XL1S Capture issue - can I use another camera?

[Jonathan Szevn]

Hello, I'm new.

This is my first post.

I checked the "search" feature but could not find an answer to my specific question.

Using iMovie on my Mac I tried to capture with my Canon XL1S. No luck. To get around the problem I borrowed my brother's cheap miniDV and was successful with the capture.

I plan on using my XL1S quite a bit in the near future. Borrowing my brother's camcorder for capture is not viable. I took the XL1S to get a service quote. To fix the problem it would cost me 400.00 Canadian before taxes. I said no. I figured I could buy a new, cheap miniDV camcorder for half that amount. Which is what I did. I purchased a SONY DCR-HC52 miniDV for 199.00 Canadian before taxes. When I went to pick up my XL1S from the repair shop they told me that capturing with the cheaper camcorder will give me inferior quality results. Anyone know if this is true?

I have tested the SONY and it seems to capture fine. Is the repair shop just pushing for the repair job? Is there any truth to what he says?

Any help with this matter would be greatly appreciated.

[Chris Soucy]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Szevn

they told me that capturing with the cheaper camcorder will give me inferior quality results.

Absolute bleeding cobblers.

It's digital data, it either transfers or it doesn't. There's no in between.

If you captured the same data a 100 times it would be identical, first to last, no matter what machine or deck you used.

Think the repair shop staff could use a bit of, er, "re - education".

I wonder what it's going to take to put this load of BS out of it's misery?


CS

[Don Palomaki]

As long as you are using the iLink/Firewire/IEE1394 output from the Sony your end product should be the same. It is a digital video stream and the only thing that would degrade the image is tape read errors.

However, if you are capturing from an analog output the results could be different.

[Jonathan Szevn]

Thank you for your responses. Yes I am using the iLink/Firewire/IEE1394 output.

Originally Posted by Don Palomaki

As long as you are using the iLink/Firewire/IEE1394 output from the Sony your end product should be the same. It is a digital video stream and the only thing that would degrade the image is tape read errors.

However, if you are capturing from an analog output the results could be different.

[Jonathan Szevn]

I did talk to a Canon service tech and he confirmed that there should be no difference.

-----------------------

Originally Posted by Chris Soucy

Absolute bleeding cobblers.

It's digital data, it either transfers or it doesn't. There's no in between.

If you captured the same data a 100 times it would be identical, first to last, no matter what machine or deck you used.

Think the repair shop staff could use a bit of, er, "re - education".

I wonder what it's going to take to put this load of BS out of it's misery?


CS