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Hitachi DZ-BD70AF BluRay 5.3MP DVD High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom | 
| Brand: Hitachi
Category: Photography
List Price: $1,399.95 (1539.95CAD)
Buy New: $1,299.95 (1429.95CAD)
as of 7/29/2010 23:08 PDT details
You Save: $100.00 (110.00CAD) (7%)
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 105231
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: Yes
Optical Zoom: 10
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.6
Dimensions (in): 6.5 x 3 x 3.4
MPN: DZBD70AF
Model: DZBD70AF
UPC: 050585224094
EAN: 0050585224094
ASIN: B00159LT6O
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | 5.3 Mega Pixel 1/2.8" CMOS Image Sensor: Captures high definition video through a newly developed CMOS image sensor | | • | 8cm BD-RE/-R/DVD Drive: Hitachi has developed a compact, low power consuming, quiet and highly reliable | | • | Hitachi Exclusive High Resolution Image Processing LSI: Efficiently analyzes large volumes of data captured by the 5.3 Mega Pixel CMOS image sensor | | • | Photo Capture: Select any frame from your movies on the camcorder and turn them into a 2.07 Mega Pixel digital still photograph. | | • | An instructional utility program built into the camcorder that guides users through setup and input/output connections with peripherals. |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The new improved DZ-BD70AF is a single drive camcorder which can record approximately one hour of FullHD 1920x1080 high definition video on an 8cm single-sided Blu-ray disc (BD-R and BD-RE). Lifelike image reproduction and rich, immersive color are a result of Hitachi’s 5.3 mega pixel CMOS image sensor and HD quality 12-element lens system. Not only can the DZ-BD70AF record high definition video to Blu-ray discs, it also comes with an SD card slot for storing digital still photos at 4.32 mega pixel max resolution. This camcorder has improved low light sensitivity and improved slow shutter control for smoother panning.
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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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