Buying a video camera, HDD standard def or HDD High def? Help please

[exiag335]

Hello

I am looking to buy a video camera for above regular consumer use. Editing videos and other things but more close to the semi pro/serious hobbyist level.

What kind is good to get that will work with the the latest Mac hardware?

I was looking at the JVC MG330 but it is standard def and from what I read since most people are buying LCD tvs, that high def cameras are better for viewing.

I have read also that Macs do not support the Blue Ray/HD format for playback that High Def cameras have.

If I bought a High Def camera, would I be able to even edit it using a Mac?

Help please

 

[PsychOff]

Yes and no to your question. It depends what your budget is, it depends what Mac specs you have and the screen you have... Get back to me on that, you say you are a serious/semi pro hobbyist so I may be able to help. just depends how serious you are with your hobby and budget.

 

[DPA]

Some people have Blu-Ray players and more than half have HDTVs. Blu-Ray discs are very expensive from $10-$220 each! And the players are pretty pricey too. If your Mac is less than 5 years old and is a tower mac (Mac Pro, Power Mac G5) with a good amount of RAM and processor power, then you should be able to edit the HD depending on the size of the sequence and HD codec and capture type (i.e. ProRes, XDCAM, etc.) If you have a laptop, you will have trouble editing HD if it's a PowerBook. Even on a 2.4GHz MBP with 4GB RAM you will have lag. The new 17" MBP looks like it would be a great option for portable HD editing, but you will have to have to have a external drive because HD files are BIG. Just for example, if you bought the new 17" MBP when it comes out and loaded it up with 8GB or RAM, I think that you would be able to edit almost as well as a PowerMac G5, which I use to edit my HD footage.

David

 

[exiag335]

Yes and no to your question. It depends what your budget is, it depends what Mac specs you have and the screen you have... Get back to me on that, you say you are a serious/semi pro hobbyist so I may be able to help. just depends how serious you are with your hobby and budget.

I am buying a MBP 2.53 with the 512 9600m GPU today. I will also buy a external monitor with a resolution of 1690x1050 or 1680x1200. I am looking to spending between $600 to $1000 for a camera.

After Apple releases new Mac Pros, I will buy a desktop.

 

[DPA]

With a Mac Pro, you can put a Blu-Ray burner and player in the extra drive slot that comes empty with the default configuration. These Canon camcorders are very nice. If you are looking to buy a bigger camcorder than this with more manual controls you will have raise your price range a bit, which it seems like you are:

I am looking to buy a video camera for above regular consumer use. Editing videos and other things but more close to the semi pro/serious hobbyist level.

You can probably find a used semi-professional camcorder that records on miniDV tapes closer to your price range for a camera but you will probably not find a used semi-professional HDD recording camera.

David

 

[exiag335]

With a Mac Pro, you can put a Blu-Ray burner and player in the extra drive slot that comes empty with the default configuration. These Canon camcorders are very nice. If you are looking to buy a bigger camcorder than this with more manual controls you will have raise your price range a bit, which it seems like you are:

You can probably find a used semi-professional camcorder that records on miniDV tapes closer to your price range for a camera but you will probably not find a used semi-professional HDD recording camera.

David

Ok. Thank you. Are miniDV camcorders still worth buying?

 

[PsychOff]

In terms of hardware, yes what you plan to get can handle HD footage. However keep in mind the monitors need to be HD. Now your budget is 1k$ for the camera so I can't help you there, I deal with 7-10k$ cameras so its hard for me to like any small camcorders that you can buy in a shop that also sells toilet paper.

I will say this though, camcorders that are HD... are not HD, they use codecs such as sony HDV which are imitations of HD, they are highly compressed, terrible in low light and colour field is scarce and although they claim it to be 1080 resolution they often upscale it digitally from 720 to 1080. The resolution however will be 1080p/i nonetheless, so make sure you got a computer screen which can do 1080p.

Macs currently, Apple that is, don't have Blu-Ray yet, they stupidly went with Toshibas's HD-DVD who lost, HAH! But you can from other companies purchase Blu-Ray products for the Mac, such as LaCie's External Blu-Ray drive and the new Toast 9 software for Blu-Ray burning (whether that burns actual DVD video with menus or just DATA I don't know yet). But they are still pricey.

And most importantly people seem to forget when it comes to editing, you need a editing program... now I don't know how seriously you take it and what your budget is for your Mac Pro, but Final Cut Pro 6 you would have no problems with as an editing power tool. There is also the cheaper option of FCExpress.

 

[exiag335]

In terms of hardware, yes what you plan to get can handle HD footage. However keep in mind the monitors need to be HD. Now your budget is 1k$ for the camera so I can't help you there, I deal with 7-10k$ cameras so its hard for me to like any small camcorders that you can buy in a shop that also sells toilet paper.

I will say this though, camcorders that are HD... are not HD, they use codecs such as sony HDV which are imitations of HD, they are highly compressed, terrible in low light with very ****** lenses and although they claim it to be 1080 resolution they often upscale it digitally from 720 to 1080. The resolution however will be 1080p/i nonetheless, so make sure you got a computer screen which can do 1080p.

Macs currently, Apple that is, don't have Blu-Ray yet, they stupidly went with Toshibas's HD-DVD who lost, HAH! But you can from other companies purchase Blu-Ray products for the Mac, such as LaCie's External Blu-Ray drive and the new Toast 9 software for Blu-Ray burning (whether that burns actual DVD video with menus or just DATA I don't know yet). But they are still pricey.

And most importantly people seem to forget when it comes to editing, you need a editing program... now I don't know how seriously you take it and what your budget is for your Mac Pro, but Final Cut Pro 6 you would have no problems with as an editing power tool. There is also the cheaper option of FCExpress.

I am planning on buy Final Cut or Final Cut express.
I see from you signature that you have a desk top Mac Pro. I want a desk top now but I am not buying one because everyone suggests that Apple will release a updated one soon and I do not like the current graphic cards available for them, they are outdated. Should I buy a desk top anyway and get the laptop later or should I do as I am planning to do and buy the laptop now and buy the desk top once they are upgraded?

 

[PsychOff]

Oh no doubt it'll just get better, they are probably already planning to input Blu-Ray into their new machines. (Don't forget graphic cards can be updated and they also currently have the option of the $2.5k GPU, which you only need if your making 3D graphics with Maya).

The Mac Pro I have is only less than a year old, it is the latest one and a superb machine. It is up to you when you get yours and what you get, it'll be great now, and even better on later models. So sorry to say, but I can't help on your final decision, just advice from a technical and cost aspect, it depends what you want and need at the moment to be honest.

And I don't think Apple will release a new Mac Pro model with significant improvements in the following months anyways.

 

[exiag335]

Oh no doubt it'll just get better, they are probably already planning to input Blu-Ray into their new machines. (Don't forget graphic cards can be updated and they also currently have the option of the $2.5k GPU, which you only need if your making 3D graphics with Maya).

The Mac Pro I have is only less than a year old, it is the latest one and a superb machine. It is up to you when you get yours and what you get, it'll be great now, and even better on later models. So sorry to say, but I can't help on your final decision, just advice from a technical and cost aspect, it depends what you want and need at the moment to be honest.

And I don't think Apple will release a new Mac Pro model with significant improvements in the following months anyways.

Thanks