Hi guys, I could do with some advice and memory-refreshment in regard to miniDV Cameras. I used to be really into film and video and knew all about this stuff, but that was many years ago and my recollection is hazy, plus the technology has moved on a bit since then.
I am currently in Canada where these cameras cost about half what they do back in London, so the idea of getting one while I'm here is very tempting. However, cameras here are NTSC format and Europe uses PAL, so my questions are:
-I am happy to film, capture and edit in NTSC format, and I imagine that most of my outputting will be to DVD and not VHS or whatever. If I buy an NTSC camera, will I be able to output it ok to DVD and play it on a PAL DVD player?
-Will I be able to capture video onto my mac from a PAL-format DV tape? I have a lot of old stuff on PAL miniDVs and would love to be able to watch them again. This sounds like it should be impossible but I've got a vague memory of being able to do this once before- as I recall, there was no image visible whilst capturing, but I still managed to import the video. There's a good chance I'm making this up, it was a long time ago.
-If you convert NTSC to PAL or vice-versa using software on the mac, is there much of a drop in quality?
-Are there any DV cameras on the market that are independent of PAL/NTSC, or that can be switched between formats?
Thanks guys I'd really appreciate any help.
I am currently in Canada where these cameras cost about half what they do back in London, so the idea of getting one while I'm here is very tempting. However, cameras here are NTSC format and Europe uses PAL, so my questions are:
-I am happy to film, capture and edit in NTSC format, and I imagine that most of my outputting will be to DVD and not VHS or whatever. If I buy an NTSC camera, will I be able to output it ok to DVD and play it on a PAL DVD player?
-Will I be able to capture video onto my mac from a PAL-format DV tape? I have a lot of old stuff on PAL miniDVs and would love to be able to watch them again. This sounds like it should be impossible but I've got a vague memory of being able to do this once before- as I recall, there was no image visible whilst capturing, but I still managed to import the video. There's a good chance I'm making this up, it was a long time ago.
-If you convert NTSC to PAL or vice-versa using software on the mac, is there much of a drop in quality?
-Are there any DV cameras on the market that are independent of PAL/NTSC, or that can be switched between formats?
Thanks guys I'd really appreciate any help.