[Crusoe]

I generally like canon products and now is the time to buy a DVCam.

The Elura would work for my needs but it doesn't have or isn't mentioned the following features:

Pass through - firewire (or USB) passthrough to use as a webcam for iChat and/or record directly to disk and/or analog to digital passthrough.
16.9 record mode
The optura adds 16.9 mode but doesn't mention pass through.
The Sony 105 has passthrough but no 16.9.

Anyone own either of these that can clarify these features?
Any other recommendations on a compact cam with 16.9 and passthough?

[thorsted]

Originally posted by Crusoe:
I generally like canon products and now is the time to buy a DVCam.

The Elura would work for my needs but it doesn't have or isn't mentioned the following features:

Pass through - firewire (or USB) passthrough to use as a webcam for iChat and/or record directly to disk and/or analog to digital passthrough.
16.9 record mode
The optura adds 16.9 mode but doesn't mention pass through.
The Sony 105 has passthrough but no 16.9.

Anyone own either of these that can clarify these features?
Any other recommendations on a compact cam with 16.9 and passthough?

I have the Canon ZR70MC which is a step down. It does a wonderful job of passthrough. Not dure about the 16.9.

-thorsted

[cheekyjeremy]

The Elura 50 does do some of the things you mentioned. It does record in 16.9, and it also allows passthrough for recording

Jeremy

[Crusoe]

Cheeky

I did something novel and downloaded the user manual. It implements 16.9 as an effect but doesn't specify if it's stretched or clipped (top and bottom) the latter is fine, stretched stinks.

I know I could take into account when recording that once I get it in iMovie I'll want to "convert" it to 16.9 but that's 2 steps I'd like to avoid. Have you tried 16.9 mode, what does it look like once on the Mac?

[cheekyjeremy]

I'll have to check and get back to you as I do not use it in 16.9 often. It will be tonight before I can check it, but I think it is a crop instead of a stretch.

J

[Crusoe]

Thanks!

Originally posted by cheekyjeremy:
I'll have to check and get back to you as I do not use it in 16.9 often. It will be tonight before I can check it, but I think it is a crop instead of a stretch.

J

[buddhabelly]

Originally posted by Crusoe:
Thanks!

Most consumer, and even prosumer DV cams squish the video anamorphically to acheive 16:9 aspect ratio. This is really similar to how 16:9 is shot anamorphically professionally, however on a pro level the use a lens to do it optically.

There is a sony camera that does 16:9 anamorphic accross the whole sensor so you get full resoution. Can't remember which model off hand, but it is in excess of $1500.

[Eug]

FWIW, I have an Optura 200MC that works fine with iChatAV. I looked at the Elura 50, Optura 200MC, and Optura 300.

The Optura 200MC was in the same ballpark price range as the Elura 50. It was a little bigger, but had a bigger feature set.

The Optura 300 was nice but it was too expensive.

[Crusoe]

Thanks for the info gang. With the 300s they say they use the whole lens to do 16.9 still a bit steep but that's probably what I'll go with.

Hard to find the 200s for online order, those seem pretty decent too.

[Eug Wanker]

The 200MC is now discontinued. The 300 is the replacement, but the 200MC was still being produced for quite a while after the 300 came out.