2nd camera at DVinfo.net

Dave Tefertiller · February 3rd, 2004, 04:35 PM

Hi everybody.
I already have been lurking about here for quite some time.
and bought a DV-953 in Nov because of reading everyones comments here.
Now I would like a reasonable cheaper machine to function as a tape player.
Would getting a 853 be too much camera or just get a DV53
and call it good enough.
Thank you all, the DV-953 is a good little rig and I want it around for a while.
My last cam was a Sony TR-81 bought in 93 its still chugging along
Thanks Dave

Frank Granovski · February 3rd, 2004, 05:27 PM

Welcome, David. For a tape deck, just get an inexpensive miniDV cam.

Quote:

Would getting a 853 be too much camera or just get a DV53

You mean the PV-DV852? Just get a DV53; but the PV-DV852 from B&H is a real steal right now. So, either way makes sense.

Dave Tefertiller · February 3rd, 2004, 05:41 PM

Thanks Frank ,
Too many 3's going in the post :)
I was meaning PV-DV852.
Circuit City has a PV-DV53 for $299
and I know the 852 is a good deal also
Trying to make the choice is hard.
Dave

Anthony Claudia · February 3rd, 2004, 05:43 PM

I have a related question:

Does using your camera as a tapedeck or for similar purposes decrease the life- span of your camera?

I use my primary camera as the 'adapter' between my firewire and my monitior when editing. Is this significant mechanical wear and tear on my camera? Is it advisable to buy a secondary device to dedicate to these types of tasks?

Fred Alberni · February 3rd, 2004, 06:29 PM

I know this is a Panasonic forum. But if I had a DV953, I would get a Sony TRV 19 for around $00. I could use it as a tape deck and it's also small that I could take along evening parties and events and shoot in low light. If you want digital pass through, then get TRV22.

Frank Granovski · February 3rd, 2004, 06:36 PM

Just a thought..., the PV-DV853 was Pana's top 1 chip, a couple of years ago. It is also built like a Sh** brick house (very solid). Perhaps its tape mechanism is also more solid than the DV53's. And, if you bought the DV852, you'll have a good 2nd cam (for those low light shooting situations). For me, $600 US (slightly less) and $299 US isn't a big price difference (less than $300 US). Just a thought. (But if you only need the 2nd cam for a deck, than any cheap miniDV cam should do.)

Dave Tefertiller · February 3rd, 2004, 06:52 PM

Fred A $.00 Can't beat that.Too good to be true?:) Good idea for all that you mentioned,low light etc.
I'm Trying to stay with equipment that that is interchangeable
eventhough I do like my old Sony.

Dave Tefertiller · February 3rd, 2004, 07:02 PM

Frank,
That's what's going through my head.
I guess it really isn't alot more money.
I just have to be a more dedicated videographer
and use what I get. I'm just a home shooter that likes good looking tape & good equipment.
Dave

Dave Tefertiller · February 3rd, 2004, 07:17 PM

Anthony,
Using your Camera for both tasks does wear the heads but unless you're going to do alot of editing I wouldn't be too concerned.
Dave

Anthony Claudia · February 3rd, 2004, 09:02 PM

Thanks Dave.

Thats a good question....I am not sure how much editing I will be doing going forward. Maybe quite a bit.

So, does going firewire>camera>monitor utilize the heads or wear them in any way, or is that an isolated path?

I am thinking I should take the plunge and just buy a cheap miniDV from overstock.com or someplace like that. Better yet, maybe I could find a firewire to analog adapter for less. Does anyone use an adapter like that?

Dave Tefertiller · February 3rd, 2004, 09:20 PM

Anthony,
Anytime you have the tape in the machine playing to any output it is running across the heads and wearing on them. A cheap camera( like Frank said) makes a good tape player so you are not using (head life) on your more expensive camera.
My guess is that you would want to keep your video in a digital format for easy editing and authoring to a disk or other tape so I would say don't buy a converter.
My thing is I'm getting another camera for a tape deck and how many (extras) do I want to get.
Dave

Bogdan Vaglarov · February 3rd, 2004, 11:24 PM

Anthony,
I think you better put your question on the NLE forum section. People there really know these kind of stuff. There were few recent threads on the monitor preview. Try Vegas forum too. The adaptor issue was also discussed.

Personally I don't think that just previewing while editing harms your cam. Only when you capture the video to the PC the cam is used as tape deck. FireWire preview on TV or monitor shouldn't engage the tape. Try to remove the tape and see if you can still preview.

If you print to tape again your cam is used as recording deck.

If you are a videographer second cheap cam is very usefull to use for such tasks (or dedicated DV deck is even better). But for family use I daught the economic effect of such an addition. Just my opinion.

Yow Cheong Hoe · February 4th, 2004, 12:41 AM

I should have about clocked about 400+ hours of shoot and edit on my MX350, no mechanism or tape head problems yet, apart form the monthly rubbing the head, sucking and blow job.

er... sorry about that, rubbing the head with the cleaner tape, sucking with a small low powered vacumn cleaner and blowing with a rubber blower for lenses.

Anthony Claudia · February 4th, 2004, 01:12 PM

Thanks for your suggestion Bogdan. I posted my question over there and got some good info....sounds like using an external adapter or a deck is the way to go. Apparently Canopus makes a good one that handshakes easily with the Pana 953.

February 3rd, 2004, 04:35 PM	#1
Dave Tefertiller New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Ogden Utah Posts: 6	2nd camera Hi everybody. I already have been lurking about here for quite some time. and bought a DV-953 in Nov because of reading everyones comments here. Now I would like a reasonable cheaper machine to function as a tape player. Would getting a 853 be too much camera or just get a DV53 and call it good enough. Thank you all, the DV-953 is a good little rig and I want it around for a while. My last cam was a Sony TR-81 bought in 93 its still chugging along Thanks Dave

February 4th, 2004, 12:41 AM	#13
Yow Cheong Hoe Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Singapore, Passport: Malaysia Posts: 407	I should have about clocked about 400+ hours of shoot and edit on my MX350, no mechanism or tape head problems yet, apart form the monthly rubbing the head, sucking and blow job. er... sorry about that, rubbing the head with the cleaner tape, sucking with a small low powered vacumn cleaner and blowing with a rubber blower for lenses. __________________ Cam: Panasonic MX350EN, SOLD my MX8EN Mac: G3 400MHz PowerBook, 256 MB, OS 9 PC: Pentium 4 2800MHz, 512 MB, WindowsXP SW: iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, Ulead Video Studio, various little utilities

February 3rd, 2004, 05:41 PM	#3
Dave Tefertiller New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Ogden Utah Posts: 6	Thanks Frank , Too many 3's going in the post :) I was meaning PV-DV852. Circuit City has a PV-DV53 for $299 and I know the 852 is a good deal also Trying to make the choice is hard. Dave

February 3rd, 2004, 05:43 PM	#4
Anthony Claudia Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 27	I have a related question: Does using your camera as a tapedeck or for similar purposes decrease the life- span of your camera? I use my primary camera as the 'adapter' between my firewire and my monitior when editing. Is this significant mechanical wear and tear on my camera? Is it advisable to buy a secondary device to dedicate to these types of tasks?

February 3rd, 2004, 06:29 PM	#5
Fred Alberni New Boot Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Near Seattle Posts: 24	I know this is a Panasonic forum. But if I had a DV953, I would get a Sony TRV 19 for around $00. I could use it as a tape deck and it's also small that I could take along evening parties and events and shoot in low light. If you want digital pass through, then get TRV22.

February 3rd, 2004, 06:36 PM	#6
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Just a thought..., the PV-DV853 was Pana's top 1 chip, a couple of years ago. It is also built like a Sh** brick house (very solid). Perhaps its tape mechanism is also more solid than the DV53's. And, if you bought the DV852, you'll have a good 2nd cam (for those low light shooting situations). For me, $600 US (slightly less) and $299 US isn't a big price difference (less than $300 US). Just a thought. (But if you only need the 2nd cam for a deck, than any cheap miniDV cam should do.)

February 3rd, 2004, 06:52 PM	#7
Dave Tefertiller New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Ogden Utah Posts: 6	Fred A $.00 Can't beat that.Too good to be true?:) Good idea for all that you mentioned,low light etc. I'm Trying to stay with equipment that that is interchangeable eventhough I do like my old Sony.

February 3rd, 2004, 07:02 PM	#8
Dave Tefertiller New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Ogden Utah Posts: 6	Frank, That's what's going through my head. I guess it really isn't alot more money. I just have to be a more dedicated videographer and use what I get. I'm just a home shooter that likes good looking tape & good equipment. Dave

February 3rd, 2004, 07:17 PM	#9
Dave Tefertiller New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Ogden Utah Posts: 6	Anthony, Using your Camera for both tasks does wear the heads but unless you're going to do alot of editing I wouldn't be too concerned. Dave

February 3rd, 2004, 09:02 PM	#10
Anthony Claudia Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 27	Thanks Dave. Thats a good question....I am not sure how much editing I will be doing going forward. Maybe quite a bit. So, does going firewire>camera>monitor utilize the heads or wear them in any way, or is that an isolated path? I am thinking I should take the plunge and just buy a cheap miniDV from overstock.com or someplace like that. Better yet, maybe I could find a firewire to analog adapter for less. Does anyone use an adapter like that?

February 3rd, 2004, 09:20 PM	#11
Dave Tefertiller New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Ogden Utah Posts: 6	Anthony, Anytime you have the tape in the machine playing to any output it is running across the heads and wearing on them. A cheap camera( like Frank said) makes a good tape player so you are not using (head life) on your more expensive camera. My guess is that you would want to keep your video in a digital format for easy editing and authoring to a disk or other tape so I would say don't buy a converter. My thing is I'm getting another camera for a tape deck and how many (extras) do I want to get. Dave

February 3rd, 2004, 11:24 PM	#12
Bogdan Vaglarov Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Yokohama, Japan Posts: 366	Anthony, I think you better put your question on the NLE forum section. People there really know these kind of stuff. There were few recent threads on the monitor preview. Try Vegas forum too. The adaptor issue was also discussed. Personally I don't think that just previewing while editing harms your cam. Only when you capture the video to the PC the cam is used as tape deck. FireWire preview on TV or monitor shouldn't engage the tape. Try to remove the tape and see if you can still preview. If you print to tape again your cam is used as recording deck. If you are a videographer second cheap cam is very usefull to use for such tasks (or dedicated DV deck is even better). But for family use I daught the economic effect of such an addition. Just my opinion.

February 4th, 2004, 01:12 PM	#14
Anthony Claudia Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 27	Thanks for your suggestion Bogdan. I posted my question over there and got some good info....sounds like using an external adapter or a deck is the way to go. Apparently Canopus makes a good one that handshakes easily with the Pana 953.