A Machine to Upload Mini DV?

Howdy,
I remember being told NOT to use my Mini DV video camera to upload video to my computer since it burns out the camera. So, I've been surfing around looking for a machine that I can attach to my Mac that has a slot for mini DV. I know there was one on the market (JVC made it I think) before that was a combo mini dv/VHS, but now I don't see anything available. Am I missing a key search word? Or, am I just too late (since Mini DV seems to have been replaced...all ready!)?
Thanks in advance for any wisdom you have.
nadia

You need a mini-dv deck. Because technology is marching on, they're not too expensive to find used on ebay or other sources (might even find one on the lafcpug.org marketplace forum). I've used a Sony DSR-20 for many years, and before that a DSR-11.

[www.lafcpug.org]

I also bought a Sony DSR-11 deck so as not to wear out my Sony DSR-2000VXE camera but now wonder if this was rational. Using the camera to play back its tapes once to the computer can only double the wear rate to the camera's tape mechanism. Consider: will your camera's tape mechanism in fact wear out from the use you plan for it, and what will the repair cost be versus the cost of a deck?

Dennis Couzin
Berlin, Germany

As for what you may find used via Ebay or others, I own a Panasonic AG-DV2000 mini-DV deck and love it. It's a good, solid, functional machine.

My array also includes an older JVC SR-VS20 (the earlier "made in Japan" model, not the later "made in China" model) with the combination mini-DV and S-VHS features. It, too, works very well, although it mainly rests in semi-retirement these days but still sees service for mini-DV tape-to-tape duping and such.

Jeff Johnston

Contact me offline if you are interested in getting a DSR-11.
asap.post_at_yahoo

Might also want to check out this player/recorder. I've been using one for a few years and never had a problem
[cgi.ebay.com]

Thanks for the great feedback! I'm also wondering about the logic behind wearing out the camera since it's beginning to dawn on me that the technology is changing so fast that my equipment is obsolete way before I have a chance to overuse it!

On the note about things becoming obsolete, you can take advantage of this by buying used camera's as loading systems. Lots of people are abandoning their DV cameras in favour of DVCProHD/XDCAMHD/AVCHD/ALPHABETSOUP so if you look around and ask around you might find someone with a camera they're not using that you can get for a song that can act as your loader deck.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

That is true. But just the fact that you have footage that you need to capture means that it still has certain uses for you. For all the flaws about Mini-DV tape, there is still one thing I value it for -- it is still more robust than the most stable digital file. I just re-onlined a music video I'd shot, directed and edited from 2007. Popped in the timecoded tapes, recaptured the trimmed clips used in the edit, and voila. A video originally edited in letterboxed 4:3, now in anamorphic 16:9 form. DV is still a valid format for offlining and small projects like family videos, plays, etc., and I'm still quite a fan of tape-based workflow, where you can ditch all your captured clips as long as you have a batch list and timecoded tape.

These days if my DV deck were to break, I probably wouldn't buy another deck unless I can get a very good deal. (I just had to smile when I saw the Sony DSR-2000A DVCam deck at the B&H website...selling for $14,000!) If my old deck can't be repaired, I'd probably just buy a cheap DV camera and use it as a deck. It'll never be as stable as a deck, but it does the job in many cases.


www.derekmok.com

Used cameras. What a great idea! I have no intention of switching from mini dv (well, until I'm forced, the way I was with trying to find cables for my DAT), so using another camera will totally work (and just maybe save some space in the land fill).