[ctcrm]

What accessories would you consider purchasing for your Sony handycam ideally the HC7-HC5 and were would you get them from?

Paul

[redsox_mark]

In no particular order (the order of priority depends on our own usage);

- tripod
- monopod
- video light
- external mic
- UV filter, and/or other filters
- Battery charger (so you don't need to tie up the camcorder when charging)
- case
- wide angle converter

I have all of these except for the wide angle converter, which is on my wish list... I got them from various places; for most of them searching the web for the best price.

[felix2]

Pleased to hear you've got your new cam!

Very similar list from me What I've got:

- Memory Stick Pro Duo 256MB (for the stills, which I still haven't downloaded to look at yet) (from ebuyer)
- Spare battery NP-FH70 (from Amazon)
- Sony Premium mini-DV tapes (from Amazon)
- Lowepro All-Weather soft case (Amazon)
- Tripod (Jessops TP323, works very nicely for me, but paying more for one with fluid-filled pan/tilt might be worth it)
- Monopod (Velbon UP-4DX ii, I'll probably take this almost everywhere, as it's good for getting rid of the worst of the handheld shake, got it online from Wokingham Photographic)
- Various mics which I already had anyway (haven't tried the mic input on my HC7 just yet) - Shure SM58 vocal mic (bit OTT for most video stuff but lovely for interviews, with foam windshield), Vivitar condenser video mic (from ebay, very nice, with fluffy windshield, also from ebay), and Hama tie-clip mic (does the job, from Amazon)
- Headphones which I had anyway (won in a competition years ago!)
- Video light which I had anyway (Jessops 10W with rechargeable battery), and a shoe bracket to attach it to (via the tripod fixing on the bottom of the cam)
- LANC controller (Sony RM-VD1, just because I saw them on ebay at a good price from the USA recently)
- Rain cover (an old Sony big camera cover I got for about £3 on ebay, but can occasionally come in handy)

Other things I haven't got (yet?):
- UV / polarising filter
- High grade wide angle lens converter (I've got a cheap-ish clip-on one, which I haven't tried yet with the HC7, guess it should look OK in standard def mode)
- HDMI cable (I haven't got a HDTV!)
- LCD screen protectors (not convinced they're a good idea after all anyway)
- Lens hood
- "Underwater Sports pack" if you're planning on filming at the beach often

[ctcrm]

thanks for all the above.

I was a litlle bit dissapointed that didnt include a memory stick of some sort but then again i they dont include any tapes either... Speaking of which after looking around on here i ordered some of the sony premium ones from ebay for a decent price. Is there any point in getting the hdv tapes at 4 times the price?

Ive got a bit of a cheepo tripod (again from ebay) so the monopod sounds like a good addition for me as does the battery and charger, ive bough cheep batteries from ebay before for my stills camera and been faily impressed with them, the sony ones are extremely more expensive so i dont know whether this is because they really are better or just sony cashing in?

I'd be very keen to get a few mics, do they have to be a certain type to work, where you you get a cheep radio mike?

Do the lens filters just screw in and do they need an adaptor with it being wide angle ?

I'v looked on ebay for hoods but didnt see anything that seemed appropriate.

Cheers.

[felix2]

Originally Posted by ctcrm

Is there any point in getting the hdv tapes at 4 times the price?

The general consensus is, in general, no. Being a digital signal, there's no difference in the quality of what's recorded. But the HDV tapes are made to a higher spec, so in theory for really important stuff they might be 'lower risk' for 'drop-outs' (very occasional missing 1/2-second or so periods of corrupted data stream on the tape, i.e 1/2-second of missing video)

Originally Posted by ctcrm

the monopod sounds like a good addition for me as does the battery and charger, ive bough cheep batteries from ebay before for my stills camera and been faily impressed with them, the sony ones are extremely more expensive so i dont know whether this is because they really are better or just sony cashing in?

Personally I just use the cam for charging rather than a separate charger (depends how you use it), but a spare battery is IMHO pretty essential! Sony are renowned for their proprietory systems, and the batteries on their latest camcorders are a very good (i.e. bad) example... They build in technology to ensure that the cam won't work with non-Sony batteries. I'm sure they claim that is to make sure that the cam won't get damaged by inferior batteries and you only get the best operation from the battery. On previous models, the non-Sony brands have overcome the technology and trusted names seem to work fine. But so far on the H series batteries (which the HC7 uses), the only non-Sony batteries I've seen have to be connected via a little cable into the power socket (and I gather work fine like that), rather than directly through the battery terminals. Bah humbug. You pays yer money and takes yer choice.

Originally Posted by ctcrm

I'd be very keen to get a few mics, do they have to be a certain type to work, where you you get a cheep radio mike?

Most mics will generally plug into the 3.5mm stereo mini-jack socket OK. But many mics are obviously mono and may possibly need a mono-to-stereo adaptor(very easy to make, probably available on ebay etc). Radio mics aren't particularly cheap (possibly £100+ for something reasonably decent, unless someone else can recommend something?), my clip mic (about £15) is a cabled one.

[redsox_mark]

Felix2,

How is the Sony LANC control? I have a cheap Jessops own brand one, which is OK just... the main thing I want the Lanc for is the zoom control, the Jessops one has 2 speeds - click once for slow, twice for very fast. The problem is you have to be very careful not to double-click accidently.

[ctcrm]

has anyone tried on of these ?

Sony ECM HGZ1 Microphone

[felix2]

Originally Posted by redsox_mark

Felix2,

How is the Sony LANC control? I have a cheap Jessops own brand one, which is OK just... the main thing I want the Lanc for is the zoom control, the Jessops one has 2 speeds - click once for slow, twice for very fast. The problem is you have to be very careful not to double-click accidently.

The Sony RM-VD1 is very solid (& very small), has a clip to attach it to a tripod handle, and even comes with its own little cloth carrying bag! The only functions it has are zoom, recording start/stop, and still photo. The zoom is also only 2 speeds, but you press down normally for slow, and press hard (an extra click, hard to do accidentally) for very fast. I don't think it's a groundbreaking device but it gives the impression it would do the zoom speed you want (out of the choice of 2!) very reliably.

Giles.

[senu]

All very intersting stuff..

Just to add a word or 3 : Cheap tripods will soon get replaced unless you dont use one much. unlike digital still photgraphy, tripods for video can let you down badly if they are C**P.
.
I know ....I have a few tripods in the loft which come out only if I happen to be doing a multi camera shoot and one camcoreder is relatively stationary
Good mics are expensive too but sometimes cheap ones used within tier limitations can give suprising far better than onboard performance.
Saying that, audio can be "tidied" up in PP and often is even where pro grade kit is used so I wouldnt fuss too much about getting "the best" upfront. Knowing what you need can come with time

[felix2]

Originally Posted by senu

Cheap tripods will soon get replaced unless you dont use one much.

I agree. I've just been quite pleasantly surprised by the relatively decent performance and reliability of my Jessops tripod (around £35 - more than the really cheap ones, cheaper than some better ones) for small cams over the last 5 years, even after its legs getting submerged in the North Sea briefly!

[ctcrm]

forgive me for asking but will any hotshoe mic fit onto the sony hotshoe slot ?

[rhubarbe]

No, it won't. You need a proprietary Sony AIS mic. These are specifically for Sony Handycams with the Active Interface Shoe (AIS).

[ctcrm]

cheers rhubarbe, think i might snap off the base of an old sony one and selotape something half decent to it !
LOL

[rhubarbe]

Like a sort of lukewarm shoe, then?

[ctcrm]

I can say that the sony ones come anywhere near lukewarm !

[rhubarbe]

Oh, don't say that. I just bought an HDR-HC1e......

[redsox_mark]

Originally Posted by rhubarbe

No, it won't. You need a proprietary Sony AIS mic. These are specifically for Sony Handycams with the Active Interface Shoe (AIS).

One of these will turn that AIS shoe into a standard cold shoe
http://www.keene.co.uk/electronics/multi.php?mycode=SSA

It says for HC1 but it will work on any AIS shoe.

[ctcrm]

Thanks for the heads up, I just found one on ebay for 22 quid, seems a bit expensive for a chunk of metal but i suppose its cheaper than snapping off an old sony mic !