HD Camcorder competition

decided to step up and get a sony HD camcorder
however which to choose!
the HDR SR1 is expensive and it seems to be lacking some of the features of the newer HDR sr5
hdr sr5http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/_wbr_INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=HDRSR5&Dept=cameras&CategoryName= dcc_DICamcorders_HighDefinitionVideo


this is the hrd sr1
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/_wbr_INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=HDRSR1&Dept=cameras&CategoryName= dcc_DICamcorders_HighDefinitionVideo

just picked up a HDR sr7, Pretty impressed, had the 5 for about a day adn decided to switch up to the 7!

Is AVCHD supported by the major software vendors yet? (I don't think it is) If not I'd look at either the HC5 or HC7

AVCHD isn't supported by Final Cut yet (that's all I know) and from what I've read it's a more efficient codec then HDV but uses way more compression. HDV is marginal at best for hi motion I guess I'd want to see some footage.

I'd take a look at the new Canons as well HV10 & HV20. There is a fair amount of HV10 video intercut in with HVX200 footage on my video that's been here on WW for a while. If you shoot HDV right you can get decent motion footage before it falls apart. However when it goes it's gone! That is just the nature of HDV however whether it's shot on a consumer cam or a pro cam.

AVCHD is a no-no right now. Not much support.

i'm sorry, but i didn't understand any of that...

which one should i get though?

and can i make a dvd with the sr1? thanks

(Message edited by bbking on May 18, 2007)

Are you going to shoot wakeboarding with it primarily?

You can make a DVD from any content, I think Sony provides some rudimentary SW to get you to DVD with the AVCHD units but it only works on the PC and it's failrly feature poor.

As far as which one you should get I'd stick with the HDV model at this point.

they're both hdv i think...

I don't know much about the sonys' but if it's recording to an HDD it's not an HDV unit.

no, they're both HDD...

they currently have the 30GB SR1
then july 13 the HDR SR7 60GB
and the SR5 w/ 40GB

i'm just gonna wait for the SR5 because i think it'll be a good improvement (and a lot cheaper) than the SR1

all current cameras
http://www.learningcenter.sony.us/assets/di/showcase/index_handycam.php#/handycam/home?viewall=1

all hi-def cameras coming out soon and out now
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start?CategoryName=dcc_DICamcorders_HighDefinition Video&Dept=cameras

The HC series are HDV format and the SR series are AVCHD. I'm talking about the recording format not the medium recorded to. Like I said if you get a hard disk based unit it's AVCHD.

ryan they dont have the sr7s out yet...

Thanks, i was just reading your post again and noticed im a Idiot, Its the HC7 that i got, I thought the sr did seem funny. Mines the none hard drive version. After having the 5 the few extra dollars for the 7 is worth the money. I would have to look and seem if the features are the same but my HC7 has better focus options than the 5 does.

Brett, If you still havent purchased anything in a couple of weeks. I will send you some wakeboarding footage. My boat has been in the shop and wont have it back till this weeekend. But plan on some filming and boarding this weekend. Hopefully i can post some of the footage for ya, im curious how it does as well.

I have shot some random things in HD and they look great, litte hard for me to edit(newbie) but look pretty good!

I just finished shooting an entire skimboarding video with 2 HC1s' and IMO the quality is much better then the last one shot on (much more expensive) 3CCD cameras.

sean, can you explain me what a CCD camera is?

and i'd love to see some footage ryan!!!

http://www.dealsnatch.com/prod.asp?id=1170&mn=3
what about this deal... its $730... or should i just get the sr5

thanks!