Bracing Myself for a Flaming but Need to Ask

[jrod81]

Okay guys,
Now that Samys.com and Tigerdirect.com have the HV30 for less than $500 I was just about ready to do it but have to ask... I have to educate myself... I have to have a peace of mind once I have made the purchase.
So, I realize that an HV40 would be the answer as far as getting away from the pulldown issue but I can't afford a HV40. Therefore, I am going to be doing the pulldown process with the HV30 if I buy it from Samys. But here is my question... for about $120-$150 more I can find a used HG20 and maybe even an HFS100. If I got either of those cameras I would still be doing the pulldown process just like getting the HV30.
I will be using an Apple MacBook Pro or Imac for the editing and FCP 6.0 for the software. I have asked in other forums and it seems both my computing power and my software is good enough to edit the AVCHD footage.
So after all that, here is my question... If I am okay with spending a bit more money on the HSF100 or the HG20, shouldn't I go with it instead of the HV30 since the 24p process is going to have to be used on any of those cameras?
The other reason I like the HSF100 is because the thread is a 58mm which means I would only have to get one step ring for my Letus Extreme (72mm to 58mm).
From what I can tell on vimeo the footage of an HV30 w/ DOF adapters and the HSF100 footage looks too close for me to tell a difference... Just seems worth it to get the tapeless format.
I know this has been touched on quite often so I understand if I have just set myself up for a bruising, but I am prepared for that to get an answer...
thanks
jared

[net]

You can shoot in 30p - on the HV30 or one of the HF/HG cams - and you don't have to do pulldown as is the case with 24p.

The HF11 is the same camcorder as the HG20 - but has flash memory internal storage instead of a hard drive. (Both have card slots for video.)

You can buy an HF11 new for 699, there is also now a refurbished (by Canon) HF11 for 599.

I would go refurb instead of used - at least you know it's been inspected, restored, etc. (or maybe just a customer return). There are refurb HF10 and HF100's - search on the web.

Used you don't know the deal with it.

[Erik Bien]

I will be using an Apple MacBook Pro or Imac for the editing and FCP 6.0 for the software.

IMHO, this brings it down to personal taste: setting up Apple Compressor to remove pulldowns and transcode to ProResHQ is dead easy (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2410) and AFAIK it's pretty much the same with AVCHD.

[jrod81]

The HF11 is the same camcorder as the HG20 - but has flash memory internal storage instead of a hard drive. (Both have card slots for video.)

I apologize but could you tell me what flash internal memory is as opposed to an internal hard drive... i understand internal hard drive... i guess i don't know what internal flash is...

[net]

Flash memory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory) is a non-volatile computer memory that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It is a technology that is primarily used in memory cards and USB flash drives for general storage and transfer of data between computers and other digital products.
The HF11's internal storage is non-removable flash memory; with no moving parts.
HG20 has a hard drive (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk_drive), like the ones used in laptops, which have moving parts and are more fragile with a greater chance of failure than flash memory.

Although the included internal storage is different, both camcorders can record video to removable flash memory cards via the card slot.

[jrod81]

what is the difference between the hf10/100 and the hfs10/100 and the hf11...
the hfs is just the updated version with a few more options?

[dearcatastrophe]

if you go to the canon website, you can do a side by side comparison of all the features of the cameras.

[jrod81]

okay so went to canon's site and looked over them... am I correct to say that the CMOS size and the still camera's megapixel size is about the only 2 differences... if so, the hf100 seems just as good to me because the image looks great on both to me and i will use another camera for still images...

[jrod81]

well the hf100 and the hv30 are the same price on tigerdirect, and samy's has the hv30 a bit cheaper...
i am leaning toward the hf100, please talk me out of it if needed!!!!