Buyer beware, but Seller...be where?
 

Hi guys (& gals),

Welp, the time has come for me to upgrade to HD and although I've heard all of the wonderous and magical details about the improved picture quality I am still not 110% sure where to buy, and/or even what camera to buy. All of my research has led me to believe that the best HD camera in my price range would be the Canon XH-A1. (I'm a wedding videographer and superb low-light performance is key.)

Like every buyer I am looking for a great deal and have not yet found it. Also, I am still not able to get a clear answer on whether or not the down conversion from HD to SD when capturing to a PC, using Adobe Premiere Pro, would be a smooth one. I would really love to hear feedback from those with some input on their experiences with this Canon XH-A1 "WonderCam" of sorts.

But also and just as important, I would love to hear of any recommended (and reputable) sellers to buy from for the lowest price. (I'm definitely not made of money. I'm actually made of wool...I'm kidding of course.) If anyone has any great advice, information, and/or recommendations I would be most grateful to receive it. I love this site and I love the folks here because everyone seems to be as passionate as or even more passionate about video than I am. Thank you in advance fellow Photogs and keep shootin' for the stars!!!

~L.J.~

Your best bet is to purchase your XH-A1 from B&H Photo, or one of the other sponsors of this site. When you find a much better price offered than B&H's, on the web, it's more than likely a scam of one sort or another.

What camera are you currently using to shoot weddings? Do you find the low light performance acceptable?

You can search this forum for discussion of HDV to DV down conversion. It's been covered at length in several threads.

Hi Lars..........
 

The first thing you might trying is to hit that "Contact Us" button here and get your actual location put in with your name. Very annoying not knowing whether you're posting from Flatbush USA or Mars (the Universe).

As for "the time has come", please explain. Why?

As for getting a "great deal" on a camera, what, exactly are you talking about?

I don't know where you are, what equipment you are using, nor what you are capable of doing with better equipment. In short, you are asking the bloody impossible.

In short, Lars, I cannot answer your question(s).


CS

Hi Lars,

Yup, it is correct that having your location in your profile is DVinfo policy, and we encourage folks to fill out more information like what gear they use. This thread is a good example of why.

Please see the Sponsors page for "where to buy" and why.

As for software, the search function will lead you to thousands of posts on several software forums here at DVinfo, yet simply downloading the free trials that most NLE companies make available will allow you to try before you buy. Although free trials will usually have some sort of limitation, they give you a good sense of the way the software works. If both trying the software and searching the forums for the commonly asked questions doesn't answer your particular questions, please do post and someone using the software will probably have an answer...or at least a good faith opinion.

Moving up to HD is a big step, enjoy the climb!

I purchased from Tom at Zotz, one of the sponsors of this site. The experience was great. Now, the price, that is pretty mucht he same anywhere. The price at B&H or at Zotz, or anywhere else respectable will be about the same.

The service I got was what sold me on Zotz. I contacted them through their "contact us" link on their site. I received a phone call the next day and had a quote e-mail to me before we even hung up the phone. Tom helped me in recommending a good filter set, a decent tripod, and a good wireless lav. Plus, I just go the wide angle convertor they recommended and it's great. I give a thumbs up to Zotz!

Thanks Tom!

Hi
Zotzdigital is in Grandpass Oregon, should be the closest shop to Portland.
I got pretty much all of my gears from them.
Be where?=>be there, lol

Tung

Downconverting HDV to DV with XH-A1
 

Down converting HDV-DV is simple.
Use camera menu Set [Playback STD] to [HDV] and [HD DOWN-CONV] to [ON].
Thats it!
One major note: Make this selection in the camera menu BEFORE you connect the 1394 cable to your computer, as the function is Greyed out and can't be selected after connection!

beware of ebay
 

I made the mistake (before I found this forum) of being lured into the cheap price of ebay (some dealer that something to do with electric and sun). I paid on day 1 and waited for 2 weeks for them to ship my order- which they never did. They also told me that it did not include a warranty or a battery that would last longer than an hour and tried to upsell me to a better battery. Fortunately, I was able to cancel my order and buy from a local camera store (for a lot more money but a lot of peace of mind as well). To make matters worse the ebay company threatened to make things difficult for me if I were to leave them a negative feedback point which is why they have around 99% positive feedback- the comments tell a different story though. Anyway, I later upgraded the battery to a 970 from B&H. I can't say enough about B&H. Awesome price, awesome customer service, speedy delivery. I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to buy from them.

Good luck! The XH-A1 rocks!