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Hitachi DZ-BD7HAF BluRay 5.3MP DVD Hybrid High Definition Camcorder with 30GB Hard Drive and 10x Optical Zoom | 
| Brand: Hitachi
Category: Photography
Department: Cameras & Camcorders
This item is no longer available
Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 45773
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: Yes
Optical Zoom: 10
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.6
Dimensions (in): 6.5 x 3.2 x 3.4
MPN: DZBD7HAF
Model: DZBD7HAF
UPC: 050585224087
EAN: 0050585224087
ASIN: B00159JV46
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| 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 |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
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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| Customer Reviews:
 WHY? HDD (HARD DISK DRIVE) PERFECT January 7, 2010
Lee (Kanagawa, Japan)
0 out of 6 found this review helpful
NO reason to GO to a DVD/BD/VIDEO TAPE recorder anymore........ If you have been following the DESKTOP ways, you know your going to get a better deal with a HARD DISK DRIVE (VIDEO RECORDER).
On your computer you don't copy to a CD anymore, you copy to WHAT??
Thumb Drive, SD Card, EXTERNAL 300 GB hard drive from western digital (POWERED BY THE USB CORD!!!)
Just don't drop it, you will risk damage and OOC (OUT OF COMMISSION).
I don't own this item. The only reason I bought a camcorder was for the whole purpose of not CHANGING DISKS!
GO with the JVC 20GB Everio... must be cheapier by now; and, you will get 4.5 hours ULTRA FINE quality. HD is getting over rated when it comes to recording on your personal life. (The 40 GB Everios must be more economical by now)
The Everio is compact and it has been holding strong for 3 years. Dropped it once for the first time, a week ago... Hasn't complained yet.
For Record:
I don't record the whole Aerosmith concert. Why would I, better to enjoy it.
Recording your kid growing up in HD tv won't make an Academy Award either... it could make Funniest Home Video Entries easier though...
Never HAVE TO CHANGE DISC! Thats the only thing to remember. SOON, SOLID STATE DRIVE (SDD).
Stop waisting money and changing discs like you change diapers on a newborn.
~
 Ok, at a bargain price June 10, 2009
David B. Haynie (Monroeville, NJ USA)
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
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! May 15, 2009
Ricky Jackson (Georgia)
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
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.
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