Posted by Steve King on 08/31/06 13:55

"Richard Crowley" <rcrowley@xpr7t.net> wrote in message
news:12fddfgj19bg0c5@corp.supernews.com...
> "Steve King" wrote ...
>> While my production volume is far less than yours, I have had the same
>> experience as you describe. However, over half of the time we are
>> shooting DV as opposed to DVCAM --- lower tape speed plus narrower track
>> width I'm told. Even so we have had the same experience. We have had
>> one detectable drop out in eight years. Maybe we're lucky.
>
> Likewise, both at home and at the office I shoot DVCAM and DV (mini-DV)
> essentially interchangably. Except for a problem when a tape guide came
> loose and fell off, I have never seen more than the very exceptional
> noticable video dropout (visible as downgraded "pixelization") I don't
> think I've seen even 5 of them in my whole DV/DVCAM/DVCpro experience of
> many years.
>
> The practical difference between DV and DVCAM is the quality of the image
> because of the lens and camera part of the camcorder. Under ideal
> conditions (mostly lighting) you can make a picture with a 1-chip
> camcorder that the casual viewer would find indistinguishable from a good
> 3-chip camera. But when the going gets rough, nothing beats a good 3-chip
> camera with a good lens. I am very happy with the
> performance of my DSR-300, especially in lousy lighting
> conditions.

I have hired a videographer and his DSR-300 for several shoots. I was
pleased with the results. From time to time I even revert to the Sony 600
BetaSP camera for its ability to shade the image in quadrants, which is
occasionally very useful. The prosumer cameras, while capable of fully
'professional' images in many circumstances, have their drawbacks. The
servo controls for focus and zoom found on prosumer cameras simply do not
allow the kind of precision that is possible with conventional lenses. One
has to modify one's expectations for rack focus shots and smooth zoom starts
and stops. I notice those limitations with PD150/VX2000/DVX-100 cameras
more than image quality.

Steve King

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