Log & Capture Mini dv Footage Cheap: Ideas?

[Brad DeCecco]

So I'm trying to figure out how to best log and capture 60 hours of tape shot on the dvx100a in 24p without buying a deck or wearing out the dvx heads. It has been suggested to use a cheap mini dv cam. The catch is this: It needs to support timecoding (which the super-cheap ones seem not to) and i have been told the Sony DCR-HC21 is best and cheapest. Any thoughts, suggestions or cheaper ideas?

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

Any miniDV device that's capable of outputting firewire will almost unavoidably output the timecode too - it'd actually be more work to dig it out of the DV frames than it would be just to send it. The device might not have a timecode display, though you could plug it into a computer running your NLE software of choice.

 

Having said that, there's nothing quite like owning a deck capable of playing back your footage. The convenience factor of not having to drag the camera out every time you want to run some VT is easy to underestimate. Personally I'd get something like a DSR-11.

 

Phil

[Brad DeCecco]

I'm not sure what you mean about the footage, but if it's possible, I'd definitely want to save the $1200 difference between a deck and a mini-dv cam. Is it possible for fcp5 to capture at true 24p (the dvx100a footage) through a non-24p device (like a sony handi-cam dcr-hc21)? Or is it only possible to capture interlaced? What are the options here? Thanks!

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

I believe the pulldown flag is embedded in the DV frames in the same way as the timecode. If I'm right, it'll all work out fine.

 

I'm not sure if I am right, though.

 

Phil

[Tim J Durham]

I'm not sure what you mean about the footage, but if it's possible, I'd definitely want to save the $1200 difference between a deck and a mini-dv cam. Is it possible for fcp5 to capture at true 24p (the dvx100a footage) through a non-24p device (like a sony handi-cam dcr-hc21)? Or is it only possible to capture interlaced? What are the options here? Thanks!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The footage coming out of your camera is still 60i even though you shot in 24p. The NLE will recognize the marked frames. This is dealt with in the FAQ, give it a read.

 

It is worth it to use your DVX to capture. I don't know the engineering involved, but it supposedly works better to capture with the camera you shot the footage with according to Paul Wheeler who wrote "Digital Cinematigraphy". He made that discovery half-way through a documentary he was making at the time. I have not tested this theory.

[Jaan Shenberger]

it doesn't matter what device the 24p footage is laying from, if you tell FCP that it's 24pa footage, then FCP will know how to handle it.

 

i'd suggest you just rent a deck over a weekend. it should be $100-$150.

[BillP]

I use my"cheapo" DCR-TRV33 mini-DV SONY camera as my deck.

 

I use it for DVX 24p footage all the time.

 

In fact, I'm currently cutting a short for a friend that was shot on the DVX.

I just finished logging 6 hours of footage.

 

Only problems were some tape dropouts, but those were there when I tried using a DSR-11 at work as well.

 

I agree with it being a pain to hook up the camera every time you want to edit.

But it works.

 

 

-BillP