Looking for a cheap capture camcorder? which?

J

jimmygreen

Member
This might sound silly, but would a DVX footage mini-dv tape degrade in quality if captured onto a pc with an ultra cheap camcorder. Obviously it depends to an extent on the quality of the heads, but surely the output is the same? Can anyone recommend a cheap model they use, or give me any advice? thanks
 
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sorry just realised there's a thread on a similar topic further down, anyhow i'd still appreciate some advice.... thanks
 
I'm actually curious about this as well. Can I use my cheap canon for playback via firewire instead of my dvx? Would it make a difference to quality, or matter if its shot in 16:9 not 4:3. Would this effect tape shot in 25p (PAL)?

Thanks
Kev
 
Once it is on tape, it's all 1s and 0s. There will be no change in quality. Also, remember that the DVX records everything to tape in the standard frame rate for each system (NTSC or PAL), so 24p material is recorded at 60i (29.97). And 16:9 on the DVX is still recorded at 4:3.
 
I do do this, and have done this for years now. It works perfectly, like Enlight3ned said, there is no degrade in quality whats so ever.
 
I have used a Panny PV-GS70 for transferring my DVX footage. Never had a problem. Quality is perfect. The only physical concern to observe is try not to mix tape formulations between camcorders. The lubricants used by lets say panasonic and perhaps sony may cause a tape head issue. I stick with one manufacturer, one tape type for all my machines. Occassionally I may have to transfer another shooters tape - so far no problem.
 
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