On Mon, 21 May 2001 11:49:15 GMT, rogerglumm@myexcel.com (Roger Lane Glumm) wrote:

>A recent question asked about shutter speed. The replies seemed to be
>about frame rate.
>
>My understanding (and please, please correct me if I am wrong) is that
>the VX-2000 does allow control of shutter speed. That would have a
>similar effect to a change in aperture. Now I am not exactly sure if
>these things even exist in electronic imaging.
>
>But, if they do, the benefit would be control over depth of field. A
>wide aperture gives you shallow depth of field (a look often seen is
>cinema) and a narrower aperture would give you a greater depth of
>field, a look usually associated with video.
>
>Since film exposure is controled by the combination of shutter speed
>and aperture opening, having both of those variables to work with in a
>camcorder would give the videographer a greater control of the
>artistic content of his/her work.
>
>My question: Does the VX-2000, in fact, allow control of both shutter
>speed and "aperture", or is exposure controlled electonically? I know
>the VX-2000 has two built in neutral denisty filters, which would have
>at least some effect on depth of field, but I don't know if that is
>enough.
>
>The issue is not if the end product is mistaken for film, so much as
>if you can achieve some of the aesthetic choices that are more easily
>done in film.
>
>rogerglumm@myexcel.com

With the VX-2000, you can use AE-A (selecting aperture,
letting gain and shutter speed "float") and AE-S (shutter,
letting G and A "float"). You can also limit gain rise to
various values, and you can "lock-and-shift" the exposure
(in addition to being able to set AE-bias). There are, as
you point out, also two built in ND filters. All this gives
you considerable control over camera exposure functions.
With the PD150, though, you can set in manual mode A, S,
and G independently.