Friday, September 6, 2013

Can I fool a camcorder into thinking a tape is loaded?

best camcorder with viewfinder
 on Your VIXIA HF S30's built-in flash lets you capture superb photos ...
best camcorder with viewfinder image



Madame W


The camcorder has a value to me. The deck won't open on a full size VHS camcorder. I thought if i could cover some sensor into thinking a tape was loaded, I could use the camera for a live feed.
The camcorder is an old Hitachi VM-2100A with a full size VHS.



Answer
video cameras of that vintage should make a picture in the viewfinder and the AV output without a tape loaded. the fact that the door doesn't open either indicates a major power problem. the battery is dead or the AC adaptor has failed.

What is the cheapest yet best for the price camcorder that is compatible with a Mac, for our son?




Shree P


Our 12 year old wants a camcorder but we dont want to pay a crazy price in case he loses it. But we also dont want to give him crap. It has to be compatible with a mac and would like a mic with it.

Thankx a bunch.!
WITH a viewfinder.



Answer
Which Mac?

Define "crazy price". This means different things to different people.

Not many with viewfinders in the consumer space. Most are only LCD panel.

All consumer cams have a mic built-in. Better camcorders add a mic jack (in addition to the built-in mics) to connect an external mic. Even better, the higher-end camcorders have audio control (and mic jack - and the internal mics) that can be manually adjusted to deal with too loud or too soft audio.

$150 - $250 "Pocket cameras". Flip, Xacti, Zi8
$300 - $500 entry level consumer. Canon FS series; ZR960. Standard definition.
$600 - $800 mid trange consumer. Canon HF series; a few Panasonics.
$900 - $1,300 high end consumer. Canon HF S series, HV40; Sony HDR-HC9
$1,500 - $3,000 prosumer. Sony HDR-FX7; HDR-FX1000

Notice how the lenses and imaging chips start small and get larger as the $ go up. Bigger lenses and imaging chips = better low light behavior. Also not very few manual controls (especially on the out side of the camcorder) at the low end - and more as the $ go up so the manual controls are no longer buried in a menu.

And yes, I have known 12-year-olds who would be responsible with the upper end gear - as well as 12-year-olds I would not trust with anything - so it depends on the child, too...




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