Product Description

HITACHI DZBD7HAF Blu-Ray/ 30GB HDD/DVD Hybrid Camcorder 5.3 Mega Pixel 1/2.8-inch CMOS Image Sensor 8cm BD-RE/-R/DVD Drive 30GB Built-in HDD Easy Dubbing Transcoding Allows for users to select high definition video stored on the HDD to be transferred to standard definition DVD copies using the 1-touch dubbing feature Photo Capture 1-Second Quick Start Built In Interactive Guide Disc Navigation Instant access to selected scenes and in-camera editing features Widescreen 2.7-inch LCD View Finder 16:9 widescreen recording Video Recording Recording Media HDD: 30GB HDD Embedded BD1: 8cm BD-RE/-R DVD1: 8cm DVD-R/-RW/-RAM Recording Format HDD: 30GB HDD Embedded BD1: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 BD-R Ver.2.0/BD-RE Ver.3.0 DVD1: MPEG-2 DVD VR/DVD-Video Mode Recording Time HDD: 4 hours HX mode 1920x1080, 5.3 hours HF mode 1440x1080, 8 hours HS mode 1440x1080 BD1: 1 hour HX mode 1920x1080, 1.3 hours HF mode 1440x1080, 2 hours HS mode 1440x1080 DVD1: 20 Min /SX mode 720x480, 30 Min /SF mode 720x480 Video Dubbing/Transfer Transfer of Video from HDD to BD or DVD 2x Dubbing/Transfer Speed /BD Only One Touch Dubbing Button Dubbing Selection By: New/Date/Select/All Still Image Recording Media: SD Card Up to 2-GB Format: JPEG/ DCF/Exif 2.2 Max Res.: 2400x1800 /4.32 Mega Pixels Quantity: Approx 200 per 512mb SD Card Built in Flash,. Auto/On/Off 2.07 Mega Pixel 1920x1080 Still Photo Capture from High Definition Video Lens HD lens 12 element in 9 group, 18 surfaces multicoated lens EIS /Electronic Image Stabilization Auto/Manual Focus Optical/Digital Zoom: 10x/500x2 Filter Diameter: 43mm Aperture: F/1.8 -- F/3.0 Focal Length: f/5.0 -- 50mm Video: 47 -- 470mm /35 mm equivalent Still: 34.5 -- 345mm /35 mm equivalent Inputs/Outputs One HDMI Output One Component Video Output One USB 2.0 PC Connection One S-Video Output One Composite AV Output One Microphone Input3 Audio Two Channel Stereo Dolby Digital Part Number: DZBD7HAF

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #78180 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Hitachi
• Model: DZBD7HAF
• Dimensions: 3.43" h x 3.15" w x 6.50" l,

Features

• Features Blu-ray disc recording capability along with a 30GB built-in HDD
• Record up to four hours of 1920x1080 video on HDD
• Transfer videos to standard definition DVD copies using the 1-touch dubbing feature
• Comes with in-camera editing functions
• Includes 1-second quick start, for nearly immediate recording

From the Manufacturer

The flagship DZ-BD7HA camcorder is a Hybrid model. This means it provides the Blu-ray disc recording capability along with a 30 gigabyte (GB) built-in Hard Disk Drive (HDD) which can record approximately four hours of 1920 x 1080 high definition video (HX mode) or up to eight hours of 1440 x 1080 high definition video (HS mode). Also, with the simple push of a button, it can copy the contents from HDD to BD within the camcorder itself. Easy editing functions such as split, delete and connect can also be made right in the camcorder before using the 1-touch dubbing function to burn Blu-ray disc copies.

Hitachi DZ-BD70AH Highlights

5.3 Mega Pixel 1/2.8-inch CMOS Image Sensor Captures high definition video through a newly developed CMOS image sensor that can record video at 1920x1080/60Hz and still images at 2400x1800 pixels.

8cm BD-RE/-R/DVD Drive Hitachi has developed a compact, low power consuming, quiet and highly reliable 8cm Blu-ray Disc/DVD drive which is compatible with five types of industry standard discs: BD-RE/-R, DVD-RAM/-RW/-R.

30GB Built-in HDD Enables the hybrid camcorder to record up to four hours of 1920x1080 video or eight hours of 1440x1080 video. Hitachi Exclusive High Resolution Image Processing LSI Efficiently analyzes large volumes of data captured by the 5.3 Mega Pixel CMOS image sensor and improves picture quality by reducing noise and delivering vibrant colors.

Easy Dubbing With the 1-touch dubbing feature users can burn entire movies saved on the HDD to Blu-ray Disc. Alternatively, you can create your own highlight reel by selecting on the highlight scenes.

Transcoding Allows for users to select high definition video stored on the HDD to be transferred to standard definition DVD copies using the 1-touch dubbing feature.

Photo Capture Select any frame from your movies on the camcorder and turn them into a 2.07 Mega Pixel digital still photograph. Simply save the photo to an SD card and then print or share.

1-Second Quick Start Simply have the camcorder in standby mode and in one second the camcorder is up and recording. Not only is the camcorder ready to record instantly but it’s also consuming less power.

Built In Interactive Guide An instructional utility program built into the camcorder that guides users through setup and input/output connections with peripherals.

Disc Navigation Instant access to selected scenes and in-camera editing features

Widescreen 2.7-inch LCD View Finder

16:9 widescreen recording

Video Recording

Recording Media

• HDD: 30GB HDD (Embedded)
• BD1: 8cm BD-RE/-R
• DVD1: 8cm DVD-R/-RW/-RAM

Recording Format

• HDD: 30GB HDD (Embedded)
• BD1: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (BD-R Ver.2.0/BD-RE Ver.3.0)
• DVD1: MPEG-2 (DVD VR/DVD-Video Mode)

Recording Time

• HDD: 4 hours (HX mode) 1920x1080, 5.3 hours (HF mode) 1440x1080, 8 hours (HS mode) 1440x1080
• BD1: 1 hour (HX mode) 1920x1080, 1.3 hours (HF mode) 1440x1080, 2 hours (HS mode) 1440x1080
• DVD1: 20 Min (SX mode) 720x480, 30 Min (SF mode) 720x480

Video Dubbing/Transfer

Transfer of Video from HDD to BD or DVD

• 2x Dubbing/Transfer Speed (BD Only)
• One Touch Dubbing Button
• Dubbing Selection By: New/Date/Select/All

Still Image Recording

• Media: SD Card (Up to 2-GB)
• Format: JPEG (DCF/Exif 2.2)
• Max Res.: 2400x1800 (4.32 Mega Pixels)
• Quantity: Approx 200 per 512mb SD Card
• Built in Flash,. Auto/On/Off
• 2.07 Mega Pixel (1920x1080) Still Photo Capture from High Definition Video

Lens

• HD lens 12 element in 9 group, 18 surfaces multicoated lens
• EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization)
• Auto/Manual Focus
• Optical/Digital Zoom: 10x/500x2
• Filter Diameter: 43mm
• Aperture: F/1.8 -- F/3.0
• Focal Length: f/5.0 -- 50mm
• Video: 47 -- 470mm (35 mm equivalent)
• Still: 34.5 -- 345mm (35 mm equivalent)

Inputs/Outputs

• One HDMI Output
• One Component Video Output
• One USB 2.0 PC Connection
• One S-Video Output
• One Composite AV Output
• One Microphone Input3

Audio Two Channel Stereo Dolby Digital

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Customer Reviews

Ok, at a bargain price
Ok, consider that I paid about $300 for mine, it's my #3 high-def camcorder, and I know what I'm doing... this is not a model for beginners. But I don't think a beginner should be using any of the AVCHD models yet.. the format is too new.

This was not really the case with HDV, simply because MPEG-2 was a done deal long before HDV came along.. so the first cameras that came out were pretty good, and where improvements were made, it was in the general HD area, not the encoding format so much. AVC (also called MPEG-4 part 10, also called H.264) is generally heralded as the successor to MPEG-2, but it's way more complex. Encoding on a PC or other dedicated hardware looks great, but you're probably spending 3-6 hours per hour of HD video to do that encoding. Crunching this down to a small battery-powered camcorder and maintaining that quality is a work-in-progress.

THE BAD

Yeah, BD-R and BD-RE in 8cm size are expensive. But if you think of the BD-RE as a replacement for an SD card (they hold about 7.5GB), they make a little more sense... you record on it, copy the video off to another device, then erase it, just as a flash card. Eventually, BD-R will be cheap enough to compare to tape, but that's a ways off.

Quality-wise, it's mixed. This one is pretty awful on low-light shooting. It's a given that virtually every HD camcorder is going to be worse in low light than a similar SD model... they're only starting to deliver a few with decent low-light performance in the prosumer price ranges (new Canon and Pannys, about $1300). But this one's oddly worse than you'd expect, given the decent performance in good light, and the large enough single sensor.

THE CONFUSING (for some)

If you're not already doing Blu-Ray, this may be a pain. Windows don't natively understand the Blu-Ray file format (it's a new version of the UDF file system used on DVD), so you need to install the Hitachi software. Hitachi, like most CE companies, is clueless about software support, but in truth, editing video isn't their job. If, like me, you already have Blu-Ray support in place in your video toolchain, dealing with this format is a no-brainer.

THE GOOD

Tapeless rocks, when you're in a hurry. However, AVCHD on DVD is a horrible idea -- it's nowhere near enough storage... you'll get about 20 minutes. Blu-Ray is the right answer for tapeless HD using a 8cm disc. I'm using this one mainly for quick stuff... to offload my way more expensive cameras when quality isn't THAT critical.

As for quality... it's a mixed bag. In the sunlight, this camera delivers a decent enough HD image. Like any first-generation AVCHD camcorder, you're not going to match HDV quality on fact motion -- there will be more artifacts. Given this is an older model, of course, factor that in on what you're paying.

I didn't mind the user interface at all.. it's fairly simplistic, as you'd expect on a consumer model. The one quirk, if your used to tape, is the control for selecting clips to play back... it's a very non-obvious button. I missed it, first time out... guess I should have RTFMed, but hey, where's the fun in that.

Another plus... this model will shoot SD on DVD-R or DVD-RAM, which is rather usual these days; most AVCHD/tapeless models are HD-only. You don't get the choice... it's HD on BD, SD on DVD.

The body and styling is kind of nice.. a bit weird, but it grows on you. It has a covered, full-sized cold shoe, and works great with an external mic like an Azden SMX-10. You could obviously use any 3.5mm plug mono or stereo mic (far as no, there's no plug-in power, you'll need a self-powered mic), but a larger mic could be visible in the shot, if used on-camera. I never recommend shooting with any built-in camera audio, so I can't really tell you if it's any good or not.

So, my bottom line: at the original $1300 or so, this was a bad camera, no question, largely based on the low light performance. Today, you can get 3rd generation AVCHD models, which do a much better job at encoding without artifacts... some of these start at around $500-$600. Unless disc is a big advantage, skip this and go with a Canon HF-200 (about $600) or a Panny HDC-SD9 (about $500) or a Sony HDR-CX7 or CX12 rather than pay the prices in the $700s or $800s for this I've seen around. But for the price of an SD camcorder, $300 or so, it's not a bad unit.

Hitachi has a new model BD camcorder, which is supposedly much improved, and also records to SDHC flash cards as an alternate. If you're looking for a better unit, that should be seeing the same kind of technology improvements as the other 3rd generation AVCHD models.

Like any bit of technology, you need to do your homework. AVCHD is new enough some video editors still don't support it. Even when they do, it's very CPU intensive, so don't be surprised when your dual-core CPU is driven to its knees. Using an intermediate video format, like CineForm, Sony MXF (or other high bitrate MPEG-2 variations), isn't a bad idea if you have a complex project. Blu-Ray media is still expensive, though it's been falling.. you're not being a wise consumer if you don't bother to price consumables of any kind before buying the device that consumes them.

What a waste of money!
There is virtually no support from Hitachi on this product. You are totally on your own. There is no documentation for the software so you must be savvy enough to figure it out for yourself. The interface is extremely cumbersome and time consuming. Also, I should have looked at the price of the discs before buying this product. $25 for a one hour disc??? I wish I had never wasted my money on this camera.