Pro Cam for Avio???

[flvideo]

50bc, I have 2 Sony pd170's and 2 Panasonic DVX100's and 1 Jvc DV300, I have used them all with an Avio. I started editing with an Avio in 2000 and upgraded it several times till I Bought a Renommee last year. Each of those cameras were used with the Avio and I use them with the Renommee as well. What I have found with all my camers is that if I am going to shoot in low light I use the Sonys. If I am in a studio setting with good lighting I use the Panasonics. The sonys seem to shoot what I see with my eyes and thats all I can ask of them. Thats what I want to record. The panasonics seem to have a richer color. I even have to tone it down a little. The Jvc is good in good light too. It has a beautiful picture. Don't qoute me on this but I am pretty sure the Pd170 has low light sensivity of 1 lux, the Dvx100 is 3 Lux, and the DV300 is 5 lux. I shoot in low light a lot. I shoot Stock car racing and there is no way to add more light too the subject. Some tracks are terrible and others I could shoot with my old tube Panasonic and it would look good. I hope this helps. Bob...

[50BCProductions]

Must say Im leaning towards:
Sony VX2100
Canon XL-2
or my Casablanca dealer is steering me towards the Sony FX series.
Im really thinking at this point:
Buy my prosumer Camera this year and by next year getting the updated,newer Casablanca equipment.
So,Thanks for your input!

[BobNaughton]

50BC

As others have mentioned in their posts, be sure to do your homework, and know what your needs will be in the immediate future. You mentioned possibly upgrading your casablanca from an Avio to ???????. If you were going to be upgrading to one of the newer Bogart Models so you could go HD, you would want to purchase a camera that was also HD. If you were going to upgrade from an avio to a Renommee or something in the casablanca type 2 family, You probably want to stick with SD for now. They are Hd edit capable, but the long render times might be too much of a nuisance to deal with.

I own 2 VX2000,s and a VX2100. I have been very happy with them and dont want to give them up yet. I am still shooting in SD and 4:3 format. They do have a firewire output to download into your avio or future upgraded model. They are great in low light and an overall good performer. Their audio input is a 1/8 stereo mini jack. You could purchase an adapter from either Studio-one or Beachtek to use XLR mikes with them. To get better audio via XLR inputs you would have to step up to the PD 170 which I believe is still being sold or possibly its older brother the PD-150 which you would have to purchase used.

These Sony cameras will shoot in either 4:3 or 16:9 (Anamorphic) I am not really sure what the anamorphic does I just know its not true 16:9. The video signal is altered in some way to achieve the 16:9 Effect. I believe Lou Bruno has stated that his testing results show a drop in resolution using the anamorphic signal on a large widescreen TV.

For me the Sony VX2100 and like models are still my choice, but if I had to get a new camera, I would be looking at an HD model of some kind. I have nothing against Canon Or Panasonic, but I have never used them. I have only used the Sony brand, so I am giving you my experience with them alone. With a lot of Videographers going HD there should be some good SD cameras on the market as well as some refurbished Casablanca type 2 units at reasonable prices.

HD is the wave of the future though. Just as Digital (SD) phased out VHS and HI-8 cameras. HD is phasing out SD.
HD has many confusing options to deal with. HD with DV tape/ SD Cards/Little internal Hard drives/Direct to DVD or Blueray disc. I'm not sure that once you do an HD project and output it to a blueray disc, that many clients will have the proper player to display the project you just gave them. Now theres talk of putting your final format not on a blueray disk but little thumb or flash drives?

I'm waiting for all the dust to settle before I get into anything new, By that time HD will be obsolete and there will be a new kid on the block with its many options I suppose. I'm going off on a rant, Sorry, Just choose carefully before you spend any of your hard earned money.