I had another chance to use the JVC GY-DV5000. I was at the Ce-Bit in Hanover for the past three days, shooting for a local TV station here in Hessen.

To start off positively – I was shooting with an old Sony 600 Beta SP with docked recorder on the first day. It weighs a ton, and changing tapes every 30 minutes is bothersome mostly because of all the writing that has to be done labeling the tapes. Also, when your shooting at a trade fare you do a lot of walking, it’s nice to have as little, or no tapes to have to drag around with you. On the second and third day it was a relief to shoot with the lighter and longer recording DV5000. I was shooting syncro slave – so I did have to lug around five mini DV tapes.

I’m also getting used to the view finder indicators and the FS3’s menu system, although I still find it a bit old-fashioned.

I had a problem selectively deleting files from the drive using the FS3. I made the mistake of not formatting the disc after dumping all the files to my laptop from the first day of shooting with the DV5000. I was expecting to get the two days of shooting onto the HDD. After realizing that there was more to shoot than expected, I began to delete shots that had been backed up from the previous day. This turned out to be more difficult than I expected.

There is a menu command "delete clip” – but there is no way to organize the clips, and they are not numbered chronologically so it was a mess to get rid of enough clips so that I could shoot the remainder of the day on disc.

It is also apparently necessary to delete more than one clip to remove a continuous take. Takes kept appearing even after I had deleted them several times. They eventually disappeared after several more deletions – but the whole thing gave me the uncertain feeling that I wasn’t deleting what I thought I was deleting.

I especially don’t like the fact that the clip numbering is not chronological. I read the handbook again tonight after coming back from the shoot. Focus Enhancements doesn’t recommend deleting files in the way I did - I wouldn’t either after doing it. But even checking back at clips that were shot earlier (camera in VTR mode), was aggravating, because the clips don’t seem to have a logical order. Shots that were taken the day before were between shots from earlier that day. Am I doing something wrong there?

As for the JVC GY- DV5000, I basically like it, it has almost all the functions of a professional camera plus a bunch of functions I haven’t personally needed yet.

Some things I don’t like about the JVC GY- DV5000:

The TC set is imbedded in a menu system. A function like zeroing and setting the TC, which is done often, needs to be more accessible.

The camera has only one XLR audio input at the rear, there is another XLR input at the front of the camera for the on board camera mic. But using the front XLR for the second channel in a two-channel interview is too much of a workaround for me. And I don’t understand why the GY- DV5000 doesn’t take advantage of the possibility to record four channel 16 bit, even if it were with two RCA inputs somewhere on the camera.

One last thing is that the lens, that I’m assuming comes standard with the DV5000, has a minimum focus of 1m, which has made it necessary for me to go into macro when doing over-the-shoulder type interviews. That makes changing the framing between answers to questions very difficult, since changing the focal length effects the focus, when it is in macro. It has also led to slightly out of focus shots due to my forgetting to switch the lens out of macro, in the following shot. When the macro is just slightly engaged, it’s like having a back focus problem, it’s not really apparent while shooting, but later, very.

Hi Matt,

I’m happy if I can help in some way to contribute to your product. I am convinced that the FireStore concept is the future of video recording.

"To answer some of your queries, when you are recording or in playback and want to monitor EXT TC from the camcorder, press the middle soft key (DISP) when on the main screen and cycle through to the SMPTE NTSC (or PAL) display and this will display external TC from the camcorder."

The FireStore does display the time code coming from the camera but only when recording. When the camera is paused, then the FS-3 shows a TC of 00:00:00:00. It would be nice if it showed the last TC that the FS-3 recorded before being paused. Just so that the cameraman can see that everything is in sync. It’s just a suggestion.

"I would encourage you to contact our tech support department regarding the lost files within FCP, as this is of course not correct and this should not be happening. They should be able to help track down what the issue is."

If your tech support team would like to contact me for any questions they may have, they are welcome to. This problem is not really an issue for me because up till now, I have been able to find all the material that I have shot, at least needed, in spite of this "problem”.

Something happened on this last shoot with the JVC GY-DV5000. While setting the camera up on the morning of the second day of shooting, the camera went dead. I don’t know what the source of the problem was but the camera and FS-3 lost power, but not while recording. I tried powering up a few times by turning the camera on and off. I’m not sure if the camera went on directly after I pushed the breaker button on the base of the camera, or after an additional few tries to turn it on with the on/off switch, and taking the batteries out and putting them back in. In any case, after the JVC came back to life, the FS-3 had trouble booting. I tried several new starts by turning the camera power off and then on again, waiting a long while and then turning the unit off again. I also tried turning the JVC on with the FS-3 off and then turned the FS-3 on after the JVC was fully powered. That didn’t help either. I finally just let the camera sit for a while without power and then turned it on, the FS-3 booted, and worked fine for the rest of the day. Luckily this happened in a situation where there was no time pressure, but this could have led to a bit of stress – especially if I had decided to go tapeless.

Why did this happen? How can I prevent it in the future? Why did letting the FS-3 rest help it to recover? – Probably questions for your tech support, I suppose.

Thanks

Hi Daniel,

Thanks again for your great feedback.

The FireStore booting problem you had puzzles me. It almost sounds like a power issue. I assume your batteries were OK. I also assume that the connections were all OK. The fact that both camcorder and FireStore had an issue initially certainly points to a power issue.

When connected to a GY-DV5000 series, the camcorder kind of takes over the DR-DV5000's power management (this is to prevent the camcorder being switched off before a disk recording session is complete and all files are properly closed).

I will report this to our test engineering department.

Thanks again Daniel,

Matt McEwen

fs3 xl1 questions
 

I have been researching the fs-3 and have a few questions, hoping someone can answer.

I record with the xl1 and will use the fs-3 mainly for weddings.

What is the best way to mount the fs-3 to the camera? Need something for both handheld and tripod use. I did see the dolgin brace mentioned in another thread. How is the balance when on the tripod and how quick/easy is it to transition from tripod to hand held? I want to continue using the batteries I already have to power the camera, so I will need an alternate source of power for the fs-3. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

How is the fs-3 affected by pausing the tape or powering down the camera? Many times at the reception I either turn off the camera or place it in standby. Will I need to do the same for the fs3 and if so are there any precautions?

What happens when I change tapes? Typically I record one tape for pre-ceremony events, one tape for the ceremony and two tapes for post ceremony and reception. How is the video logged to the fs3? I intend to transfer the files from the fs-3 to my av drive for editing with the matrox x100. Wondering how the data will be labeled from each tape.

Last question. I usually record two channel audio up until the reception when I switch to four channel. Does the fs-3 allow for both audio formats on the same project?

I know these are many questions and I have researched through the internet, reviews and this forum. If anyone can provide furhter details it would be most helpful.


Thanks

Welcome George,
I am just finishing-up a detailed article on the FS-3 / XL1S partnership which I think will answer most of your questions. Meanwhile, here are some briefs.

• The FS-3 requires 12v power and mounts to a 3rd-party 12v power adapter plate (typically an Anton/Bauer QR-XL1-C). This plate must be mounted to an MA-100 or MA-200. A compatible Anton/Bauer battery (ex: Dionic, Hytronic, et.al.) is then mounted to the FS-3 to complete the power chain.
• A Firewire cable (6 pin-to-4 pin) connects the FS-3 to the XL1S.
• The FS-3 powers up/down separately from the camera.
• The FS-3 can be set to operate independently or in synchronization with the camera's tape transport. If you reach end of tape while recording, the FS-3 will continue to record until you eject the tape.
• The FS-3 basically takes whatever DV stream you send it.
• The FS-3 and associated power system does add quite a bit of weight to the camera and can make it challenging to balance on lightweight tripod heads. It will also take some time to get used to hand-holding.

Watch for my article on the main DVInfo.net site soon.

George, I have asked that same question in this forum and the answers provided by Ken are correct. I have the Anton Bauer mounts and the Slimline AB battery will power the camera and the FS3 for over 4 hours of shooting, I have never totally ran out of battery yet.

One caution however, I shoot outdoors and with the MA100 I found that the unit with the AB Battery is too heavy to carry around in the field (The MA100 broke). I found a quick solution though at the hardware store.

1 Metal Strap 1" wide bent by putting it in the vice to match the entire length of the XL1. The reason I did this was to get a mounting screw through the tripod mount and another one in the back riser of the camera. All I had to do then was mount the AB Plate onto the metal strap with bolts and lock nuts then mount a shoulder rest. There is still a little flex to the whole unit but I have covered over 10 miles on foot turkey hunting carrying the camera and FS3 without any more incidents.

The suggestion was made up front for me to go with the MA200 for more stability and I ignored it so it is my own fault.

The unit has worked perfectly for all the shooting I have done to date.

Good Luck.

Thanks for the information. A matter of economics prevents me from powering the fs-3 with the ab batteries. I currently use Lenmar 941 batteries to power the xl1.

At this time I can afford the purchase of the fs-3 and the ab gold mount bracket but would need to find another source for power. The purchase of both the xl1 and anton bauer batteries is not possible.

Reviewing the instructions I see there is a 4pin power on the fs-3. I do have some Panasonic pv-bp50 batteries that were used with the Panasonic vhs camcorders. These batteries are 12-volt 2000mah. These could provide power without adding much weight to the xl1. I don't know what the battery life/run time would be.

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome.

Help for a newbie??
 

We recently got a DR-DV5000 to use with our JVC camera and I've been trying to wring it out. We are also moving to FCP (I've been using a Media100 for over 10 years) so we slowly ascending the learning curve... :-) I have a question concerning drag-and-drop editing from the drive to FCP: so far all the clips I have drug in need to have the audio rendered in order to play back in the timeline. I do not know if my record settings on the FireStore are incorrect, or if there's something in FCP that I have missed. Currently my FireStore is set to record in raw DV. Is there a better setting for use in FinalCut? I see that Mr. Kohl is using this setup, so perhaps he could share the settings with me. Thanks!

Hi Marty,

In the FireStore Menu, you need to set the Rec Format on DR-DV5000 to QuickTime. This will create an identical file to that which Final Cut creates during capture. You will not have to extract the audio and the clip can be instantly used in the timeline.

If you ever have questions, the quickest response may be to email or call our tech support department. All the details are at: http://www.focusinfo.com/support/ .

Hope that helps,
Matt McEwen

I'll just corroborate Matt's suggestion. You need to use Quicktime.

Cheers,
DK

Thanks!
 

Thanks for the replies, I'll give it a shot when I get back from vacation!

Marty

Fs3 + Jvcgydv5000e
 

I am plnning to buy JVC GYDV5000E with Anton mount accessory ... I own a FS3 with Anton Mount ... I was using FS3 with Panny Dv200. butnow with JVC How do i incorporate both of them together to record !

Cut short Q.

Knoc Knoc Any body alive...

Hi Bankim,

Sorry I have been off the air. I was at DVExpo in New York last week.

If you own an FS-3AB and currently use it with a Panasonic DVC200, it is possible to remove the FS-3 from the Panasonic and mount it directly to a GY-DV5000 camcorder without much trouble. It mounts the same as to your Panasonic, you will just need to use the supplied 6-4pin FireWire cable. It should function the same as well in terms of camcorder control. You should then be able to move the FS-3 between both camcorder setups.

I hope this answers your question.

Matt

Hi Matt,

Thx for your kind reply. I thought there was a way to connect the av signals of jvc with fs3 without use of the firewire cable ... is it possible...??? i have always been running the risk of bending the firewire cable joint on the camera.

I look forward to your suggestion !

Hi Bankim,

The solution for using FireStore with a GY-DV5000 camcorder that does not require a FireWire cable is the FireStore DR-DV5000. This model of FireStore was designed especially for use with the GY-DV5000 and features a 52-pin connector interface that passes DV and control I/O between FireStore and the camcorder eliminating the need for a FireWire cable. You also get a bunch of control specific features for the GY-DV5000 and disk recorder status in the viewfinder. JVC sells this product worldwide.

If you are using an FS-3 with the GY-DV5000, it will work, but you will need a FireWire cable.

Hope that answers your question.

Matt McEwen

Thanks Matt. I guess i have to rather stick to firewire cable option unless I dont want FS to work both with JVC & Panny.

Once I get hands on my JVC I will post my 1st hand exp !

Cheers !

Bankim,

Just to be clear, the FireStore DR-DV5000 does include the ability to connect to a JVC GY-DV5000 via the 52-pin connector OR by using a FireWire connector. It has both. That way, if you need to use DR-DV5000 with a non GY-DV5000 source, it is possible.

Matt McEwen

Matt,

In that case then howd i connect FS3 to my panny with Anton Mount. Is there any way to have FS3 have the 52 pin mount along with AB mount !

I might sound confused cox i simply cant visualise howdoes this 52 pin connector looks like...

However i feel my present FS3 with AB Mount will happily arry noth JVC & Panny ... both with AB mount & firewire I/o.

Hi Bankim,

The 52-pin connector is actually on the back of the camcorder where you currently have your battery plate. With DR-DV5000 and the GY-DV5000, you remove the battery plate and mount DR-DV directly to the camcorder (where the 52-pin connector mates). The battery plate then goes on the rear of the DR-DV5000.

To answer your question, you will be able to use your FS3 on both DR-DV and your Panasonic, you'll just need the FireWire cable.

Hope that helps,
Matt

hanks Matt,

BUt to sum it up. If i have he 52 pin connectors on DV & DR then both of them work happily but what if wish to use FS3 with DV200 in the same config would i need to have the 52 pin con removed from FS3 and again put AB mount for it work with PAnny DV200.

Also will my JVC work without the FS3 and still having 52 pin con ounted at the back of JVC ???

How much does this 52pin con costs both for JVC & FS3...

Is there any url where I can visually understand it better

Thanks.

Hi Bankim,

The 52-pin connector is only available on DR-DV5000 and is only used when connected to a GY-DV5000 camcorder which is the only camcorder that features this connector (it is standard, not optional). The 52-pin interface will not work with any other camcorder.

Because you already have an FS-3, you can still use it with the DV200 and your new JVC GY-DV5000, you will just need to have a FireWire cable for DV I/O.

Hope that helps,

Matt

AEureka.... I have been able play with FS3 HDD
 

Yes I managed to open & change the standard 40GB HDD in the FS3 HDD casing with another 100GB HDD. Yes now i boast of about 7.5hours of DIGITISED recording. There didnt seemed any technical diff i just unSCREWED the penchs on the dabba of the HDD box & losened the 40GB out of place to tighten another 120GBHARD in its place ... I fit the same back in place formatted the same thru the FS3 un & mated it on the AB mount of my Camcorder & in notime i was shooting upto 9hours...
PHEW !!!

i guess there are no new posts hapening on this forum ... :(

Hi Bankim,

Sorry you are being left alone - Congrats on your retrofit!

The discussions here have been going heavily in the direction of HDV acquisition, so I for one, have not been visiting the forum that much lately. I have no experience with HDV yet, and I am not in the market for getting into it right now. And I have been darn busy the last five months. Those are my excuses for not giving you a well deserved pat-on-the back earlier.

How many swappable HDDs do you have? Do you do jobs where editing is going on while your shooting? Or do you just like to store the shot material on the FS-3 HDD for as long as you are working on the project? I'm just curious about what makes having multiple swappable HDDs useful in your case.

Cheers

Thx Daniel, For the PAT on my back ;)

I havent been able to make any swappable bays since I dont have empty HDD casings I just took out the 40Gb thing from the case upgraded with a higher capacity HDD & .... shot shot shot.

Yes i shoot in field & later dump all the HDD copntent to my Editing HDd & then the editor does the needfull ... i have all the 6-9 hours of shoot dumped on to my NLE HDD in about an hour time so i save VTR head & time too.

Yes i was also concerned on one issue, IU too am planning to buy a HD100 with an AB mount ... how can i make the FS3 record HDV footage, any firmware upgrade or advices available on the same.

Thx & looking out for some more answers ....

Fs3 ---> HDV ????????????????????

Hi Bankim,

Unfortunately, the FS-3's electronics will not allow it to record HDV. You will have to look at our FS-4, DR-HD100 and FS-C series products for HDV recording capability.

Thanks,

Matt