Question by Daggerwing: Does anyone have a Canon HV10 digital camera?
http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/canon-hv10/4505-6500_7-31995279.html?tag=rnav
That camera. Would you recommend it? Is it easy to load to a computer?
Ok I am going to look up what a fire wire cable is.. lol my old little camera just used and SD card…
I can’t really afford anything over $ 100, and this looked good for only $ 35! Is it worth it?
Best answer:
Answer by NYC fan
I have the HV30. It would be very difficult to find the HV10 (or even the HV20) now, because of the HV30. The HV40 is on the way as well.
The HV10, as described in that review, had some issues that had to be worked out in later versions. The HV20 did a good job on that, and the HV30 further improved on the HV20. With the huge improvements in later versions, I really don’t see why anyone would want the HV10 unless you can get it at an incredibly good price. It’s pretty well outdated by now.
As for easy loading to the computer, it’s the same as the HV20 and HV30. Just use a FireWire cable. This works for standard-definition DV as well as HDV (for editing programs that support HDV). It’s very easy, as easy as any other DV-tape-based unit.
If we were talking about the HV30, then yes, I would strongly recommend it. All kinds of nice little helpful features to allow you to manually adjust your video if you want, including manual audio level control. As for the video itself, quite good. I’ve been very happy with it. I am still hanging onto MiniDV tape, as it is still the best-quality video format of the consumer formats.
EDIT: Hey, if you can really get an HV10 for just $ 35, and it works, then absolutely yes, go for it! But just make sure that the deal is legit, and that the thing works. This would be a big-time reduction from what it used to cost when it was new.
As for a FireWire cable, there are a few names for it, including i.Link, DV, and IEEE 1394. Different names, but it’s the same cable. There are also 4-pin and 6-pin varieties of plugs. The 4-pin is small and rectangular, with a little indentation along one of the long sides. The 6-pin is a little longer and looks like a long pentagon. Just look up images of each to see them. The camera will have a 4-pin port, and if your computer has a port, it should either be 4-pin or 6-pin. Depending on which one your computer has, get the appropriate cable (4-to-4 or 4-to-6). Keep in mind, this is NOT USB, it’s something different. FireWire and USB are not compatible with each other.
Your computer may or may not have a FireWire port. If it has neither a 4-pin nor 6-pin port, then you’ll have to purchase and install a FireWire card, which isn’t very expensive. What kind of computer are you working with? Perhaps I can help you evaluate your options.
But yes, if you can really get it for $ 35, and the deal is legit, and you get it in good working condition, it’ll be a great deal.
However, I’m skeptical. It seems that the $ 35 listings for the camera on that linked site are actually for batteries instead of the camera itself. Here’s the Amazon link from that page — look at the top:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000RP25VA/ref=asc_df_B000RP25VA723693?ie=UTF8&condition=new&tag=cnet-ce-mp-20&creative=380345&creativeASIN=B000RP25VA&linkCode=asm
It appears that the CNET price listing there might have looked for “HV10″ and pulled the price from the listings, but it had actually found listings for the battery instead. Double-check me on that. Ask if you have any further questions.
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