Canon Elura 85: is it analog or digital?/ good or bad?

Question

So I may be buying a canon elura 85 and i am wonering its a minidv but is it analog or digital? and is it a good starter cam? I want to use this for video editing and I am wondering if it is good for editing video as far as compatability and if the resolution is decent. Ive read reviews but would like to know if there is anything i should worry about as far as digital as i want to record minidv format and then capture on editing software will i run into any problems with this cam? Thanks

Answer 1

The Canon Elura miniDV tape based camcorder is a good consumer camcorder.

The "DV" in miniDV and DV port that you use to connect the camcorder to your computer = "Digital Video". This is not an analog camcorder. The zeros and ones that make up the data stream that results in the video you capture in tis camcorder are just as digtial as the zroes and ones captured to a hard drive or flash memory based camcorder.

Because the DV format stored on the tape is the least compressed of the available consumer digital camcorders, miniDV tape continues to provide the best available video quality as compared to the other storage methods.

Here is the camcorder's product page:

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/contro...

I suggest you download and read through the manual (in the Drivers & Downloads tab).

I used to use a Canon Elura 60. ALL miniDV tape based camcorders have a DV port. This connects to your computer's firewire 400 port (iEEE1394a, i.Link, DV - all the same thing) with a firewire cable. Installing a firewire port in your computer is generally easy to do if you have and available PCI slot - or, if a laptop, a PCMCIA slot or Express port. The PCI and PCMCIA cards are cheap - the Express cards are a little more expensive.

Answer 2

It's minidv digital. I've had the elura 65 for a few years and just recently the video has been someone dark. It's been a pretty good camcorder so I don't see why the 85 wouldn't be good. Mini dv needs a firewire connection.

If you have a mini dv (cassette) camcorder….

Your dv camcorder needs a firewire connection (ieee 1394) in order to download video, your PC probably did not come with a firewire port, so you will have to buy one and install it, since most computers (except possibly brand new) don't come with a firewire port, your camcorder did not come with a firewire cord so you have to purchase a cord too. Your camcorder did come with a USB cord and that is used for downloading stills from your camcorder. Make sure your camera is in playback mode.

The fine print in your manual makes reference to firewire (ieee 1394) connection.