Returning my Canon HF-R21 (But what should I replace it with?)

[Obtong]

Hi Everyone,

I recently purchased a Canon HF R21 camcorder based on some of the reviews I’d read online, but was not aware of the challenges of editing theAVCHD files. The VideoBrowser editing provided software is not very good. It is cumbersome to use, limited in features, and it appears to limit me to importing only 99 clips at a time for editing. Editing video was so much easier and enjoyable with my Elura 100 files, but the need for higher quality video got meto look for a new camera.

I’m not sure I really need AVCHD files, especially if they present so many challenges with editing. I know there are apps and programs out there which will convert the AVCHD files to a more friendly format for editing, but I don’t care to add an extra step to the editing process orspend more money for a “work around”. So, I have an RMA in progress and am looking to get a different camera, but which one? There are so many choices out there, but that makes the selection all the more difficult. I want something that will give me high quality recordings (Blue Ray is in my future), yet won’t present too many challenges when editing the files. (My wife would like a camerawith an optical viewfinder.) I can spend up to $1000.

I have a Dell Precision M4500, 8 GB RAM, i7 Processor @1.73Ghz, running Windows 7 64 bit, 500GB HD, 3TB External Drive.

Suggestions for a suitable camera would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Dom

[zoobie]

www.camcorderinfo.com

[aedipuss]

look into the canon hv40. shoots in HDV(mpeg-2) on miniDV tape. easier to edit but you'll still need a decent editing package. vegas studio HD is a decent start and has a free demo. you will need a firewire port, which is getting scarce, to capture the tapes onto the computer. the cam also benefits from an external mic, and a larger battery.

[TreeTops]

Vegas movie studio HD will also edit AVCHD and does a good job at it. My observation about AVCHD is that it is fast becoming the defacto standard for HD for us.