WoW! Is this Machine Great or What!

I bought the HD7 last week and have been experimenting with it for that time. This Baby it totally RAD!. Sorry. My equipment also includs the Rode SVM and the Cavision .45 wide angle 'zoom through' lens. Which brings me to everyones problem with the stablizer option. With the .45 wide angle lens I get the picture I want with very little shake. Of course a tripod is the ultimate solution but the wide angle is my answer. Plus you need those wide shots anyway. Right? I have also seen video stablizers for sale online for $399 so I fabricated one in my shop and they work very very well especially in tight conditions (walking around scattered B-Day present on the floor while shooting or running along side of my son while playing soccer). I can give plans. But it did cost me $60 in parts, (ball and socket head for handle, lead weights,and some wood for bending the arch). I can run,stumble,fumble etc while filming (with the wide angle lens too) and the picture is very exceptable. Notice I didnt say perfect.
The 3CCDs color just jumps right out of the TV too.
My only thing I dont like is that they dont allow you to use manual settings but still have auto focus. Yes thats right, I have the JVC GZMC100 and this is how I shot everthing. I want full control of my shutter speed and aperture while the camera takes care of the focus. When your optimizing a shot quickly and time is critical ( the event doesnt wait for no one) this feature is greatly needed.
Any way thats my opinion.
Today I got to use the HD7 for the first time for some good action shots of my sons soccer game. I shot in Auto and I must say the footage is outstanding except for the slight blur which is only really seen at 150% to 200% magnifications. This of course is no problem unless your doing motion tracking in the edit department for special effects. Which I do do. I could almost count the blade of grass on the soccer field. Now thats HD to me.
For video imaging and editing I do use the included software to render to .MPG format then import to Adobe Premiere Pro. I have no problem at all. But has anyone tried rendering a one hour HD 1920x1080i @19mbps etc etc WOW! for my 3.0GHz, 2 gb ram etc etc its taking about 10-12 hours. I have to render while I seep ( I wonder if I lose any weight doing it this way). Which beings me to another road block. How to view o HDTV? I just bought the JVC SRDVD-100 HDDVD player for $200 on ebay. the highest rez possible comes out of the componant output not a HDMI so the picture is slightly lease then perfect. Try it using differant outputs of your HD7 hooked up to your HDTV. Theres very little differance but there is a differance to me.
I could go on but Im starting to lose it.
Good Shooting everyone
Dave

I don’t necessarily consider it a bad thing for the auto focusing to be off when you’re trying to adjust other manual settings. This gets you to practice using the manual focusing ring more often. Within a few weeks you’ll be amazed at how good you’ve gotten. Learning how to use it properly will get a lot of your shots to look better than what it would have looked if you were constantly using the auto focus.


Component is worse than HDMI but it still outputs the full 1080i image to your HD TV.


By the way, I would keep the bit rate at around 26.6mbps because going down to 18mbps will degrade your picture a bit.

Which beings me to another road block. How to view o HDTV?
Can't you print-to-tape and write your edited video back to the cam and use it as a deck connected to your TV?

Good luck.

Dennis

Camer Expert;
Yes I agree the using manual is the best way to get the right shot settings I've been a photographer with my own darkroom too since the 70's. while shooting a planned shot leaves plenty of time for adjustments. shooting a fast paced soccer game is a kaotic mess. I dont want to miss anything. a matter of fact I practially record everything if not for anything else but the soundtrack. I shoot all non sporting events in manual mode and I do lose some of those surprize shots. This is a bummer.

yeah the HD DVD palyer I'm getting only has componant for HD so I'll have to live with this quality for awhile.

Thanks for the tip at the Mbps catagory. I plan on rendering as high a bit rate as possible regaurdless of rendering time so my library has the best of the best. (for this generation of machinery)

Dennis;
thanks for your response. Yeah, thats what everyone has to do unless you spend $400+ on a Blu-ray or HD DVD player/recorder. I found the JVC SRDVD-100 HDDVD player for $200 on ebay so I'll be using this for awhile. I hate the thought of all the wires dangling just waiting for someone to trip over them. I 'kring' at the thought of seeing my camera sliding off the table onto the floor.

Thanks again
Dave

Dennis;
thanks for your response. Yeah, thats what everyone has to do unless you spend $400+ on a Blu-ray or HD DVD player/recorder.

Yeah, I know that's the generic workflow solution. What I was asking was whether it was physically possible with the HD7. I think I read somewhere that it isn't possible to do that.

Since it isn't an HDV cam, you need software that can render to its TOD format in order to put video back onto the hard drive I would think. Does the software that comes with the HD7 do that?

Good luck.

Dennis

"Can't you print-to-tape and write your edited video back to the cam and use it as a deck connected to your TV?"

Dennis;
You must run cyberlink software to convert .TODs to .MPGs Theres no other way (there is but I want as pure a convert as possible). Then you can use Cyberlink (which I hate 'cause I've had soooooo much trouble with it in the past) for editing. I use Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 for editing. I then have to render this to .MPG then go to Cyberlink and render this file to a .TPD format (?) then shove that back into the 'EXTMOV' folder on the HD7, Then View this on my HDTV. WOW! thats alot of rendering and rendering time. Thats why I bought the HD-DVD player. I'll only have to render twice.
I just tried changing just the file extensions (.mpg to .tod & tpds) and the camera didnt like that. I also tried keeping the file names pure too (MOV01a - MOV010 etc) I know from the past that file names in past cameras must have a certain names or they wont be read/excepted.

I hope that helps
Dave

"Can't you print-to-tape and write your edited video back to the cam and use it as a deck connected to your TV?"

Dennis;
You must run cyberlink software to convert .TODs to .MPGs Theres no other way (there is but I want as pure a convert as possible). Then you can use Cyberlink (which I hate 'cause I've had soooooo much trouble with it in the past) for editing. I use Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 for editing. I then have to render this to .MPG then go to Cyberlink and render this file to a .TPD format (?) then shove that back into the 'EXTMOV' folder on the HD7, Then View this on my HDTV. WOW! thats alot of rendering and rendering time. Thats why I bought the HD-DVD player. I'll only have to render twice.
I just tried changing just the file extensions (.mpg to .tod & tpds) and the camera didnt like that. I also tried keeping the file names pure too (MOV01a - MOV010 etc) I know from the past that file names in past cameras must have a certain names or they wont be read/excepted.

I hope that helps
Dave

Dave,

I am using GZHD7 since last three weeks I like it very much now. But I am not able to editing with Cyberlink software, I want to join all small videos, then want to make them in small size, then want to put some effect, but I dont know what am I doing wrong?

Which is the best software we can buy which support GZGH7? Can you send me link?

Thanks,
Rush

Rush 2112;
You can create a FILE using Power Producer. click on an option then click on detail button to see produced size. Your right, not too many options for burning of file creation. I use Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0. Many professionals use this software. I love it and you know It doesnt crash not at all. well sometimes with bad tranitions from a 3rd party vender. It has many options for creating files. Not too many for creating high HD DVD. Many options for creating streaming HD DVD. Which really isnt HD. It comes with training DVDs (4). If you know a student you can buy Adobe PP2.0 for under $400. I know I know $$$$.$$ but believe me I went through 4-5 cheap editing softwares and they equal the same if not more in $$$$$, loss of hair, and nerves putting up with crashes lost data, corrupt data etc. I hate cyberlink but I must use it for now.
I hope I helped
Dave
PS I Edited/produced successfully with this version of Cyberlink. It works OK.

I then have to render this to .MPG then go to Cyberlink and render this file to a .TPD format (?) then shove that back into the 'EXTMOV' folder on the HD7, Then View this on my HDTV.
OK, Dave. At least I know now that it can be done. Thanks for the workflow overview.

Good luck.

Dennis

Dave,

I am using GZHD7 since last three weeks I like it very much now. But I am not able to editing with Cyberlink software, I want to join all small videos, then want to make them in small size, then want to put some effect, but I dont know what am I doing wrong?

Which is the best software we can buy which support GZGH7? Can you send me link?

Thanks,
Rush

try with avid liquid 7.2, rename tod file to m2t and liquid import without problem. i don't like liquid program but for now it's the only that can import tod files without conversion, in native way.

Hi everyone. Well I gues I have to eat my words about what I originally wrote. And that was:


"My only thing I dont like is that they dont allow you to use manual settings but still have auto focus. Yes thats right, I have the JVC GZMC100 and this is how I shot everthing. I want full control of my shutter speed and aperture while the camera takes care of the focus. When your optimizing a shot quickly and time is critical ( the event doesnt wait for no one) this feature is greatly needed."

Well it turns out the HD7 DOES ALLOW THIS. My error people sorry.
But the wierd thing is is that it seems not to focus properly with my wide angle lens mounted. its very slightly out of focus especially at full zoom. I'll have to do more tests because it did rain on our soccer game this weekend and the len could have been wet around the edges after wiping it dry. But when I checked it appeared dry and very clean. I'll get back on that.

Happy shoot'n
Dave