Contributed by Ignacio Rodríguez:

http://www.dvinfo.net/sony/reports/pdx10-ir1.php

http://www.dvinfo.net/sony/reports/pdx10-ir2.php

Enjoy,

Thanks for putting this online Chris. Very nice write-up Ignacio! It's funny how one's opinion can evolve in the face of battle however. Ignacio wrote: "A mention about the DVCAM format: I don't care much for this mode."

I myself have been known to say exactly the same thing. However yesterday we spent an intense day shooting on location under pretty harsh conditions. Before we began it struck me that all the efforts of some 15 people on this long day were going to be encapsulated on two $6 Sony tapes! Now I don't know what to think about Sony's claims for DVCAM robustness, but if it even slightly lowers the probability of having a tape problem then you bet I'm gonna use it!

So I've suddenly become a DVCAM convert... although I can't quite shake the suspicion that it's all some sort of Sony conspiracy to sell you 50% more tape ;-)

Thanks Ignacio and Chris!
Just got a Bogen monpod with sliding adaptor plate. This, I think, is going to help out with the pdx10 ergonomics issue. With the plate, I can center it just right, with all acoutrements, while getting a pleasing, controlled amount of handheld motion in the image.

<<<-- Originally posted by Boyd Ostroff :
So I've suddenly become a DVCAM convert... although I can't quite shake the suspicion that it's all some sort of Sony conspiracy to sell you 50% more tape ;-) -->>>

Think about it this way -- everyone says "don't use LP mode, it's unreliable, etc". The difference between DVCAM and regular DV SP is the same difference as between DV SP and DV LP mode. (yes there are other minor differences in DVCAM, but I'm talking about dropout resistance).

Also, if you're worried about dropouts, remember you can always daisy-chain the camera to an external recording device (either a cheap DV camera or a hard disk recorder like the CitiDisk) and have a clean backup, in case you get hit with a dreaded dropout...