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Camcorder recommendations.

Great! Now this is the kind of thread I was hoping for!

Well, I'm currently winning with top bid on an auctioned HC7 (90,999yen). It started at 1 yen on March 12th. If all goes well I could be getting it for cheaper than what most stores are selling for. The average price seems to be about 123,600 yen with 13,000 point reward at the store you buy it from(which could technically get you another battery or bag).

In the meantime however I'm also going to checkout the cheaper/older miniDVs because as some have noticed, perhaps I don't need all the bells and whistles. I'm not a pro and I do indeed just want something that is Top Feeding, easy to use on the Mac, good in low-light conditions, SMALL (PD150 and VX1000 are out of the question, but thanks for the suggestions. I could only find batteries and mics listed for them anyways) palm sized and ideal for pointing and shooting.

Having talked with my wife about this as well she wants to spend quite a bit less than what I am willing to spend (me thinks she just wants extra cash to buy non maternity sized clothing...). However, I made a bid on the HC7 anyways to her disproval.

Assuming that I don't win the bid on the HC7 which of the Sony miniDV camcorders would suit my requirements. I've read decent reviews on the DCR HC96 but many say it's actually a downgrade to the DCR HC90. Any opinions on that? Which of the miniDV series do any of you recommend? I can already hear Multimedia typing 'NO! HC7 only <link to thread>' And trust me on this I do want it, badly, but it may cause some strife between my wife and I, haha.

I feel pressured to buy a camcorder ASAP because as I sit here deciding I'm losing chances to capture precious firsts of my baby girl, well actually, all she does now is cry, eat and poop.
 
I was going to get a HC7 but am now holding out for the Canon HV20 to be released at the end of this month.
I was convinced by the picture quality of the HV10 and would have already bought one of those if the HV20 wasn't so close to release.

Check out the picture quality here:http://usa.canon.com/app/html/See_The_Difference/hd_cmos.shtml

Most if not all of the complaints about the HV10 have been addressed (upright form, bottom-loader, HDMI, battery life) and it also has a 24P/25P mode if you are that way inclined. Multimedia will probably mention the lack of the LANC port but for most people it really is a non-issue.
 
Don't get the Canon HV10. It's not very good IMO. Very uncomfortable, at least in my hands. The HV20 is what I'm planning on getting to supplant my GL2, but it's not available yet, and I want to see one in person first. The HC96 is alright if you're pointing and shooting. So is the new Panasonic GS320, which may be fine for you without breaking the bank if you don't care about HD or better audio, but is extremely limited IMO. If you can get the Sony HC7, great. The HC3 is also ok, but not as good, even for the point and shooter.

Go to that page I linked to, Camcorderinfo.com - they have a lot more in depth info than most of us.
 
Well, I lost the bid on the HC7. It got pretty crazy in the last hour...as online auctions tend to do. I stopped bidding at 115,000 yen as that is just about 8,000yen less than what most major retailers are selling it for. The person who won it ended up paying about 20,000 yen (roughly 200US) more than retail...I really don't understand those people...a few clicks away and they could save 20,000 yen and let someone like me get a nice deal.

So now I'm back to deciding but it looks like it's gonna either be an HC96, HC3 or, of course the HC7.

I'll be posting back to let you all know which way I end up going.

Thanks for all the advice. If not for posting here I would've probably ended up buying a DCR-SR100 or something.
 
Hd 7 or hv10

I am wondering which way Rahlston went. I am also interested in learning a bit more about how to convert old hi8 tapes/footage to our new imac and into imovie.
We are getting ready to take the chitlins to Disney so I am considering making the leap into the digital age and throwing out the old sony camcorder (thoughts of lugging it through the line for spacemountain are too much to bear.)

I am looking for a good camera that works well wth imovie and has the ability to convert our old tapes.
We have a new imac (osx version 10.4.8) 1.6GB. Also have hd tv for playback. Would the video from the hd7 play in hi-def on our mac?
 
HC7 Is BETTER For Direct HDMI Connection To HDTV

squash-nut said:
I am wondering which way Rahlston went. I am also interested in learning a bit more about how to convert old hi8 tapes/footage to our new imac and into imovie.
We are getting ready to take the chitlins to Disney so I am considering making the leap into the digital age and throwing out the old sony camcorder (thoughts of lugging it through the line for spacemountain are too much to bear.)

I am looking for a good camera that works well wth imovie and has the ability to convert our old tapes.
We have a new imac (osx version 10.4.8) 1.6GB. Also have hd tv for playback. Would the video from the hd7 play in hi-def on our mac?
Click to expand...
Confused about what iMac you have. You say new then you say 1.6GB. ??? If you mean a 1.6GHz G5 iMac that is OLD and SLOW.

HC7 is the way to go because HV10 has no HDMI output. You will be able to connect the HC7 directly to your HDTV with a HDMI cable. Will look fantastic.

I changed the link to the HC7 deal above because another member did research on FotoSpirit and they think it looks like a dicy internet SCAM site.

Old tape is another matter. I'm too tired to write about it now.
 
Whoops, I meant to say that I have a 160 gig hard drive (with about 90 gigs being used by itunes). I wasn't sure if had a reasonable amount of storage space to support hi def video.

Anyway, my imac specs are below. Would I need to purchase additional software to use the HC7 or would it hook right in with imovie?
Thanks for the quick response.


Machine Name: iMac
Machine Model: iMac5,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per processor): 4 MB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Boot ROM Version: IM51.0090.B03
SMC Version: 1.8f2
 
HC7 Hooks Right Into Your iMac In iMovie Via 4pin to 6pin FW400 Cable

squash-nut said:
Whoops, I meant to say that I have a 160 gig hard drive (with about 90 gigs being used by itunes). I wasn't sure if had a reasonable amount of storage space to support hi def video.

Anyway, my imac specs are below. Would I need to purchase additional software to use the HC7 or would it hook right in with imovie?
Thanks for the quick response.

Machine Name: iMac
Machine Model: iMac5,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per processor): 4 MB
Memory: 1 GB
Click to expand...
Only 2GHz? ;) JK. 17" I imagine. You might want to add a 1GB stick to one of the RAM slots for improved performance.

Perfect. Hooks right in via FW 4pin to 6pin cable. You start your new iMovie project with video option set to 1080i and it will pull your HDV footage right in.
 
My First Mac

Yes, 17". My wife thinks I have a sickness with this computer though (spent my first month on it putting together slideshow for my parents Xmas gift, then burning to idvd- made everyone cry- very cool).
Anyway, now I'm thinking maybe I could do that stuff with video on imovie. Is this machine not fast enough for hd? I assume it takes longer to download and edit hd vs. standard dv?
 
You've got plenty fast Mac

squash-nut said:
Yes, 17". My wife thinks I have a sickness with this computer though (spent my first month on it putting together slideshow for my parents Xmas gift, then burning to idvd- made everyone cry- very cool).
Anyway, now I'm thinking maybe I could do that stuff with video on imovie. Is this machine not fast enough for hd? I assume it takes longer to download and edit hd vs. standard dv?
Click to expand...
Plenty fast. No it comes in at same rate - real time. writes Apple Intermdiate Codec files that are 3x bigger so one hour is 39GB instead of 13GB native.
 
email4shopping said:
Fotospirit.com
Click to expand...

A quick Google search shows they're a scam. First of all, any site that requires "verification" before it ships the item is probably a scam. First, you submit your order, then they call you and try to sell you overpriced extras you probably don't need. If you refuse, they cancel your order, or tell you it's on back order or something. If you go ahead and buy, they send you then accessories (maybe) then either send you a gray market item with no warranty stripped bare of things like a battery, charger, straps, etc. (unless you purchased them separately at exorbitant prices). Or they send you just the accessories and cancel your order for the camera anyway, which they probably didn't even have. Plus, they keep referring to themselves as Zoomaina.com, which is itself a scam site.

But from B & H Photo Video, or another authorized reseller.
 
Multi is absolutely right here. The Sony HDV is fantastic, perhaps the best consumer cam out there, and if my HC3 is any indication, the HC7 will work great with your Mac.

You will be really glad in 5 years (and even more so in 10 or 15) that this footage of such an precious time in life was not archived in SD.
 
Sanyo Xacti HD2

What do you guys think about the Sanyo Xacti HD2? Have any experience with it? Of course it's not going to have the same quality as the supra-thousand dollar cameras, but the HD2 is nicely small and compact and it also takes 7 MP photos. I'd love to be able to take nice photos and video with a device smaller and easier to carry than my current Canon S3 IS.
 
I don't have an HDTV yet, and I'm a big Sony/Apple fanboy (Apple for computer gear, Sony for home electronics, with exception of a Wii instead of a PS3,) but my next camcorder will likely be the Canon HV20. Well reviewed. HDV (which means it works just fine with iMovie,) and it has a real 1080p/24 shooting mode. (In addition to 1080i/60.) Which means I can go from 'really good, film-quality, show-action' to 'really good fast-action' with the flip of a switch.

This will be replacing a Sony PC100] that is starting to have its tape motor fail.
 
I got myself an HDR-HC7 today! My wife and I got a great deal on it too! The store was selling it for 140,000 yen but we brought a long a price listing for the cam from their online store (listed at 118,000 yen + you recieve 16,000 in store points). They gave us the HC7 for 118,000 yen and then used the points to buy a battery, bag, tripod and a pack of 5 mini DVs!

I was super stoked until just about now...I can't seem to find the Menu Option that allows you to select a Language preference. Many digital devices here in Japan at least give a choice between Japanese or English...but I can't find it on the HC7.

I guess I'm going to have to take a little time to figure out in Japanese all the options this camera has. A pain is the butt, however it is doable for me. It would be nice though if anyone could provide me with a link to a PDF of the HC7 english instruction manual, or something like that.

Oh yeah, and how do I go about dumping my footage onto my external HD without first importing it all into iMovie on my Macbook?

Please bear with me in the coming months as I may be asking a lot of simple questions that any 3rd grader could figure out on an English version of the HC7...I however may need some hand holding to guide me through some of the basics on my Japanese HC7(><):eek: , but maybe not...we'll see how it goes.
 
OK. I found the instruction manual in english....

Apparently N American HC7s offer a language choice, but when I hit the Japanese equivalent of P-Menu>Menu>Time/Langu. there is NO Language option, just Set Time and Global Clock. What a let down. I guess I just have to learn a few knew kanji and try to remember some old ones...
 
I dont really understand the hd hype for consumers and I just prefer minidv tapes, but I was wondering does that sony even have an accesory shoe? also, does it have mic and headphone inputs?

nevermind I got answers to my questions, BUT is this better than a 3ccd panasonic?
 
Multimedia will tell you it's (the HC7) better than anything, but I myself have no clue.

There isn't a shoe but there is a hatch on top that you can open and use to attach 3rd party accessories. So Mic is OK and there is also a Headphone port.

I'm still trying to decipher my menu/instructions by comparison with the English instruction PDF. So far it appears that the Japanese HC7 is missing the Language Option and under Standard Settings the Guideframe option and Mic Level control are missing. Also I've discovered that under Standard Set>Component> 480i=D1 and 1080i=D3. It's the little things like this that are going to ultimately annoy me about my HC7.

At least the picture looks great when I do film.

I have a question about transferring to my computer but I'm going to try and figure out the solution on my own before posting my inquiry...I think I know what the problem was but it was late at night and I was too tired to much around. I'll most likely start a new thread for that one!
 
HC5 & iMovie HD 5.0.2

I just picked up an HC5 and cant get it to play nice with iMovie HD. I am running on a 17" iMac (power pc) and have iMovie version 5.0.2. Either the iMovie says that the camera is sending partial frames or the camera says that "No output image in VCR HDV/DV. Cannot chge during i. Link". I have tried changing the HDV to DV and back and forth but I still don't get it to work. Any ideas?
 
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