Capturing with cheapo camcorder - same quality?

D

Del Senno

New member
Hello everyone,

Although I'm a first time poster I'm a long time reader, and I'd like to say that the discussions found on this forum have been infinitely helpful to me and have taught me quite a lot about DV that I never knew before. Thanks a lot!

My question: I just got a new computer for editing and I had planned to buy a small camcorder to use to capture footage from my DVX to round out the package. While discussing this at work one of my colleagues claimed that using a cheap camcorder to capture dv footage, especially 24p or 30p footage, will not give the same quality as capturing with the DVX or a real mini DV deck. Is this true?

I understand that the DV format is supposed to have no generation loss through dubs due to its digital nature, but is it possible that a very cheap camcorder simply does not do the job properly?

The colleague of mine claims to have done tests with his sony camcorder (a trv-9000 maybe?) and a cheaper camcorder to capture, and says that image quality is better when the footage was captured with the camcorder he shot the footage with.

Please, if anybody with the technical knowledge could respond, and tell me if there is any factual basis to these claims! I'd be happy to shell out $600-700 for a deck if I knew it would give me better quality video captures, but I'd certainly rather save the money and buy a $200 camcorder for the job! Thanks in advance and I look forward to your wisdom - Joe
 
Balderdash!! Get yourself a cheap camera and be happy. I use a Canon ZR100 and I've never had a problem.:thumbsup:
 
zr 500 here...

laugh at him and flash the $400 you save in his face

:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG) :nads: that's what i'd do to my friend :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
 
After getting the Red X of death error flashing on my camera during a shoot, and the playback footage was all banded like venetian blinds, I decided it was time to get a cheap camera for capturing:

I bought a Panasonic PV-DV203D off of EBay for $80.00 !!

**TIP: You can also look for cams that are listed as "damaged" or "as-is" and if the playback is fine you might have a steal of a deal on a capture device, often times the damage is just the LCD or the record function or something, anyhow, worth a try. I got mine from a pawn seller at the risk of it not working as they sold it "as-is", but my good fortune was that it works great all around.
 
I've been using a canon ZR80 for the past year or so when capturing for my GL1 with no problems at all. I was kind of wondering if there was anything I should be worried about since I'll be getting my dvx in a week or so, but it sounds like there shouldn't be anything to worry about...
 
More to the point....... I use my DVX to capture. Always have. Never had a red x of anything... I dont mix tapes. By the time I sell this cam it will have about 3-400 hours on the heads. Still a baby.

I know a lot of people rush out and spend thier money on decks ... or alternate cameres. I used mine to add to the cost of a new mic. Choices choices.
 
wait wait wait...
Hold on ...
U wanna tell me everyone here is shooting using the DVX...but when connecting to the computer and exporting for editing -u use a different\cheap camera?
is that not to wear off the DVX\save tape head time?

waiting for approvment. :]
 
wait wait wait...
Hold on ...
U wanna tell me everyone here is shooting using the DVX...but when connecting to the computer and exporting for editing -u use a different\cheap camera?
is that not to wear off the DVX\save tape head time?

waiting for approvment. :]
Click to expand...

Hells yeah

I bought a cheap Panny from Ebay for 50 bucks.
 
I'm getting my DVX in a few days and I was wondering about capturing on another camera. Does it matter if the cheap camera has been used before with different kind of tapes? I'll be using a Sony cam, but I think all kinds of tapes went into the thing... I'm planning on using my tapes only once, but will there be any residu on the cheap cams heads and will the capture process suffer from it?

Thanks,

Fredric
 
Oke thanks, will do that then... And what about shooting on the capture camera, should I only use the same tapes I use with my DVX? And should I clean the heads everytime I use it to capture a DVX tape?

Fredric
 
Shoot once with the tape on your DVX then feel free to use that tape on you cheap camera (mine is a Panasonic ps gs 31) 200 from circuit city) anyway i shoot on my DVX and never will put that tape back in my DVX. export with the cheap cam and even export back to tape on the cheap cam if need be, the pic is still the same
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top