Need to get mini DV tape to digital?

Canon XH-A1S and Mini Dv Tape Help Needed, Ameture film-maker in need!?

• I am looking to buy Canon XH-A1S but need some help. This will be my first prosumer grade camera and i dont really know what i am getting my self into. I am currently using imovie 09 to edit my films and it wont be upgraded for quite some time. Will i run into any problems using imovie with this camera? What should i expect? I have heard somthing about imovie not accepting 24 frames or something like that. Also, I don't know much about this, as i am sure you can tell, will i be able to upload the video directly to a external hard drive, or will it first have to go onto my computer. How would i accomplish this? Also, the camera, as far as i know, uses mini dv to record video. When i import this to imovie, will it be split into different clips like with hdd cameras? Or will that be something i have to do myself? Should i leave blank space in between scenes on the tapes or is that bad? Is it ok to rewind the tape in the camera and watch stuff? Will that affect anything. Also any other suggestions for cameras are welcome, if there is something equally or almost as good for less money i would like to know. All these questions would apply for that camera. Wow, i know that is a lot to lay on you, but i really need the help. I would greatly appreciate any information you can give me. Thank you. Oh yeah, and can you re-record over mini dv tapes? do you lose any quality?

• Answer:

  Will i run into any problems using imovie with this camera? * Not if you stay within the capabilities of the lowest common denominator - in this case, iMovie, a bundled, basically free, consumer grade, video editing application. If you want better features and functionality, then Final Cut is a much better option. What should i expect? I have heard somthing about imovie not accepting 24 frames or something like that. * Correct. 24 frames per second is a film-frame rate. iMovie likes NTSC 29.97 (typically referred to as 30 fps) frames per second or PAL 25 frames per second. Also, I don't know much about this, as i am sure you can tell, will i be able to upload the video directly to a external hard drive, or will it first have to go onto my computer. How would i accomplish this? * The Canon XHA1 is a miniDV tape based camcorder. The DV in miniDV = digital video. It is as digital as the zeros and ones written to hard disc drive or flash memory camcorder media - but the HDV (and DV) format is a lot less compressed than the consumer-grade AVCHD format used by hard disc drive or flash memory camcorders. If you want to "upload the video directly to a external hard drive" then take a look at the specialized Firestore external drives form Focus Enhancements. A regular external hard drive used by computers won't work when connected directly to the camcorder. Connect the camcorder's DV port (not USB) to the computer's firewire port (not USB) with a firewire cable (not USB. In this context, DV, IEEE1394, DV and i.LINK are all the same thing - and they are not USB. USB-to-firewire cable/converter/adapter things won't work. Camcorder goes into "Play" mode. Launch the video editor; import or capture the video. You can connect an external drive to the computer and store the video project files to that computer-connected external drive... Also, the camera, as far as i know, uses mini dv to record video. When i import this to imovie, will it be split into different clips like with hdd cameras? * Start record - stop record is a single file. If you start recording and stop recording after five seconds, that is a single video file. If you start recording and stop recording after 45 minutes, that is a single file. If you do this on a single tape, when you import, there will be two files - one for 5 seconds, one for 45 minutes. Or will that be something i have to do myself? * You can trim and edit the long clip yourself. Should i leave blank space in between scenes on the tapes or is that bad? * That is up to you - but is unnecessary. The video editor will see when you pressed stop recording. Is it ok to rewind the tape in the camera and watch stuff? Will that affect anything. * It is OK - but again, unnecessary. You could end up putting "blank" space between captured video scenes that the video editor could interpret as the end of the tap. This could be some minor importing issues - nothing major. Video quality will not be impacted. Oh yeah, and can you re-record over mini dv tapes? do you lose any quality? * I never do - and have not had any problems. You do not need to use "special" HD tapes. I use Sony Premium tapes - they are about $ each because I get them in 8-packs at Fry's Electronics for $24.99. Tapestockonline has them cheaper in quantities. Sometimes, when you press stop, then press record again for the next scene - if you reuse tape - you can get some remnants of the earlier recording coming through. Just don't re-use tapes and there won't be any "remnants" and you won't have to deal with that. Plus, the tape is an "archive. It will be available in five or ten or fifteen or more years in case you want to go back to your earlier work.