Are many people here still using their HD-1/10s?

[Dave Eaton]

Originally Posted by Damon Gaskin

Ok and thanks David. So how has it been for you with it soo far? I am thinking my friend and I should be able to order ours tomorrow I think.

Note: B&H is closed until Thursday 3/24 at 9:30PM EST.

I'm having fun with it. Ran more tests today and burned a few DVDs, everything is going very well. I like this camera.

I stopped off at a friendly computer repair shop to say “Hello.” Took the camera as I wanted to play with it in different lighting extremes; they have lime green walls, the back of the shop is dim, and the front has VOLUMES of light blasting through the large uncovered windows. I wanted to shoot back lit, side lit, front lit, dim lit, and mixed lighting conditions and this was my chance to do it all in the same place. Plus, I want to get used to the camera's controls so changing things can become second nature.

When I walked in the guy behind the counter shouts, “Wow! Now THAT’S a video camera!” Techs in back came up to see what he was talking about. Camera definitely has the visual effect I was looking for. :-)

The tests came out darn well. This is not the way I intend to work but I was just playing around and REAL pleased that the camera performed so well.

[Damon Gaskin]

Very cool, very cool indeed!

Yes, I know they are not open.. LOL I checked their site and know they will not be open until this evening. We are hoping to probably do some overnight Saturday shipping to recieve them on Saturday. Otherwise it would be Monday.

But that is very good news with what your saying about the cam! I can't wait! Really can't!!!

Thanks! Any other tidbits you have found as a beginner? How easy is it for you adjusting and getting to settings such as shutter speed, etc? And have you experienced the flipping menu's issue that people have reported with the shutter speed and iris supposedly being non independent?

Thanks,

Damon

[Dave Eaton]

Originally Posted by Damon Gaskin

Any other tidbits you have found as a beginner?

No real tips yet. The manual isn't very well written -- using the PDF version so I can search for things. Could be just me but it took me a bit to find the Backlit button (BLC on the front body, in front of the Focus lock), the Menu button is on the back, bottom, to the left of the battery. For some reason I didn't see it.

I had the LCD panel open, was looking at the controls the LCD covers, and in the rear (to the right) you see the button names there. The buttons are the Program AE, Shutter Speed/Aperture, White Balance, and Volume. That's it, no "Menu", so I started looking elsewhere. On my 2 or 15th look around I looked at the back buttons again but this time from the back of the camera, the buttons are labeled again there.

This time the Volume control is labeled MMenu (first M is reversed), below the W.B., above the control instead of below like the others. I swear I missed it a bunch of times and scoured the manual looking for a hint. A drawing putting to the locations of the buttons would have been nice. :-)

How easy is it for you adjusting and getting to settings such as shutter speed, etc?

Setting things is pretty easy. I've been working from the viewfinder and have been able to press whatever button and setting I wanted pretty quickly.

And have you experienced the flipping menu's issue that people have reported with the shutter speed and iris supposedly being non independent?

No, not yet, and I may never experience it as a problem due to shooting in more controlled situations.

I'm coming from a different place than the others. My only experience with DV is a couple small cameras. My first was the original 35mm still camera looking Canon Optura (which I didn't use but wish I did) and the Canon Optura 20 which I replaced it with. I kind of like the Optura 20 as I can lock focus, exposure, white balance and get what I want -- original Optura was a much better camera, I just didn't know at the time.

The Optura 20 has no real controls but I can do what I need with it. So, for me, the GR-HD1 was a nice step up and has more controls than I'm used to. Someone that's used to bigger and a full manual control cameras sees the GR-HD1 as a step back control-wise.

By the way, in my DVD tests the GR-HD1 is putting out a nicer cleaner image and with better color even in DV mode than the Optura 20 does, I wasn't expecting much of a difference in straight DV mode, so that was a nice bonus.

[Damon Gaskin]

Very cool indeed. Thank you for the input. LOL Now my friend and I are simply trying to find a way to get our cams by Saturday (we were hoping for getting them to us tomorrow actually to be honest)they would able to since B&H isn't open until tonight at 930.

Besides B&H what are the more reputable dealers you guys think?

[Greg Toope]

Im also finally ordering mine tomorrow. It takes forever to transfer money to paypal (im in canada)!! And with B&H being closed for the last couple of days I have been going crazy wanting to be able to play with the camera. So Im ordering it as soon as the online store opens which is actually 9:30pm tonight.

Definitely nice to see that there are still people using the cam and still new people looking at buying it for the first time.

Very exciting.

[Damon Gaskin]

Yes, very true.. We are waiting till the am when the store opens to request saturday delivery for ours, so hopefully we will be playing on sat with our new cams. :-)

[Greg Toope]

it's all been ordered, now i get to play the waiting game...

Hopefully will be here early to mid next week. So exciting

[Dave Eaton]

More testing. Went into an industrial area yesterday, shot some people grinding metal, and a very low angle shot of a guy welding under a truck -- almost everything was dark except for the arc of his welder, came out very nice.

I stood outside in the bright sun and shot pans into some large open bay but very dark truck stalls, locking the exposure for the outside and then panning again locking it for the inside. No problems at all, exposures looked like they should have.

As soon as you get yours someone here will teach you the secret handshake and GR-HD1/JY-HD10 walk so we'll know you on the street, even without the camera. :-)

[Damon Gaskin]

LOL, ours are ordered also. Will be here tomorrow morning/afternoon! Can't wait to be honest. My friend ordered the kit, but I just got the camera and figured Iwould start that way.

Dave: That is great to hear! I really look forward to testing it out tomorrow after the battery charges. I will have to pick up some JVC tapes(I have sony's but if it's anything like the sony I have now, it is picky as far as brand of tape is concerned) and I will be good to go for a few. I think I will pick up a polarizer and maybe a ND next week also after I have had a little time on this cam. I also will try without my varizoom with only the rings. BTW, how are they for you in your testing? I really am excited also and cannot wait! :-)

Damon

[Alex Humphrey]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kellam

Im sure we all want or have the Canon XH-A1 or maybe a Sony product, but are any old-timers (with the HD-1/10 that is) still using their HDxs?

I still have and use mine quite a bit, but I think it's time for me to start capturing all the old tapes on a hard drive for the future when I no longer have it.

These HDx threads are certainly slowing down and will even more as XH-A1 prices come down (and there is a $250 rebate!).

Funny, since I got my JVC HD110 I forgot that I even still had a HD10. HA HA HA HA.. But I guess I'll keep it and train an assistant to have some back up shots for live events. Just for cut aways etc.

[Dave Eaton]

Originally Posted by Damon Gaskin

That is great to hear! I really look forward to testing it out tomorrow after the battery charges.

It will take a bit to charge the battery but I think you can play while it charges using the AC adapter cable to the charger. I lucked out in that the generic charger I bought ages ago for my Canon came with a Sony and JVC adapter. Works fine. Bought an aftermarket V428 battery off ebay for $15 delivered (U.S.).

I will have to pick up some JVC tapes(I have sony's but if it's anything like the sony I have now, it is picky as far as brand of tape is concerned) and I will be good to go for a few.

I've been running my tests with some Fuji tape I have. I have a few boxes of Panasonic as well. Once those are gone...we'll see.

I think I will pick up a polarizer and maybe a ND next week also after I have had a little time on this cam. I also will try without my varizoom with only the rings. BTW, how are they for you in your testing? I really am excited also and cannot wait! :-)

I'm looking for a Tiffen Black Diffusion FX 1/2 right now (only see "film look" 4 filter kits at B&H and all I want is the one filter).

Won't be getting/using a ND or Polarizer for a while (may have some 49-58mm ones in my still camera bag) as I doubt I'll need them just yet. Polarizers can be weird here, I've had 1/2 (or less) of the sky go nice a rich blue and the rest look unaffected and light. The resulting images have looked splotchy and like mistakes so I'm semi-paranoid of using Polarizers for anything other than reflections.

Going to order a Giottos quick release assembly (GIMH652) and add it to the top of the Bogen 3063 floating head's QR plate as the hex plate it has is too big -- you have to remove it to be able to rotate the grip. I LOVE the rotating grip!

Also, will be adding a wide angle adapter, 0.7 or 0.5x and maybe a third battery.

Have fun!

[Greg Toope]

well i ordered mine with a .9 ND filter an extra battery, tripod, dolly wheels, and a Tiffen Steady Stick. I currently have a JVC GY-DV300u camera (which also has a 52mm lens) so I can use my current filters + hopefully the 3 batteries that I have for that camera. Cant see them not using the same style of battery. That camera also came with a dual battery charger so thats nice.

When I bought the 300u people said that I should stick with JVC tapes as well but i never found any difference with what kind of tape I was using. Good to hear that this camera doesnt have any issues as well.

[Damon Gaskin]

Hi guys!

Dave: Thanks for the tips on everything once again. My friend actually ordered the kit they have for 1499 and to a certain extent I wish I would have also, but its not a biggie as these things I can always add on. But hers came with the wide angle adapter. I was actually thinking about a Century adapter but I have not decided on the wide as of yet. I am sure I will play a bit with hers and see if I like that one, maybe I will just purchase one of those. But I know I need another battery, though on my sony I really only use the stock one since I mostly am a viewfinder shooter. But its always good to have two or three. I also have some Sony tapes here, which probably will work(those excellence tapes), but I am like you with the polarizers, noided about it due to experience. I may try it though, don't know yet to be honest.

And I was telling my friend about the diffusion filter you mentioned. I haven't checked it out, but I am thinking it probably should smooth the rough edges if there are any a bit. I know one thing... LOL I will post some youtube images after I play with it a bit.. He He He Not that those are the best looking, but ahh, I have another source, I just have to remember how to do it..

But my main first accessories are going to be extra battery, camera case(I saw in B&H's Summer 2007 catalog on page 216 top right, Hakuba aluminum cases large for 69.95),wide angle lens and a video light. Not to mention a slew of batteries..

I also am thinking of picking up a Cavision rod system, their microphone holder and holding handles to convert it to a shoulder mount type of setup. But I haven't fully figured that one out as of yet to be honest. I would like one of their matte boxes so I can use the filters instead of screw on's, but at the same time, I have a tiffen setup like this also, so I may just use that, as it is much cheapter. But of course, the look of the rods system and matte box cannot be beat... LOL

D

BTW, have you used yours as a webcam yet? LOL I am just curious how it looks compared to the inexpensive ones from logitech and the like. I would think the picture would be excellent.

[Dave Eaton]

Originally Posted by Damon Gaskin

My friend actually ordered the kit they have for 1499 and to a certain extent I wish I would have also,

Hi,

Really? I looked at the kit and didn't think you got much for the extra $300. I know nothing of the Raynox 0.45x they include ($90 separately), I have a $15 generic BN-V428 battery from ebay that works well and has a warranty, didn't need the bag or the UV filter so I passed on it. I hate how JVC has a 90-day warranty on the GR-HD1 but a 1-year on the JY-HD10, almost bought the JY-HD10 for the added warranty and the other features as that seemed like more bang for the buck than the kit items to me.

I normally pass on extended warranties but read of a few expensive repairs (bad Firewire port -- camera is useless then, dirt inside the lens and another I've forgotten) so I searched for info on the Mack warranty B&H sells. There's mixed reviews, quite a few complaints and one person saying they had his camera for six months. Sounded like they had too much on their plate.

I called Mack Camera & Video (they're a camera store and repair shop) http://www.mackcam.com/ customer service and the person I spoke with was friendly and they seemed like a nice outfit but I still have my reservations from what I've read. JVC and a lot of corporations use Satisfusion for their extended warranties, they get $70 for a 2-year, $90 for 3, $125 for 4, and $150 for 5, I'm thinking of going with them for 3-years. Couldn't find anything negative about them.

Weird thing is that the GR-HD1 doesn't show up in the model numbers on the registration list. Not sure what that means. https://merchant.satisfusion.com/sf/.../ESPLookup.jsp

I just called JVC while typing this, friendly and answering the phone on Saturday, and was told not to worry about it as the extended warranty is available on all of their items. Guy I spoke with said that Satisfusion is a reputable company and most likely would have any needed repairs done by the JVC factory. I like that idea.

You have until the JVC 90-day one expires to sign up for either.

I was actually thinking about a Century adapter but I have not decided on the wide as of yet. I am sure I will play a bit with hers and see if I like that one,

Let us know what you think. I have an Olympus 0.8x that I plan to test to see how it works. Not sure how wide I'll want/need.

And I was telling my friend about the diffusion filter you mentioned. I haven't checked it out, but I am thinking it probably should smooth the rough edges if there are any a bit.

My friend likes his. Said the #1 was a bit much due to blooming on lights but was excellent on flesh tones and other objects without taking away the sharpness. Said the 1/2 is perfect. The book I was reading recommended filters (black diffusion, black pro-mist, black frost, white mist, ultra contrast, digicon, et al.) for most pro cameras to smooth/tweak this or that. Reading that and having my friend mention the filter as well solidified my wanting one.

I also am thinking of picking up a Cavision rod system, their microphone holder and holding handles to convert it to a shoulder mount type of setup. But I haven't fully figured that one out as of yet to be honest. I would like one of their matte boxes so I can use the filters instead of screw on's, but at the same time, I have a tiffen setup like this also, so I may just use that, as it is much cheapter. But of course, the look of the rods system and matte box cannot be beat... LOL

I agree. I was considering a Sony A1U but decided against it due to the bottom load, touch screen (although the touch focus point selector was nice) and the small, $300 camera looking, size. Then I saw Cavision site where they showed one in assorted matte box and other add-on configurations. Whew. I then started referring to it as "the small camera that can dress up like a freight train." :-)

A matte box isn't on my list just yet. Think they look cool but I'll wait until I have a need for the function.

BTW, have you used yours as a webcam yet? LOL I am just curious how it looks compared to the inexpensive ones from logitech and the like. I would think the picture would be excellent.

No, webcams aren't quite my style. A friend in Canada talked me into hooking up my other camera that way for video chatting. Found it too distracting and I need a scenic screen behind me to cut down the comments on the lack of tidiness of my setup. :-)

Why are you reading this? Do you have batteries to charge and a manual to go through? :-)

[Damon Gaskin]

LOL, hey Dave! Well, lets see.. Got my cam, battery has been charging for about an hour, installed the core filters,(my friend and I both broke fingernails, and I don't have any, so fingernubs!) my SD card wasn't in the camera or box so we had to report that to B&H also. I installed my wireless on the handle already, and for the life of me cannot figure out how to attach the varizoom to the editing cable!

I also like the rotating grip feature! It looks great. As for the Raynox, I don't know if either of us like it. It basically is spring loaded and doesn't seem to fit on too well(kinda flimsy), but we said we were going to play around with it to see how it works out in real world tests. It rained here earlier and now the sun is trying to come out, so as soon as we get the batteries charged, our tests will for sure begin. I am trying, really trying to wait for them and to pick up some JVC cassettes, but I am getting antsy with the excellence and other tapes sitting here.

As for the bag with the combo, its really nice. Very sturdy looking, so I believe I am going to order one.

And its like huge compared to the little camera I had. Its built nice and sturdy like a brick almost in its feel. And I have had the manual and brochures for it for a while, so I am sort of familiar with how it works but in practical use, I need experience.

And the Cavision setup is veyr sweet, but at the same time, I am not sure if its truly warranted at the moment. I would/will get the rails at least first. Maybe the mic adapter and then we will see....

We are also going to check out the filters.. This thing has alot of glass compared to my other camcorder also, which is a very, very good thing..

Gotta go and play.. I will report later...

D