[Genshin]

(This is NOT a technical or in-depth review, it's based on simply thumbing through the brochures speaking with the tech crews in store, and playing with the cameras in store.)

Recently Dylstra asked me via Twitter about new video cameras available in Japan - more specifically Mac compatible video cameras. Well his timing was right, because I am also looking at getting a new compact video camera for quick takes and pick-ups.

Specifically Dystra was asking about the Xacti models from Sanyo and I had a play with them recently. In a word, my impression is - garbage. They have cheap plastic bodies, and the zoom button on both the pistol grip model and the standard model were too small and cumbersome for my liking. The pistol grip model is the worst (10 times zoom that hardly moves). The deciding factor though is Mac compatibility - they aren't. The Sanyo range are made for Windows, no need to say any more there.

Next I checked the Victor range of Everios. I have one of these, an older model which was the first HDD video camera. I can advise everyone to steer clear of these - again they are made for Windows machines. (they can upload to a Mac, but it is troublesome). Victor has their own encoding also which is something to avoid.

Sony. While the new Sony range are very impressive cameras with GPS, full AVCHD and face recognition once again there is no native Mac support or compatibility. Things were looking glum until I got to the Panasonic level.

Panasonic has nine new models ranging from 32GB up to 240GB, eight of which have YouTube upload capability. They all have Leica lenses, and are sturdy. They all also use SDHC cards for still photos or to store the video footage. Panasonic states that they work with iMovie - but these are, again, Windows cameras with software and what-not all designed for Windows. Still, looking better for Mac users.

The cream of the crop however, and the one which I will purchase, is the Canon iVIS (specifically the iVIS HF21). Firstly, I'm using this for pick-ups and quick footage to be thrown in later and also for family stuff - not for serious stuff. Still, AVCHD footage at up to 24Mbps Full HD. The iVIS HF21 and iVIS HF S11 models have 64GB of onboard storage each, plus an SDHC card slot, and they can fit six hours of 24Mbps 1920 x 1080 footage to their onboard memory. That is more than enough for my needs. (Dylstra?)

The iVIS HD S11 can manage 8-megapixel still shots and the iVIS HF21 can manage 4-megapixel still shots. They both have an optical zoom (10x for the HF S11, 15x for the HF21) Like the Sony range they have face-detection and a 2.7-inch wide-aspect LCD preview screen. The HF21 even has an underwater kit able to go to depths of 40m!

The best part though - FULL NATIVE MAC SUPPORT!! This is a first for me as I've not seen a video camera come out touting FULL Mac support before. The staff in the shop were all Mac users and suggested the Canon iVIS over the Panasonic range - and that says something (Japanese staff will NEVER recommend one brand over another as they will loose their jobs!)

Here's the flyer -



Any questions, ask away. Once again, not a technical review and the deciding factor is Mac compatibility.

Edit: A good friend of mine here in Japan who is a podcastor recommends the Canon iVIS (HF S11) over any other video camera. He said, "Works wonderfully with Final Cut / iMovie." This was filmed on that camera.

[Dylstra]

Thanks for that review, Genshin, I really appreciate it!!

I have had a Canon model (possibly the HF21 one you refer to) recommended to me at JB hi-fi. Of course, the time before that it was a JVC, and the time before that it was the Sony with the Carl Zeiss lenses. I was explicit about it needing to be natively Mac compatible, but I wasn't convinced enough to take the plunge. You can see why I was getting confused.

The reason I was asking about the Sanyo Xacti was because late last year I read this review about it. The only negatives that Maclife found were:

Zoom speed is too fast, and can’t be adjusted. Manual focus adjustment disables once you start shooting video.

These seem to be newer models, the VPC-HD2000A and the VPC-FH1A. Both have labels saying "Works with iMovie" and "iFrame" which is apparently a new video format from Apple.

I am pretty sure those models haven't been released in Australia yet, though Amazon has them both for under $400USD.

All this has come to a head because my brother has just gone to Japan for a skiing holiday. He mentioned that he would be happy to pick me up a camera. He also mentioned that he could probably use it while he was over there.

I was hoping to pick up a camera cheaper than in Oz (and maybe even a new model that hasn't been released here yet). Would that be something worthwhile? Or is taking a camera from one country to another asking for a headache? Obviously warranty claims would be difficult if not impossible, but how much are products localised for their intended markets?

[Genshin]

Thanks for that review, Genshin, I really appreciate it!!

.........

I am pretty sure those models haven't been released in Australia yet, though Amazon has them both for under $400USD.

All this has come to a head because my brother has just gone to Japan for a skiing holiday. He mentioned that he would be happy to pick me up a camera. He also mentioned that he could probably use it while he was over there.

I was hoping to pick up a camera cheaper than in Oz (and maybe even a new model that hasn't been released here yet). Would that be something worthwhile? Or is taking a camera from one country to another asking for a headache? Obviously warranty claims would be difficult if not impossible, but how much are products localised for their intended markets?

You're welcome, hope it helps.

Those models are the ones I played around with. They do work with iMovie, yes, but I was told getting the video onto the Mac required some special third party software that comes with the camera! Besides, the cameras themselves have really poor zoom buttons and zoom ability is limited. They are made of cheap plastic!

Cameras - as with all things electronic - are cheaper here than in OZ. Anything you buy here will however only have a warranty recognised in Japan unless of course it is bought Duty-free or at Akihabara. Video cameras are international these days, all languages are supported and voltage is usually 100V-240V.

You can rest assured that buying a video camera in Japan will be fine if bought duty-free or at Akihabara (They'll know it's going to be used overseas). All of my past video cameras were originally bought on trips to Japan - I never had any problems. Buying here also ensures that you get all of the accessories that usually ship with it in the box rather than the stripped down versions sold in Australia.

[mars_fenix]

Good job man! very nice... apart from the japanese otherwise,,, excellant!!!