I am an avid underwater still photographer looking to get into video. I want to buy a high quality consumer high definition camera that I can edit to start with iMovie. I am not clear about the benefits of tape vs hard drive vs mini DVD....too many choices! My research indicates that hard drive cameras are not compatible with iMovie...anyone have any suggestions?
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Video camera suggestions for Underwater
- Thread starter divadiver52
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Hard disk cameras often seems to have compability issues from what I understand. And the footage is more compressed than what you get using HDV and MiniDV tapes. (1h HDV takes up 13GB hard disk space)
Same goes for DVDs.
You have cameras coming out that records to Compact Flash (Sony and Canon) that are very good.
The great thing about shooting HDV on MininDV tapes is that they are cheap and you have sorted out the storeage problem straight away.
The downside is capture time. It´s real time.
Using cards allows for faster capture times, but you have to buy disk space or burn DVDs for storage.
(I´m capturing 3h footage from today as I write, it´s a pain to have to wait an hour, then change tape. It´s getting late over here)
For a small, cheapish HDV (that records to tape) camera I recommend the Canon HV20. I have this camera as a B-camera for my Canon XL-H1. Great images.
BUT, it might be easier to find underwater housing for Sony cameras. You should look into that as well.
Same goes for DVDs.
You have cameras coming out that records to Compact Flash (Sony and Canon) that are very good.
The great thing about shooting HDV on MininDV tapes is that they are cheap and you have sorted out the storeage problem straight away.
The downside is capture time. It´s real time.
Using cards allows for faster capture times, but you have to buy disk space or burn DVDs for storage.
(I´m capturing 3h footage from today as I write, it´s a pain to have to wait an hour, then change tape. It´s getting late over here)
For a small, cheapish HDV (that records to tape) camera I recommend the Canon HV20. I have this camera as a B-camera for my Canon XL-H1. Great images.
BUT, it might be easier to find underwater housing for Sony cameras. You should look into that as well.
Thanks. So if I get a camera that records to DVD or memory stick, are you saying the transfer time is minimal? And then, will all cameras be compatible with iMovie from the DVD?
Not sure about DVDs. I don´t recommend that anyway. You won´t find a DVD camera that records in HD.
Transfer times are not minimal yet. The new SxS cards used buy Sony is between 4 to 8 times real time. Not sure what Compact Flash cards will be like in temrs of transfer times
Transfer times are not minimal yet. The new SxS cards used buy Sony is between 4 to 8 times real time. Not sure what Compact Flash cards will be like in temrs of transfer times