Cheap minidv cameras for decks
 

I just bought a DVX100a and I would rather not use it to capture and I don't have $900 to pay for a dv deck, so I was thinking of buying a cheap minidv camera to act as a deck. So I was just wondering if the quality will suffer when using a cheap camera as opposed to my dvx100a or a high quality deck? Anybody have any experiences using cheap cameras to capture?

Thanks

Will quality suffer? No.

Lots of people here use cheap cameras to capture. I'd probably get something like an Optura 20 or Panasonic GS70/120/150. Top loading, analog-digital passthrough (if I remember correctly), great bang for the buck in terms of image quality if you need a second camera.
There are some new Optura 20s on eBay for around $400 (although eBay can be sketchy sometimes; know what you're doing).

2- AN old Samsung camera I had (SCD55 I think) was fairly unresponsive to deck control (the computer program controlling the camera). It was a pain. I'd avoid Samsung anyways, because their cameras aren't all that great. Presumably their new cameras will have decent deck control?

DVC80 user
 

Matt,

I shoot with a DVC80 and use my old PV-DV100 as a capture/export deck. No problems at all, but a dedicated deck will rewind and fast-forward more quickly then a camcorder. Also, you can't scrub on a camcorder, but that's not a day-to-day need I have anyway. Find a broken camcorder with dead optics on eBay for $100, and your DVX can rest in its case when not shooting.