See
"BulletEDGE's" post, above (though I hate 30p footage
instead
of proper 30i footage for NTSC TV viewing, and for
this,
the VX2000/PD150 is a tad sharper [they are CLOSE!]
than
the DVX100) - he is right, the PD150 and DVX100a are
*the*
compact 3-CCD cameras right now. They each have
advantages/disadvantages
(for me, a WA nut, the wider range
of good
WA lens converters available for the Sony is more
important
than having the natively-moderately-wider lens
and
slightly better audio of the Panasonic...). The XL-1 is
not in
the same league. BTW, both can do macro, have XLRs,
and
record/play common Mini-DV tape. These may be useful:
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/vid_pict_characts.htm
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder-comparison.htm
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/sony_dcr-vx2000.htm
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/diffraction.htm
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/WA-converters.htm
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/VX2000_odds.htm
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder--comparison.htm
http://www4.big.or.jp/~a_haru/index.html
http://www4.big.or.jp/~a_haru/exknow2002au
www.bealecorner.com
www.adamwilt.com
--
David Ruether
d_ruether@hotmail.com
http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com
"Randy
Brown" <NotMyAddress@all.com> wrote in message
news:3akPb.17187$q4.6169@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> If
all goes as planned, I expect to be making my first 3 CCD camera purchase
>
this spring. I know there are a lot of
options out there, and without me
>
telling you what I'm planning to do with it, I realize you won't be able to
>
make an informed recommendation.
Frankly, even I am not entirely certain
>
what I'll be doing with it.
<g> Several options on the
table. But suffice
> it
to say I know I'll never get the kind of work I want to be doing with my
>
little consumer-level Sony Handycam that I've been playing with since I
>
first got seriously interested in video editing and production about 18
>
months ago. I've focused this time on
just learning the editing part. I'm
>
looking at trying to get some corporate video work and/or some local
>
(cable?) TV spot work. (Trust me, I can
do this...I keep saying this, as
>
much to remind myself that I really can.
But honestly, I'm not quite the
>
novice I let on. Well, maybe.)
>
>
Set aside for a moment your skepticism.
I'm looking for some advice.
>
> I
can't afford the $10K+ plus cameras.
That's out of the question. I'm
>
looking at the $3K-$4K level for now.
The veritable "prosumer" line of
>
cameras. Not ready for prime time, but
good enough to shoot local cable TV
>
spots and most any sort of non-broadcast marketing material. No weddings.
>
I've been to two of my own already, I don't care to go to anyone else's.
>
>
Over the past year, I've done a little "window shopping" and I've
narrowed
>
down my choices to these three (in no particular order):
>
> *
Canon XL1S. Seems to be quite
popular. I've heard it's front-heavy.
>
Dropping a bulky $3,000 camera would, for me, be a really bad career move.
>
Intechangable lenses are touted as a plus, but don't all cameras have that
>
capability? I've heard good things
about the image it captures (softer,
>
more "film like," although I'm not going to be doing movies, so Mr.
>
Spielberg, you can rest easy). The
biggest down side for me is that as a
>
career audio guy, I'm not thrilled with mini plugs for mics. (They're
>
amateurish, and for the life of me, I don't know why Canon doesn't get
>
smarter about that.) I know, I know,
there's an adapter (shoulder brace)
>
that has XLR input jacks. But who wants
to pay for "extras" to get what
>
SHOULD BE standard? Other than that, it
seems like a very solid camera...IF
> I
don't drop it. :-)
>
> *
Sony PD150. This is the one I'm leaning
toward, largely based on a
>
recommendation I got from a guy here in my hometown who (I think) is a
>
pretty successful videographer, and who admits even he is drooling over
>
them. (I guess that means he doesn't
have one.) He tells me CNN equipped
>
their embedded reporters with these in Iraq.
Don't know if that's true, or
> if
it's even a good way to judge whether it's viewed as an acceptable
>
"broadcast" camera. For a big
operation like CNN, a $3K investment makes it
>
more or less "disposable," I would guess. "Wolf, I've gotta go, they've
>
just shot the cameraman and the camera has just exploded into a million
>
pieces!" But I've heard other good
things about it. An all-around solid
>
investment, if my sources are correct.
XLR all the way.
>
> *
Panasonic AG-DVX100. Saw this one
side-by-side with the PD150. Both look
>
pretty similar, with the biggest difference being the lens, although by
>
looking through the little flip-out screen, I couldn't tell any difference
> in
picture quality (not the ideal way to judge, I know). The Panasonic lens
> has
the added feature of being able to do macro.
Not that I intend to be
>
filming any documentaries of insects fucking, mind you, or shooting
>
corporate videos that include shots up the CEO's nostrils or looking inside
>
the pores of his skin. So I'm not sure
what the value of this macro feature
>
would have for me. But you never
know. Folks do rave about this camera,
>
and I have it on my short list. XLR mic
plugs. But something deep down
>
inside me says Panasonic is not a PRO brand.
But that's just me.
>
>
The down side, it seems to me, of the Sony and the Panasonic is that they
>
both use a proprietary tape format. Or
maybe I've got that all mixed up
>
(help me sort that out, will ya?). I
believe the Sony will play MiniDV &
>
the format it uses (I forget what that is), while the Panasonic will only
>
play its own format (DVCAM?). That's
another strike against the Panasonic,
> in
my view.
>
>
I'd appreciate any reviews y'all might have of these three cameras, and in
>
general, your thoughts about the various DV tape formats
>
(advantages/disadvantages of each one).
>
>
Thanks in advance. This should be fun.
>
>
Randy