My question is:

I want to change over to non-linear editing in my computer. I can afford a decent firewire card and enough drive space to get me going. What I can't afford is an XL-1. While I save for THAT CAMERA, I still would like to do some projects utilizing digital non-linear.

I now shoot projects with a Canon L-2. Does anyone know how much worse the picture would be than say a high end digital camera if I simply converted the output to digital using a Sony analog to digital converter?

This way I could get into digital now (without waiting to get a camera)--but I wonder how degraded the Hi8 picture will be after it's converted. The resolution isn't a whole lot different than a digital, but I'm wondering if even that little difference shows up like a sore thumb...

Can someone assist me?

My projects would be along the lines of 1/2 hour to 90 minute features for entrance to festivals.

If I take that digital output from the system onto another dv format or BetaSP --how would that look?

What would a blow up to 35mm look like? I understand the video footage in The Blair Witch Project was a one chip consumer Hi8 and the steadier images didn't look too bad..

Any thoughts? Answers?

Thanks! You guys are the experts!

Harv

-- Harv Ponda (hponda@inthecan.net), August 01, 1999

Answers

I would check out Canopus firewire cards. I have a Rex-M1 and it takes both analogue and digital (DV or DVCAM) and keeps everything in DV. Then you can edit with Premiere, MSP, or Rex Edit. You could also use a Canopus Raptor card and a Sony Digital converter and end up with similar results. There will be a Real Time add on to the Rex next month. Check out the Canopus web site (www.canopuscorp.com) and the user groups for more information. These cards are STABLE! The Rex also has a component out option for BetaSP. I hope that helps:) Jim

-- Jim Bridge (jwbridge@ix.netcom.com), September 01, 1999.