Great news for Canon users!

Is that an assumption that it's 1440 and 4.2.0, or have you actually looked?

There are two issues really. The camera signal and the recording format. The A1 is strictly a 1440 camera, but does any conversion take place as the signal is recorded. In other words is the recorder putting the 1440 image into 1920 container when it's recording. Same with the color.

For example the intensity card records as 1920 with 4.2.2 whether or not the original signal is 1440 or 1920; or 4.2.2. or 4.2.0. There's no increase in resolution, it's just putting it in a different container/format.

So would someone please look at an file that comes directly from the MRC1K and let us know.

Thanks,
Duke
 
It is .m2t format - the exact same that goes to tape. All this device does is catch the firewire stream as if you were sending it to your computer. It matches - down to the digit - the information laid to tape.
 
Wow, that was fast delivery from B&H. Now I am on the hunt for a charger and battery. Also there is no AC adapter of any kind either. I noted in the manual that Sony is cautioning to use only Sony Brand Compact Flash Cards as those are the only ones tested.

I was going to buy Sandisk 16 Gig cards at a 45mb/sec transfer rate but Sony is calling for minimum of 133x speed cards. I am confused. It that some speed designation or is 133 mb per sec. That would seem pretty fast to me. A little confused here. .Also the Sony 16 Gig cards are a couple of hundred bucks each. Sandisk about half that.

Does anyone know the proper AC adapter to get?
 
Awesome thanks. Good value.. I am still confused though. These cards have a data transfer rate of about 20mb/sec. The Sandisk Extreme III have a data transfer rate or 30mb/sec but nowhere do they list the Sandisk cards at 133x. What does that mean?
 
To Colin and the rest of the group. Usually I ask questions but fortunately I have a chance to offer some information. I spoke with tech support at Sandisk and asked what speed the Extreme III cards were. He quoted the 30mb/sec transfer rate but I told him that my hardware requirements were for a 133x speed card. He checked and said that the Extreme III cards were a little over 200x speed rated. So it looks like that is an option as well as the Transend cards. They are on sale directly from Sandisk presently at $99 US for a 16 Gig card. I have also been reading that there are some fake Sandisk cards that have been purchased on ebay so beware of that. Buy from a reliable vendor.
Steve
www.sjbaraophoto.com
 
Jokerswild said:
To Colin and the rest of the group. Usually I ask questions but fortunately I have a chance to offer some information. I spoke with tech support at Sandisk and asked what speed the Extreme III cards were. He quoted the 30mb/sec transfer rate but I told him that my hardware requirements were for a 133x speed card. He checked and said that the Extreme III cards were a little over 200x speed rated. So it looks like that is an option as well as the Transend cards. They are on sale directly from Sandisk presently at $99 US for a 16 Gig card. I have also been reading that there are some fake Sandisk cards that have been purchased on ebay so beware of that. Buy from a reliable vendor.
Steve
www.sjbaraophoto.com
Click to expand...

Here's a guide to spot fake cf cards :

http://martybugs.net/articles/fakesandisk.cgi
 
The standard transfer measurement is 1x=150kb/sec, so 133x=20mb/sec, and the Extreme III cards at 30mb/sec would calculate to 200x.
 
Hey guys,

just a quick question about this unit. When recording simultaneously on tape and on CF card using this unit, do we have to press record on both camera and on this unit? Is there a way to sync. the recordings so that we just need to press record either on camera or on the unit?

Also, do you recommend to have this attached to a camera that's going to on a steadicam? ie. any vibration issue with this unit?

Thanks for your help.
 
As long as you have a tape in and have it in "follow" mode, it will record to tape and to the unit when u press record on the cam. I found this out the hard way when I accidentally left a tape inside my cam and was using the unit. Ended up recording over some footage which, fortunately was already digitized into my machine.
 
Sorry if this has been asked before, but I just read through the XH-A1 manual and there doesn't appear to be any way to playback the CF footage on the A1. Looks like A1 is only capable of tape playback.
 
I have purchased this unit for use with my XH-A1. I have the same problem that someone else mentioned here ealier. Every time I try to use it attached to the camera, it thinks it's downloading to a computer. I have set DV control on in the XH-A1 menu and see it on the LCD screen. I've tried synchro mode and follow. I've tried every setting variation possible. Twice I got the thing to work as it's supposed to but the next time I turn the camera on, the HVR is back to not working again. It won't even work when I push the record buttons on the hvr. It records for about 1 second and then stops. I've formatted numerous brand new 32 gig sandisk exterme 3 cards. I've tried other firewire cables. I try turning the camera on first, then I try turning the HVR on first. I've tried attaching the firwire cable after each unit is on and before. No matter what I do the HVR is convinced that it's attached to a computer and it's ready to download the files. As soon as I pull out the firwire cable it shows the timecode and everything like it should. I plug the firwire cable back in and it goes back into computer mode. I was so excited to get this thing because I shoot a lot and now it's given me hours of frustrations. Please help!
 
Not sure if you've tried this alv, but i notice sometimes that when i press record on the A1, it starts recording, but then looks like it stops for a second. Wait for it and the green square on the A1's viewfinder will turn back into a red record circle. I don't know why it does this but I checked and it does not drop footage or anything.
 
Little confused here. On the A-1 and the MRC-1, do I want to be in SYNCRO MODE or FOLLOW MODE to be able to run the device from the Canon's on off record button? I have read posts that have said both ways. Which is the proper method?
 
Update:
Well I tried everything for more hours than I would like to admit. I searched the internet for anyone else having the problems I had and I only found the one other person who posted here before me. Sony was no help at all. I'm very computer and electronics literate. After reading through the manual for both the xh-a1 and the Sony recording unit about ten times each, I’ve come to the conclusion that I had everything set correctly. I couldn’t even make the Sony work by pushing the record buttons on the unit itself. I now believe I had a defective unit or there is a slight problem with the fire wire port on my xh-a1. I’m able to capture video without any problems whatsoever but the xh-a1 was not sending out the control signals to the Sony. Or the Sony just wasn’t accepting the signal. It was convinced that it was connected to a computer and wouldn’t even show the menu options for recording mode unless I disconnected it from the camera. I returned my MRC1 to B&H.
I’m considering selling my xh-a1 and buying the Sony HVR Z7U which comes with the MRC1 in the box. I’ve loved my xh-a1 up to this point. It’s made me a lot of money but I’m ready to leave tape behind and being tethered to a computer isn’t practical for the stuff I shoot. I don’t like the limited storage or moving parts of hard drives like the firestore. Interchangeable lenses will give me better depth of field options. The monitor is bigger and much higher resolution which will help with manual focusing which I do a lot. And I hear it has the same low light capabilities as the legendary VX2100, PD170 line. There are a few other features that the xh-a1 lacks. Hopefully I won’t find the Z7U lacking any features of the xh-a1 that I’ve come to rely on.
 
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