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  1. devdev devdev's Avatar
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    hi i'm looking for a better hd mini dv type camcorder since im not happy with how my sony hdr-hc3 performs in low lighting conditions but I still want to employ mini dv

    any suggestions?
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  2. Canon HV40 and it's cousins are excellent -- but you're going to have to find one used.
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  3. I think the Canon HV40 may only be marginally better than the HDR- HC3 in low light. The sensor sizes are very similar.

    You may need to look at moving up to something like a Sony HVR-Z5U to gain any significant low light improvement.

    Again, only available used these days of course... and with the attendant risks that come with buying old(er) camcorders with tape transports..

    Is there a special reason you want to stay with tape?.... you could always convert AVCHD footage to HDV, if you really needed to...
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  4. devdev devdev's Avatar
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    thanks - you wouldn't know by any chance of a 3 chip portable version?
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  5. devdev devdev's Avatar
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    hi sorry did not see response from pippas - I just like to have a hard copy in addition!!

    experience has told me that it's a silly but useful back up to have in an age where bits go missing easily..
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  6. devdev devdev's Avatar
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    ive actually also got a hdr fx1e but it's bulky for personal family stuff when on hols!!
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  7. Originally Posted by devdev View Post
    I just like to have a hard copy in addition!!
    I have number of DV tapes which I have retained as backups of the footage I oroginally transferred to my PC. I'm thinking of ditching them.
    For two reasons:

    1) Some (not all) are showing signs of a few 'drop outs'. The earlier ones are over 10 years old now, and I'm not sure I trust them to be a reliable back up for the future.

    2) I'm reliant on a single tape transport camcorder - my original Canon DV camcorder - as the only way of playing them. The mechanics in that camera are now more than 10 years old. Although it has lowish hours 'on the clock' as it were, the camera is definitely noisier in operation than it was.
    I'm not sure of the condition of the bearings and belts any more.....

    Time to move the contents of my DV tapes to HDD I think. (2 copies for the important stuff of course!)

    Since I moved onto card recording cameras, I've found it easier to keep backups on my PC...no more need to transfer in real time. A second copy is simple enough to keep separately for convenience, if necessary.

    The only thing I really missed when moving to AVCHD from DV was the ease of editing that the DV intraframe format gave you. The 'long GOP' format of AVCHD makes it a bit more difficult to edit easily.

    I prefer to overcome this by converting my raw footage to an 'intermediate' format to make it easier to work with.
    I use Grass Valley HQX (there are other similar codecs as well - mostly free).

    Still faster than the real time transfer of DV tapes, and it gives you a high definition easy to edit intraframe format to work with.

    No more tapes for me!
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  8. devdev devdev's Avatar
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    very interesting - thank you


    out of curiosity - what 'intermediate' format to make it easier to work with do you go to and why did you choose grass valley?.
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  9. I find Grass Valley HQX a very useful intermediate format. I made some notes about using it on THIS PAGE in my 'slo-mo' guide....
    There are other very good intermediate free codecs available - CineformHD or Lagarith for example. I just happen to prefer HQX myself ...
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  10. devdev devdev's Avatar
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    appreciated - thanks
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