HITACHI DVD CAM

I use a Hitachi DVD Camera a lot, My model is DV MV 350E. I use it about 2 hours every week on average since mid 2004. Very reliable. Only problems: the LCD display image sometimes is unstable, loses colour for a few seconds, etc. I am told is a bad connection from opening closing many times. BUT IT DOES NOT AFFECT RECORDED PICTURE IN ANY WAY.

I film for hours at a time. Often during a whole day, running though 2 DVD RAM DISKS on both sides on standard setting (2 hours of shooting per disk.

If I want to watch or edit on my PC I use either a USB2 cable that comes with the camera, but, much better, is to acquire a DVD multi format PC DVD reader recorder that reads DVD RAM, -R, -RW, etc. I paid about 80 dollars. With this unit I just drop in the DVD RAM disk I use in the camera and import the contents into PC for edition with a program called DVD Movie Album that came bundled with the camera.

Big advantages with this camera and system:
1. The menu in the LCD shows you instantly everything you have filmed, you can move, delete clips, etc, without the need for rewinding or fast forwarding, etc.
2 The DVD RAM disks are much more durable than RW disks and infinitely more than mini DV tapes.
3. No need to use cables to transfer data (with DVD Ram unit).

Quality of picture is acceptable even in standard mode (1 hour per side of small DVD), in extra fine, only 20 minutes per side is better, but the quality of NTSC or PAL TV systems is so low most people can not tell difference of recording setting. Heck!, the other day I had to shoot a professional level video, so I hired a crew who came with two professional cameras, mini DV tape format, you know 3 CCDs, more sensitivity, etc.,the difference is not noticeable by most people.


Disadvantage: If you want to watch what you have recorded without importing it into PC, you either have to put the camera on play back and hook it up to a TV (just like all mini DV tape cameras) or have a DVD player-recorder that, besides reading R and RW DVD disks, can read DVD Ram disks straight off the camera, without finalizing or anythimng else. JVC, Toshiba and Panasonic make them. I have a Toshiba with a built in 80Gb hard disk, I paid $ 300.00. These units also take large DVD RAM disks (4.7 Gb, or more than 9Gb if doubLe sided) Good for safe data storage because are rewritable many times. Some come with a cartridge very similar to the traditional diskettes but larger. I like them because the disk is always protected, nothing of those useless "jewell" cases that break easily. Noyhing also of handling the DVD directly with your hands, etc. You just slide the whole cartridge into the unit, no need to remove disk. The large Ram disk, wether they come with a cartridge or not, can be used in the PC DVD Ram unit (removing first from cartridge those who have one)

Another thing I would watch for is to buy a camera of this type but one that uses small mini DVD cartridged disks. These are small DVD Ram disk witH a cartridge that always protects the disk, instead of the flimsy cartridges my camera has, although the latter still is better than no cartridge.

This is an area where mini DV tapes are clearly superior to non-cartridged disks. Tape housing are good protection. with an uncartridged DVD, whether RAM, R, RW you are always ONLY a step away from the fatal drop or scratch. Analog formats are superior in many ways to all the digital stuff. A VHS tape can be watched even if fairly worn out; digital recordings can die 100% with a scratch. I believe the time will come where storage will be back to analogue and digital used for manipulation. Unless they come up with more forgivng digital formats. makes no sense I can lose ALL 4.7 Gb of data, and many more Gbs on a hard disk just Because one tracK is bad. There musT be a better way. With digital you are always on edge as a storage media.

The biggest headache with this camera is that the files, once imported into PC by the DVD MOVIE ALBUM SOFTWARE are in MPEG II format and not all video editing programs can work with it. I use Cyberlinks Power Director 4, simple but fairly quick and just as efficient as Adobe Premiere Pro for most uses. BUT the program seems sensitive and sometimes it will give errors before you get it to do its job right. Mind you, it is much better than Pinnacle's Studio 9 which I was unable to run most of the time and takes many hours of rendering (making the final DVD). I tried it in several computers. For me it is the "pinnacle" of c--ppy product.

I am considering buying a second camera and will probably be Hitachi or Panasonic (I believe they are same outfit). I belive also I will stick with the mini DVD RAM, -R formats. Sony, etc. does not read DVD RAM (RAM disks are stronger and allow hundreds of record-erase cycles). If possible, I will buy one with properly cartridged disks not the flimsy stuff I have.

BUT BEFORE YOU BUY. ASK PEOPLE YOU SEE WITH A CAMERA ON THE STREET what THINGS THEY LIKE OR DISLIKE. PEOPLE ARE HAPPY TO TALK, (IT IS A LONELY WORLD). Some people are more in love with their gadgets than with wives or girlfriends and will prefer to die than to admit they made a mistake or got taken, but many others, fortunately have their heads in better shape... and will give you a balanced opinion. IF YOUR USE IS LIKE MINE, PROFESSIONAL BUT DO NOT NEED THE HIGHEST PICTURE AND SOUND QUALITY,THEN ASK TRAINERS, INVESTIGATORS, POLICE, ETC, AND OTHERS WHO USE CAMERAS A LOT BUT DO NOT WISH TO LUG AROUND THE MUCH LARGER PROFESSIONAL CAMERAS NOR DO THEY NEED TOP PICTURE OR SOUND. just drop into their offices and ask. Avoid the artsy video people, o them anything not used to shoot nikole kidman movies is unworthy of manufacture. MY CAMERA also FITS IN MY POCKET.

victor