Camcorders in general

[Richard Fangnail]

I haven't shopped for a video camera since 2001. Back then it was Hi8
or mini-DV.
I went to the store and saw that camcorders don't use removable disks
or tapes any more.

With most camcorders today, do you just use USB?

And if you're using Windows Vista or 7, what software do you usually
use to capture the inputted video?

Thanks

[David Ruether]

Post by Richard Fangnail
I haven't shopped for a video camera since 2001. Back then it was Hi8
or mini-DV.
I went to the store and saw that camcorders don't use removable disks
or tapes any more.

I still prefer tape-based HDV for HD shooting (the Canon models
are very good, with the HV40 at the low end [see my review at --
http://www.donferrario.com/ruether/Canon_HV20-HV30.htm ],
and the much more expensive 3-chip XH-A1s higher up). The image
quality of the HV40 (with careful set-up of the picture controls, and
careful exposure - with more on that in my review) can be really
excellent in good light.

Post by Richard Fangnail
With most camcorders today, do you just use USB?
And if you're using Windows Vista or 7, what software do you usually
use to capture the inputted video?

The memory card based camcorders use either a card reader or
a USB connection to the computer (a plus, but editing this material
in its highest quality 24 Mbps format is not as easy to edit as HDV).
For HDV, a good applet called HDVSplit can be used for real-time
transfer to the computer. Tape also produces an "automatic" archiving
of the material shot, unlike with memory cards. For editing, I highly
recommend the under $100 but still very versatile Sony Vegas Media
Studio HD Platinum 10 (for more on editing programs, go here --
http://www.donferrario.com/ruether/Sony-editing.htm and also --
http://www.donferrario.com/ruether/hdv-editing.htm for a comparison
of programs). While Vegas may seem complex at first, the basics for
using it aren't. Go here for video guides for using this program --
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/support/trainingvids.asp?prod=moviestudio
As with most editing software, there is an available 30-day free
trial version...
--David Ruether
www.donferrario.com/ruether
***@....hotmail.com

[HerHusband]

Hi Richard,

Post by Richard Fangnail
I haven't shopped for a video camera since 2001. Back then it
was Hi8 or mini-DV. I went to the store and saw that camcorders
don't use removable disks or tapes any more.
With most camcorders today, do you just use USB?

Most camcorders today use removable SDHC memory cards. While you can
transfer your video to the computer via a USB connection, I think it's
faster and easier to put the card in a card reader and do a simple file
copy on the computer. Especially if you have several cards of footage
from a vacation or something.

I have an internal XM35U card reader that works great:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820176016

While some folks prefer to copy the entire folder structure, I have no
interest in creating Blu-Ray disks with the raw files, so I just copy the
MTS video files to my hard drive. This usually just takes a few minutes
for a couple of hours of video, compared to the actual time (i.e. 2
hours) it used to take to "capture" from Hi8/Mini-DV tapes.

There are a few camcorders on the market that use built-in memory or an
internal hard drive. I still prefer the removable SDHC memory cards, as
I can take the card out and store it safely separate from the camera.
That way if I accidently drop and break the camera, it gets stolen, or is
damaged by water or fire, I don't lose all of the footage I've filmed on
vacation or whatever. The camera is replaceable, the memories are not.
Not to mention, I can always pick up another SDHC memory card if I run
out of space. With built-in storage you're out of luck until you can
offload the footage you've filmed.

The majority of camcorders use the AVCHD format for recording. While
this allows decent storage on the memory cards, it's usually a little too
processor intensive for direct editing on most computers (other than
simple cuts). I prefer to join the MTS files from the camcorder and
convert them into a standard MPEG2 format for easier editing. I have been
using "Pinnacle Studio 14" for this, but just recently started using
"TMPGENC Xpress 4" for these conversions (I still use Studio 14 for the
actual editing):

http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/te4xp.html

As for a specific camcorder recommendation, I recently purchased a
Panasonic HDC-TM700 that has much better quality than any of my past
camcorders. The 1080x60p recording mode is awesome, though you'll need
to use something like the programs mentioned above to convert it to
regular 1080/30p video. It also has a decent wide angle view, and manual
controls when you need more control over things like the focus. Check out
some of the tm700 sample clips on sites like Vimeo.com or Youtube.com.

The TM700 uses SDHC cards, but it does have 32gig of memory built-in
also. I ended up using that storage at the end of our recent vacation
when I had filled up all my memory cards. Then I transferred the clips
from the internal memory to an SDHC card when I got back home.

By the way, I store my finished videos on my computer hard drive, then
make backup copies to two external USB hard drives. I keep one of those
in a safe deposit box.

For viewing, I use a TVIX M6600 to stream the videos from my computer
hard drive to the TV in our living room. But, you could create Blu-Ray
disks (if you have a Blu-ray burner) or DVD's for viewing too. Just
remember to keep the original HD footage.

Have fun!

Anthony