Awesome news for canon users

[Steve Sobodos]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

Steve, I noticed that your viewfinder becomes unusable in this set-up, no? Do you only use it in combination with your lcd and a tripod or also when handheld? With your setup you also might have the possibility to extend the recorder on the right side of your camera so you still could use the viewfinder.

Yes, I do not use my viewfinder on tripod or monopod. I do not hand hold so my mount would not work very well if I did. I would just use my "extended" shoe on top of the camera instead if I needed the viewfinder.

Rycote | 037303 Hot Shoe Extension | 037303 | B&H Photo Video

[Andrew Dryden]

Hi guys. Just read through all the posts about this device and really like what I read. It sounds like the program cited about will alleviate the 4gb max clip issues. What about tape changes? Will it patch together two files that are split by a tape change when you rehit the record button? If this doesn't make sense what I mean is...
1. You are recording to CF and tape.
2. Tape fills up...you leave CF recording.
3. Eject tape, put in new tape.
4. Hit record so that CF continues recording and tape starts recording.

From reading the posts this work sequence previously would cause dropped frames at step 4...will using Sony's little program fix this?
Andy

[Ken Ross]

Originally Posted by Mark Fry

Looking at footage from my XH-A1 and a friend's Sony FX1 (same optics at the Z1) on the same monitor, the Canon's image is slightly sharper both for moving and static subjects. The FX1000/Z5 is supposed to be an improvement on the older models in this respect, but I've not seen any footage yet. There are two possible sources of improvement:
1) better lens;
2) better MPEG2 encoding.
If the Sony image is now as good as the Canon (can anyone else comment?) then it's down to which one feels better to operate, whether the Sony is worth the extra cash (it's about 20% more in the UK IIRC) and whether you think CMOS chips (Sony) are good, bad or indifferent.

HTH

Mark, I had the FX1 and now have the Z5. The Z5 is much sharper with greater detail. The overall picture on the Z5 is significantly better. I've never done an A/B with the Z5 and the Canon, but using the Z5 with the CF recorder attached is a dream. As you probably know it fits flush with the cam body and feeds right off of the Z5's battery. It's just fantastic to use and the results can be played back immediately via the HDMI output of the Z5.

[Darin Clifton]

Originally Posted by Evan C. King

For anyone wanting to know the exact process of making it work with the A1 here it is:

So record to card only this is my process:
- In the A1's menu so "System Setup ---> DVControl ON"
- Connect the firewire cable between the A1 and the MRC1K
- Turn on the MRC1K throw in your CF card (it won't let you get to the MRC1K's menu without a card in it) and go press the MENU button
- Now go "SETTING ----> CAMLINK SEL"
- Choose "SYNCHRO"
- Now on the A1 you should see a green box next to "DVCONTROL"
- Your now able to control the recording with the A1's record buttons and don't need to shoot tape at the same time

That's all there is to it. Once it's set once you don't need to do it again. Just connect the two and turn the MRC1K and you're ready to go.
I may to a little youtube vid about it or something.

OK- what if this doesn't work. I can't get to see my A1- it thinks when i turn it on it's connected to a pc. A couple of times it actually recorded when i turned my cam on then the mrc. I couldn't get it to record in Dv... only HDV. I'd like to record HDV to tape & DV to card for a project I have coming up in 10 days ! DV control on cam set to on , MRC set to synchro , (cache mode) , I Get the GREEN BOX next to DV control , when I press record on my cam - the green light on dv goes red then back to green - does not record. Cam is recording as usual.

Pullin my hair out !!! Please Help !!

[Bill Busby]

Originally Posted by Darin Clifton

OK- I couldn't get it to record in Dv... only HDV. I'd like to record HDV to tape & DV to card for a project I have coming up in 10 days ! DV control on cam set to on , MRC set to synchro , (cache mode) , I Get the GREEN BOX next to DV control , when I press record on my cam - the green light on dv goes red then back to green - does not record. Cam is recording as usual.

I don't own the MRC unit, nor do I plan on it anytime soon, but perhaps you need to check the A1's menu SIGNAL SETUP settings & make sure it's set for the signal you want to go to tape. On that note though... unless the MRC unit has the ability to downconvert on the fly, I don't see how you can record two separate formats at the same time.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Bill Busby

unless the MRC unit has the ability to downconvert on the fly, I don't see how you can record two separate formats at the same time.

Thinking the same here, you can record in dv or hdv with the canon were the downconverting is done by the camera for dv but it can't process hdv and dv simultaneously to 2 different sources. You"ll stuck with either dv or hdv I'm afraid.

[Ken Ross]

Originally Posted by Bill Busby

On that note though... unless the MRC unit has the ability to downconvert on the fly, I don't see how you can record two separate formats at the same time.

I don't know what the Canon's capabilities are Bill, but in actuality, with the Sony Z5, you can record in HDV to tape and simultaneously record SD DV on the MRC unit. The Z5 does the downcoversion on the fly to the CF recorder.

[Darin Clifton]

I got to thinking last night - maybe the A1 will only down-convert during playback. It may send via firewire the same signal that is being recorded - with no option to convert in record mode. It (mrc1) records when I select HDV - but not when I select DV when the cam is in HDV mode. Anyone notice similar situations that has one ?

[Bill Busby]

Originally Posted by Ken Ross

I don't know what the Canon's capabilities are Bill, but in actuality, with the Sony Z5, you can record in HDV to tape and simultaneously record SD DV on the MRC unit. The Z5 does the downcoversion on the fly to the CF recorder.

Originally Posted by Darin Clifton

I got to thinking last night - maybe the A1 will only down-convert during playback. It may send via firewire the same signal that is being recorded - with no option to convert in record mode. It (mrc1) records when I select HDV - but not when I select DV when the cam is in HDV mode. Anyone notice similar situations that has one ?

Ken and Darin, that's basically my point. The A1 wasn't designed with this type of external recorder in mind and for this type of scenario to work, the MRC would have to be able to do the downconvert via the firewire connection. Regarding the Z5 Ken mentions, maybe the MRC is connected through some other connection built in to the docking mount that has separate circuitry and doesn't need firewire so the Z5 can determine this. If it IS firewire dependent I don't see any other way other than the MRC unit playing the downconvert role.

[Darin Clifton]

OK- if the MRC will only record in the same standard as the A1 - I can deal with that ( just don't remember reading that anywhere) What I can't deal with is a $1,000 investment that won't even do that when I ask it to.
I turn on my camera , turn on the MRC1, get the green light on DV control , press the record button on the cam - camera records normally , DV green goes red for 1 second- then back to green , MRC does nothing - no cache mode icon in the display. Twice out of Ten times - they have "hooked up" and recorded ( and I had the cache mode icon on the MRC display) . I basicaly left the MRC on and turned the camera off & on about 3-4 times ; they finally found each other. The MRC won't even record by itself when I press the record buttons manually. 1 second on- back off.

I someone KNOWS - PLEASE tell me what I'm doing wrong.

[Darin Clifton]

After further tinkering.... the MRC will only record what the cam sees ( HDV - or- DV ) - it won't do "Hybrid" recording like it should with a Sony camera. For Me - The DV mode appears to log clips without problems, the HDV mode however - in cache mode - will record the cache , then a few frames, drop a few frames , then record normally again.
Is this an experience that more of you have had - and maybe just a quirk of the Canon/Sony not being fully compatible - or is it just ME ?

[Ken Ross]

Originally Posted by Bill Busby

Ken and Darin, that's basically my point. The A1 wasn't designed with this type of external recorder in mind and for this type of scenario to work, the MRC would have to be able to do the downconvert via the firewire connection. Regarding the Z5 Ken mentions, maybe the MRC is connected through some other connection built in to the docking mount that has separate circuitry and doesn't need firewire so the Z5 can determine this. If it IS firewire dependent I don't see any other way other than the MRC unit playing the downconvert role.

Bill, I believe the docking mount on the Z5 simply serves as a convenient means of a firewire connection. Sony even goes so far as to mention that when using the MRC, the seperate firewire port is unavailable. I'm certain the MRC unit plays no role in the downconversion. If you think about it, there aren't even any menu items in the MRC unit that would even hint at that. On the other hand the Z5 does have these menu items (downcoversion, 16:9 or crop on downconversion etc).

[Lou Bruno]

I read someplace, somewhere, that there is a Synchro setting in this unit. Maybe someone can jump in here and help you.

Originally Posted by Darin Clifton

After further tinkering.... the MRC will only record what the cam sees ( HDV - or- DV ) - it won't do "Hybrid" recording like it should with a Sony camera. For Me - The DV mode appears to log clips without problems, the HDV mode however - in cache mode - will record the cache , then a few frames, drop a few frames , then record normally again.
Is this an experience that more of you have had - and maybe just a quirk of the Canon/Sony not being fully compatible - or is it just ME ?

[Richard Hunter]

I Just got my MRC1 yesterday, and I see exactly the same as what Darin describes. Normal mode works fine, but the cache mode causes a break between the cached video and the point where the start button was pressed. In fact there may even be frames missing from after the start point which is not very useful at all. I was shooting in 25F in case that makes a difference.

Lou, the synchro mode is used to make the MRC1 start and stop recording automatically when the camera's start button is pressed. I believe Darin must have this set already to see what he is seeing.

Richard

[Darin Clifton]

Summary....... I'm not happy with this CF recorder !

Synchro , cache, DV - flawless ( and seamless ) one clip , no pauses , no dropped frames !
Same settings - HDV ...... first 9 seconds of cache mode in one clip, 5 second gap , next clip starts about 1 second after record button is pressed. ( from a produced file converted to avi format ) Playback DIRECTLY from the MRC thru the A1 - cache mode is one clip - 2 second gap - second clip resumes recording.

If you only want to record in SD with your nice Canon HDV camera - it will probably work fine. If you'd really like to see your work in seamless HD - better keep looking.

This thing just doesn't act right with an A1 ! Half the time when I turn it on - it thinks it's connected to a PC !!

Me thinks it will find it's way back to B & H very soon. Maybe if I had a Z5 ...............it would work like it's supposed to ???