Firewire vs USB, shoot/transfer mode switching
 

Now that I am starting to get settled with my HG20, I am starting to suspect it might pose me some workflow issues. Here is how I am using this camera:

- Camera is beside my computer monitor, facing me, out of reach.
- I am filming myself for instructional guitar videos.
- I hit record with the remote.

To see how the recording came out, I have to get up, connect the USB cable, set to transfer mode then import on the computer. THen when I want to record again, I have to disconnect the USB cable because the camera won't allow it to go into shoot mode with the USB cable plugged in.

So this is quite cumbersome to efficienty experiment and review shots. Ideally, I want to be able to stay at the computer and not have to get up, conenct USB, etc, etc everytime I want to review the shot on the computer. Woule be ideal to stay seated with my guitar in my lap and accomplish transfers. So here is the question:

1) Do cameras with firewire also have this limitation?
2) Are there any cameras that have remote control of the mode so you can remotely switch it between shoot and transfer modes?

Anyway, I would be curious what others think about this and if there are any cameras in the same league (or slightly better) that can work the way I have described. I imagine a firmware and remote upgrade could get the camera working in this fashion.

thanks,

brian

With a Firewire camera, you can leave the cable plugged in all the time. You can also record direct to your computer, bypassing the tape altogether, or in addition to the tape. This would allow for instant replays without having to rewind tapes.

I don't want it recording to the computer though because I am doing multitrack audio recording at the same time. With the firewire cameras can I have the camera recording and then transfer the file to the computer without having to get up and physically mess with the camera? That probably makes me sound lazy but it really is the best way for me to do this guitar video project.

thanks,

brian

You will still have to change the camera to playback mode. No cameras that I know of can be changed from record to playback with the remote.

the camera has composite output, right? can you monitor it on a tv screen?

Yes I can monitor on a TV. I will probably get a portable DVD player or something.

thanks,

brian

You'll still need to manually switch the camera from record to play mode. However, you'll free yourself from the step of needing to transfer the file from camera to computer.

Interesting. Are you later marrying the video with what you've created in your DAW? Are you getting any sync issues?

After playing around with the camera enough, it has become easier and easier to just plug/unplug the USB cable. So I just record the audio to the computer and keep the video on the camera. THen I import the video and align the audio with the camera's audio. SO far no sync issues.

Er, hold on - isn't there some kind of issue about unplugging USB cables without 'stopping' the device concerned first..? I could be wrong (often am!).

Technically you are supposed to go through that stop hardware procedure...