Hi everybody.
I already have been lurking about here for quite some time.
and bought a DV-953 in Nov because of reading everyones comments here.
Now I would like a reasonable cheaper machine to function as a tape player.
Would getting a 853 be too much camera or just get a DV53
and call it good enough.
Thank you all, the DV-953 is a good little rig and I want it around for a while.
My last cam was a Sony TR-81 bought in 93 its still chugging along
Thanks Dave

Welcome, David. For a tape deck, just get an inexpensive miniDV cam.Would getting a 853 be too much camera or just get a DV53You mean the PV-DV852? Just get a DV53; but the PV-DV852 from B&H is a real steal right now. So, either way makes sense.

Thanks Frank ,
Too many 3's going in the post :)
I was meaning PV-DV852.
Circuit City has a PV-DV53 for $299
and I know the 852 is a good deal also
Trying to make the choice is hard.
Dave

I have a related question:

Does using your camera as a tapedeck or for similar purposes decrease the life- span of your camera?

I use my primary camera as the 'adapter' between my firewire and my monitior when editing. Is this significant mechanical wear and tear on my camera? Is it advisable to buy a secondary device to dedicate to these types of tasks?

I know this is a Panasonic forum. But if I had a DV953, I would get a Sony TRV 19 for around $00. I could use it as a tape deck and it's also small that I could take along evening parties and events and shoot in low light. If you want digital pass through, then get TRV22.

Just a thought..., the PV-DV853 was Pana's top 1 chip, a couple of years ago. It is also built like a Sh** brick house (very solid). Perhaps its tape mechanism is also more solid than the DV53's. And, if you bought the DV852, you'll have a good 2nd cam (for those low light shooting situations). For me, $600 US (slightly less) and $299 US isn't a big price difference (less than $300 US). Just a thought. (But if you only need the 2nd cam for a deck, than any cheap miniDV cam should do.)

Fred A $.00 Can't beat that.Too good to be true?:) Good idea for all that you mentioned,low light etc.
I'm Trying to stay with equipment that that is interchangeable
eventhough I do like my old Sony.

Frank,
That's what's going through my head.
I guess it really isn't alot more money.
I just have to be a more dedicated videographer
and use what I get. I'm just a home shooter that likes good looking tape & good equipment.
Dave

Anthony,
Using your Camera for both tasks does wear the heads but unless you're going to do alot of editing I wouldn't be too concerned.
Dave

Thanks Dave.

Thats a good question....I am not sure how much editing I will be doing going forward. Maybe quite a bit.

So, does going firewire>camera>monitor utilize the heads or wear them in any way, or is that an isolated path?

I am thinking I should take the plunge and just buy a cheap miniDV from overstock.com or someplace like that. Better yet, maybe I could find a firewire to analog adapter for less. Does anyone use an adapter like that?

Anthony,
Anytime you have the tape in the machine playing to any output it is running across the heads and wearing on them. A cheap camera( like Frank said) makes a good tape player so you are not using (head life) on your more expensive camera.
My guess is that you would want to keep your video in a digital format for easy editing and authoring to a disk or other tape so I would say don't buy a converter.
My thing is I'm getting another camera for a tape deck and how many (extras) do I want to get.
Dave

Anthony,
I think you better put your question on the NLE forum section. People there really know these kind of stuff. There were few recent threads on the monitor preview. Try Vegas forum too. The adaptor issue was also discussed.

Personally I don't think that just previewing while editing harms your cam. Only when you capture the video to the PC the cam is used as tape deck. FireWire preview on TV or monitor shouldn't engage the tape. Try to remove the tape and see if you can still preview.

If you print to tape again your cam is used as recording deck.

If you are a videographer second cheap cam is very usefull to use for such tasks (or dedicated DV deck is even better). But for family use I daught the economic effect of such an addition. Just my opinion.

I should have about clocked about 400+ hours of shoot and edit on my MX350, no mechanism or tape head problems yet, apart form the monthly rubbing the head, sucking and blow job.

er... sorry about that, rubbing the head with the cleaner tape, sucking with a small low powered vacumn cleaner and blowing with a rubber blower for lenses.

Thanks for your suggestion Bogdan. I posted my question over there and got some good info....sounds like using an external adapter or a deck is the way to go. Apparently Canopus makes a good one that handshakes easily with the Pana 953.