Need info for camcorder

[frankfarah 0]

I'm buying a new helmet and camcorder and need some feedback before I buy it. I only need it for fun not for $. I'm looking at the Sony HC 38 and 48. If you own one, please give me some feedback I can use.

[velocityphoto 0]

How about some profile info?
If you do a search on these forums you will find an unreal amount of info on what your looking for anyways .

A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................

[jimmytavino 16]

sony's hc 38 and 48 models, should not be confused with the HC 1 Hc 3 Hc 5 or Hc 7


while they are all min-dv tape cameras.. the 38 and 48 are not high def.... as is the case with the hc3 hc 5 etc....

Still the ones you're looking at are reasonable in cost...... I do know some fun jumpers who use them and i recall they did have some issues with 'durability'.....
at 300 to 500 bucks,,, they almost fall into the category of "disposable"..... though I suppose a maintenance plan could be useful...

search for sony hc 38 or hc48 and see what's been discussed here in the past...

jaytee
A 3914
D 12122
USPA # 9452

[frankfarah 0]

Thank you for the info. I will check it out. If you find out the issues they had please let me know.

[thatmaoriboy 0]

Hey dude,
Here is a link i found here that talks about nearly all sony .models.
As for the HC 38, it doesn't have a LANC port so is not compatible with the Cam eye.

http://www.skydivingmovies.com/wiki/index.php/Video_Cameras

Blus stuff

[frankfarah 0]

Thanks thatmaoriboy, that was a great site, lots of info on Sonys.I'll be using that site when picking one out

[jimmytavino 16]

Quote

Thank you for the info. I will check it out. If you find out the issues they had please let me know.

My bad/// f farah..
The cams which my friend told me about were HC42 models...( he and his wife, both jumped them)
not the 48...

sorry for the false alarm... man these models and the #'s change soooo frequently.....

jmy

[brettski74 0]

Quote

The cams which my friend told me about were HC42 models...( he and his wife, both jumped them)
not the 48...

sorry for the false alarm... man these models and the #'s change soooo frequently.....

Disclaimer: I am a rank beginner in the skydiving videography arena, but having recently gone through the same research both here and elsewhere, here's my $0.142 worth...

The HC48 is similar to the HC42, it's just a couple of year models later. One thing to be aware of is that beginning with the HC46, these models dropped the LANC port, so neither the HC46 or HC48 have them, so if you're wanting to use CamEye or Hypeye or similar, you are out of luck.

The HC42 has the LANC port, so you can use CamEye/Hypeye, but they moved several of the ports, including the DV in/out port onto a dock which gives you something else to cart around and lose/break.

In my entirely non-expert opinion, if you're considering a Sony HC4x handycam, your best bet is the even earlier model - the HC40. This has the LANC port and all the ports are on the camera. Nothing else to lose or break. Of course, you'll have to search around on places like eBay, Craigslist, etc to find one, but it'll also be cheaper than new so you can maybe spend the dollars you save on better helmet/hardware or jumps.

Similar comments apply to the HC3x line. The main differences I'm aware of are slightly lower cost, a lower resolution CCD and lack of still picture capability, but you probably don't care about that. Realistically, if I want to take stills, I'll use a proper still camera.

I can't comment on durability as compared to the PC series. There certainly are people who question their durability, however, there seem to be about as many who say they're fine and I've met a few people who've been flying them for years. In any case, they certainly look less sturdy than the PC series, so a fully enclosed camera box may not be a bad idea if you're not already considering it.