Usvh???

[JRO]

Does anyone know if they are still in business?

I saw them on Diversteves list. But in looking at their website it seems as though they haven't updated it in a few years.

If they are in fact defunct, does anyone know if any of the newer Sony camcorders would fit the USVH housing I have been using for my Sony TRV-70?

As always...thanks for the help =)

 

[diversteve]

Warren has semi-retired. He announced last year he's only doing repairs and upgrades now. You're the 2nd person to comment on that recently so maybe he's fully retired? More details: Welcome to DigitalDiver.net!

What newer camera(s) are you looking at?

Most(all?) don't have a Lanc jack anymore so that might be a problem.

You might check on eBay for an HC1/HC3 if you want to stay with tape. I have an HC1, it has a Lanc port. I think the HC3 did also. Both are on the list as fitting your MiniDV housing. They also list the HC7 but I thought it didn't have a Lanc port. You could ask drbill here, he shoots one in an old TopDawg housing.

You can also still buy the pro version of the HC1 - the A1U but it's about $2K and has a lot of add-on audio inputs that you'll need to remove to fit it into your housing.

 

[JRO]

Thanks for the quick response. Looks like I may be looking at a whole new rig =(. I was looking into some of the newer HD rigs with the hard drive memory.

 

[JRO]

Hi diversteve,

I spoke to Warren and he said my housing would work with some of the XR series camera. Since then I asked him if the HDR-xr500 would fit. I haven't heard from him yet, I was wondering if you might know.

Thanks again,

Jeff

 

[diversteve]

Hi diversteve,

I spoke to Warren and he said my housing would work with some of the XR series camera. Since then I asked him if the HDR-xr500 would fit. I haven't heard from him yet, I was wondering if you might know.

Thanks again,

Jeff

Funny, I just suggested an XR-520 in response to your post in the HF200 thread before I saw this.

I see two issues with it. One is the lens on the HDR series is more dead center above vertical than the TRV series was. I think my mom has a TRV70 so I'm familiar with it. But the HDR's are a lot smaller so maybe with a slight tray modification? You need to center the lens both horizontally and vertically in the port to keep from getting blurring around the edges - or vignetting at w/a settings. When I look at my HC1 - which we know works in your housing - and a picture of an XR-500, they don't look much different. Or does Warren have a different tray for the HC series? I read somewhere he's still doing repairs/parts just not building new housings. Shame as I liked USVH - almost bought one twice.

I'm considering an XR-500 upgrade for my EVO. Given that Amphibico only sells one physical housing with a fixed front port location for every HDR series single CMOS camera over the last 4 years that houses both my HC1 and the newest XR-520 series, I'm reliably certain that it's possible with your housing also.

I haven't been able to find a straight on front shot of an XR500 so this is just my best guess. Next time I'm at Best Buy or somewhere I'll be sure to look at one - probably won't be til at least the weekend or later.

Assuming that works then the only other problem should be that the newer Sony cameras all use a Remote AV/jack connector now and not LANC. It works the same but is a different physical connector.

Maybe Warren sells an adapter but I believe he stopped selling housings right around the time Sony made the change-over. The most recent camera on the website is the HC7 - that might've been the last LANC model sold.

I think TopDawg sold one separately at one time - maybe still do - afaik all it really is is a cable that converts the pins.

This is just speculation on my part though.

 

[JRO]

Thanks again Diversteve,

I love my USVH housing, simple and reliable and I prefer the electronic controls. Only issue now is I am running out of time before my trip (poor planning on my part) and would really like to upgrade the rig I've got before I go if it's possible. Just hoping to hear back from Warren today to see if it's possible and if it can be done before I leave on the 7th. Kind of a once in a lifetime trip for me...Great Whites in Guadelupe, couple days in San Diego (hopefully some Sea Lions) and then on to Hawaii for about a week and a half. I would love to capture it in HD.

Option two....buy a whole new setup. Looks like electronic controls are few and far between and of course new housing are expensive as hell. I am intrigued by the Canon setup and will be reading the other post you referred me to as another possible (and less expensive) option.

 

[robint]

Thanks again Diversteve,

I love my USVH housing, simple and reliable and I prefer the electronic controls. Only issue now is I am running out of time before my trip (poor planning on my part) and would really like to upgrade the rig I've got before I go if it's possible. Just hoping to hear back from Warren today to see if it's possible and if it can be done before I leave on the 7th. Kind of a once in a lifetime trip for me...Great Whites in Guadelupe, couple days in San Diego (hopefully some Sea Lions) and then on to Hawaii for about a week and a half. I would love to capture it in HD.

Option two....buy a whole new setup. Looks like electronic controls are few and far between and of course new housing are expensive as hell. I am intrigued by the Canon setup and will be reading the other post you referred me to as another possible (and less expensive) option.

hey Jeff,
That's an easy one..... Upgrade and get what you want, and sell your old rig here on SB. Looks like there are quite a few people looking for something to get into video right now.
Where you going?

robin

 

[JRO]

That is one of the options Robin, but I would love to save 1200+ dollars and just upgrade my housing for $200 and buy the Sony XR500...that would be my perfect solution. If not, then the Canon looks like reasonable price, though I will miss the stabilizing bulk of my USVH housing =(

Mexico, San Diego and Hawaii...should be amazing =)