On Sun, 01 Apr 2001 23:43:23 GMT, whit0421@my-deja.com (Christopher White) wrote:

>Ok, after months (like 5-6) of research, I think I've finally made my final
>decision of what I'm going to purchase, and am going to do it hopefully this
>week.
>
>From the computer hardware side, I'm thinking about going with Videoguys.com,
>and getting the PyroPro bundle with the Boris FX 5.0 add-on for $399.99. I'm
>running Windows 2000 on an Athlon 700 with 128M of RAM, and an Abit KA7 mobo.
>Look good? I also have a separate 40G harddrive dedicated to video. Any
>opinions on the purchase, and also if there's anywhere else better to get it
>from? I've read a lot of good things about videoguys.

Videoguys is a good dealer. You might look at the Canopus
Raptor/Premiere bundle as an alternative - the capture-play
software is excellent, and the codec is better than the MS
DVcodec you would probably use with an OHCI card. Look at:
http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/original_vs_10th-gen.htm
for 10-generations of rendering with the (fast) Raptor
codec, and check out the link comparing the Raptor codec
with four others with five generations of rendering - not
all DV-codecs are created equal! ;-)

>For the camera, I'm probably going to go with the Sony TRV900. I'm guessing
>that the replacement (TRV1000?) is still a ways off? I'm worried that if I buy
>the TRV900, that the new model will come out a month from now, and the price on
>the 900 will drop. Is that a valid concern? I'm planning on buying from B+H
>based on their reputation (they quoted me $1819.95, but didn't quote me
>shipping yet).

B&H is a most-reputable dealer, and I just looked around for
the lowest "real" price for the TRV-900, and bought it at
B&H for $1820 + minor shipping charges.

>Is it possible to negotiate prices and/or get free stuff from
>them with a purchase? I'm usually pretty good at haggling, and with this large
>a purchase, I'm guessing it's expected?

No - B&H is "fixed-price"...

>They also sell an extended warrenty: 4 years for $149.95. Is that worth it?
>Almost 10% of the purchase price seems a bit high for insurance...Do they break
>that often? And what exactly does their insurance do? Do I have to mail it
>back each time (for another $10-$20 a pop)? Anyone know or have ideas? I"ll
>contact them for more specific info, but they're closed so hopefully someone
>here can shed some light earlier (I'm impatient :)

I go both ways on extended warranties for Mini-DV
camcorders. Figure about $300/repair at Sony, done right,
or $149, maybe never needed, and maybe not repaired
well, using the warranty (Sony's is good only for 3
months...). BTW, choose a tape brand, and never use
anything else, to avoid common problems.

>I'm completely new to digital video editing/recording, so I'd also like to know
>what accessories to get. The B+H page lists some "recommended" accessories
>along with costs for them. I'm assuming I should get another battery, and they
>listed the NPF-750 for $79.95. I've also read that you should always have a
>lens over the camera lens, so I have the UV Protective filter for $9.45.
>Polarizing lenses look cool (at least from some pics I've seen), and that's
>another $19.50. Both of these lenses are generic brands. Is that fine,
>especially for a newbie?

Specify the brand as "single-coated Hoya UV 52mm" for the
UV filter (protection only), and if you want a good
polarizer (minimally useful, actually...), specify
"Hoya circular polarizer 52mm" - these are excellent-quality
filters at reasonable prices (better than Tiffen, and the
"Sony" [Tiffen] filters offered).

>Regarding lenses, from what I can tell I can buy any 52mm lens to attach to the
>camera? I'm also assuming that I can only have one lens on at a time? Fill me
>in if that's wrong. I'd like to get a wide-angle lens too I think.

This is tough, since I have yet to find a really suitable
.5X zoom-through WA converter for the TRV-900. Best:
the non-zoom-through Sony VCL-ES06 (for Mavica) with three
empty 52mm filter rings added between the lens and
converter. It is cheap, light, and sharp - and zooms
about 2:1; the Canon WD-55 .7X zoom-through + 52->55mm
step-up ring (specify "Tiffen" instead of the terrible
"Bowers" B&H generally supplies...).

>I also know that I need is a tripod, but I don't know what kind to get, as they
>seem to range in price from $10 to $6,000. Any opinions? What do I look for?

Ah, I would skip this for now, and see what you need...
Video tripods come in three types: under $200 and
totally annoying and useless; Bogan medium-weight legs
with the 3063 head (useable if you get a good head,
but heavy and bulky); and E X P E N S I V E ! ! !
(these start around $1500 for decent-quality, and go
on up - but you get smooth, easy, backlash-free action,
unavailable on lesser tripods).

>Another thing that they listed as recommended was a minidv head cleaning tape.
>Are those really recomended by real users? I thought I read somewhere that
>those tapes weren't good to use for your camera. Thoughts?

Use it minimally - 5-second times once or twice (play
mode only) maybe every twenty hours or so. Avoid EVER
changing tape brands...

>Lastly, what kind of carry case should I look into? The official Sony one for
>the TRV900 (hard case) is $149, which is a bit much for a case I think.
>Thoughts or ideas of which type to get, and where to get one?

Get the camera first, then look at still-camera bags...

>Sorry this is so long, I just want to get all of my ducks in a row before
>making this major purchase. Probably one of the most expensive purchases I've
>made next to my car (which I also spent 6 months researching... :) Thanks for
>all the ideas I'm sure to get -- feel free to post here and send a mail if you
>want as well. The email address is correct. Thanks!
>Chris

You have probably seen my camcorder reviews, at:
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder-comparison.htm
Have fun with it!