Premium Members Stefan von Bjorn Posted March 7, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 Hello Larry, I've been flying a pc9 sony. Will this modual work with that recorder ?If so I would like to order one modual with you right now. My name is Stefan von Bjorn (323)363-7711. I really appreciate your posting, I've been literally Pushing Fn button Going to page 3 then hitting record control, then hitting play just before the shot. Please pass on my info to that gentleman. By the way you were one of my instructors in the Malibu Summer class of 1995. Hello and thank's again. Stefan von Bjorn (323)363-7711. svonbjorn@earthlink.net PS. Who could manufacture me a really stable mount for my on board recorder? I own a Pro rig with a Jerry Hill Battery bay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members RonBaldwin Posted March 7, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 the picture quality seems fine on the unit's built-in lcd monitor (4 inch I think). I'm sure it would be doo-doo if played on a full size tv. I haven't done it, but I'm guessing it would look like low rez Avid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry McConkey Posted March 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 The only input for external power to the PC5 is the battery connection itself, so having a battery in place as well as external power in would mean a modification to the camera - having modified so many camcorders in the past for an onboard recorder makes me reluctant to go that route, especially with the luxury of buying replacement units and spares on eBay... I can replace my current unit without any modification hassles. Any camera that has a separate input for power could use the solution that Paul found. The advantage that a separate supply like the one Seitz designed is economy of space and weight, and not needing the precise voltage that the camcorder wants to see since it includes a DC to DC converter. The list I posted earlier includes the PC9 so that should work with the Seitz supply - it replaces 'S' style InfoLithium batteries. If you are using the 'S' series this should work for you. I will talk to John about building other supplies for the later cameras, and if there is sufficient interest I think he would make them as well. I was worried at first about using a model that Sony discontinued, but I really like the PC5 and now with eBay there is a source and at a lower price than new, perhaps for years to come!?? I haven?t had any problems with interference, but I am using an Ultra which has a separate DA for each video out and that eliminates most of those concerns. In fact, the only time I did have some interference it was a failed DA! The more sophisticated the design?.. Having another voltage converter in line offers some more isolation as well. John has promised to come up with a price over this weekend, so I will post it next week and let you know some kind of timeline. I have looked at the Archos as well, but it didn?t quite fit my sled as slickly as the PC5. I tuck it out of the way just in front of my battery or just in front of the sled depending on dynamic balance requirements. I use a remote to control it and I can?t see how this would work with the Archos ? do they have a remote that would allow you to pick the file for playback? I also like archiving during a movie as inevitably there will be some question about matching my framing later in the schedule and I can pull up the original shot, pause the playback and switch back and forth from live to recorded images and match perfectly. It?s also great for reminding myself about other aspects of my shots as well. I shudder to think about the need to have a laptop included in my must-carry equipment list for these purposes. Also, the quality of the playback that I saw was not quite as good as Mini-DV which matters to me because my video tap is capable of showing focus, and the Mini-DV playback shows it just as well. This means I can check playback and confidently report that the take is good, including focus!! I can?t afford to give away any resolution and lose that ability. Finally, the NTSC converter was an external plug-in module on the model I saw and made it more awkward to mount; has that been improved upon yet? Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Charles Papert Posted March 8, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 As a note to those readers of this thread who don't record their moves: I've used onboard recording for years, via the venerable GVU5 and later the Sony PC3; last summer my recorder cable went kaput and I've been too lazy to rebuild it and just "gone without". In retrospect, I absolutely think this state of affairs has had a negative impact on my operating as I no longer have instant feedback on complex shots and how to improve them. I've seen a couple of instances where I probably would have made adjustments had I been aware of something in the frame that was unnoticeable while actually flying the shot, due to the attention cycle being diverted at that moment to navigation or backlight avoidance or the like. Technologically, I love the idea of an instant-access drive, but I'm waiting until the playback quality and convenience match the DV recorders (and would never consider going back to 8mm at this point). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Lawrence Karman Posted March 8, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 I have been using a Sony Micro DV camcorder for an onboard. It replaces the slightly larger and heavier PC 9. Of course it comes with a different A/V input than the PC-9. I chopped the plug off of the supplied A/V cable and put a Lemo on the other end to input video from my PRO sled. I am running off of the little batteries that it uses but I would love to get a combination power and video cable made up. Fred, are you listening? Trouble with the battery converter possibility is that the PRO sled does not have an extra BNC output for video at the base of the sled and using the recorder output for only power would not allow for video input. Unless the battery converter also had a video output. Might that be an option from Seitz? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Bill Powers Posted March 8, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 Hello all, Has anyone tried the Laird Capdiv Tapeless Disc-Based Capture and Playback Deck? It's tiny and is actually OEMed from nNovia. The spec sheet indicates that it's DV quality. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Kareem La Vaullee Posted March 8, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 Hello all, Has anyone tried the Laird Capdiv Tapeless Disc-Based Capture and Playback Deck? It's tiny and is actually OEMed from nNovia. The spec sheet indicates that it's DV quality. Bill The Problem is that it needs to be fed via a FireWire cable, it doesn't accept an analog video signal such as the one coming from a Video Tap, it's digital only, so it would only work with a camera equipped with a FireWire output... Too bad, it looks interesting. K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Bill Powers Posted March 8, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 Curses!! Foiled again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Charles Papert Posted March 8, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 Here is a device, the A2D, that allows for analog input and lots of groovy features. A bit big and heavy (16 oz) compared to other units however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Jerry Holway Posted March 9, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 I have also been using the PC-5 since it first became available; dismantled a battery to attempt to make a DC supply (sometimes it works! but I do not recommend this AT ALL). I have three batteries to keep it going all day. Here's a possible alternative: Panasonic AG-DV1DC It is a mini-DV recorder with a 3.5" LCD screen, 1.2lbs, that seems a good alternative to the PC 5 plus Seitz power option. Visit http://www.panasonic.com/PBDS/subcat/Produ...f_ag-dv1dc.html Anybody bought one of these?? Love to be able to power off the sled without any hassle.... Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Erwin Landau Posted March 9, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 Hi Jerry, Anthony Hardwick (WentWest) has one of the Panasonic puppies. It can be powered directly of the sled without any mods, so you don't need the Seitz conversion, also he added the feature of being able to run it through the Preston, by wireing in through his sled (Ultimate). The moment the AC runs the Camera, the unit starts to record and stops when the Camera cuts. It needed some mods to the Preston, the Preston Power Cable, the Center Post and a "Medusa" Cable (Power, Video, Play Back, Remote... quite a "cable" I must say) to the Panasonic to get there, but you never miss a take... Bret, I haven't seen a picture of the Archos directly on a TV screen, for just play back looks fine, also I was not able to feed a constant picture to it from my Sled (???) still working on it... The AV converter is a pain and very fragile. It's a way better unit then the RCA Harddrive... I saw Rich Davis using a Panasonic SV-AV30 on the set of "Scrubs". ($400.-). It's so small... It uses a Memory card and gives you about 60 minutes of Video but at 15 fps... Erwin "No there yet..." Landau, SOC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members RobVanGelder Posted March 10, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 I know that Mark de Blok is using a HDrecorder specially made for this kind of recordings and it´s name is "shotmaker" or such but a google search didn´t come up with the actual site. It has a touch-screen, is very light and as big as 2 packets of cigarettes, analog, S-video and digital in/outputs and a remote. It is also more expensive :-( Mark, can you give more info on this? Rob van Gelder, Bangkok, Thailand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry McConkey Posted March 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 Jerry, Than link showed the following specs for the Panasonic AG-DV1DC: Weight: 1.2 pounds; Dimensions: 5.6" w X 3.7" h X 2.7" d The PC5 is quite a bit smaller and lighter: 1 lb 1oz (with the Seitz supply) and I measure 3 7/8" x 3 7/8" x 1 7/8". I love the small footprint. I have found power very convenient with the Seitz supply - it's really a question of money. Having standardized for now on the PC5 I now own several for backups,etc. so the power supply cost seems a little more manageable. (What is the cost? I still don't know. John and I have been discussing a design that would work for more than just my sled: I spec'd the input voltage for my original unit based on being able to vary the Ultra's output (it has a dedicated adjustable voltage regulator - shared by the Master design - for the recorder). Since he would like to make a design that could work on any sled he is working on a DC-DC converter instead of the linear regulator that mine uses. That way any voltage from say 5v to 16 volts could be accomodated. This would also mean no need for a heatsink so that would simplify the design slightly. This will involve more expense overall, however, so I will post the price when all the dust settles. Meanwhile, I will research the various needs of the various sleds...sigh...and certainly I will look into the possibility of a DA to split the video signal if that is necessary for some rigs. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Hardwick Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 Jerry, I am using the Panasonic deck, and posted about it a bit in last year's forum. It may be available if you search of the archives. In a nutshell, Erwin is correct. It took a lot of research and some emails to a Panasonic engineer to get the info I needed to get the job done. Then, a collaborative effort involving John from Wolf Seeberg's to make my Medusa cable (as Erwin calls it), Greg Bubb modifying my sled by hooking up the wiring to go from my topstage FIZ connector through the post through the LEH (lower electronic housing) ultimately to the record Lemo connector, and Brian (formerly with Preston) who modified my MDR-2 to send the proper pull down voltage to toggle the record/pause or record/stop as desired to the deck made it all possible. The Medusa cable has one connector that plugs into the sled's LEH, and three cables that diverge from that to provide power, video in/out, and the remote trigger to the deck. It took about a month of R&D to get the info, parts for the cables, and mods done to make it work. It works like a charm, I never have to think about starting the recording. If the camera rolls, we're recording. If the camera stops, we're paused. It's been great. The deck is not as small as the PC-5 or some other units, but it weighs less than you would think at 1.2 lbs). The 3.5" screen is quite good, and i have used it for DJ on more than 1 occasion. It's set up on my sled to provide a good view for some of these applications. If I can get around to taking some pics this week, I'll try to post them. All in all aside from my time invested to research it all, the mods and cable fabrication ended up costing less than $250.00. It is pretty sweet though now that the work is done! Best, Anthony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Benjamin Treplin Posted March 10, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 The HD-recoder is called clipmaker it is made by an Italian company. http://www.vcsitalia.it/ Here is another link: specs in English and aks http://www.eagle.co.za/display_product_2090.htm The picture below is my video/power cable for DCR-PC 100 (sony M-syle batteries).I glued an dc-dc converter from Hawkwoods (http://www.hawkwoods.com/) into the battery mount cover that comes with the camera and added the 3.5 minijack and the power lead. Benjamin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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