This
is the ultra wide Centurylens on VX2100,
great effects
It was Hissterical!
SONY Japan built us a new Year 2000 Supercam which was directly placed on many charts
as Number One! Picture Quality specially in Low Light situations has never been as good
before. BUT recording Sound was not good. If one used AGC
Automatic Gain Control with an extra mic on manual level a strong Hiss was
heared. We tested
several VX2000 ( and PD150) cams and heard a very
present Hiss on both new models!
After world wide tests and claims, for the first time Sony admitted this
problem ONLY for pro version PD150. In the US first models sold could get
a Sound Update on request, but had to pay extra for that. In Europe Sony
was more generous and did the Sound update for free. For VX2000 they did
not do anything. First seriemodels did have sound problems too! We tested
it and AGCoff was NOT Hissfree!
Now October 2000 Sony seems to master the problems and all
new shipped cams like professional 'twin'brother PD150 have had a FREE of
CHARGE Sound modification. We are still searching for the Seriemodel
numbers from which these updates are really active.
Read all about this and the official Sony
Reactions at our special page on DSR- PD150P
Is this our State-of-the-art DV camera for the YEAR
2000 ?
SONY:
"With the addition of advanced imaging features,
LCD screen and Memory Stick media compatibility, the DCR-VX2000 is
again set to raise the bar for digital video excellence like its
predecessor did when we introduced it in 1996," said Sony US
director of camcorder marketing Tim Alessi "This new
camera is sure to set the new standard in quality recording for the
industry -- from independent filmmakers to ultimate video enthusiasts."
(All links and latest info & pictures are regularly
updated )
SPECIAL EWA
VIDEO RAINCOVER
FOR VX2000, VX2100, PD150, PD170
On stock at Global DVC 179 euro
mail: studio(X)( for our new mailadres please see header on our new site www.global-dvc.nl ) (change X for @)NOSPAMX( for our new mailadres please see header on our new site www.global-dvc.nl )
Remove NospamX for @
At our Global-DVC Center many DVC-members are using the Sony VX2000 and PD150 for TV productionwork. For better sound with the VX2000 we always adviced the StudioPro1 mixer box underneath the camera for XLR and or MiniJack use. BUT it is good to see what the high-tech department of BBC has figured out to obtain higher sound-quality for the Sony VX2000:
At our Global-DVC Center many DVC-members are using the Sony VX2000 and PD150 for TV productionwork. For better sound with the VX2000 we always adviced the StudioPro1 mixer box underneath the camera for XLR and or MiniJack use. BUT it is good to see what the high-tech department of BBC has figured out to obtain higher sound-quality for the Sony VX2000:
Notes for Sony VX 2000 Audio Mod.
The modification is designed to reduce audio hiss by 12dB.
* Phono audio o/p's on camera are converted to audio i/p's - they no longer
work as audio o/p's.
* To use phono's for audio i/p menu item TAPE SET - MIC LEVEL has to be set
to MANUAL.
* The mod is designed to be used with a GlenSound GSTN1 mic amp with phono
connectors and peak o/p level of approx -30dBu.
* For audio o/p the headphone socket or i.Link (FireWire) connector has to
be used. NOTE - the level from the headphone socket is controlled by the
volume buttons on the flip-out LCD screen. (peak level approx -12dBu)
* Dummy plug in the EXT MIC socket is supplied to disable wind filter (low
cut).
* To use on the board microphone - remove the dummy plug and set MIC LEVEL
menu to AUTO.
* To use external mic (without using GlenSound box) connect to EXT MIC
socket and set MIC LEVEL to AUTO.
With the BBC audio mod the VX2000 may well be better than the PD150. It will also cost about the same.
PD150 DVCAM has locked audio, which is of little or no practical
advantage in the NLE world, and setable time code and user bits,
which can be employed as a way of avoiding recapture errors,
identifying what camera was used for a given shot, etc., all of
which are useful but not indispensable.
Glensound will give you superior sound Quality - better than the PD150 or
even more expensive camera's - checkout the GSTN1 box at www.glensound.com
A new version of the GSTN1 is now available designed to be compatible with
the VX2000. When used in conjunction with a modification to the VX2000
(undertaken for a fee by a department of the BBC (contact details on
request)) this new GSTN1 offers a superior sound than Sony's professional
DVCs. Please quote GSTN1 (VX2000) when ordering.
Zandvoort, February 20 Year 2000
OPINIONS PRO AND CONTRA :
GLOBAL-DVC
Global-DVC was first Site
world wide showing the new VX2000 !
But after seen all specifications we were really VERY SAD at first.
Sony is not
using its high technology knowledge of today to make us Prosumers (High End users) really happy. They seem to have put all their knowledge
in the Japanese fridge! Why?
Is
it because they are afraid to blow away the Betacam's ?
Why has a new Sony
DSC-S70 Cybershot Photocam 3.3 mega pixel resolution and do we have to
deal with the three year old 'PHOTO - Mode' resolution on the built in
Memory Stick ??? Even a PC100 will give far better results. Have we got to
wait for a new VX3000 ?
Why is their 'so called'
progressive scan mode (12,5 frames a second) not the same as Canon is
using? (25 full frames a second)
(Also see our comments on pro
twin-brother PD150 and new PD250 on
this separate page!)
OK specifications on VX2000 seem (a bit) better than the old VX1000 (we do
like the 2 lux figures and 16 bit mode ). Sony could have designed a real
SUPER-CAM. They always did. If they would have listened to us Prosumers and looked a bit at Canon XM1
(Gl1) with a superb lens up to 20X optical zoom. In these past years, here at
Global-DVC center, we received loads of E-mail regarding improvements. Our
VX1000 Forum actually busted underneath all piled up post!
Read what DV-Prophet
Chuckmeister thinks, he's mad!
Quote: " A flagship unit historically from Sony has always been
the latest, the bestest and the mostest with the bells and whistles... and
this VX2000 sneak peek is coming up so short on anything but... we
may have to wait till the Sony Fat Lady sings before making any judgments
to the VX1000 replacement. If Sony does not improve this VX2000, then this
model will be called the Sony DCR-Y2k !!! Right now this camcorder we are led
to believe is a VX2000 would not even compete with an Elura or a Yugo for
that matter!!!!! Chuckmeister still upset with Sony... just read his
lines:
"
Ford Says...
'87 YUGO NOW Beats SONY VX2000!
Not
since the Edsel have we seen such a
Triumph in Product
Blunder...II "
Despite all negative points a lot of Prosumers will
love this new VX2000! Read this positive reaction from DVC Site visitor
Brian L.
Thanks for the pictures and the info Jan. I still remember the sales
guy (who claimed lots of Japan "connections") a few weeks ago
cocksure that Sony would never sell a VX-2000. Heh! I actually like what I
see so far, and the megapixel stuff I don't need since I won't be using it
for stills. Analog-in, LCD-screen, manual audio, manual zoom ring(?),
progressive scan(?) Whoo-Hoo! That fixes everything that was wrong with
the XL-1, VX-1000, GL-1, and TRV-900. It is the one camera that has all
the features most people are looking for (well, if it really has 30fps
progressive scan and retains adjustable image detail, color, and audio).
Yes, it could have been better, but if they can sell one at a lower price
than a VX-1000, it will be THE choice for prosumers for a long time, and
knock down a lot of XL-1 sales (till the XL-2 comes out). Anyway, thanks
for the shots, and it does remind me of the spy shots of new car models in
those German auto rags or "Car" magazine. Though I've never seen
spy photos of some Sony guy "test-driving" their new
camera models, they would probably camouflage them with phony plastic
parts, like the car manufacturers do to foil car spy's.
Regards, Brian L
-----Original Message-----
From: Barry G.
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 11:21 AM
Cc: dvmeister@supervideo.com
Subject: VX-2000
Hi Jan at Global-DVC and Chuckmeister,
I've been looking over the specs of the new VX-2000, and frankly,
I have got to say that I'm not disappointed at all. I think it's a great
refinement to a great camera. The same great VX-1000 but with a longer
zoom range (12x vs. 10x), 16-bit audio (at last!), a high-res LCD panel,
progressive scan, 16:9 recording, built-in chroma keying, analog-in, and
bigger batteries? It sounds phenomenal. know that you've expressed huge disappointment, mainly over its lack of
megapixel CCD's. I know that you wanted mega-pixel CCD's, but I have to tell you, that would have been a huge mistake. Megapixel CCD's do nothing
but hurt video quality. They're great for stills, but lousy for video, and I would assert that the VX-2000 is being sold as a VIDEO camera, not a
STILL camera. Look at it this way: a frame of video (in NTSC) is 720x480 pixels, or about 345,600 pixels. The CCD's in the VX-2000 have 410,000
pixels. It's right. It's the way it should be. If you had megapixels, you'd have to perform all sorts of scaling and digital image manipulation
algorithms to scale the 1-million pixels down to 345,600, resulting in poorer image quality.
Also, the smaller the pixels (as must be the case with megapixel), the
less light they can gather. According to your comparison chart with the
TRV20, your own chart shows the TRV20's megapixels with a low-light rating
of 7 LUX, vs. the VX-2000 with 2 LUX. If there was one problem with the VX-1000, it was not-so-good low-light performance. The last thing I would
want to do would be to give it worse low-light performance! Look at it another way: many people praise the picture quality and low-light
performance of the XL-1... and it has the exact opposite of megapixels!
The XL-1 has only 270,000-pixel CCD's! Compared to the XL-1, the VX-2000 practically is
megapixel. Are there things to be disappointed about? Well, it'd be nice if the 12x
zoom could have been a Carl Zeiss-certified 20x, yes. And I really, really wish they'd put 4 audio connectors on there, to match the XL-1.
And, gimmicky as it may be, I love NightShot on my TRV-8, I wish the
VX-2000 had it to, it makes for a great documentary behind-the-scenes
look. But short of that, I think the VX-2000 is going to be a huge hit,
and is almost exactly what the prosumer videographer was looking for.
Aloha your chuckmeister here...
OK Rich, both Jan and I have held the cam in our hot little hands. I had an engineer with
me so I told him to take mine apart as he took apart the VX1000... neat huh? I like the way
the Canon GL-1 looked instead of the 2000! This is Just a little sumptin' one of my e-mailers suggested that may be slightly different from what normally happens. I have the USA NTSC literature and
I have some dealer spec sheets. Here is my take on this VX1000 being replaced five plus
years later by a VX2000 as Sony's Flagship DV cam.
Because the bottom line is that the MSP price is over a thousand dollars from the street price and
well over fifteen hundred from the VX1000 MSP
price of $4699... then ANY improvement is both welcomed and appreciated especially when it
addresses VX1000 deficiencies. Yes, the expandable
battery back similar to the TRV10/20 and the TRV900/1000 will be most needed and the sharpening
of the lens resolution and its 12x zoom power will
be very welcomed. The addition of memory stick slot ;like the PC100 and a view screen same size as
the undersized PC100 brings the DCR-VX2000 up to date with the changes and developments in technology.
You may be jumping to wrong conclusions on the mega chip Rich.
The mega chip Rich.... is a professional HAD chip... as found in thousands and tens of thousands of
dollar camcorders. Your confusion with the still frame and video is predicated on the assumption you are
dealing with a CCD from a digital camera when we have video HAD chips from high end video instead. Also,
your numbers are off. The highest pixel count is called effective pixels and is around 330,000 and that includes
your favorite 410k VX1000 and TRV10 690k... most you will get again, is about 330,000 effective.
The mega chip delivers its millions to the still capture but its video is more than double any consumer cam at 690k
EFFECTIVE and Does indeed increase the picture quality. Got another problem here Rich... LUX. I sure wish we could
"all just get along" or "all just leave LUX lone." It is a consumer thingy... it is very judgmental, very partisan depending on
company and very loose in its attributes. Low light means No Color. Period. That is a law of physics. If it were not for the
sun, there would be NO Color! To shoot in bad light you should no be too
surprised you can get bad video. Use a cheap mic and I will guarantee Bad Audio. Garbage in yields garbage
out. To make low light enhancements you have to sacrifice resolution, color, depth of field and contrast.
I am on the road, but I will post more of this when I get some time.
Sincerely with Aloha
your Chuckmeister
Matthew Bennett from Australia:
After reading most of your members negative comments
regarding two very elegant cameras, I have to say "Get a life"
to those greedy gear lovers. These two new cameras (VX2000 and PD150)
from the specifications look really good, I've got to admit the PD150
especially looks fantastic and I can't wait to put one to
professional use. Lets forget about the consumer arena still photo
features or lack there of, the quality of DV is outstanding and even
better in these two new models. You can't take a professional/prosumer
DV camera and expect it to be also a good still camera, although it
would be nice, certainly in my job if I get video job I shoot on a
professional SP Betacam or DVCam Video. If there's still photos to be
done you use a high quality DEDICATED digital camera. You
can't expect Sony to be piling all these features into one camera at
such a small price. Comparing DV to previous prosumer formats like Hi8
and the giant leap into DV, do you honesty expect another giant leap in
quality on from DV in the immediate future? Any more leaps in quality
for Sony and your on Par with SX or Digital Betacam, now tell me do you
think Sonys going to release a $3000 dollar camera with the quality of
Digital Betacam real soon? I feel that if you guys are not in a
professional area then stick with your PC100, just because the VX2000 or
PD150 doesn't suit your particular video application, you need to turn
around and bag it. Lets look at some features on the PD150: Shotgun
mike, built in XLR inputs, LCD, Black/White viewfinder, DV 60min and 40
min DVCAM recording, 1/3 CCD (SUPERB!!!) 380K. A fabulous VIDEO
camera and a not so good still camera!
That's just my opinion
Matthew Bennett [northborder@one.net.au]
REACTION GLOBAL-DVC
You're
absolutely right, but imagine that somewhere in Japan on a shelve there
also is a VX2000 with interchangeable lenses ???? How about That? If I
were Sony Japan Marketing director I would say AHA this makes more
money! Sell a standard lens and let them buy a longer zoom or REAL
wide lens later! Higher quality like Canon XL1 ! And that is just
one. Anyway
you're right we are a bit negative, but expectations after first
information's were higher!
Thanks for
your positive reaction!
Jan van der Meer
Founder Global Digital Videographers Centre.
Reaction Matthew from Australia
So true, why is there so many illogical people at Sony in Japan. It
seems to me companies like Canon and Sony are afraid to look at each
others ideas and between them each start making cameras that fill all of
the criteria for the prosumer market. DV is such a great format for
professional lower budget work, but there's still certain things that
stop it from hitting the spot in that market. A few little changes from
Canon on the XL1 and it would an absolutely kick-ass camera the same
goes for Sony with the PD150/VX2000. I still feel that DV has a certain
place in professional work as does dvcpro, SX, and Digi Beta within
broadcast.
I'm looking at the XL1 as a possible purchase
for the exact reason as you stated in your last email regarding the
fixed lens on the VX2- there's nothing worse than an electronic rotary
dial for focus. Some certain issues with the XL1, prevent my future
purchase. The main issue is that of the focus which from what I have
heard is rather useless, can you let me know if this can be fixed? Also
I am a very loyal Sony customer. Is it possible for you to setup a
web page section dedicated to the improvements of a few of the top
prosumer cams like the XL1, VX2, PD100.....
I really like the Global-DVC page, lots
of interesting and up to date information, keep up the excellent work!
Well, I’ve just come back from a meeting with the Sony reps from New Jersey. Fortunately, the ones that threatened to sue me over my comments in a review about the audio in the PD100A were not present, and I guess these guys weren’t aware of that debacle, so they were very freindly and accomodating. They said I would not be able to actually get one of these to hang onto for review for another 3 months, and introduction into the States would not happen til June/July, but I’ve learned to hear all
these things with great scepticism. The ways of Sony are as mysterious as the moon.
These comments I’m about to give are without having gotten my hands on the new PD150, which will be to the VX2000 as the PD100A is to the TRV900. In other words, the PD150 is the pro version of the VX2000, as Sony desires to make that distinction clear now. The 150 will feature a choice of DVCAM or miniDV speed recording, XLR audio inputs without an adapter, programmable time code, and what appear to be switches for color temp, audio input choices (on camera/ external mic combination) etc. I
think that camera, which I’ve heard will cost only about $500 more than the VX2000, will be my personal choice if it checks out. But here’s my VX2000 report:
I wish it wasn’t bright silver...just looks tacky to me. Ergonomically, it’s pretty much identical to the VX1000. I suspect that with a wide angle adapter lens on it and the new external mounted battery, it should balance well. The camera will take the NP-F960 for what Sony claims will give it up to 9 hours of shooting time, without the screen. The 960 is quite a brick but because the batteries fit into a recessed compartment area it only sticks out the back about 3/4 of an inch. The common
NP-750 sits flush.
The handle now has a wavy grip like a pro camera, and that’s nice. With the 2.5 inch screen the handle needs to feel secure because more people will shoot now by holding it from there. The LCD screen is perhaps the sharpest I’ve ever seen, and I believe the screen is the first I’ve seen on a camera that shows focus better than its viewfinder, I kid you not. Of course I wish it was bigger. I miss the direction arrows from the VX1000 that tell you which way to turn the lens to focus, which was
dropped from this model. I always felt that was an intelligent thing to have with an unmarked lens. Manual focus was about as swift as theVX1000, possibly a bit faster, and auto focus, for the short period I used it, seemed better than the 1000’s, possibly because of the quick light response of the 1/3” HAD chips.
Low light shooting was very impressive. I shot some tape which they played back on a WEGA TV they had set up (no pro monitor...this was a consumer showcase). The dark weave of the Sony rep’s suit reproduced very well, with very little color noise or aliasing. I must say that this camera seems to handle a wider range of light levels and white balance anomolies than I expected. Blacks and details in the shadows did not crush easily...by the time I found something the camera wouldn’t reproduce, I
realized I couldn’t see that part of the carpet with my own eyes anyway. I took it outside and shot a section of the walkway, with half in bright sun and half in shadow, and was able to clearly discern detail in the sidewalk on both sides upon playback. There are now two levels of nuetral density filter. And the aspherical glass lens is very, very sharp and gives a nice flat edge to edge image.
Of course, I welcomed the return of the manual zoom. It’s the skinny ring closest to you as you shoot. However, it is a servo controlled thing and therefore there is a little lag time, which bugged me. Also, I don’t believe there are any marks on it to tell you where you are in the range of wide to telephoto. A small raised tab would have been, duh, nice. The rocker for the zoom switch has almost no slop in it, and is more predictable than the VX1000’s. A good slow speed, but I believe the Canon
GL1’s may be a tiny bit slower.
Somebody intelligent must have insisted that the menu, manual mode settings, white balance, shutter speed, and audio controls be mounted on the back of the camera, and steered Sony away from the tom-foolery that infected the TRV900 and PD100A, where they hid many of these vital functions behind the LCD and in the menu. It’s lovely to push the audio level button and instantly control the level, and see a VU meter running across the bottom of your display (even if it is only a single meter,
averaging (?) the right and left channels...I don’t know how accurate this can be, but it’s helpful). And while I’m streaming about audio, let me commend Sony for beefing up the mini mic jack to a healthy looking stainless steel component that may not have to be replaced as often as my old plastic one was. AND the inclusion of a line/mic attenuator switch next to it, to allow us to run something live out of a mixing board. Thank you very, very much.
The new on-camera mic is now a two capsule, instead of the VX1000’s four. I have no response to this either way...I’ll have to hear it. As I neglected to bring my headphones, and Sony wasn’t playing back audio through the TV, I missed out on one of our biggest concerns about the camera. The TRV900/PD100A has an abysmal pre amp, which led to my aforementioned trouble with Sony of America earlier this year. Background noise, or hiss was a problem that kept me and many others from buying that
camera...if I get my hands on one of these again I will definitely check this out. By the way, the 2000 will now do 16 bit audio on two tracks, or 12 bit on two and leave you two free for audio dub.
There is an intelligent shoe for compatible Sony accessories, like their intelligent shotgun (that’s one for the NRA, isn’t it?) mic that zooms audio with your video. The camera captures stills onto tape or Sony’s memory stick at a 640x480 resolution. It WILL shoot in progressive scan, however, I don’t believe this will be the camera of choice for web production. Unlike the Canon GL1, who’s progressive scan is actually smooth enough that some people shoot with it for web video, this camera’s
progressive scan mode appears to be more of a convenience to grab a non-interlaced still. (I believe it shoots progressive at 15 frames per second).
Shooting 16/9, available in the menu, seems very sharp, although it is of course not a separate chip set but an electronic conversion. There was no monitor available to check the output, but I loved how it looked on the LCD. Unlike Canon’s, Sony’s 16/9 is displayed unsquished, in letterbox, which is much more realistic for composing your shot. Because the lens is now 58mm, your old Sony wide angle adapter will not fit it...they will have a new wide and teleconversion lens to fit. The camera will
convert analog video and audio to DV output through its IEEE1394 jack on the fly (you don’t have to record it first or put the camera into record), which is great. The VX2000 will also come with a memory stick reader with a USB jack to download images to a computer, and it can also upload images onto the memory stick media. Inside the LCD screen compartment are the contols for a 20 shot assemble editor, two levels of zebra stripes, and the obligatory digital and picture cheeze effects that Sony
insists on foisting onto the world. Does anybody actually use these things?
This camera will come out of Sony listing for about $3000, which probably means that we’ll eventually see it on the street (read B&H) for something like $2600. I have to say, I dug it muchly. Would I give up my GL1 for it? Yes, I think so. But it’s gotten to the point where I wish I had a gun rack with half a dozen DV cameras on it, ready to go, because each one is perfect for a different shooting situation. But yes, barring any potential audio problems, which one should not yet assume its free
of, consider this unit Deano Approved.
We filmed Sebastian
VX2000 specialist (enthusiastic coll. student Cebit working
part-time for Sony) pointing at the new sound interface in the
viewfinder and LCD screen. As you can see only showing 1 line for stereo
output. (2 tracks showing on new VX2000 proversion!) This is a JPG file reolsution on mem.stick in VX2000
See all specifications and see for
yourself!
We even think TRV20 will be the better buy for many of us,
we show them side by side!
IMPORTANT TO ALL:
Please make some tests on coming shows and let us know what you think of it. Please sent your results to:
JAPAN: NTSC 380,000 yen (VX-1000
was 350,000 yen).
27 April 2000 a VX2000 for US$2700
street price in Tokyo !
PAL VERSION:
Official
Streetprice
Sony Price: incl. VAT
DVC-Price:
GERMANY Germany
DM 7.999
HOLLAND VX2000
Hfl. 8.499
HOLLAND
PD150
Hfl. 11.750 EURO
4795
NTSC VERSION:
(according to Chuckmeister)
US VX2000
$2999 $2500
Two new VX2000 SONY HG grade converter lenses
also will be
released.
0.7x wide converter will bring lens from 6 to a 4mm wide
1.7x tele-converter will zoom up to 120mm from 72
DV Editing
For Aspiring Filmmakers ( Sony Press release) Editing video is made easier with drop frame time code and built-in 20
segment assemble editor. In addition, the DCR-VX2000 camcorder can connect
directly to Sony VAIO(R) PCs, or any 1394-enabled PC, with an optional i.LINK(R)
(IEEE 1394) digital cable. i.LINK is an industry standard, bi- directional
digital interface offering seamless video transfer with virtually no generation
loss between two camcorders or between a camcorder and a PC.
By combining digitally recorded video with a personal computer, DCR-VX2000
camcorder owners can record, edit and produce professional quality, digital
video productions. A field that was once limited by the high cost of video
production equipment now becomes accessible to a whole new generation of
aspiring video and filmmakers.
My first day's impression with my new Sony DCR-VX2000 semi-professional camcorder...
I wish it wasn’t bright silver...just looks tacky to me. Ergonomically, it’s pretty much identical to the VX1000. I suspect that with a wide angle adapter lens on it and the new external mounted battery, it should balance well. The camera will take the NP-F960 for what Sony claims will give it up to 9 hours of shooting time, without the screen. The 960 is quite a brick but because the batteries fit into a recessed compartment area it only sticks out the back about 3/4 of an inch. The common NP-750 actually sits flush.
The handle now has a wavy grip like a pro camera, and that’s nice. With the 2.5 inch screen the handle needs to feel secure because more people will shoot now by holding it from there. The LCD screen is perhaps the sharpest I’ve ever seen, and I believe the screen is the first I’ve seen on a camera that shows focus better than its viewfinder, I kid you not! Of course I wish it was bigger. I miss the direction arrows from the VX1000 that tell you which way to turn the lens to focus, which was dropped from this model. I always felt that was an intelligent thing to have with an unmarked lens. Manual focus was about as swift as theVX1000, possibly a bit faster, and auto focus, for the short period I used it, seemed better than the 1000’s, possibly because of the quick light response of the 1/3" HAD chips.
Low light shooting was very impressive. I shot some tape which Sony then played back on a WEGA TV they had set up (no pro monitor...as this was a consumer showcase). The dark weave of a Sony rep’s suit reproduced very well, with very little color noise or aliasing. I must say that this camera seems to handle a wider range of light levels and white balance anomalies than I expected. Blacks and details in the shadows did not crush easily...by the time I found something the camera wouldn’t reproduce, I realized I couldn’t see that part of the carpet with my own eyes anyway. I took it outside and shot a section of the walkway, with half in bright sun and half in shadow, and was able to clearly discern detail in the sidewalk on both sides upon playback. There are now two levels of neutral density filter. And the aspherical glass lens is very, very sharp and gives a nice flat edge to edge image.
Of course, I welcomed the return of the manual zoom. It’s the skinny ring closest to you as you shoot. However, it is a servo controlled thing and therefore there is a little lag time, which bugged me. Also, I don’t believe there are any marks on it to tell you where you are in the range of wide to telephoto. A small raised tab would have been, uh... nice. The rocker for the zoom switch has almost no slop in it, and is more predictable than the VX1000’s. A good slow speed, but I believe the Canon GL1’s may be a tiny bit slower.
Somebody intelligent must have insisted that the menu, manual mode settings, white balance, shutter speed, and audio controls be mounted on the back of the camera, and steered Sony away from the tom-foolery that infected the TRV900 / PD100A, where they hid many of these vital functions behind the LCD and in the menu. It’s lovely to push the audio level button and instantly control the level, and see a VU meter running across the bottom of your display (even if it is only a single meter averaging (?) the right and left channels...I don’t know how accurate this can be, but it’s helpful). And while I’m streaming about audio, let me commend Sony for beefing up the mini mic jack to a healthy looking stainless steel component that may not have to be replaced as often as my old plastic one was. AND the inclusion of a line/mic attenuator switch next to it, to allow us to run something live out of a mixing board. Thank you very much.
The new on-camera mic is now a two capsule, instead of the VX1000’s four. I have no response to this either way...I’ll have to hear it. As I neglected to bring my headphones, and Sony wasn’t playing back audio through the TV, I missed out on one of our biggest concerns about the camera. The TRV900/PD100A is notorious for
an abysmal pre amp. Background noise, or hiss was a problem that kept me and many others from buying that camera...if I get my hands on one of these again I will definitely check this out. By the way, the 2000 will now do 16 bit audio on two tracks, or 12 bit on two and leave you two free for audio dub.
There is an intelligent shoe for compatible Sony accessories, like their intelligent shotgun (that’s one for the NRA, isn’t it?) mic that zooms audio with your video. The camera captures stills onto tape or Sony’s memory stick at a 640x480 resolution. It WILL shoot in progressive scan, however, I don’t believe this will be the camera of choice for web production. Unlike the Canon GL1, who’s progressive scan is actually smooth enough that some people shoot with it for web video, this camera’s progressive scan mode appears to be more of a convenience to grab a non-interlaced still. (I believe it shoots progressive at 15 frames per second).
Shooting 16/9, available in the menu, seems very sharp, although it is of course not a separate chip set but an electronic conversion. There was no monitor available to check the output, but I loved how it looked on the LCD. Unlike Canon’s, Sony’s 16/9 is displayed unsquished, in letterbox, which is much more realistic for composing your shot. Because the lens is now 58mm, your old Sony wide angle adapter will not fit it...they will have a new wide and teleconversion lens to fit.
The camera will convert analog video and audio to DV output through its IEEE1394 jack on the fly (you don’t have to record it first or put the camera into record), which is great. The VX2000 will also come with a memory stick reader with a USB jack to download images to a computer, and it can also upload images onto the memory stick media. Inside the LCD screen compartment are the controls for a 20 shot assemble editor, two levels of zebra stripes, and the obligatory digital and picture cheeze effects that Sony insists on foisting onto the world. Does anybody actually use these things?
This camera will come out of Sony listing for about $3000, which probably means that we’ll eventually see it on the street for something like $2600. I have to say, I dug it muchly. Would I give up my GL1 for it? Yes, I think so. But it’s gotten to the point where I wish I had a gun rack with half a dozen DV cameras on it, ready to go, because each one is perfect for a different shooting situation. But yes, barring any potential audio problems, which one should not yet assume its free of, consider this unit Approved.
Special
winter covers and
backpackers bags for PD150/170
This camera case
protects you from frozen fingers and possible failures and knocks and
jolts. The front side has a stiff foam-padded protector, which safeguards
the viewfinder against damage. It accommodates the ready-to use camera
with an on-board battery installed. There is an ample room for extra
batteries, tapes, cables, tripod plates and other accessories. It can even
house an adapter / chapter.
Jan van der Meer, Van der
Meer Video Global DVC Digital Videographers Center Zandvoort The
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videoproductions and workshops for local and international DV users.
Jan van der Meer Van der Meer Video is Official Dealer Promotor
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ADOBE: PHOTOSHOP, AFTER EFFECTS, PREMIERE
We filmed Sebastian
VX2000 specialist (enthusiastic coll. student Cebit working
part-time for Sony) pointing at the new sound interface in the
viewfinder and LCD screen. As you can see only showing 1 line for stereo
output. (2 tracks showing on new VX2000 proversion!) This is a JPG file reolsution on mem.stick in VX2000
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