Difference in camcorders?

[Steve Wargo]

You may want to inquire at the HDV forum.

1. And yes, it’s 1080i 30p.

2. The larger the imager, the more professional image.

3. Filter size is only related to the size of the threads on the front of the camera.

4. Make sure you get something with a mic input and a headphone jack.

5. Stop apologizing and worrying. It’ll give you ulcers. We’re not looking to attack anyone.

5. Have a nice day.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Robert Storm]

Ah cool, thanks! I’ve been comparing more cameras, and I’ve been getting more confused..
2. I was looking at the JVC GZ-HD3, which has a 1/5″ 3CCD sensor, but I noticed that several of the cameras that are $3-400 cheaper are using 1/2.7″ CMOS sensors (like the Canon HV20). As I understand it, these 1/2.7″ CMOS sensors will be better, but they’re on cheaper cameras?

Also, the HV20 has image stabilization, but its still cheaper than the GZ-HD3? The only other difference I can see is that the GZ-HD3 has 60 gigs of onboard memory, whereas the HV20 uses the HD miniDV tape stuff. I’m just mostly confused about the price difference.
And then there’s the Sony HDR-HC7, which doesn’t seem to perform as well as the HV20?

Is this one of those things where I just have to go into a camera shop and try them out to see which one I like best?

5. Haha, thanks. I’ve been flamed too many times on some other forums, so I wasn’t sure how the people were here =)

Thanks,
Robert Storm

[Steve Wargo]

Don’t know a thing about the other cameras but the HV20 is a sure winner for the money. We shoot mostly with big stuff and some smaller stuff but when we want the tourist look, like at the NFL Experience at the Super Bowl last month, we get an HV20 for the day.

Tape is the most dependable and the easiest to store.

It does have mic and headphone ports but isn’t that camera way more then you first claimed that you wanted to spend?

We don’t flame anyone. We are the nicest people on the web. I have won the lottery every week for 20 years. Oh, and we never lie either.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Robert Storm]

Hmm. I can see where tape would be easy to store and all, but I’ve used it once before for a project, and it took a lot longer to get the footage onto the computer than the (cheaper/lower quality) camcorder that had an internal hard drive.
Is this ever a problem for you?

Nah, none of those cameras are out of the pricerange =)
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/481076-REG/Canon_2059B001_VIXIA_HV20_2_96MP_CMOS.html

Most of these cameras shoot at 60i, but some have a 24p or a 30p mode, does this mean that when I’m shooting at 60i, I’d have to deinterlace the footage? Because the camera I’m using now (when I can’t borrow a better one) is 15 years old, and I have to deinterlace the footage every time..which is kind of a pain.

Robert Storm

[Rick Amundson]

Robert,

The issue doesn’t only have to do with the process of getting the footage into the computer. It’s an issue of archiving and storage because at some point you will need to back all of that footage up and store it for future use. If you shoot digitally, that means backing up to a hard drive then putting the hard drive somewhere safe and hoping it doesn’t crash. Another option is to burn all of the original files to a DVD, either a dual layer standard def (8.5 GIG) or a Blu-Ray DVD (25 or 50 GIG). This system also makes it harder to reconnect footage to your original edit project file. Either way you have a lot of work on the back end.

If you shoot on tape, your back up and storage mediums are done. Yes, it is more work to log and capture the footage but look at it as an opportunity to organize your footage and plan your edit. And remember, people have been digitizing footage for years and still do. It is the dominant workflow in most post houses.

Rick Amundson
Producer/Director/DP
Screenscape Studios
Bravo Romeo Entertainment
http://www.screenscapestudios.com
http://www.bravoromeo.com
http://www.indeliblemovie.com

[Steve Wargo]

Exactly. It might not seem like much to store now but someday it will be over whelming.

We have over 2500 tapes in our library. I couldn’t imaging that being on a disc somewhere.

We have been laying off a lot of old stuff to DVD just to bring the space required down to something managable.

On another note, having been stung by B+H, we don’t shop there.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Leo Ticheli]

Sorry you had a bad experience with B&H, Steve.

We’ve always had terrific service from them across a wide variety of products from lighting and electronics to stills cameras and lenses.

Good shooting and best regards,

Leo

[Robert Storm]

Ah, I see about the tapes. Thanks for the help guys, but I’m still a little confused about the interlacing. These cameras are mostly shooting at 60i, right? But some of them have a 30p or 24p mode.. When they’re shooting at 60i, am I going to have to deinterlace the footage each time I want to work with it? Because the camera I have now interlaces the footage (its really old..not even digital), so its a pain to have to deinterlace it before I can do anything.

Robert Storm

[Todd Terry]

[Steve Wargo] “having been stung by B+H, we don’t shop there”

Wow, I agree, that’s surprising…

Just goes to show you can get bad service from anyone, on occassion. I’ve probably given B&H probably pushing $200K of hard-earned cash over the last decade or so, and have never gotten anything but outstanding service from them.

For a while they were putting a lot of used/demo stuff on eBay, and I was buying so much of it that their used manager (a gruff yet friendly fellow named Lou with the thickest Brooklyn accent yooz ever heard) used to call me up out of the blue to let me know what was coming up…

Always found them to be pretty good folks. Maybe not the best prices (sometimes yes, sometimes no) but always have most everything in stock and are easy to deal with.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Richard Herd]

May I suggest a link: https://lurkertech.com/lg/fields/