Camcorders Flash
Do all flash memory and hard drive camcorders not use firewire?
I am shopping for a new video camera, and it seems the ones with digital memory are all the rage. But i am used to using tapes and having to upload with a firewire cable. I like firewire better, but it seems all cameras with digital storage use USB. Are they any that use firewire?
As far as I know, all consumer grade flash memory (and hard disc drive) camcorders do not have a DV port – so no firewire. The process for getting video to a computer is different from miniDV or Digital8 tape based camcorders.
But there are pro-grade camcorders that use some sort of flash memory that have a firewire port… Like the Panasonic AG-HVX200, Sony HVR-Z7 and JVC GY-HM100… among a couple of others. BUT, these camcorders record to the same DV/HDV formats like miniDV tape based camcorders.
Just because flash memory (or hard disc drive) is used for the camcorder storage does not make it somehow “more digital” than miniDV tape or Digital 8 tape. Remember, the “DV” in miniDV = Digital Video. This is not analog video (like that captured by Beta, VHS, VHS-C, Hi8 and others). The zeros and ones written to those digital tape formats are the same as the zeros and ones on the flash memory, hard disc drive or DVD based camcorders – but those zeros and ones are treated differently. The video data files written in DV/HDV format are a lot less compressed than those written to the consumer grade MPG or MOD standard definition files or MTS or TOD high definition files common to the consumer grade flash memory, hard disc drive or DVD based camcorders.
Data video compression = discarded video data = reduced video quality.
Just because something is new does not necessarily make it “better”. If that were the case, in the case of camcorders, the professionals would have jumped to the newer flash memory, hard disc drive or DVD based camcorders technology – and they have not… for lots of may reasons. Since no one should ever waste their money on DVD based camcorders, there will be no more discussion on them.
The camcorder manufacturers figured out that most consumers think the newer technology must be better and blindly buy into their “hype”…
When you connect a miniDV (or Digital8) tape based cam to the computer with a firewire cable and import, that importing process decompresses the video and puts it in a format that the computer and video editor can deal with. If you don’t re-use the tape, it is the long-term archive. Simple process, well defined.
When you use a consumer grade flash memory or hard disc drive camcorder you have some steps – depending on the camcorder, the file format it produces and the video editor’s capabilites – and your own requirements. With flash memory or hard disc drive based camcorders and standard definition video, you connect with USB and copy the video files to the computer. They typically need to be transcoded from the MPG or MOD file with a utility before the video editor can deal with them. Once transcoded an archive copy can be made – but neither optical disc nor single external hard drive are acceptable – a RAID1 hard drive array would be… All that time people *thought* they save because copying the files is easier/faster compared to importing just got eaten up. Then, when that transcoded video is pulled into the video editor, decompression happens. This is not very time consuming with standard def, but with high def MTS/TOD files, can be very time-intensive.
I am continuing to use miniDV tape based camcorders for lots of reasons (including the above). It is too bad the manufacturers are abandoning quality video and well defined and stable process for high compression, low quality, video and ill-conceived storage solutions – they know the general consumer will think it is somehow “better” when it really is not.
That said, in the consumer environment, Panasonic still has a few of their PV-GS line (like the PV-GS320), Canon has the ZR960 and HV40. But many retailers may not carry them. Ironically, while Sony has abandoned miniDV tape in their consumer line, there are no AVCHD camcorders in their HDR-FX series prosumer or HVR pro lines (or HDCAM or XDCAM, either); no internal hard drives in their HDR-FX series prosumer or HVR pro lines – and the only non-tape system in the HVR line is the HVR-Z7… and it records DV/HDV/DVCAM and HDCAM formats to special compact flash memory (not ProDuo memory).
Apparently, not good enough for the pros – but acceptable for consumers. I disagree, but that’s just me.
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