If I get a firewire for the Canon Xl1, do computers need some special video card to understand the incoming data? I mean, I can play mpegs and have bunch of codecs on my laptop, but if I buy this thing can I hook it up to my laptop and edit it on premiere?
If that doesn't work, is there a simple way you can hook it up to a VCR and edit it that way?
Another question: how much does DV film cost? Isn't it just a cheap tape?
Oh, and side-related, if you don't get UV lens for your camera, is it damaged?
Those were my last questions. Please answer!
If you plug the X1 into a Mac the system should recognize it automatically. I'm not sure about a PC it probably depends upon your graphics card and software.
MiniDV are somewhat cheap. Less than $10 a tape at Best Buy http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?type=product&id=1051384081594
RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA
RJSchwarz
Thanks for the info
Windows XP will automatically recognise your XL1 as a "digital imaging device" although there are some bugs with the early XL1 models (not XL1s) which mean that the order in which you connect and turn on the camera is important. Generally it's:
1) boot computer
2) plug firewire cable into XL1
3) switch camera to VCR mode
4) plug firewire cable into computer
You will then need a program of some kind to "capture" the video from the camera to the PC. Premiere, Avid Xpress, Ulead Media Studio etc, or you can use the Windows Moviemaker program which comes installed by default.
Ben C.
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filmmaking.net
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Please note the opinions expressed here are those of the author only and do not constitute legal advice. The author cannot accept and liability whatsoever for inaccurate or outdated information contained within.
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Benjamin Craig
Editor-in-Chief, filmmaking.net
