Best Camera?

[Chris Poisson]

Apple have a complete list of compatible devices on the web site. There is not a “best” notation by brand or model in any way shape or form. Use an approved device you like the best.

Have a wonderful day.

[Tom Maloney]

All record in mini dv. I would suggest not using any camera as a playback deck to input footage into FCP

Good luck
Tom

” EVERY DAY IS A GIFT, which is why we call it the present”

Alfred Hitchcock

[Bob Zelin]

Tom beat me to it !
The best camera is NO CAMERA. Use a VTR from Sony, Panasonic, JVC to playback your media to your FCP system. Don’t want to buy a VTR ? Then buy a camera that uses flash cards to record with (like P2 or Sony XDCam EX). If you expect to do real jobs, just digitizing from a camera, you will cry.

Bob Zelin

[Vincent Strader]

What about “Crossing the streams?” – Ghostbusters.

I know this might be a master of the obvious question but I get nervous when I’m about to make a big purchase.

Hypothetical.. I buy a Sony camera (any kind that’s up to date). Would it be best to get a Sony VTR? Or does it really matter? In my own mind I say yes . . don’t cross the streams. If I get a Sony Camera, I will want a Sony DECK with Sony Tapes.

At work they purchased JVC cameras and decks, but they order Panasonic tapes. I have no problems most of the time, but every once in a while I get digital drop out and I wonder if it’s because we’re “crossing the streams.”

[Chris Poisson]

A very good question. With Sony, you get full compatibility through cameras and decks. Canon, and I believe JVC too, don’t make and will never make decks, so with their proprietary formats/frame rate schemes, you are stuck using their cameras to capture, UNLESS, you shoot in a straight 60i format, in which case (knock on wood) you can capture through a Sony deck.

Does this make Sony the “best?” Well, at compatibility, maybe, but you still should choose the rig that fits your work and tastes.

Have a wonderful day.

[Walter Biscardi]

[Vincent Strader] “Hypothetical.. I buy a Sony camera (any kind that’s up to date). Would it be best to get a Sony VTR? Or does it really matter?”

It does matter, especially in the case of Sony where they use a wet lubricant in their tapes and Panasonic uses a dry lubricant. So it’s always best to play back camera tapes in the same brand of VTR as the camera.

In our case, we only played a few Sony DV tapes in our Panasonic 1400 DVCPro HD deck and the heads got pretty gummed up and we had to have them cleaned. So now I have Sony HDV decks just for their tapes. But I have to say, I’ve played Panasonic DV tapes in the Sony HDV deck and haven’t really had any issues there.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

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[Vincent Strader]

Touching on capturing from a camera.

We have 2 JVC HD110 cameras, and 1 GL1 from long ago. We still use the GL1 for jobs that would be dirty (city work), when we don’t want to dirty the JVCs.

When I bring the tape from the GL1 into the JVC BR HD50 deck, it does not like the tape at all. Audio drop outs, digital dirt, pixelation, etc. etc. But when I just capture from the GL1 none of those problems happen.