Anyone used the Everio GZ-HD30 or GZ-HD40 yet?
 

I'm looking at the Everio HD30/40 cameras for a stereoscopic application because of the 1080p60 live output and slim 71mm width.

However I have a few questions:

- can the HDMI simultaneously output 1080p60 while the AV port outputs downconverted NTSC (16x9) ?

- is there a way to turn off the auto-on/off feature of the flip out LCD?

- if the LCD must be open for the camera to be turned on then can the LCD be fully flipped out, around, and then put back in place while the camera stays on? Is there a physical sensor switch that could be disabled?

- is there a focus readout on the display when using manual focus? How about manual exposure?

- are the mpeg2 files written to the hard drive as m2t or tod?

Thanks

Did you ever get an answer to your questions?

Not specifically but I've been doing a bit of extra research on my own. I'm still looking for answers on some aspects that require hands-on experience. Can you shed some light?

No I don't have one with me. I want to know about the camera as well, but I am not sure how popular it is.
I wanted to know if there is a way to capture DV instead of HD on the drive...

can the HDMI simultaneously output 1080p60 while the AV port outputs downconverted NTSC (16x9) ?
Although I havn't tested this, I'd imagine that it would not, however if I get a chance i'll try it out for you. However.. why would you want to do that?

- is there a way to turn off the auto-on/off feature of the flip out LCD?
No, you can't turn it off, that is what turns the camera on. However you can open up the screen and turn the camera off via the power switch located on the side of the camera. You can also disable the 'standby' mode the camera goes in to when you close the LCD screen, meaning insted of going in to standby, it shuts down the camera completley.

- if the LCD must be open for the camera to be turned on then can the LCD be fully flipped out, around, and then put back in place while the camera stays on? Is there a physical sensor switch that could be disabled?
The camera stays on and you are still able to use all functions on the camera.

- is there a focus readout on the display when using manual focus? How about manual exposure?
You can use the 'focus assist' function which outlines what's in focus in green/red/or blue, so that you can see what is in focus, there is only a small visual at the bottom that points to either close up, or far away.
Edit: There is also aperture & shutter priority settings to control exposure, as well as zebra function to monitor it.

- are the mpeg2 files written to the hard drive as m2t or tod?
.tod, as always :)

Hope that helps a bit :)