XHA1 vs. XHA1s + FireStore

F

Finster

Well-known member
I'm seriously considering the XHA1/XHA1s. On B&H the price difference is $1K, but for the life of me I can't find a comparison chart showing the differences between the two.

Anyone know of a good comparison chart?

Also, in another thread someone mentioned the FireStore 60G recorder. This thing can be hooked up to the the XHA1/XHA1s, right? No need to use tape? How much HD footage can you capture on 60GB?

BUT, if I did go the tape route, what device to you guys use to capture? I'm looking at the Sony GV-HD700 Video Walkman for $1K. The FireStore 60GB is $1,200. Maybe it's worth the $200 difference?

Thanks.
 
If you plan on recording in 30f or 24f, you can only use a Canon HDV camera as your deck, such as the HV20 (24f) or HV30 (24f and 30f)
 
What the Firestore will do for you is save you massive time getting your footage onto the PC. As well, it will afford you the opportunity to not put any wear on your heads at all, and give you instant review playback of footage you just took. I really couldn't ever go back to using tape after using a Firestore, it's just too fast and convenient. I just like the idea of never having to worry if a tape is gonna mess up, or if the camera head is gonna fail out and I'll have to send it out for repairs.
 
...but when certain electronics fall out of favor, i'll be glad i have that little bastard tape to play back....there is nothing permanant about little overpriced electronic devices backing up our footage. tape is tangible, cheap, and will be available for quite some time...

and dont worry about wearing out your A1's deck...playing back tapes, rewinding, or fast forwarding wont ruin anything. do you think the lens or microphone alone on that thing is worth 3 grand? c'mon.

with proper use and storage of both your camera and tapes, your footage should look as good 10 years from now as it does now...and your transport will be fine...use it. that's what it's for.

when you buy an A1, you're not buying a $3k lens, a $3k vcr, or a $3k microphone....it's a $3k Camera that is meant to be used. if you're at all concerned, buy an extra warranty. but i don't think you need to.

my buck nuthin.
Chris
 
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The firestore isn't for storing footage, it's for capturing it, then getting it onto the computer for storage or editing. I've never lost footage digitally, I keep anything important backed up on DVD's, and hard drives. Using a tape for the same function is very inferior and slow. However, I do agree, tapes are great for archiving things if you don't have plenty of hard drive space or DVD's
 
I would love to get a Firestore! Just that in Africa...they are 25K (rands)! One advantage been that you can use tape and Firestore at the same time. Instant access for the edit and tape as a backup. What a pleasure! I do believe thats the A1 is also a workhorse and the firestore just makes it more efficient for workflow.
 
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