I never owned any camcorder, but am rising 51, need a hobby to ward off EOSD, and thought I'd give this videography lark a shot.

I thought I'd be able by now, 2006, to be able simply to bypass tape and go straight for HDD capture and transfer to a PC, thence (when did you ever see the word "thence" on a forum?) to a NAS and playable via SMB through a www.z500series.com and an HD LCD panel.

So, I started browsing for footage to compare camcorders, and there are camcorders and then there is the HDR-HC3. The samples from the HC3 are in a different league from anything else I have been able to download (apart from the Xacti HD1 and here I suspect Gandalf has been active with his stick), such that I have shelved my plans and wonder if I should allay my prejudice against HDV tape and bite the bullet, postponing any move to HDD and AVCHD until they become mainstream..

What think the sages?

The HC3 uses tape...


Rich

Go for it, and get a Mac with iMovie HD for editing.

Er, I know. I was asking if playing around with HDV tape 'til AVCHD comes of age is going to be good for me. Or will waiting for the files to render make my hair fall out?

OK, how much for that setup, in $? Then I can change the $ to a £ sign to see how much it'll cost me in the UK.

Can you wait until Sep or Oct??
If so, wait.
If not, get the HC3.
Those are your only options.
If you wait, you're sure to get user opinions and possibly a quick review of the new camcorders. You can decide if they are better or not.

I have no interest in going HDV or AVCHD anytime soon...



Rich

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Then, with respect, possibly there's not a lot of point your posting in this thread.

Hi rhubarbe

ok i think for sure you should go for HDV. You can shoot in HDV and then capture (downconvert) to DV and that will give your PC an easier time if your intention is to create DVD's i standard defintion. HDV downconverted to DV gives extemely nice looking standard-defintion DV footage. Keep the original tapes and then you'll always have the HDv footage.

But to be honest, yes editing in HiDef gives your PC a hard time but AVCHD is likely to be even MORE tough for your PC, so i think your question about excessive rendering times (valid!) is if anything even more valid for AVCHD. - but we don't know for sure as AVCHD cams are yet to be delivered.

What else? oh yes, drhiberd is usually pretty spot-on with info, but i will have to disagree with him on this occasion that your options are to either wait til Sept/Oct when UX1/SR1 are out or get the HC3. Those are NOT your only HDV options, you can also get the Sony HC1 now, which is still on sale (although not still manufactured). Also there's the Sony A1 but i feel that its probably a bit OTT for you etc.

So options for HDV now (without going A1/FX1/Z1 etc) are :
-HC3 available for GBP799. www,warehouseexpress.com has it at that price and they are a very reputable online UK retailer, won several 'Retailer of the Year' type of awards).

- HC1 is about GBP1049 from same place (or others). Still a small camera although not quite as small as HC3, but has things like MIC IN socket and headphones socket and a bit more manual control like shutter-speed control (which HC3 doesnt have) and manual audio level control which HC3 doesnt have. Similar video quality.

SR1 scheduled to be out in USA around 22nd or something of October, so i think its unlikely UK will get SR1 until at least then.

cheershope that helps

ps. Like the humour (note not "humor"...) about replace $ with £ sign.
So true.... even with current FX rates..

Good call with the HC1, Doughie.
I would still recommend waiting if you can. Its only a couple of months and we don't know how these new models are going to perform. Not to mention the new Canon HDV model coming in Sep.
I'm just saying that you have 3 more options in the next couple of months. Right now, you only have the two.

Cheers for that, Doughie, my friend.

At least we can open a debate, now. As I type I am watching a huge long 697MB downloaded 720p 30fps "clip" form the Xacti HD1 on my 32WLT58 Tosh via HDMI form my www.z500series.com player. It's a tad slow and drops frames because the z500 and I have "had words" since I bought it and we tend to dance around each other in the ring: neither wishing to strike the final blow but both rapidly losing patience with each other. I have to say that the Xacti produces some of the most strikingly beautiful video I have ever seen, and if I didn't feel that on the door on the way out of the store there would be a guy haniding out "Sucker" badges to Xacti HD1 purchasers, I would have bought one by now.

So, the HDR-HC3. I want to dip a toe into this videography water, and I have considered many SD camcorders - mostly solid state it has to be said, and have concluded that though I am a lazy b of the first water, having an HDTV and no kids gives me no excuse for not playing the HDV game and seeing if I can find myself a hobby that I enjoy before I retire.

In an ideal world I'd wait for the Sony AVCHD cam, but I just feel it's too early and that it will introduce as many new problems as it solves,

I like the lazy man option of being able to connect the HDR-HC3 up to my HDTV via HDMI to a spare HDMI port on the TV and just play the raw footage; burning any HDV to SD DVD seems like a waste of effort. I'd far rather just save it to WMV HD and play on the Z500.

Edit:If my Pcs aren't up to the job I'll make a faster one. Or get a Mac. I'd love an excuse to get a fast Mac.

Went into "Currys", sorry "Currys Digital" this afternoon. I was standing in front of a display of (overpriced) camcorders.

"Do you need any help, sir?"

"I'm looking for a camcorder."

"Do you know what type you want? Tape or DVD based?"

"I want a Sony HDR-HC3. And you don't have one."

To his credit, he gave up then.

"I

@drhiberd

I need HC3. HC1 would be nice but as a lazy b I wouldn't want to carry it with me. I bought a huge digicam to replace a huge 35mm SLR that I never carried with me. The digicam was bigger than the SLR so I never had it with me.

The HC3 is just small enough to carry in my bum bag. I don't know what you guys in US call a bum bag.

Understood...



Rich

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Hey, poncho

I hugely respect your opinion; I'd just like you to tell me why you're not going to HDV or AVCHD anytime soon. The reasons that you aren't doing it would be really valuable in helping me decide whether or not I should avoid it for the time being too.

Do tell, pray.

I've been shooting "home movies" as a hobby on and off for 30+ years and a few brief involvements with professional video. I've been using the MiniDV format for about two years and Digital8 for a few years before that. I enjoy editing and it is not uncommon for me to make 6 copies of DVD's for friends and family. I do not have any friends right now who have the capability of playing a High Definition DVD. I will wait and see what develops in the next year or so and continue doing what I enjoy and am capable of doing right now, not what I maybe could do. It has nothing to do with costs, it is a matter of convenience for me and what I am currently involved in. I can go out and shoot video right now and know what I will be able to accomplish. Any video is better than no video. Right now, this week, I'm working on some 20 year old VHS tapes a family member made and some digitized 50 year old slides which I have never even seen or even knew existed, so I am excited...



Rich

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