Railfan Technology > Camcorder

I'm looking to purchase a new camcorder to replace my ailing Sony FX1, are there any of the current crop of camcorders have the "firewire" jacks?

Or is there such a thing as a firewire to HDMI cable or adapter.
Ed K. cp Laurel Run

Don't know of a camera that outputs Firewire, but ... what do you have on the other end which needs Firewire? Final Cut 6 or 7, maybe? When I changed to a newer (SD card) camera, I used Final Cut X to read the video off the SD card, then exported the "footage" to a DV file and edited it in FC6.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/16 10:00 by clem.

clem Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't know of a camera that outputs Firewire, but
> ... what do you have on the other end which needs
> Firewire? Final Cut 6 or 7, maybe? When I changed
> to a newer (SD card) camera, I used Final Cut X to
> read the video off the SD card, then exported the
> "footage" to a DV file and edited it in FC6.

I use a Macro System Casablanca Prestiege stand alone video editor which has "Firewire" plus RCA jacks.
Ed K.

I've been using a Canon XA10 and love it. No Firewire but downloads directly into computer for editing via USB. Using CyberLink Power Director for editing. It's everything I need for producing documentaries and hobby footage. Have used top of line pro gear when employed by ABC TV neetwork in news business. Todays equipment is absolutely amazing. - Dan

m1bprr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I use a Macro System Casablanca Prestiege stand
> alone video editor which has "Firewire" plus RCA
> jacks.
> Ed K.

Majority of recently-released camcorders don't have FireWire (IEEE 1394) interface anymore, because they use flash media instead of DV tape. Advances in imbedded compression algorithms have allowed for HD video of similar quality taking less space (and less bandwidth) so fast transfers of video clips (using USB 2.0+ instead of FireWire) is now possible... or just remove the flash card from the camcorder and plug into the PC/Mac and copy the clips directly.

For the uninformed, FireWire was the preferred way to transfer video clips from DV tapes to the video editing platform, whether it was a PC/Mac or a stand-alone system like the Casablanca Prestige.

Why not look for another Sony FX-1? The camcorder is HD capable, so unless you absolutely need a 4K camcorder, there's no need to buy the latest and greatest. A quick look on the Internet says there are good number of them available secondhand. Besides, quick look at the spec says the FX-1 has CCD sensors, so you don't have to deal with modern camcorders' CMOS sensor "rolling shutter" distortion.

Otherwise, you're looking at abandoning FireWire and your Macro System platform, and learning a new workflow all over.

Hi Ed

you probably want a breakout box like this one,  they are no longer made but are great pieces of gear

https://www.ebay.com/itm/221887152205

hopefilly the link makes it past the censors


Dave

video7105 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi Ed
>
> you probably want a breakout box like this one,
>  they are no longer made but are great pieces of
> gear
>
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/221887152205

I'm not sure if that will work for him.  I believe that's designed to be used with an Apple computer running Final Cut Pro, not his stand alone editor.  I would do some further research before purchasing that kind of device.

What cchan006 said is pretty much spot on.  Firewire (IEEE 1394) has disappeared from today's camcorders because it was used with DV tape (and HDV like your FX-1).  As tape was replaced by hard drive and solid state memory recording, USB became the transfer method for camcorders.  You will not find a single camcorder nowadays with a firewire port.  Likewise you can't buy a new Mac computer with firewire either.  If you like your FX-1, I would also suggest picking up one on the used market.  I bought a replacement for my ailing FX-7 about a month ago, for less than 1/4 of what it went for new.  The Sony HDV tape camcorders in the FX series (FX-1, FX-7, and FX-1000) can be found for very good prices now and while not the latest and greatest, they still do a very good job.  And the prices on all tape based used camcorders are very low now whether it's a Sony, Canon, etc.

-James
http://www.steamtrainvideos.com

Your Prestige (and my Kron) are dinosaurs.

There are two ways you can go forward with MacroSystem and a new camera:

Find a used Topaz / S6000 / Karat - you can upload footage direct from SD cards

or

You can edit with the Bogart for Windows on your PC,

http://mcnallysplugandplay.us/shopping/start.php?browse=1&cat=15&=SID

I faced the same issue last year when my last PD170 went south. 

(there's actually a third way: composite out of the new camera into the Prestige,
but no telling what your footage might look like)
 

Robert Pierce
Sugar Land, TX
SWRails.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/16 19:23 by TexBob.

Many thanks to all for the help, looks like I'll be getting the FX1 overhauled.
Ed K. cp Laurel Run

I should note that I was underwhelmed by Precision Camera/Precision Repair Service, "the ONLY Autorized Repair Facility for all models of SONY Digitan and Video Cameras." They quoted me a flat rate for out-of-warrnty repair of the transport mechanism on my HDR-HC9 (same transport mechanism as the FX1, I believe). I sent them the camera. Got it back super-fast, but with a note that repair parts were unavaiable. I wonder how they happened to run out of spare SONY transport mechanisms. Maybe they went through a bunch of them. :-) Anyway, a waste of time and a waste of shipping cost.

Six weeks later I got an email which began

:
Dear CLEMENT,

Our records indicate that you’ve recently had your Sony® product, HDRHC9, repaired with us and we want to hear how your service experience went.

Well, at least I got the satisfaction of telling them how it went. :-) They seemed to be blissfully unaware that the product hasd *not* been repaired. Running out of spare parts about six years after the product was intoduced? That was my last SONY camera. Still have a working HDR-FX1 though. I no longer shoot with it, but I'm keeping it for the working transport mechanism. As another aside, HDV cameras can't quite do full HD (1920x1080 pixels) because there isn't enough bandwidth to the tape. They acutally do 1440x1080 pixels of black and white information (luminance). The color information (chroma) is even coarser, 720x540, using a technique known as "chroma subsampling." The manufacturers weren't trying to cheat us, they were just trying to do their best with a tape mechanism which wasn't really designed for HD.
 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/16 08:04 by clem.