CF Card recording
 

Anyone else out there find that using the CF card attachment a bit of a pain?

Obviously I like to record without using tape, but having to hit record from the back of the camera is a bit annoying. Anyone try to attach the remote near your thumb when holding the camera? Thought that might be an inventive way of making it more user friendly.

Also, are the Sandisk Extreme IV's good enough for High def recording at 45 mb/ sec? Been seeing "genuine" 16 GB ones on Ebay for less than $300.

Geoff, I think one of us is missing something here. If you have it set up properly, the MRC1 will start recording when you hit the record button on the lens grip or the record button up on the handle. Why are you having to use the record button on the MRC1? If I understand what you are saying or am I missing your point?

Geoff,
It's possible to set up the camera so that the REC START/STOP button controls the Tape, CF card, or both at the same time. There is no need to trigger the recording from the MRU directly. That would be a huge pain in the @!$#%! I can't remember off the top of my head how to set it up, but it's one of the things covered in my Z7U training DVD. Vortex Media: VIDEO & PHOTO Tools and Training

You have to set up the camcorder to record external only, should be in the menu and CF recorder should be in synchronous mode.

Jun

1) Enter “Menu” at MRC1 unit.
2) Select “Setting” in the menu and enter
3) Select the “CAM LINK SEL” and enter.
4) Select “SYNCHRO” and enter (NOT Follow)
5) Enter “Menu” to get out of “menu”

On the camera go into Menu
IN/OUT REC
EXT REC CTL
REC CTL MODE

Change to Synchronous or Relay

Thanks guys, glad to know there's a simple solution. Sorry I overlooked it.

One other thing...do you find there is any significant battery drain compared to tape recording and running the CF unit?

Geoff, I have used a Sandisk Extreme III without any problems, so far. It records without any hiccups so it is fast enough. Obviously, the Extreme IV should be just fine.

I don't think the MCR1 uses any significant battery power. I have been playing with the MRC1 off of the camera a lot and I am powering it with a 10 year old Sony NP-720 non-Infolithium battery and I am still on the original charge.

Greg - good to know. I film a lot of weddings and the last thing I want is for the card to hiccup or drop out. Might be good to film on tape and card for awhile til I feel secure in it.

Read the manual until you know it forwards and backwards.

Bruce

CF Card Recording
 

I filmed a long musical show simultaneously on tape and MRC 1 (thank God) then converted my HDV files recorded on MRC 1 via clipwrap to quicktime files.

When the QT files are imported into Final Cut v6.05 - where each file joins, there is a problem - picture break-up pixillation and some discontinuity (a few frames of action missing) at each join.

I recently did a similar job filmed on DV (not HDV) with no such problems. Can anyone offer an explanation why this should have happened?
Thanks
Harley

Did you use the Sony file utility software to offload the clips from the unit to your computer? If you don't, there will be a glitch in HDV files when they go over the 4GB FAT32 filesize limit.

Not an issue for DV because of the way the files are encoded, I believe (interframe vs intraframe)

Doesn't seem to be a Mac version, alas, but the software for PC plus a description of what it's doing is available at:

Sony : Sony Recording Unit Utility Software : United Kingdom

Hope that helps.

Regards
Dave

Thanks for the information David.
I thought Clipwrap would have sorted this out.
I can't believe that Sony are neglecting mac users by not supplying software for import into an established edit programme like Final Cut!

The Sony site for the utility has a download for PC and a download for Mac. So it would seem that Sony is trying to support Mac users.

Yeah, Sony stepped up to the plate w/ FCP by offering the free plugin. I really think it should have been Apple's job, but that is just me.

Clipwrap is nice b/c you can run it (now) w/o FCP. Also, Clipwrap makes it so you can import off the CF card if you only have FCE, since FCE doesn't have all the import / log / capture options that FCP has.

Granted non of these are as nice as taking footage off a P2 or SxS card, but the cost of the CF card I think makes up for it.

I'm hoping the next version of FCS has ever better support for all the tapeless options there are out there.

For me, I have almost ALWAYS run a tape the same time that I've been using a CF card, but I have had so few problems w/ the CF card that I'm thinking I might start shooting only onto CF.