Need help on stolen camcorder replacement

[russe07624]

Hi,

I recently got my camcorder stolen after a break in. It was purchased in 2001 and was pretty much top of the line a Sony DCR-PC110. It cost me over £1000. The insurance company are giving me only £500 as a replacement sum. Forgetting that, what would be the best replacement camcorder for me.
I have a stack of mini-dv SD footage (still only on tape). Would i be better getting a HDV camcorder like Canon-HV40 or Sony HC9 even though they are discontinued now? Are HDV tapes different to Mini-DV ones. Are they easily available? Or would I be better move over to a flash based camcorder which is the other standard AVxxx or whatever?
How could I get my footage off my mini dv tapes then?

Any help or suggestions appreciated.

 

[russe07624]

81 views and no opinions???

 

[senu]

81 views and no opinions???

Sorry

 

[senu]

Hi,

I recently got my camcorder stolen after a break in. It was purchased in 2001 and was pretty much top of the line a Sony DCR-PC110. It cost me over £1000. The insurance company are giving me only £500 as a replacement sum. Forgetting that, what would be the best replacement camcorder for me.
I have a stack of mini-dv SD footage (still only on tape). Would i be better getting a HDV camcorder like Canon-HV40 or Sony HC9 even though they are discontinued now?

Yes and you could get one for that money I would hope

Are HDV tapes different to Mini-DV ones

No they are essentially the same tape but there are specially formulated HDV ones which Ive never bothered with the as infact standard MiniDv tapes are more that adequate for HDV capture

. Are they easily available? Or would I be better move over to a flash based camcorder which is the other standard AVxxx or whatever?

If you wish to the AVCHD camcorders are the " now" Camcorders , and have become fairly standard ( at least in the domestic consumer market
Tape is on its " way out" albeit slowly.
Saying that there is still a large body of users ( wedding /event videographer ) who use tape:
I went to 3 weddings in South London , Surrey in the last month and the official video men ( and myself just getting video "snashots") had MiniDv /HDV models. The software and hardware for editing and outputting tape is well entrenched and the wide user base will keep it going for a while yet but newer models simply are not happening on the consumer level

How could I get my footage off my mini dv tapes then?

You could buy any cheap MiniDV camcorder and
Keep it
or use it to transfer your footage to PC or HDDs ( you'll need to compress as 13Gb/hr is a lot to store ) then sell it off
or
Get the likes of HV30/40, knowing that although far from dead as a format, , it wouldn't be the newest on the block
The video from them can be impressive though and they will record and playback SD fine

You could also " borrow "one, make DVDs off your footage on a settop DVD recorder and keep your discs carefully
If you have many tapes. Its worth having some kind of device to access the video on them and any cheap and cheerful MiniDV will b able to do that if you don't want to get an HDV model