineering and manufacturing lenses ONLY? :eek: :rolleyes:
 
ProVantage Confirms They Are An Authorized Sony Reseller With Camcorder Div Trouble

aggiebrad said:
Multimedia, I just contacted Sony sales and they told me that ProVantage is NOT an authorized Sony reseller and that I would not be able to purchace a Sony warranty on a camcorder bought from provantage.com. They had an alphabetically sorted listed of authorized resellers, and they read me reseller names that start with P, and ProVantage wasn't there.

How did you get confirmation that ProVantage is an authorized reseller for Sony?
Click to expand...
I phoned ProVantage this morning. They are an authorized Sony reseller. Trouble is the Camcorder division keeps de-authorizing them and then re-authorizing them from time to time for no apparent reason. ProVantage started 22 years ago as a mail order catalogue. Then they eveolved into an internet reseller also. They say they have had no trouble with all the other Sony divisions. But for some reason the camcorder division keeps fooling around with their authorization - de-authorizing and re-authorizing them helter skelter. If I were you I would persevere to a supervisor at the Warranty department to get your warranty. Ask the supervisor to call ProVantage and talk to their buyer. This appears to be a political problem.

I think my HC7 will ship from ProVantage later this week and arrive here next week.
 
Multimedia said:
I phoned ProVantage this morning. They are an authorized Sony reseller. Trouble is the Camcorder division keeps de-authorizing them and then re-authorizing them from time to time for no apparent reason. ProVantage started 22 years ago as a mail order catalogue. Then they eveolved into an internet reseller also. They say they have had no trouble with all the other Sony divisions. But for some reason the camcorder division keeps fooling around with their authorization - de-authorizing and re-authorizing them helter skelter. If I were you I would persevere to a supervisor at the Warranty department to get your warranty. Ask the supervisor to call ProVantage and talk to their buyer. This appears to be a political problem.

I think my HC7 will ship from ProVantage later this week and arrive here next week.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information. I went ahead and ordered from Crutchfield.com instead and my camera should be here Wednesday. I'm kind of in a rush and also wanted a return policy for any unforseen circumstances. I appreciate all of the information you post about the HDR-HC7 and it accessories. I've also ordered the Raynox wide angle lens and Sony light that you recommend from bhphotovideo.com.

Quick question for you. I wanted to get a UV lens to protect the 62mm front of the Raynox lens, and I saw that bhphotovideo.com offers two different Tiffen 62mm lenses: a standard one with double-sided threads, and a "wide-angle" version without threads on the front side. Any opinion on which to get?

Thanks!

-Brad
 
Link To Crutchfield.com Sales For $1299 With Free Shipping

aggiebrad said:
Thanks for the information. I went ahead and ordered from Crutchfield.com LINK TO HDR-HC7 for $1299 instead and my camera should be here Wednesday. I'm kind of in a rush and also wanted a return policy for any unforseen circumstances. I appreciate all of the information you post about the HDR-HC7 and it accessories. I've also ordered the Raynox wide angle lens and Sony light that you recommend from bhphotovideo.com.

Quick question for you. I wanted to get a UV lens to protect the 62mm front of the Raynox lens, and I saw that bhphotovideo.com offers two different Tiffen 62mm lenses: a standard one with double-sided threads, and a "wide-angle" version without threads on the front side. Any opinion on which to get?
Click to expand...
No opinion. But I see no reason to buy one with threads on the front do you?

Glad you found one albeit for $150 more than from ProVantage. At least you'll have it right away. Please give us your first impressions as well as your long term experiences here.

Note to all: When you post anything about anything please include links so we don't have to go on a hunting expedition everytime we see a reference to a product or web page. It will save us all a lot of time. Thanks a lot.
 
I also cancelled my order with ProVantage and ordered from Circuit City instead. Here's some things to consider:

- The camera is on sale for $1329 right now
- 10 % off coupons are all over eBay righ now (will cost you only $2)
- You can go thorugh Fatwallet.com (FatCash) and get 3% cash back
- The camera is available NOW
- It's returnable if necessary

I ordered with 2 day shipping and it came out to $1302 (including tax).

QUESTION: I'm replacing my HC3. Will the NP-FP71 Battery and BCTRP travel charger work with this camera? On Sony's site, the NP-FH70 has replaced this battery.
 
I Think You Have To Buy New Batteries

kryptticAZ said:
I also cancelled my order with ProVantage and ordered from Circuit City instead. Here's some things to consider:

- The camera is on sale for $1329 right now
- 10 % off coupons are all over eBay righ now (will cost you only $2)
- You can go thorugh Fatwallet.com (FatCash) and get 3% cash back
- The camera is available NOW
- It's returnable if necessary

I ordered with 2 day shipping and it came out to $1302 (including tax).

QUESTION: I'm replacing my HC3. Will the NP-FP71 Battery and BCTRP travel charger work with this camera? On Sony's site, the NP-FH70 has replaced this battery.
Click to expand...
Congrats. That sounds rather convoluted but a deal's a deal.

I think your old batteries will not work. But I'm not 100% certain. Based on reports I've read on other boards they do not. Pretty sure. Sony provides technical support for their camcorders you know. 877.865.SONY is their number.

BTW FYI I can confirm I was able to purchase a 4 year warranty direct from Sony for my ProVantage purchased camera. They have taken my $180 and display a web page of my order with an order number and everything so it's a done deal. They also say that it doesn't matter where you bought your camcorder, the extended warranty I bought is valid. So I think you who are paranoid to buy from ProVantage should please phone ProVantage at 800.336.1166 and tell them you are paranoid and what are they going to do about it? I am really going way out of my way to get to the bottom of this political problem betwen ProVantage and Sony's Camcorder division. Will you please help a guy out? You get to save $150 buying from them and the 4 year accicental damage warranty is only $180 direct from Sony.
 
Or Build Your Own Steadycam For $14

murk said:
Your VariZoom link now has me wanting a FlowPod. Not sure if it would work with the HDR-HC7 though.
Click to expand...
Yes it will, perfectly. Even better build your own Steadicam JR for only $14 instead or pay the $14 Steadycam inventor $54 to send you a ready to assemble kit. For the Monopod part just buy any inexpensive super light weight model. Then you only need to buy one of Varizoom's compatible controllers that will easily attach to either as well as to your tripod:

VZ-Stealth ... $199

VZ-StealthLX $229

VZ-Rock ....... $249

Lots of choices to trick out the HC7. I can see how it's really more than $3,000 by the time this and the audio options are fulfilled. I'll be getting to that in a future post soon. :)
 
Yes The ProVantage Link Is Down But They're Still Selling Them For $1137

craigmohrman said:
Odd.
I can't locate Sony camcorders on Provantage at all.
Click to expand...
This link to the HC7 order page at ProVantage in North Canton Ohio for only $1137.81 plus $12.95 shipping to CA was temporarily down due to a buyer's mistake at ProVantage. I just got off the phone with Holly, my customer service rep at ProVantage, who describes confusion in the buyer's head over if he should be displaying that page or not. He told her he would put it back up this morning and then did not do it. I explained to her the amount of word of mouth out here and external published links to that page that are now all dead thanks to his blunder.

I asked her to escalate this to the President of the company but it appears he is not in most of the time. She said that Sony sent them an email verification they are an authorized Sony dealer. But it's still foggy if Sony will post their company name etc on their Internet Sales Dealer List. It appears to be some kind of beurocratic nightmare for ProVantage.

I'll make another post as soon as it comes back up. Meanwhile you can order the HC7 from them on the phone TOLL FREE at:

800.336.1166

Tell 'em you wanted to order it on the internet but the link's down. :(

UPDATE: The link now works normally at the same lowest price on the web.
 
I ordered mine from Amazon for $1268. It has already shipped, but I'm such a tightwad that I used the free shipping. What was I thinking? It will be here next week. I decided the few extra dollars was worth it to order from someone I trust. I really hate the places that call and try to hard sell you other things. Some will not ship if you don't bite. I'm not saying Provantage works this way, but at least I'm certain Amazon doesn't. Another factor in my decision was I had $125 left in an Amazon gift certificate and $50 on a promotional credit. Also Amazon has 30 day price protection. I have already set up a tracker at http://www.priceprotectr.com/index.jsp.
 
I'll need extra batteries, too, but I'm not certain which to buy. I thought I read a review that said the high capacity ones stick out too far. I can't seem to track that article down, however, so I'm not sure. I guess that wouldn't be a problem if you use the LCD instead of the viewfinder, but there goes your battery life. I also can't seem to find any mention of how long the HDR-HC7 should run on any of the various series H batteries.
 
NP-FH100 At Amazon FREE Shipping Doesn't Stick Out Too Far • 50 Votes • 100 Posts

murk said:
I'll need extra batteries, too, but I'm not certain which to buy. I thought I read a review that said the high capacity ones stick out too far. I can't seem to track that article down, however, so I'm not sure. I guess that wouldn't be a problem if you use the LCD instead of the viewfinder, but there goes your battery life. I also can't seem to find any mention of how long the HDR-HC7 should run on any of the various series H batteries.
Click to expand...
Congrats on the Amazon deal. I'm waiting it out for ProVantage to finally come through. Ironically I found out today that ProVantage already sold, shipped and delivered a few of these camcorders in late January - probably among the first to arrive.

The NP-FH100 is for sale from Amazon too with free shipping. It does NOT stick out too far as I explained in Post #84 above. The viewfinder extends all the way over all but the last 1/8 inch of that battery.

And this afternoon Amazon just added the new ACVQH10 AC Adaptor/Charger for H Series Batteries with FREE Shipping as well to their linup. But it's a little cheaper at B&H using the link above.

Did you download the pdf of the manual yet? There's a chart in there describing all the expected battery life times. Link to the manual pfd is on page one of this thread.

Footnote: Congrats to everyone who help me get this thread to 100 posts and to everyone for making this the most popular thread in the Digital Video Special Interest Section of MacRumors Forums. We're only just getting started. There a a lot more areas to be reported on related to this camera not the least of which is its HDMI out to Intensity PCIe card in Mac Pros and last gen Dual Core PM G5s running On-Air 3.0 software in April.
 
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