MiniDV pros, cons

[Dainis]

I am new here. I want to buy a Canon HV40 or HFS100 to make a short film on the bike tour in Asia. I have read that people prefer hv40 and MiniDV cassettes.
What are the advantages (pros, cons) of MiniDV cassettes (hv40) compared with SD cards (hfs100)?
Now for me the only MiniDV has the advantage of an opportunity to send home by mail (post) footage at low cost (price of miniDV cassette).

[cgbier]

You answered your own question already.
If you went the SD card way, you'd either have to lug around a motherload of cards or/and laptop and external HD(s) or a BluRay burner and disks.
You can get miniDV tapes even in the deepest jungle lalala-hole (I'm living in one).

[Rainer]

Once you use a card camera as a travelcam you will never go back. Smaller form. Card is more resistant to dust, vibration and moisture. No dirty heads. No messing with tapes. 4hrs recording time. Easily review your footage in camera (no rewind, etc). You can store enough cards in one miniDV box to record your entire trip in real time (God forbid you'd want to). Cards nowadays are cheap enough for you to send home dupes. Whatever the disadvantages of AVCHD, it was made for travel.

[Janke]

With the current terrorist scares, be aware that US (and Aussie) customs might be interested in any stuff coming in via mail from Asia. It seems they x-ray all foreign mail, nowadays, if you believe those "border protection" TV documentaries. A SD card (or a tape) can contain anything from holiday shots to atomic bomb recipes!

But, in any case, the little international green customs declaration sticker (CN22) should be put on all shipments. Bring some with you from home. I always put the declaration sticker on any stuff I send to the US, and there has been no problems - but then Finland isn't among the top 10 terrorist countries...

PS: Making dupes of cards (or tapes) would mean you have to carry a laptop with you on the bike trip... and without dupes, you risk losing your originals in the mail!

[Rainer]

PS: Making dupes of cards (or tapes) would mean you have to carry a laptop with you on the bike trip... and without dupes, you risk losing your originals in the mail!
Good point Janke, and one often overlooked in choosing the cheaper HFS100 over the HFS10 (you can easily do dupes in the HFS10 - still no need to carry a laptop).

[Dainis]

Now thinking perhaps more likely to choose the SD card, although it is much more expensive.
Because travel will be through sandy areas, then the question arises or sand and dust can cause serious damage to the minidv tape mechanism?
How safe is a MiniDV tape and mechanism to heat, sand and dust?


HFS10 (you can easily do dupes in the HFS10 - still no need to carry a laptop).
Tnx good idea.

[Janke]

How safe is a MiniDV tape and mechanism to heat, sand and dust?


Not very...

[cgbier]

I live on an tropical island and shoot a lot on the beach. With a bit care, there's no problem.
I don't know how often my kids have dropped our old family cam in the sand... it still goes strong (Sony HC32)