Beawriter's Full Review: Sony DCR-VX2000 Mini DV Camcorder
I have been a cable TV producer for three years. During that time I have used a hand held cam corder as well as the more professional model cam corders that use full size S tape. Nothing comes close to the quality of Digital.
The S VHS tape produces a highly quality resolution good even for cable TV but there are problems. Certain colors, such as red, float on the screen.
The handheld camcorders are good for on the road shots, but the quality isn't there and once a dub is made, the quality decreases even more. So in order to have a quality production it was necessary to invest in a high end model recorder. The digital seemed the right answer.
The VX2000 is the answer and even though it is relatively expensive for home users, it is a more reasonable price than other digital models for cable TV production. Those other models are in the range of $10,000. So the VX2000 looked good for the budget of our show.
I particularly like the fold-out 2.5 inch LCD monitor. I can see what I'm taping a lot better than trusting to what I see through the lens. I remember one show when all the guests were on the right with space on the left. The lens I was looking through showed them in the middle of the screen, but the lens was off and I didn't know it until after I did the show.
So you know I really like having the monitor. But other cameras have monitors so that isn't all that innovative.
The memory stick feature is terrific because now I can use still photos with my video. This adds a different element to the show and makes the visually more appealing. I can even pull pictures from my computer to the camera, and from the camera to my Windows 2000 PC by way of the USB port.I can play around with the still shots loaded on my PC and cut out any elements I don't want.
Looking for a digital camera I have no interest in the appearance of the instrument. I'm interested in the quality of the digital and I am not disappointed with the VX2000. Style is less important than the quality of the production.
I don't want to get too technical but another thing this camera allows is to go from analog-to-digital through a conversion process.
There is a jack that provides connection and two-way communication between the camcorder and a PC Windows based computer.
I edit at the cable studio where there is video-editing capabilities and a variety of editing software installed on their pcs. I put the digital film in a special adaptor and into the deck, and a tape to recorder onto in the second deck. I can view and edit simultaneously as well as add graphics.
Other neat tricks are to add music, special effects and titles. My home computer doesn't have all this software but the cable studio editing suite does. However, if you were going into a business such as wedding photography you might want to invest in this digital camera as well as the double decks and editing software for your PC and do it all at your home.
Non-linear editing can produce great results but it takes time to learn, and a lot of practice to get it right. The average user of a digital camera might not want to go to the additional expense of this equipment or the time to train. If you are interested though check with your local cable company. They offer free classes. All they want in return is your promise to produce at least one show or series for them.
I'm not a technical writer. I'm better at using the equipment than writing about it. However, another feature I use is the time-lapse photography. This gives you a cartoon effect, kind like animation. You can set the intervals to 5 even 10 minutes.
The zoom lens offers the choice of up to a tight closeup to a wide-angle shot. A lot of interesting effects can be achieved through zooming in tight on a subject and then pulling back for the wide angle look. I do this with author interviews. Zoom in for a tight face shot then slowly zoom out for a wider view to include the author's books that are displayed on a table to the side of her. It creates infinite interest in the subject while offering me a creative way to present the program.
Except for the hand-held small camcorder, I have never had such a light camera. I think it weighs about three pounds and is easy for me to hold for a long while,even without a tripod. I have even done some fun feet cams holding the camera at a lower level as I walked through a fair, filming the exhibit, and interspersed with shots of feet walking.
Now this might scare you off but really these features are exception in a $3,000 camera. That is, the color-bar generator. Usually I had to rely on the color-bar generator at the cable studio but if my color was off in the filming I was out of luck. Now I can adjust the color as I film. This saves me a lot of trouble in post-production.
There are other reviewers who have gone into depth as to the technical aspects of this camera. Let me just say, if you are going to do any filming for professional purposes, get this camera. It is well worth the money.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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