Gy-hd251

Derek Heeps · June 24th, 2017, 04:45 PM

Re the epoxy , what I was thinking of , rather than bonding to the casing of the camcorder , was to apply gaffer tape around the socket as a masking layer ( this was just to make it easier to remove , I wasn't aware of corrosion issue ) , then to use an enclosure around the socket to contain the resin . I'm looking at cutting the top off a Lego brick and using the rectangular sides . The main thing is to stop the sides of the socket from spreading . Once it has set , I can dress the epoxy back with my Dremel and a cutting disc .If I need to open the camcorder I can equally cut away with the disc .

With the thin FireWire cable the need might not arise ; I won't do anything before getting and testing it . I'm also looking for right angle FireWire connectors I can use to make my own cables , haven't found any yet , but I only started looking tonight .

The Firestore seems to be working well enough , but the final option might be to look at using something like an Atomos Samurai connected to the HD-SDI output , which would also give 1080i functionality .

It's still early days as I've had the camcorder less than a week , and only been using it for one day . I won't do anything irreversible without weighing all the consequences .

Re mounting the Firestore , the cradle I have is mounted onto the PAG V-mount to PAGLOK adaptor plate and not to the camcorder itself ; this is the same plate I've been using to attach my PAG L95 batteries to my DSR500 and it has been fine ( it was ex BBC kit ) .

Derek Heeps · June 24th, 2017, 06:20 PM

A few pictures

Overall view of the camcorder , with Canon lens mounted via Ikon Glass adaptor

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...psloyyalgg.jpg

and some shots showing PAG battery plate and Firestore cradle

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...pssxzmuts7.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...ps6qvogl2u.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...ps9qqxlgoo.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...psqto2lups.jpg

Dave Barnes · July 2nd, 2017, 07:17 AM

Hi Derek...
I just picked up 2 JVC GY-HD200 cameras recently from Ebay with low hours and in mint condition... they do produce fantastic images... I am having fun using them... I did pick up a Firestore HD unit for the JVC cameras also but have not played with it yet as I am recording to tape...

I can tell you for tape playback you can use the JVC BR-HD50 deck obviously... BUT I was surprised to learn that my Sony HVR-M35U deck will also playback the JVC tapes... I get a nice image on the monitor attached AND it will also send the JVC HDV stream down the HD-SDI output, and I also assume down the firewire (but have not tested that as of yet).... I think this may be the only Sony deck in the HVR line that will play these JVC tapes although I could be wrong on this. I know my HVR-1500A and HVR-25U will not do it.

You might want to look around for a deal on an HVR-M35U deck...

Derek Heeps · July 5th, 2017, 02:43 AM

Hi Dave , glad to hear there are others still enjoying these fantastic cameras .

My Fujinon TH16x5.5 lens arrived the other day , in mint condition , apart from missing the lens hood , but I've been in touch with Fuji UK to try to source one .

This Fuji lens really is tiny compared to my Canon lens ( just over half the length ) and much lighter - so much so that it really shifts the balance to the back of the camera when the battery and Firestore are hanging there . I've still to fabricate a bracket to hang a wireless mic receiver on the other side .

Purely by chance , though , the Fuji lens shares the same 82mm filter thread at the front with my Canon lens . It is close enough in external diameter ( 85mm ) that my Canon lens hood can slip on , but since the front barrel of the Fuji lens is made of plastic rather than metal , when the locking screw of the Canon lens hood is tightened , just enough to secure the hood , it deforms the Fuji lens barrel enough to interfere with the internal focus .

I've got an 82mm adaptor for my Lee filter holder , and a matte box which will attach to the holder , both on order , and good to know I can use them with either lens . I still need to play with the two lenses a bit more as I can't yet determine any difference in performance . What I have found ( and expected ) is that my Canon zoom demand controller will only zoom the Fuji in one direction ( had this with previous Fuji lenses ) , but the Fuji zoom demand I also have , which has worked with previous Fuji lenses won't zoom this one in either direction ! I need to get my meter out .

That's interesting re the HVR M35U . I went onto the Sony website and downloaded the user manual .

While it will play the JVC tapes and out put via HD-SDI , it won't output them via Firewire ( see paste of page below ) . My existing HVR M15 will play them via analogue , so I'll need to look at different capture options for either of those machines , although I've also got an alert set on eBay for any JVC BRHD50s that come on the market .

From the Sony HVR M35 manual -

1) The format of the picture output from the HD/SD SDI OUT jack can be set in [SDI/CMPNT] of [VIDEO OUT] in the [IN/OUT REC] menu (page 73).
2) Outputs signals down converted from HDV format. The setting for down conversion can be changed in [DOWN CONVERT] of [i.LINK SET] in the [IN/
OUT REC] menu (page 74).
3) Through the down conversion, HDV 4-channel audio is converted to 2-channel audio. The setting for down conversion can be changed in [DOWN CONV
AU] of [i.LINK SET] in the [IN/OUT REC] menu (page 74).
4) 24p signals are converted to 60i signals by 2-3 pull-down, and then output.
Notes
• HDV 720/30p/25p/24p signals can be played back but cannot be input/output via the HDV/DV jack on the unit. • HDV 720/60p, HDV720/50p and SD 480p/576p signals cannot be input/output, recorded, or played back on the
unit.

Derek Heeps · July 8th, 2017, 04:48 PM

Having played a bit with both lenses , there seems little to choose between them other than focal length , at least on initial impressions . The Canon lens , not surprisingly as it was originally much more expensive , is more solidly constructed and made of metal where the Fuji is deformable plastic , but the zoom and focus movements of each are equally tactile .

The Canon , with its 2x doubler , offers more reach , while the Fuji is 1mm shorter at the wide end ( hardly worth bothering about ) . The Fuji is much lighter , which would be a bonus for extended handheld shoots , but it leaves the camera heavy at the back , even without the Firestore and the wireless receiver mounted , and with the shoulder pad all the way back . With the Canon lens mounted , the camera balances nicely on the shoulder with the Firestore and a PAG L95 battery on the back , the wireless receiver makes no noticeable difference .

While I already had a bracket for mounting the Firestore to the camera , it was attached to the V-Mount to PagLok adaptor plate I have for my batteries , I fabricated a bracket to mount my Sennheisser EK3041 wireless receiver onto the two threaded mounting points on the other side of the IDX plate on the camera ; this now stands the receiver off just enough to allow 90deg BNC connectors to be plugged in if required and keeps the receiver just clear of the tape compartment door when open ; it is neat and secure , and doesn't get in the way when the receiver isn't in use , I also made up an XLR cable with 90deg connectors on both ends which allows connection without the cable getting in the way of anything .

On the subject of cables , my Apple thin Firewire cables came in , these really are the best , being very nicely constructed and lightweight so that no strain is put on the camera Firewire socket ; I have it routed round the PagLok adaptor plate and secured with a length of double sided Velcro in such a way that it can't snag on anything and yank at that fragile camera connector .

I haven't handheld the camera with my new matte box which arrived today , but I expect it might be a little front heavy , but that might be compensated for my moving the shoulder mount forward . The matte box will be more for tripod mounted shots anyway .

Fuji came back to me yesterday re the hood missing from the lens I bought , it is still available at a cost of approx £43 , so I ordered one .

Derek Heeps · July 12th, 2017, 08:38 PM

Further to the matter of capturing from tape , and not wishing to keep using the FireWire port on my camera , I just bought a Matrox MXO2 capture system , which comes with the PCIe card to go in my MacPro , an express card 34 adaptor to use with my MacBook Pro and a Thunderbolt adaptor , which I don't currently need . This will allow me to play in 720p footage either from the HD-SDI output from my camera , or to use the analogue component outputs from my HVR M15e deck ( which does output HDV 720p ) , until such time as I manage to obtain either an HDV M35 or a JVC deck ( if I end up getting a JVC deck I'd need to also keep my Sony deck to play tapes from my Sony camcorder which are HDV 1080i .

The Matrox unit will also allow me to capture from analogue tape formats , something I very occasionally still get asked for . While once an expensive bit of kit , these things are now very cheap to buy and will generally come in handy .

It should arrive later today .

Incidentally , I sold my DSR 500WSP and my DSR45AP the other day , which goes some way towards what I've been spending on new toys lately , and whilst up in the attic I identified a pile of other stuff I'm unlikely to ever use again , so time for a further clearance .

Derek Heeps · July 18th, 2017, 05:49 PM

In case this is relevant to anyone else , the Matrox MX02 arrived at the end of last week ; I got it connected up at the weekend and took the analogue component outputs from my HVR M15AE into the component inputs on it .

There was a bit of faffing around with drivers ( the earlier Matrox V2.6 drivers support FCP 7 , which I still use , but are only supported to OSX Mountain Lion ) . When installing this , FCP 7 shows all the Matrox capture presets within the AV settings menu , but they don't seem to work .

The later V4.6 were designed for OSX Yosemite , but by that time only support FCP X . FCP X does not support direct capture , but the Matrox software comes with a Vetura capture utility . After my getting a bit confused with source video formats versus capture video formats ( you can present a source video in one format to the Matrox , and capture it in another , different , format with real time conversion ) .

After getting the settings sorted out , I was able to capture material from the HD-SDI output of my GY-HD251 into the Matrox .

I found that , amongst a wide range of supported formats , the Matrox supports 720p 50 , but not 720p 25 , so I can't play the tapes in my Sony deck which won't play 720p 50 .... back to looking for a JVC deck I think .

Derek Heeps · August 3rd, 2018, 09:36 AM

As an update to this thread , I just managed to pick up a BR-HD50E deck to ingest tapes recorded on my HD251E camera . I had been watching out for one for a while , but even just a year ago the going rate still seemed to be in the mid hundreds , but just lately I've noticed a few changing hands for £100 or so and managed to pick this one up for a bargain price . Amazing considering what they cost new not so very long ago .

While the unit looks very nice indeed , it arrived missing its power supply , so I ordered one from an eBay supplier and will have to wait for that now .

Since I still also have my Sony HVR M15E deck , I should now be able to ingest most DV/HDV footage likely to come my way .

At least now I can stop connecting the camera to my computer via Firewire , which has always been a worry .

I was getting on with my Firestore FS-4HD but while it does work , I have noticed issues with audio sync being quite badly off , only with the GY-HD251 ; it works perfectly with my Sony camera recording HDV1080 footage .Perhaps there is something different in the 'proper' DR-HD100 Firestore that was engineered to work with these cameras ... While the sound can be fixed on the timeline , it is a PITA .

Although the two different Firestores look identical , I don't know if it is only a difference in Firmware , or if there is an actual hardware difference .

I'll post back once I get the deck up and running .

Dave Barnes · September 22nd, 2018, 09:23 AM

Hey Derek - glad you found an HD50... I have 2 I picked up both with low hours... one is a spare :)
Yeah now IF you can find them they seem pretty cheap.
I don't use it a lot , but between my Sony HDV decks and the HD50 I think I have all formats covered.

One of these days I need to try my Firestore unit I picked up from Ebay last year on my HD200.... also since I posted on your thread last year I picked up a nice HD250 a few months ago...

I think these are still great cameras .

Paul R Johnson · September 22nd, 2018, 12:36 PM

I've been a JVC user for a very long time now, and still have most of them - DV500, DV5000, 100 and 200 series and a 750. I've found that the firewire issue isn't a problem as long as you don't use the 6 pin cables I just go down to 4 and back up to 6 with an adaptor. This has kept me safe for years. The problems with the firewire was a niggle with the Focus Enhancements external drive I used for the 100/200 series. Sometimes, it just wouldn't pick up the camcorder Firewire signal. A lot of my stuff is archive work - so I need to blend SD with HD 1080, so 720 is a good compromise edit format for me. Upscaling and downscaling to it is pretty good, and better than taking SD up to 1080. In fact, the best subjective images for the theatre shows I record comes from the 110. The colours are very accurate to the LED lighting we now use. It's more sensitive than the 750, and it just does the job - I still use it, as the record section is still good - the 251 has a dead recorder but firewire still works. I keep meaning to drag out the 5001 - it had a very nice 17x fujinon that I have never tried on the 750 (which has the very nice Canon 14x) I wonder what that will look like. Have you tried any of the SD lenses to see how well they hold up?

Derek Heeps · September 7th, 2023, 08:01 AM

Just to update this thread , although I do realise how old it is and that the last contribution was in 2018 !

I do still have my GY-HD 251 , it still has quite low hours and looks brand new . Over the years I mostly used my Sony HVR-V1e , which was so much smaller and handier , besides producing HDV 1080i rather than 720p .

Comparatively recently , I picked up a Sony PDW-F350 for a very reasonable price , having used one at work from new ; then at work we got a Sony PXW-FS9 , so i was given the low hours and mint PDW-F350 from there , which came with the Canon KH10 ex3.6IRSE lens , which is just superb and far better than the SD lens I had been using on my own PDW-F350 , but that lens came originally from my old DSR500 ...

Anyway , my GY-HD251 had been partnered with a Fujinon TH16x5.5 BRMU lens , which was one of the original ones supplied with it , and very nice it was too . However , I'd always preferred Canon video lenses and while one was always a more expensive option over the Fujinon lenses , they were always much more expensive - until I found one on eBay about a week ago for a very reasonable price .

Now I have the Canon KT14x4.4KRSJ lens ; the build quality feels a little bit nicer than the Fuji ; I haven't compared image quality , but the Canon is a little wider at the short end , and of course it works with my Canon zoom demand . I just bought a lens cap for it as that was missing , but otherwise it seems as new , and feels very nice in the operation of the various rings . I think it may be a tad heavier than the Fuji , but not much in it . I will possibly now sell the Fuji on .

While I don't so much use the JVC nowadays , it is a lot smaller than my two Sony PDW cameras , and I could happily live with it .

Paul R Johnson · September 8th, 2023, 02:48 PM

I've still got all my previous JVCs - starting with the 500, 5000, 100, 200 and 700 series and the 750s I have I really like. Mine had the fuji lenses and they were fine, but I have a Canon wide angle, and (because I bought the wrong one, looking for the wide angle) a Canon 'normal' lens. I agree - they are just a bit nicer, and I get the impression they are sharper, but to be fair, I can't prove it.

June 24th, 2017, 04:45 PM	#16
Derek Heeps Major Player Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Glasgow , Scotland Posts: 224	Re: Gy-hd251 Re the epoxy , what I was thinking of , rather than bonding to the casing of the camcorder , was to apply gaffer tape around the socket as a masking layer ( this was just to make it easier to remove , I wasn't aware of corrosion issue ) , then to use an enclosure around the socket to contain the resin . I'm looking at cutting the top off a Lego brick and using the rectangular sides . The main thing is to stop the sides of the socket from spreading . Once it has set , I can dress the epoxy back with my Dremel and a cutting disc .If I need to open the camcorder I can equally cut away with the disc . With the thin FireWire cable the need might not arise ; I won't do anything before getting and testing it . I'm also looking for right angle FireWire connectors I can use to make my own cables , haven't found any yet , but I only started looking tonight . The Firestore seems to be working well enough , but the final option might be to look at using something like an Atomos Samurai connected to the HD-SDI output , which would also give 1080i functionality . It's still early days as I've had the camcorder less than a week , and only been using it for one day . I won't do anything irreversible without weighing all the consequences . Re mounting the Firestore , the cradle I have is mounted onto the PAG V-mount to PAGLOK adaptor plate and not to the camcorder itself ; this is the same plate I've been using to attach my PAG L95 batteries to my DSR500 and it has been fine ( it was ex BBC kit ) . Last edited by Derek Heeps; June 24th, 2017 at 05:49 PM.

June 24th, 2017, 06:20 PM	#17
Derek Heeps Major Player Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Glasgow , Scotland Posts: 224	Re: Gy-hd251 A few pictures Overall view of the camcorder , with Canon lens mounted via Ikon Glass adaptor http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...psloyyalgg.jpg and some shots showing PAG battery plate and Firestore cradle http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...pssxzmuts7.jpg http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...ps6qvogl2u.jpg http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...ps9qqxlgoo.jpg http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...psqto2lups.jpg

July 2nd, 2017, 07:17 AM	#18
Dave Barnes Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Buffalo NY Posts: 66	Re: Gy-hd251 Hi Derek... I just picked up 2 JVC GY-HD200 cameras recently from Ebay with low hours and in mint condition... they do produce fantastic images... I am having fun using them... I did pick up a Firestore HD unit for the JVC cameras also but have not played with it yet as I am recording to tape... I can tell you for tape playback you can use the JVC BR-HD50 deck obviously... BUT I was surprised to learn that my Sony HVR-M35U deck will also playback the JVC tapes... I get a nice image on the monitor attached AND it will also send the JVC HDV stream down the HD-SDI output, and I also assume down the firewire (but have not tested that as of yet).... I think this may be the only Sony deck in the HVR line that will play these JVC tapes although I could be wrong on this. I know my HVR-1500A and HVR-25U will not do it. You might want to look around for a deal on an HVR-M35U deck... __________________ Canon XL-H1A / Canon XH-A1S / Still shooting some tape / Mac Pro 2013 / Final Cut Pro X

July 5th, 2017, 02:43 AM	#19
Derek Heeps Major Player Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Glasgow , Scotland Posts: 224	Re: Gy-hd251 Hi Dave , glad to hear there are others still enjoying these fantastic cameras . My Fujinon TH16x5.5 lens arrived the other day , in mint condition , apart from missing the lens hood , but I've been in touch with Fuji UK to try to source one . This Fuji lens really is tiny compared to my Canon lens ( just over half the length ) and much lighter - so much so that it really shifts the balance to the back of the camera when the battery and Firestore are hanging there . I've still to fabricate a bracket to hang a wireless mic receiver on the other side . Purely by chance , though , the Fuji lens shares the same 82mm filter thread at the front with my Canon lens . It is close enough in external diameter ( 85mm ) that my Canon lens hood can slip on , but since the front barrel of the Fuji lens is made of plastic rather than metal , when the locking screw of the Canon lens hood is tightened , just enough to secure the hood , it deforms the Fuji lens barrel enough to interfere with the internal focus . I've got an 82mm adaptor for my Lee filter holder , and a matte box which will attach to the holder , both on order , and good to know I can use them with either lens . I still need to play with the two lenses a bit more as I can't yet determine any difference in performance . What I have found ( and expected ) is that my Canon zoom demand controller will only zoom the Fuji in one direction ( had this with previous Fuji lenses ) , but the Fuji zoom demand I also have , which has worked with previous Fuji lenses won't zoom this one in either direction ! I need to get my meter out . That's interesting re the HVR M35U . I went onto the Sony website and downloaded the user manual . While it will play the JVC tapes and out put via HD-SDI , it won't output them via Firewire ( see paste of page below ) . My existing HVR M15 will play them via analogue , so I'll need to look at different capture options for either of those machines , although I've also got an alert set on eBay for any JVC BRHD50s that come on the market . From the Sony HVR M35 manual - 1) The format of the picture output from the HD/SD SDI OUT jack can be set in [SDI/CMPNT] of [VIDEO OUT] in the [IN/OUT REC] menu (page 73). 2) Outputs signals down converted from HDV format. The setting for down conversion can be changed in [DOWN CONVERT] of [i.LINK SET] in the [IN/ OUT REC] menu (page 74). 3) Through the down conversion, HDV 4-channel audio is converted to 2-channel audio. The setting for down conversion can be changed in [DOWN CONV AU] of [i.LINK SET] in the [IN/OUT REC] menu (page 74). 4) 24p signals are converted to 60i signals by 2-3 pull-down, and then output. Notes • HDV 720/30p/25p/24p signals can be played back but cannot be input/output via the HDV/DV jack on the unit. • HDV 720/60p, HDV720/50p and SD 480p/576p signals cannot be input/output, recorded, or played back on the unit.

July 8th, 2017, 04:48 PM	#20
Derek Heeps Major Player Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Glasgow , Scotland Posts: 224	Re: Gy-hd251 Having played a bit with both lenses , there seems little to choose between them other than focal length , at least on initial impressions . The Canon lens , not surprisingly as it was originally much more expensive , is more solidly constructed and made of metal where the Fuji is deformable plastic , but the zoom and focus movements of each are equally tactile . The Canon , with its 2x doubler , offers more reach , while the Fuji is 1mm shorter at the wide end ( hardly worth bothering about ) . The Fuji is much lighter , which would be a bonus for extended handheld shoots , but it leaves the camera heavy at the back , even without the Firestore and the wireless receiver mounted , and with the shoulder pad all the way back . With the Canon lens mounted , the camera balances nicely on the shoulder with the Firestore and a PAG L95 battery on the back , the wireless receiver makes no noticeable difference . While I already had a bracket for mounting the Firestore to the camera , it was attached to the V-Mount to PagLok adaptor plate I have for my batteries , I fabricated a bracket to mount my Sennheisser EK3041 wireless receiver onto the two threaded mounting points on the other side of the IDX plate on the camera ; this now stands the receiver off just enough to allow 90deg BNC connectors to be plugged in if required and keeps the receiver just clear of the tape compartment door when open ; it is neat and secure , and doesn't get in the way when the receiver isn't in use , I also made up an XLR cable with 90deg connectors on both ends which allows connection without the cable getting in the way of anything . On the subject of cables , my Apple thin Firewire cables came in , these really are the best , being very nicely constructed and lightweight so that no strain is put on the camera Firewire socket ; I have it routed round the PagLok adaptor plate and secured with a length of double sided Velcro in such a way that it can't snag on anything and yank at that fragile camera connector . I haven't handheld the camera with my new matte box which arrived today , but I expect it might be a little front heavy , but that might be compensated for my moving the shoulder mount forward . The matte box will be more for tripod mounted shots anyway . Fuji came back to me yesterday re the hood missing from the lens I bought , it is still available at a cost of approx £43 , so I ordered one .

July 12th, 2017, 08:38 PM	#21
Derek Heeps Major Player Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Glasgow , Scotland Posts: 224	Re: Gy-hd251 Further to the matter of capturing from tape , and not wishing to keep using the FireWire port on my camera , I just bought a Matrox MXO2 capture system , which comes with the PCIe card to go in my MacPro , an express card 34 adaptor to use with my MacBook Pro and a Thunderbolt adaptor , which I don't currently need . This will allow me to play in 720p footage either from the HD-SDI output from my camera , or to use the analogue component outputs from my HVR M15e deck ( which does output HDV 720p ) , until such time as I manage to obtain either an HDV M35 or a JVC deck ( if I end up getting a JVC deck I'd need to also keep my Sony deck to play tapes from my Sony camcorder which are HDV 1080i . The Matrox unit will also allow me to capture from analogue tape formats , something I very occasionally still get asked for . While once an expensive bit of kit , these things are now very cheap to buy and will generally come in handy . It should arrive later today . Incidentally , I sold my DSR 500WSP and my DSR45AP the other day , which goes some way towards what I've been spending on new toys lately , and whilst up in the attic I identified a pile of other stuff I'm unlikely to ever use again , so time for a further clearance .

July 18th, 2017, 05:49 PM	#22
Derek Heeps Major Player Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Glasgow , Scotland Posts: 224	Re: Gy-hd251 In case this is relevant to anyone else , the Matrox MX02 arrived at the end of last week ; I got it connected up at the weekend and took the analogue component outputs from my HVR M15AE into the component inputs on it . There was a bit of faffing around with drivers ( the earlier Matrox V2.6 drivers support FCP 7 , which I still use , but are only supported to OSX Mountain Lion ) . When installing this , FCP 7 shows all the Matrox capture presets within the AV settings menu , but they don't seem to work . The later V4.6 were designed for OSX Yosemite , but by that time only support FCP X . FCP X does not support direct capture , but the Matrox software comes with a Vetura capture utility . After my getting a bit confused with source video formats versus capture video formats ( you can present a source video in one format to the Matrox , and capture it in another , different , format with real time conversion ) . After getting the settings sorted out , I was able to capture material from the HD-SDI output of my GY-HD251 into the Matrox . I found that , amongst a wide range of supported formats , the Matrox supports 720p 50 , but not 720p 25 , so I can't play the tapes in my Sony deck which won't play 720p 50 .... back to looking for a JVC deck I think .

August 3rd, 2018, 09:36 AM	#23
Derek Heeps Major Player Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Glasgow , Scotland Posts: 224	Re: Gy-hd251 As an update to this thread , I just managed to pick up a BR-HD50E deck to ingest tapes recorded on my HD251E camera . I had been watching out for one for a while , but even just a year ago the going rate still seemed to be in the mid hundreds , but just lately I've noticed a few changing hands for £100 or so and managed to pick this one up for a bargain price . Amazing considering what they cost new not so very long ago . While the unit looks very nice indeed , it arrived missing its power supply , so I ordered one from an eBay supplier and will have to wait for that now . Since I still also have my Sony HVR M15E deck , I should now be able to ingest most DV/HDV footage likely to come my way . At least now I can stop connecting the camera to my computer via Firewire , which has always been a worry . I was getting on with my Firestore FS-4HD but while it does work , I have noticed issues with audio sync being quite badly off , only with the GY-HD251 ; it works perfectly with my Sony camera recording HDV1080 footage .Perhaps there is something different in the 'proper' DR-HD100 Firestore that was engineered to work with these cameras ... While the sound can be fixed on the timeline , it is a PITA . Although the two different Firestores look identical , I don't know if it is only a difference in Firmware , or if there is an actual hardware difference . I'll post back once I get the deck up and running .

September 22nd, 2018, 09:23 AM	#24
Dave Barnes Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Buffalo NY Posts: 66	Re: Gy-hd251 Hey Derek - glad you found an HD50... I have 2 I picked up both with low hours... one is a spare :) Yeah now IF you can find them they seem pretty cheap. I don't use it a lot , but between my Sony HDV decks and the HD50 I think I have all formats covered. One of these days I need to try my Firestore unit I picked up from Ebay last year on my HD200.... also since I posted on your thread last year I picked up a nice HD250 a few months ago... I think these are still great cameras . __________________ Canon XL-H1A / Canon XH-A1S / Still shooting some tape / Mac Pro 2013 / Final Cut Pro X

September 22nd, 2018, 12:36 PM	#25
Paul R Johnson Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lowestoft - UK Posts: 4,045	Re: Gy-hd251 I've been a JVC user for a very long time now, and still have most of them - DV500, DV5000, 100 and 200 series and a 750. I've found that the firewire issue isn't a problem as long as you don't use the 6 pin cables I just go down to 4 and back up to 6 with an adaptor. This has kept me safe for years. The problems with the firewire was a niggle with the Focus Enhancements external drive I used for the 100/200 series. Sometimes, it just wouldn't pick up the camcorder Firewire signal. A lot of my stuff is archive work - so I need to blend SD with HD 1080, so 720 is a good compromise edit format for me. Upscaling and downscaling to it is pretty good, and better than taking SD up to 1080. In fact, the best subjective images for the theatre shows I record comes from the 110. The colours are very accurate to the LED lighting we now use. It's more sensitive than the 750, and it just does the job - I still use it, as the record section is still good - the 251 has a dead recorder but firewire still works. I keep meaning to drag out the 5001 - it had a very nice 17x fujinon that I have never tried on the 750 (which has the very nice Canon 14x) I wonder what that will look like. Have you tried any of the SD lenses to see how well they hold up?

September 7th, 2023, 08:01 AM	#26
Derek Heeps Major Player Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Glasgow , Scotland Posts: 224	Re: Gy-hd251 Just to update this thread , although I do realise how old it is and that the last contribution was in 2018 ! I do still have my GY-HD 251 , it still has quite low hours and looks brand new . Over the years I mostly used my Sony HVR-V1e , which was so much smaller and handier , besides producing HDV 1080i rather than 720p . Comparatively recently , I picked up a Sony PDW-F350 for a very reasonable price , having used one at work from new ; then at work we got a Sony PXW-FS9 , so i was given the low hours and mint PDW-F350 from there , which came with the Canon KH10 ex3.6IRSE lens , which is just superb and far better than the SD lens I had been using on my own PDW-F350 , but that lens came originally from my old DSR500 ... Anyway , my GY-HD251 had been partnered with a Fujinon TH16x5.5 BRMU lens , which was one of the original ones supplied with it , and very nice it was too . However , I'd always preferred Canon video lenses and while one was always a more expensive option over the Fujinon lenses , they were always much more expensive - until I found one on eBay about a week ago for a very reasonable price . Now I have the Canon KT14x4.4KRSJ lens ; the build quality feels a little bit nicer than the Fuji ; I haven't compared image quality , but the Canon is a little wider at the short end , and of course it works with my Canon zoom demand . I just bought a lens cap for it as that was missing , but otherwise it seems as new , and feels very nice in the operation of the various rings . I think it may be a tad heavier than the Fuji , but not much in it . I will possibly now sell the Fuji on . While I don't so much use the JVC nowadays , it is a lot smaller than my two Sony PDW cameras , and I could happily live with it .

September 8th, 2023, 02:48 PM	#27
Paul R Johnson Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lowestoft - UK Posts: 4,045	Re: Gy-hd251 I've still got all my previous JVCs - starting with the 500, 5000, 100, 200 and 700 series and the 750s I have I really like. Mine had the fuji lenses and they were fine, but I have a Canon wide angle, and (because I bought the wrong one, looking for the wide angle) a Canon 'normal' lens. I agree - they are just a bit nicer, and I get the impression they are sharper, but to be fair, I can't prove it.