I am buying this camcorder and need to know what additional accessories i should buy. :confused: looking for practical, not fancy. i plan to travel for 3 weeks, lots of video shooting. probably need additional battery? :confused: which one? need additional SD card? which one? :confused: how many? i might not get a chance to recharge every night and definitely will not be able to transfer video to anything during the trip. i do have a bag. what else would i need? i am point and shoot. no fancy equipment will be needed. would really appreciate any advice. thank you

Well you have 32 GB of on board memory which should last. But I highly recommend the Canon DM-100 microphone. The mic on the HF11 is not good. Why shoot in HD and not have high quality sound. Its around $140-$160 on amazon.

Next 100% an extra battery, they drain quick. And at least 2 SD cards @ 16GB each class 6. they are cheap now.

I also recommend a polarizing filter...especially if shooting in sunlight...you will notice MUCH better IQ....

The BP-819
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/539252-REG/Canon_2589B002_BP_819_Replacement_Lithium_Ion_Battery.html

or BP-827 battery
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/577566-REG/Canon_3185B002_BP_827_Lithium_Ion_Battery_Pack.html



If possible, the Canon CG-800 Charger
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/539255-REG/Canon_2590B002_CG_800_Charger_Adapter.html

..lets you charge a battery separately from the camcorder...


If you can bring a laptop, you can dump the files onto the hard drive (USB from camcorder to laptop using Pixela software that comes with camcorder)...or (even better) put the card into card reader and copy the contents of the "Stream" folder and paste the mts files onto the hard drive from the card reader on the laptop and then erase/reuse the card.

If laptop doesn't have a "SDHC" card reader, you can buy one:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_e?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=SDHC+card+reader&x=14&y=18


Also, maybe a UV filter, you can leave on all the time to protect the lens (size 37mm for HF11):
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/72709-REG/Tiffen_37UVP_37mm_UV_Protector_Glass.html

(Or you can buy a more expensive one.)

If you're not getting a tripod or stabilizer, remember to hold the camcorder steady as possible in shots and have "OIS" on in the camera, or it won't look so great later.
(If using tripod, then no OIS.)

I just got this camcorder on Thursday. I really like it. HOWEVER, after using for a weekend trip to San Diego, I know that I need a bigger battery (as people have said, this lasts little more than an hour).

And I MUST get a better microphone. The wind noise was aweful even in a light breeze.

You're going to want both the battery and the microphone. Just acknowledge it and move forward.

I shot 25GB at the highest resolution and it took something like an hour and a half to download to my PC via USB. That might be more of an issue with my PC and the relationship between my USB ports and hard drives...ie, driver issues...but once on my PC, the data was easy to work with. For the record, I'm using a Core i7 with 6GB of DDR3 to do my editing.

xfws thank you so very much! you answered all the questions before i even knew to ask them!

Hey is it possible to transfer data directly from SDHC memory card or the camcorder to an external hard drive? That would be neat so you wouldn't have to lug your computer around if you were doing some shots.

The Canon Vixia AVCHD camcorders can't do that; the Sanyo Xacti (at least I know of the HD1010) can do that from the hub.


As I mentioned to saphira2021, you can use a laptop..and (in the HF11 thread) I posted a link to portable, battery powered, storage devices:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?shs=portable%20storage%20device&AID=10661106&Go=submit&Q=*&Go.y=0&Go.x=0&pn=1&sb=ps&bhs=t&PID=3136390&InitialSearch=yes&ci=0&sq=desc&O=jsp/product.jsp&A=search

I'm not positive you can go USB from HF11 to device; cards shouldn't be a problem... Either way, check with the retailer you are buying from and/or contact Canon.


btw, saphira2021, sorry for not mentioning these portable devices before, it just recently occurred to me.

Thanks, your post is very helpful. It's great to know these exist so when I'm going on vacation etc and don't really have access to a computer to dump my footage off.

Since this thread is about Vixia accessories I also must ask:

I currently have the CANON HF S10 but I don't have a HDTV just yet. Whenever I want to view the footage it's a pain. I have to move the entertainment center to get behind the TV and then I have to hook up both the 3 component connections and 2 audio connections. If I'm constantly hooking and unhooking cables to and from my television and camcorder I'm risking these connections becoming unstable not to mention tripping one of the cords and causing my camera to fall 10 feet(don't think it would survive). There must exist a device but how about a device that will read SDHC cards and connect them to your HDTV via HDMI that way I don't risk any damage to the HDMI outputs on camcorder as well as inputs on television (when I do get an HDTV).

Scott

Here you go:

Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&sku=587682&AID=10661106&PID=3136390&is=REG&A=details&Q=#features

That's perfect! So I can just plug a SDHC memory card reader into that and put the SDHC card in the slot and bingo, that should work just fine. Thanks!

xfws thank you for your help. I checked out the Wolverine unit and think that though weight is an issue, i will never use the Wolverine again, but i will be able to use the netbook after the trip. i wanted one anyway.
your consern about the transfer time is a good point, i think i will get another 1 gig of RAM right at the start.
Since Amazon dropped the HF11 price yesterday/day before to $699 i ordered the unit yesterday.
for the rest of setup i plan on http://www.amazon.com/Acer-AOD150-1165-10-1-Inch-Sapphire-Blue/dp/B001QFZFS0/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=IJKX2CQ9B9BXB&colid=39AAM5NVROIEF for netbook plus 1 gb add'l RAM.
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-BP-819-Lithium-Battery-Camcorders/dp/B0012IJYZ6/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3AHOK4FXG0Z88&colid=39AAM5NVROIEF for add'l battery
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-2590B002-Lithium-Battery-Batteries/dp/B0012IJYZQ/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=ISBTNB75YX186&colid=39AAM5NVROIEF to charge batteries
http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Class-Memory-Reader-TS16GSDHC6-S5W/dp/B0010Z28XG/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3TPWNV4JFEILF&colid=39AAM5NVROIEF for addl'l 16 gig card with reader
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148346 for external storage drive. this one is 500 gig and will serve me in the future as well.
As you can see, most of them are your suggestion. do you think i need anything else? or does this cover the setup. this is not going to be cheap, but luckily i have been saving for this setup for a while.
i greatly appreciate your input. thank you for all your help.

no problem. saphira...

Are you getting one 16gb card? I would definitely get another one.
The reader on that netbook might also read SDHC cards.

I understand you want to go with the netbook; like I mentioned, some people on the forums are claiming very slow transfer times from the HF11's 32gig internal storage to desktops. Others say this is not a problem.
You might end up having to copy over from the HF11 internal to the card and then read it on the computer or get more cards to shoot to and just use the reader.

Test out the netbook/external drive setup real good to see time transfer times/make sure this is workable before you leave for your trip.
If it is way too slow for your test, maybe you can pick up a small laptop instead.

btw, are you going to a destination that has different voltage than US? Something to consider regarding the chargers, computer, etc. as far if voltage converters are also needed.

do you think i need anything else?

A UV filter (which you can leave on if you want) and a soft lens cloth (see HF11 manual) in case the lens or filter gets dirty (never use a regular cloth or tissue on a lens).
Both those are just extras, up to you.


btw, if you go on your trip and something is not working with the transfer to the computer, you could, as a backup emergency plan; record to the lowest setting (or second lowest setting) and transfer when you got home.
...and pick up more cards if you had to while on your trip. (Or buy more ahead of time and return them for a refund if you don't use/open them.)

The quality wouldn't be as good, but at least you would still be able to record your trip if that situation arose. Or buy more cards/ record @ high quality at an expense.

If you had first recorded onto the internal memory and needed to empty it - you would transfer the video to a card (or two) and then erase/initialize the drive and start with the new settings:

32 gig internal memory
SP mode = 9 hours, 35 minutes
LP mode = 12 hours, 15 min.

16 gig card
SP mode = 4 hr, 45 min
LP mode = 6hr, 5 min

The manual is available @ CanonUsa.com if need be.

The quality difference is so apparant between the standard setting, SP, compared to the MXF setting, when watching clips from the camera hooked up to a 32" Sony PAL CRT TV, using the HF's composite output. So, even on a regular SD TV SP doesn't look very good.

I noticed this immediately when I switched from watching a few of the later test clips I did, to the first few, wich used the standard setting.

Can't imagine why they would ship a HD camera with a low image quality setting as default!

BTW, the PAL version of the HF11 has an universal powersupply, so only thing to worry about would be the powerplug, assuming the powersupply is the same, just the sperate powercord being different.

xfws you just talked me into 2 16 gig cards. this is doable as i still have a small cushion in my budget. any suggestion on which ones?
I will test out the setup as soon as i get all the components. thank you
i will be in 220 volts territory, vs 110 in the US. i know i need a plug adapter.
question, do i need just a plug adapter or do i need adapter/converter. i have both just don't know which one to use.
I have a UV filter from an old Canon G1. i do believe they are both the same size. will check when i get the camcorder.
i will get the cloth as you suggested
I am also taking your suggestion on buying extra cards and returning if not used.
Now for the stupid question: what will connect camcorder-netbook-hard drive? i do not understand what physically connects them. USB cord from camcorder to netbook and another one to hard drive? sorry but i am clueless when it comes to networking/connecting. I know that my still camera connects to USB port on my computer and my external hard drive (my backup drive) also uses USB port. my external drive is bulky, small and old so taking that is not an option. do i need additional USB cables? or will they come with hard drive or on the netbook itself? as i said, i am clueless. thank you for your help.
another question, i think there is a pretty good chance of power fluctuations where i am going, so do i need to think about surge protectors? i hope not as i can only carry so much around.
thanks again.
Donaldk, i am in NTFS territory (US) thanks for the info

xfws you just talked me into 2 16 gig cards. this is doable as i still have a small cushion in my budget. any suggestion on which ones?
I will test out the setup as soon as i get all the components. thank you
i will be in 220 volts territory, vs 110 in the US. i know i need a plug adapter.
question, do i need just a plug adapter or do i need adapter/converter. i have both just don't know which one to use.
I have a UV filter from an old Canon G1. i do believe they are both the same size. will check when i get the camcorder.
i will get the cloth as you suggested
I am also taking your suggestion on buying extra cards and returning if not used.
Now for the stupid question: what will connect camcorder-netbook-hard drive? i do not understand what physically connects them. USB cord from camcorder to netbook and another one to hard drive? sorry but i am clueless when it comes to networking/connecting. I know that my still camera connects to USB port on my computer and my external hard drive (my backup drive) also uses USB port. my external drive is bulky, small and old so taking that is not an option. do i need additional USB cables? or will they come with hard drive or on the netbook itself? as i said, i am clueless. thank you for your help.
another question, i think there is a pretty good chance of power fluctuations where i am going, so do i need to think about surge protectors? i hope not as i can only carry so much around.
thanks again.
Donaldk, i am in NTFS territory (US) thanks for the info
Transcend should be ok.. I've only used Kingston so far.
As far as the voltage thing..I have never dealt with that - someone else can help you with that, but seems an important detail to address before leaving.
You can pick up a power strip; with the multiple outlet plugs that have surge protection built-in. Maybe this would also be specific to the region you are going...


The Canon HF11 comes with a USB cable (mini USB on one end, regular/bigger size USB on other end). That goes into mini USB port on HF11 (located under the cover that says "HDMI" with the USB symbol next to it on the right side/same side of the camera as the mode dial. (see owner's manual)
That cable goes from the HF11 to USB port on computer.

The hard drive should come with a similar USB cable..that also goes from the hard drive to a second USB port on computer.

It's important that you install the Pixela software that comes with the HF11 - enter serial number located in the HF11 battery compartment and connect to the internet before install to activate with Pixela.

Do tests to make sure you it's working and you understand the process of file transfer.

Basically, once connected to pc via USB, the HF11 LCD screen will ask DVD burn or PC Connect..you choose PC connect..then you confirm (on computer screen/netbook) the file transfer,...then you wait for the files to transfer over...when it's done, and the video files have stopped transferring and the activity light has stopped on the HF11, you do a safely remove hardware on the computer, disconnect the USB and turn off the HF11.

With the card reader, when the card drive is being read on the computer; you locate the Stream folder in the folder structure, copy (don't cut) the contents of that stream folder and then paste the .mts video files onto your external drive.
Open up .video/.mts files in software that reads .mts files.
Sorry if this confusing, I can post more on that tomorrow.


Too bad SDHC cards aren't cheaper - it would seem easier to buy bulk of 4 or 8 gig cards and record in FXP mode (2nd highest quality equivalent to the Canon HF10 highest mode)..instead of buying/lugging the computer and hard drive...and do all the transferring after the trip.
In FXP mode, 4 gig would record 30 minutes, 8 gig card would record an hour each.

Up to you if you still would consider that now at what they cost/if can find bulk prices...I'm not sure if this is a feasible idea at this point.

xfws thank you. i will try for bulk purchase. right now it looks like about 50 8 gig cards or 25 of 16 gig. either way $1000. thanks for all the info.
Good night.

saphira, I thought about this some more and just wanted to say a few more things (:

I was wondering if you have addressed your specifications with your pc at home for when playing back the mts files? Do you have a dual core/quad core? People find best results with quad core, although Intel Core Duo and enough RAM/decent video card seems to suffice.

Another thing I wanted to mention is that the netbook, even if successful in transferring the files for you; it won't be able to handle playing back the files to view while on your trip. You could convert to a different format and lower resolution, while saving the original mts - but this might be time-consuming also...


Anyway, I wanted to say...just to be helpful...what I really think the best situation for you is as follows:

Buy the Canon HV30 miniDV camcorder instead of the HF11 (this is the best price):
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/539289-REG/Canon_2680B001_VIXIA_HV30_HDV_High.html

Buy a bunch of miniDV tapes/packs to bring on your trip (1 tape=1 hour):
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Mini-DV-Videocassette-1-Pack/dp/B000A2I3AM/ref=sr_1_2/175-0691566-5415923?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1242652063&sr=1-2

Buy a charger/extra battery for the HV30 (different charger/batteries for the HV30 than HF11):
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-CB-2LW-Battery-Charger-Batteries/dp/B000B69WVG/ref=sr_1_15/181-4907289-5695425?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1242652139&sr=1-15

Keep the netbook and hard drive if you want, but they won't be needed if you use tapes. Don't buy the SDHC cards, although a small regular SD can be used with the HV30 for still pics.

Get the necessary voltage converters/surge protectors.

I don't know if you ordered all the stuff from Amazon for the HF11, but you can cancel the order...if it is shipping you can tell them you want to get a refund/or maybe exchange on a few items..send it back unopened.


When you record on the trip; after a tape fills up; label it and put in a fresh tape. That's it. The HV30 comes with cables so that you can hook it up to a TV and view as a playback device; although the picture might not look right if you are playing it back in a region tha has PAL TVs. (Instead of US NTSC.)

When you return home, you capture the miniDv tapes in real time from out the HV30 firewire connection to firewire in on your pc. (If you don't already have firewire, you can install a card for less than $20. Don't use any of the cables that comes with the HV30 for firewire connection, like the component cable - you need to buy a firewire cable, they are cheap and are usually included with new firewire cards.)
..and capture the video into Windows Movie Maker or whatever editor you want to use like Sony Vegas Platinum. (If you get the HV30, record all your footage/set your frame rate to 30PF, commonly referred to as "30p". This will keep things simple; 24p and 60i require de-interlacing if planning to view on a pc monitor; for just viewing on a TV it won't be necessary.)

It's an hour of capture time for every hour of video you shoot, but you don't have to sit there and watch it capture; you can wacth TV for an hour while it's capturing or whatever else you want to do during that time.
Your pc specifications can be much lower for HDV, compared to with the HF11.



I'm just being honest; I think you may have a big headache with the combination of a netbook trying to transfer the large files from the HF11 and trying to make sure you can back up data on a trip when you could just capture on tape and use the tape as a permanent archive..

I also think you may end up spending a lot more money than need be with the HF11.
You said you are not familiar with tech stuff; this may also cause grief for you.

xfws i read your post very carefully. i think you are absolutely right about tapes being much simpler and cheaper. i also took a very careful look at the camcorder. i think for anyone else it would be the best solution.

the reason i went with HF11 and not HV30 is simple. i got Canon G1 when it first came out. i loved the camera and carried that big bulky heavy bag with me where ever i went. then i realized, i just couldn't any longer. I can not deal with anything that is heavy. i don't have the strenght and i know that i will not use it as i have not used G1 in years. i now have a Canon SD630 and am very happy with it. it weights nothing and i carry it in my purse. I actually went to the stores and tried different camcorders and came to the conclusion that i am comfortable with 380 gr of HF11 but will not carry 535 gr of HV30. it is 40% more in weight. as simple as that.

that said, i greatly appreciate your thinking this through for me. you spent
your time to help me and i am very grateful.

I have a dual core PC at home. it is a custom built and was the best you can get a couple of years ago. a friend built it for me. it does have fire wire and all the other goodies. it is also highly upgradable, so i know there will be no problem.

i will not need to watch my footage on the trip. just at home when i get back.

I am sure there will be a learning curve and plenty of grief trying to figure this out after the trip, but i wanted to learn how to do this for quite some time, just never found the camcorder that i could carry around. i waited several years actually for a flash memory camcorder.:) this is just a perfect opportunity to break it in.

Earlier poster talked about buying a mike Canon DM-100. do i really need it? it seems to be heavy and expensive.

at this point my setup includes:
HF11 (already purchased)
the rest are not purchased yet:
16 gb SDHC card and another 16 gb with reader
external charger
cloth for lenses
bp-819
acer aspire 1 with 2 gig RAM
seagate freeagent go 500 gig external pocket drive
bag for acer/hard drive
I need to deal with surge protectors.

am i good to go? anything else you can think of? thank you for your help

That's cool...thought I would just throw that out there.

It looks you have everything. If you want to pick up the DM100 microphone, I do believe they are not heavy. Maybe you want to test out the sound first, it might be good enough for your liking.

if you are looking to buy a netbook, watch the forums at places like **************, there are deals popping up all the time... there is a dell refurb outlet, for instance... a lot of these netbooks have solid state drives, so there could be storage issues with some models.

Osv thank you for the Fatwallet idea. Amazon has it for 329.99 and i have not found a better price. does not hurt to check. thanks

Yes, you can copy video directly from a camcorder to an external hard drive using a MoFoto Portable Video Storage Device. You can get up to 500GB.

xfws do you know anything about non-Canon batteries? i found http://www.bestbatt.com/Canon_BP_819_BP819_Camcorder_Battery_p/bbbp819.htm this and am wondering if is a good idea or am i looking for trouble? i know i purchased off brand battery/charger for my Canon SD630 and it works better than the original, so i am wondering if i might get lucky twice?:confused:

saphira... the deal with the off-brand batteries for the HF series is that that they don't tell you the remaining time left on the battery.
The Canon brand batteries have a feature that let's you know the remaining time.

The other thing is that it voids the warranty. I don't know if, in the event of you needing warranty service, that Canon can tell if you've used a non-Canon battery..
I suppose a leak from a battery, but, again, I wouldn't know if they would require you to send the actual battery that damaged your camcorder.

I went with a Canon BP-827; I didn't want to bother with those possibilities.

I don't know if you can use the Canon brand charger with the non-Canon batteries or have to use a charger that came with a non-Canon...


You can look through these threads, see what others have to say:

Search Results for "generic batteries Canon HF"
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/gtsearch.php?cx=partner-pub-7727267082087455%3Antr50g-icin&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=generic+batteries+Canon+HF&sa=Search#1342

Search Results for "non-OEM batteries Canon HF"
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/gtsearch.php?cx=partner-pub-7727267082087455%3Antr50g-icin&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=non-OEM+batteries+Canon+HF&sa=Search#1313

xfws thank you. makes it quite clear. the weight is an issue again and the risk is not worth it. Thank you.
BTW, did you see the price jump on Amazon? i checked and HF11 is now not available anywhere under $850! I got it at $700. aaah, for once it is in my favor. usually it is just the opposite.
Thanks for all your help.
I will post once i get the full setup and start testing/figuring out how it all works together.

I would only buy batteries from Canon Authorized Resellers. Gray market batteries can physically explode causing damage not only to the camera but you as well.

Thank you all for your help. this is now closed. i am back from the trip and now have to edit/convert/capture all the footage i took on the trip. special thank you to sfws for all the help.

"Donaldk, i am in NTFS territory (US) thanks for the info"

Was I right in assuming the US model had the same 90-240V power supply, just with a different plug to the cord? In that case you didn't need the converteor, just the plugadapter.

Did you end up getting a polarising filter? Still looking for one for the HF11 and its 37mm lensmount.

MTS is the raw file of AVCHD video, which can't be recognized by most devices. You need MTS Converter (http://www.mtsconverterdownload.com/index.html) to convert .mts files to AVI, FLV, MP4, MOV, 3GP, MP3, WMA, etc, and also it is an excellent TS Converter (http://www.mtsconverterdownload.com/ts-converter.html).

http://www.mtsconverterdownload.com/images/mts-ts-converter.jpg


Key features of MTS Converter:

1. Support most HD video encoder and HD decoder
Support converting HD video to SD (Standard Definition) video or converting SD video to HD video of all HD formats including HD AVI, H.264/AVC, MKV, AVCHD, HD MPEG4 TS, HD MPEG2 TS, HD WMV, HD Quick Time, ASF-HD and the latest popular video formats - MKV, TS, h.264 and more in both 1080P & 720P. Support Interlace/Deinterlace.

2. Convert video Between almost any formats
MTS Converter can convert 3GP, 3G2, MJPEG, AVI, DivX, Xvid, MPG, MPEG(MPEG-1/2), DAT, FLV, MKV(Matroska), QuickTime(MOV,QT), MP4, M4V, VOB, WMV, ASF, TS, MPEG-4 AVC, H.264 to all popular video formats - MP4, MOV, 3GP, 3G2, MPEG, MPG, VOB, AVI, ASF, WMV, FLV, H.264,etc.

3. Extract audio tracks from video file
Convert video files to AAC, AC3, AIFF, AMR, AU, FLAC, MP3, M4V, MP2, OGG, WAV, WMA.

4. Supported various PMPs
Optimized for HD video devices, including Sony PS3, Walkman, Xbox360, Wii, iPod, iPhone 3G, Apple TV, Zune, Google Phone, Archos, Creative Zen, iRiver, BlackBerry, Palm Pre, Motorala, LG, Sony Ericsson, Mobile Phone, HD DivX/XviD video player and more.

5. Provide Deinterlacing function
Using this MTS Video Converter, it helps you to convert interlaced video to the progressive video, this function can optimize the video effect.

Was I right in assuming the US model had the same 90-240V power supply, just with a different plug to the cord? In that case you didn't need the converteor, just the plugadapter.

Did you end up getting a polarising filter? Still looking for one for the HF11 and its 37mm lensmount.

Donald, you were right, i only needed a plug adapter, it worked like a charm. after you explained it, i checked and knew i needed just an adapter.

I did get a polirising filter, at least if polirising means the one filter that is used to tone down a very bright day. :) i am sure you can tell i am very "knowledgeable" in all the terms and use of video and photography.
we also discovered that it is a good protection for the actual camera lens. i liked that. i got all of the equipment referenced in this thread, i am sure that i got mine from B&H or Newegg. it fits perfectly. if you really want to know, i can look up my orders and post here. let me know.

I did not take a computer with me as i found out they could be confiscated for indefinite period of time for "inspection". i went with Mofoto for storage. it is a lot less obvious in its function, thus less desirable, plus it is compact and light weight. So far mostly good but mixed reviews on that one. need more use before i can really comment.

Now my problem is to convert raw footage into something useful. i am still figuring this one out. Pixela isn't very friendly and i can't extract any stills out of it. at least not that i discovered so far. still learning.

I have only done shot initial testshooting. Basically swaying the damn thing around. Is my first camcorder, you see... Will hand over the stuff to my brother, in a month and a halve as we bought it as a wedding present. But have to use the thing to shoot some memories of the trip (he's getting married abroad), and the ceremony. So, still looking for an external microphone. A fellow Dutchie, and videography expert mentioned online a cheap but good lapelmicrophone, with a link to BHPhoto, 31 USD plus another ten for an extension cord, but overhere it seems to have limited distribution, and cost at least twice that. My brother is the audioexpert, as he works in radio, but can hardly go and ask him now can I;-).

He did promise to bring his laptop, so I am not buying an extra SDHC card, can't keep adding gifts, so it has to wait for another occassion.

The confiscation of laptops seems to be primarily an issue with US customs, never heard of issues with Brasillian or Dutch customs.

Please look up the filter. People generally get two filters an UV filter, they can leave on the camera all the time, acting as a lens protector, and a polarising filter. As it darkens the image it needs to come of indoors and at dusk, leaving the UV filter as a protective cover. Sofar, I have found B+W (expensive German high-end brand), and Tiffen (medium priced), and some cheap Chinese made filter sets, on the US Ebay, that I don't trust.

The local photoshop was having a going out of business sale (owner retiring), and it had lovely B+W filters at 70% off, plenty of circular ones, but I did manage to rumage through and find two linear ones, unfortunately they were all for 49mm lenses;-(.

Saphira, are you looking to edit your footage, or just interested in playing the unedited footage? In case of just looking to play the footage on a nice flatscreen, put your material on a memory card and put the card in a PS3, or if you don't have one wait for Santa to bring you one of those WDTV players, those Western Digital multimedia players cost around 90 buck in the US, and also allow you to play stuff from a pc network on your HDTV.

I have only done shot initial testshooting. Basically swaying the damn thing around. Is my first camcorder, you see... Will hand over the stuff to my brother, in a month and a halve as we bought it as a wedding present. But have to use the thing to shoot some memories of the trip (he's getting married abroad), and the ceremony. So, still looking for an external microphone. A fellow Dutchie, and videography expert mentioned online a cheap but good lapelmicrophone, with a link to BHPhoto, 31 USD plus another ten for an extension cord, but overhere it seems to have limited distribution, and cost at least twice that. My brother is the audioexpert, as he works in radio, but can hardly go and ask him now can I;-).

Donald, do you mean that microphone is at B&H and in US? i am a little confused. if you did mean US, can you post a link? sounds good to me.

The confiscation of laptops seems to be primarily an issue with US customs, never heard of issues with Brasillian or Dutch customs.
not Brazilian, not Dutch, think Russian, where anything is possible and not in a good way.

Please look up the filter. People generally get two filters an UV filter, they can leave on the camera all the time, acting as a lens protector, and a polarising filter. As it darkens the image it needs to come of indoors and at dusk, leaving the UV filter as a protective cover. Sofar, I have found B+W (expensive German high-end brand), and Tiffen (medium priced), and some cheap Chinese made filter sets, on the US Ebay, that I don't trust.
I got the UV filter before the trip, a Tiffen and left it on the camera permanently. protects the lens from scratches and dust. i will get the polarizing filter a little later.

Saphira, are you looking to edit your footage, or just interested in playing the unedited footage? In case of just looking to play the footage on a nice flatscreen, put your material on a memory card and put the card in a PS3, or if you don't have one wait for Santa to bring you one of those WDTV players, those Western Digital multimedia players cost around 90 buck in the US, and also allow you to play stuff from a pc network on your HDTV.
i am looking to edit the footage. i already figured out how to burn to DVD and actually burned some PAL DVDs before the trip, took them with me and left there instead of pictures. they were happy to see things "live". my 2 wishes are to find a software that is easy to use as i am not familiar with the process and to find a way to pull some stills out of the video footage. really want that as still camera that we took with us was stolen after a few days. all i got now is the video, but i got 200 gig worth of it!

Overhere, somewhere to the end of the comments/discussion the Sony ECM-CS10 Stereo Lavalier Microphone is being recommended; http://www.vimeo.com/1153750.

The link was to B&H. Now it says 34.50, don't see the accessory suggestion of the extension cord, as the mic only has a 1 meter cable itself.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/334837-REG/Sony_ECMCS10_ECM_CS10_Stereo_Lavalier_Microphone.html

Jan has some other video's up using a lavalier microphone and the Sanyo Xacti camera, even one where he uses a lavalier microphone to conduct a chance interview during his Amsterdam Vimeo meetup. Not sure if it is the same one, as it has a foam cover. sounds great and still picks up natural ambient sound; http://www.vimeo.com/1500969.

Donaldk i took a look at the reviews on this mic and they are quite mixed. i think i will wait awhile. i am more concerned right now with editing the footage and pulling some stills out of it. so far no success. i will keep reading this forum and keep trying. if you have any experience, please post.

I will read up on the reviews, hadn't searched for those, yet.

Haven't found many yet, just Amzon user reviews, wich are indeed mixed. Probably the camcorder will not provide sufficient power when using an extension cord for the microphone, something one would need as one meter would not allow for the camera to focus;-).

I will not be editing any footage. I only have Pentium 4 PCs, so will not even attempt any editing. Will leave that to my brother, if needed he could even ingest them at work and edit them (in SD?) on the AVID in his off-hours.