JVC camcorder

Hi All.

I am about to buy a video cam.

I have quite a lot of experience in stills photography but video is totally new to me.

The purpose of the camera will be to take videos during freediving courses i am running , and maybe to publish an instructional video.

It is very important for me that the housing will be as small and light as possible, because i am filming while freediving.

I came across the JVC GZ-MG77, with the original JVC housing.

The other option is the MG 505 with Ikelite housing - much more expensive, but 3ccd.

The package is quite cheap (camera - around au900$ and housing around au700$). The specifications of the camera and housing look good but...

Did anyone on the forum ever try this camera, or one of the series ? how is the camera in low light? i will not buy a strobe in the beginning, and will shoot in the shallows anyway.

I heard that the quality of the MPEG-2 is not good enough for anything but home video...

Do you have an opinion about the housing?

any alternative ? my budget is around au1900$ (around 1600$)

Thank you very much.

Erez

so i guess no one has any info on the topic...

maybe someone ?

well, since you only gave everyone 24hrs, on christmas no less, i must say i am not surprised no one has answered your query yet....

unlike me, others have lives....

Maybe someone will see it in the next few days when the board gets busier after the christmas holiday.

but, i have no knowledge of your cameras so can't be of help.

'Hic' Burrrp !!!! Hic...I LUBS you like my best pig..'Hic'

Idve feas

EDanB

anyone knows if the mg505 fits the jvc housing?

still no feedback?

thanks anyway

Hello Water Boy and Merry Xmas....HIC...

The camera compresses it to mpeg 2 at around 8.5 mbps 720/576 res so don't expect the quality to be to good. Mini DV is like 3 times the qualty ie. 25 mbps It's not to good in low light as well.

The mg505 would be a better camera as it shoots HDV 1440/1080res @25mbps mpeg 2 and it's 3 CCD by the looks.

Send Ikelite an email to see if it will fit in one of their housings.

Hic burp...::...

Both the MG77 and 505 shoot 720x480/60i MPEG2. For about the same money, the SOny SR1 shoots HD using the AVCHD codec.

Mpeg2(Long GOP) and AVCHD are not widely supported by NLEs. They are a lossy format if rerendered.

HDV cameras using DV tapes is the most commonly accepted entry level HD format. There are now a few out there including the SOny HC3 and Canon HV10. Do a search on the forum.

Thanks guys.

Like Drew mentioned - the mg505 is SD only.

The thing is that "upgrading" to the sony hc3 means that i must buy a more expensive and heavy housing - around the 1550$.

The whole pack will be around AU3400$ (2500$)- almost double of what i wanted to spend.

As i wrote - the camera will be used mostly for filming students and making DVD's' , so i will anyway have to downsample the footage or shoot in SD. And i will film while freediving.

Will i be disappointed from the picture quality of the HDD camera ?

I know from still photography that you usually advance from one set to another, the question is only how long will it take me to say - this is not enough for my needs... and you end up spending more than you planned after all.

What about the Sony HC96 with an Ikelite housing? It sums up to around AU2100$.

Any suggestions? i really appreciate the help.

What about the Sony HC96 with an Ikelite housing? It sums up to around AU2100$.

 

Any suggestions? i really appreciate the help.

I know it's more than you want to spend but consider the SR1 or the HC3 in the SeaTools housing. It's about as small and lightweight as it gets.

Another smallish housing is the TopDawg mini. They're about $800 U.S. Available through Backscatter here.

mg505 is not HDV ...oops... but it's a 3CCD.

Hey.

The top dawg mini will not fit neither the hc96 nor the hc3.

I cant find any link to Seatools !

Cant find it on google as well.

Could you please direct me to their website.

Thanks