If I don't have a spare camera to use to upload footage to my computer is this bad?

Question

I have heard that it is bad for my camera to use it to upload to my computer but im not sure if it is just a myth

Answer 1

Any time you use the heads on the camcorder, there is wear on the heads. So I would not necessarily call it a myth...

"Normal" use should be fine. I've been using my Sony HDR-HC1 for over two years for capturing video, using it as the "transfer deck" for importing the video to my computer, exporting the completed video edit projects back to the camcorder for archive and have used the camcorder occasionally as a playback deck connected to a HDTV (so I can watch my projects in 1080i high definition).

I have used a cleaning tape on it only once (because the camcorder told me it needed it. Cleaning tapes are a lot more abrasive than regular recording tape. The camcorder continues to work great. It has recorded over 400 hours of video; nearly all of it has been imported to my computer for editing and about 30 hours have been exported back to the camcorder. I guess about 20 hours worth of connecting the camcorder to a HDTV for high definition playback

I only recently got another camcorder - for video capture flexibility (multi-camera shoots and editing are WAY fun, plus the new camera has much better low-light video capture characteristics), not because of any issues with the HC1...