Sentryforc 0 #1 February 27, 2003 hey, Im getting a camera, not so much for skydiving right now but for everything (ie videotaping drunken antics etc). I am thinking about getting a PC101. I want to fly it eventually. Does anyone think its worth it to get a IP7 if I wont be skydiving with it for a while, ya know, so there is time for the software to come out? Where is the best place to buy a camer? P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #2 February 27, 2003 I'd go Pc101 or 120 from www.dbuys.com. The issue with the IP series is they will not interface with any of the PC series or older cameras. That means unless you find someone else with the same camera your screwed on firewiring your footage anywhere.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #3 February 28, 2003 MiniDV is an industry standard, MicroMV is not. Right now, as things stand, I'd put money against MicroMV ever being as popular as MiniDV. My guess, given that people are not quickly embrasing the MicroMV format, is that it will go the way of the Sony mini-disk, used for a few very specific purposes but largely invisible to most consumers. Myself, I'd buy the 101 at www.dbuys.com. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cajones 0 #4 February 28, 2003 I don't think microMV will go the way of SonyMD, but it's still far from the industry standard for skydiving. Yes, it's not compatible with miniDV firewire for exchanges of footage, but the vast majority of consumers do not exchange footage with other cameras. Most, in fact don't edit their footage or even have any idea what the "Firewire" port on their camera is used for. For the microMV, it's about commercialization. Salespeople are trained to push microMV with keyphrases about how it's "the same format as DVD's" (speaking of MPEG-2), and tout the higher pixel count of the advanced CCD's found on the microMV cameras. The PC120 we bought in December was on "Clearance" - the salesperson told me it was an "outdated model" and that's why we got a very good price on it. We had a conversation about the "current" cameras, and he assured me the microMV 2+ megapixel cameras they were showcasing was the most popular Sony Handycam they'd ever sold. It was $400 more than the PC120, but everyone passed up the PC120, as the salesmen explained how Sony was "phasing out" miniDV, and microMV was the future. MicroMV cameras are smaller and lighter than miniDV. They will be compatible with more editing software, in time. The quality of the newest cameras is quite respectable. They are compatible with each other. I don't think they're going away any time soon. The laws of physics are strictly enforced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newshooter12 0 #5 February 28, 2003 It seems that that salesman was nothing more then a salesman. They know everything about everything, but don't develope a broad base of information about the trades that shape the products they sell...Sorry, just me griping, but like other stations our chief photog has put in for new DV broadcast cameras, Mini-DV's bigger brother. One of our competing stations just switched to Sony DV ENG cams that will record/playback both DV and Mini-DV. Our other competitor switched to DVC Pro (panasonic crap) that I used while I was in Rochester. I can't wait to use DV on a regular basis. Even our Cheif photog bought one for his outside work. And another photog is looking to do the same soon. Micro-DV = stepping stone to hard disks or a $$ making fad. matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cajones 0 #6 February 28, 2003 QuoteMicro-DV = stepping stone to hard disks or a $$ making fad. I'm going to agree with you on this note. I can see the wheels of progress turning in some of the Sony engineering minds. MicroMV looks like a group of engineers looking to bring random access media to the HandyCam line, using onboard MPEG encoding, cutoff at the pass by a bunch of MBA's putting the naysay to the random access media, and forcing the new standard media for issues of revenue. I still have hopes smaller manufacturers can influence the playing field. With Samsung unveiling their MPEG-2 to internal hard-drive camera, the Sony MBA's might have to rethink just a little... The laws of physics are strictly enforced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newshooter12 0 #7 March 1, 2003 One of our engineers did the math and I believe he figured out that, at least for broadcast quality, the price gap between hard disk and tape is closing... something like $.40 difference per minute last checked. The biggest advantage I see for hard disks, especially in TV News, is the immediate availibility for editing or transfer. Rather then having to digitize or load it into the machine in real time for NLE editing. I believe the big three networks as well as CNN have downloadable media for their affiliate stations. We use CBS's and CNN's on a daily basis while editing. I downloaded a story that we missed on tape tonight when I edited our 11pm show. Enough babbling from me for now. matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cajones 0 #8 March 2, 2003 Quotethe price gap between hard disk and tape is closing... something like $.40 difference per minute last checked. And if you switch to optical storage (as CNN does), it's actually less $/GB, with faster, random access. The advantage for us, as videographers, is it could cut the digitization time down substantially if the cameras were working in the same way. Another speedy change I always expected is fast tape transports and edit decks. Sort of like the high-speed dubbing casette player/recorder boomboxes. The data is digital; I can't see why we can't move the tape past the heads faster and transfer the data to a hard-drive, reducing digitization times. The laws of physics are strictly enforced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #9 March 3, 2003 The logical place for MicroMV to go is to an HD based MPG scheme. I have a concern about Sony going HD based, which is to point to their complete failure to capture any significant market in the MP3 player category. Sony, owning a music company, completely forbid the the marketing of any product that would easily copy MP3's. This decision effectively killed their line of "walkman" products from entering the digital player. Sony is losing marketshare to Dell and Apple for audio players. Amazing! I'm concerned the same thing will happen with video. I'm sure the minds of the Engineers are rumbling forward with ideas of really cool HD based devices, but I worry that their ownership of a Movie studio will prohibit using any common "net" formats, like MPEG 4, DIVX, etc. I wonder if there'll be a video version of the IPOD walking all over Sony in a few years, too. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murrays 0 #10 March 3, 2003 QuoteI wonder if there'll be a video version of the IPOD walking all over Sony in a few years, too._AmAndyman,If the rumor sites are to be believed, a video iPod could be happening fairly soon. I've read that we'll likely see an evolutionary iPod upgrade to 40gb drives as Toshiba has just made drives of this capacity in the same form factor...and then we'll see somehting completely different. I'd bet that within a year we'll have something very new and different released by Apple. It would be very cool to have about 3 hours of dv on an iPod sized package with a sharp little lcd screen to play it on. Interesting that Sony doesn't make an mp3 player..I hadn't noticed to tell you the truth. Am I the only one that thinks the music companies are missing the boat by not making music available on line for a reasonable cost? I would pay to download the music that I want without having to search, get disconnected, start over, download songs of less, than top quality, etc. I'd be happy to pay to be able to get exactly what I want from a good fast server.-- Murray "No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skychic68 0 #11 March 7, 2003 If you go with one of those places on the web, check the BBB before buying. Also read some reviews of the company. Good Luck!Que sera sera Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #12 March 7, 2003 I've known 6 jumpers that have bought camera's from Dbuys.... not one has had an issue yet. I'd do business with them again in a heartbeat.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skychic68 0 #13 March 7, 2003 Yeah, I've heard they are pretty trustworthy. Good deals, too.Que sera sera Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #14 March 7, 2003 Are you counting me Phree ? Dbuys is a great place to get a camera. Easy to deal with, quick, and great prices.http://www.brandonandlaura.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
howardwhite 6 #15 March 7, 2003 QuoteIf you go with one of those places on the web, Above all, avoid Broadway in Brooklyn, NY. They've gotten bad raps from the big guys like PC Mag. OTOH, B&H in New York is great. HW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheMonkey 0 #16 March 7, 2003 agreed, dbuys is awesome...reputable company, solid service and merchandise, and above all they are fast....on top of all that, the deals are money! --------------------- Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skychic68 0 #17 March 7, 2003 I use B&H a lot. I get all the vhs tapes from them. Good service and great delivery times.Que sera sera Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
