Pre-record?
 

Am I correct that these cameras do not have pre-record?

Not at present, but possible with a future update?

Does anyone know if that is possible or likely?

Not at present but it might be possible with a firmware upgrade (break out another $100). Note that the JVC XDCAM EX cameras (HM100, HM700) support 2.9 seconds NTSC and 3.0 seconds PAL pre record.

If you look at EX files there's metadata for a record cache set to "false" so obviously Sony's been considering it from the get go.

I'd like to see this feature, although this is less of an issue compared to the 3-8 seconds needed by my Sony Z1.

how does it help?

When your subject is unpredictable--wildlife, glaciers etc. you can start recording BEFORE you hit record--seems to be about 3 seconds in HD modes. (The camera continuously records 3 seconds in a loop and then throws them away those 3 seconds until you hit the record button. There is always 3 seconds in a buffer.)

Pre-record helps when you're doing "actuality" coverage. For example I'll be standing by all day with the camera powered up. When a fish strikes, I hit the record button and catch a few seconds before the reel starts to scream.

Or if you're shooting storms and want to get that lightning bolt. Just wait until you see the flash, then hit record: you'll get a few seconds before the lightning actually goes off without having to constantly roll camera and capture a lot of unwanted footage.

It's a feature I'd be willing to pay $100 to get. I would like a 7-second buffer, not a 3-second buffer. But 3 seconds is better than nothing.

Oh I see. Yea that would be very useful.. Out at the dunes I am always missing something cool by only a few moments..

Now that I know what it is... why on earth would we be limited in how long it loops? Shouldn't we be able to set the length in the menu and have it record to the SCHD card for example, a 30 second loop if I wanted it? Seems odd to even limit that at all. More like you hit the record button just to stop the loop..You could be sitting back relaxing with a cool drink. :)

Yeah, you'd think so, wouldn't you? My only guess is that uses internal, not card, memory to perform the magic. Panny lets you do a continuous record over two cards (looping back to the first) but restricts you to 3 second pre-rec. The new JVC seems to have the same limitation.

Hey Sony, are you reading this?

The one feature I miss dearly from my Panny HVX200 days was not just the pre-record, but the ability to loop record over the two P2 cards.

You could just record and record ad infinitum and the camera would use whatever space was on the two cards. Once it used up the free space, it would overwrite the early footage (but not any previous clips that were already on the cards when you started loop-record).

This was SO useful if you were waiting for a certain thing to happen (lightning, animals etc etc).

I really wish Sony would take the trouble to make this available to us.