A hearty "How Y'All Doin'" from North Carolina.
 

I joined here back in March of '08 with the hope of learning how to make documentaries. I had just ordered what I hoped would be an adequate camera to use, a Sony HVR-HD1000U.
The camera arrived around the 20th of March, but I was unable to unpack it or use it for the first week of ownership. My kidney stones flared up and I was not even able to pick up the camera. During my recovery, I ingested 8 gallons of cranberry juice and ordered a case of dv tapes.
On the 3rd of April a Thursday, I made plans for the weekend to head out to the coast to get some test footage of the lighthouses for my documentary. I even told my significant other that considering all of the trouble that I had experienced in trying to use the Sony, I would probably have a heart attack before the weekend just to keep me from using the camera!

On April 4, 2008, with a 95% blockage on the left side, I underwent quadruple bypass surgery. They cracked my chest and manually stimulated my heart for 45 minutes until my significant other could get to the hospital to sign the consent for the bypass, during which I died twice.

I am starting to think that this camera may be possessed!
I am finally starting to pick up items weighing more than 10 pounds, but I am still not back to normal.
So here I am again. Trying to learn.
I apologize for being so long winded, but I needed to get this off my chest, so to speak.

Either way...

How Y'all Doin'?

Pete

By the way, I STILL have not run a tape through the Sony.

Well Pete, that's sure a crazy story. I hate to think a camera brought you all that bad fortune but then again I've always believed Sony is the devil! I hope you have a speedy recovery and get to spin the heads off the drum. That is if you're not afraid to touch it. Kidney stones are bad enough without bypass surgery. Maybe you should get a Panasonic? Think it over carefully!

All the best to ya!

Hi Pete,

What ya plan on shooting with that camera?

I'm a close neighbor just to the east of ya an hour or less.

I hope you are back on your feet and shooting very soon.