I just got a new PD170 in today and agreeing with other people who have commented on its low light ability and the camera as a whole, it is indeed, AWESOME. For anybody considering a $3k 3ccd, this camera is still a player. Especially if you use SD 4:3 a lot, like me.

For those already with PD170s or VX2100s, anything in particular to watch out for, or check up on?

Thanks for all of the advice you guys have given me when decieding between the FX1 and the PD170. I made the right desicion.
~Matt~

Pick one brand of tape and don't switch. Ever.

I'd check the quality of the WA lens. I didn't and recently I noticed an air bubble in there. I just decided to ignore it but maybe I should have had it replaced.

Thanks for your advice. I'm sticking with Sony tapes, and DVCAM ones when I can. My WA adapter seems to be fine. It's Awesome cam, I look forward to using it.
~Matt~

Unless you are operating in a linear editing environment, DVCam tapes are really a waste of money. DVCam was made for a linear editing environment which the network tv crews use in their vans. Until recently, they all had linear editing equipment in those trucks and they reused the tape over and over.

In a NLE enviroment, DV works just as well. I even got a Sony rep to agree to this a few years back.

You know, I always believed this as well and pretty much still do - I use the Sony premium tapes. However this summer I did a big project in Buenos Aires where they fed video to a 10,000 lumen projector from a really ancient DVCAM deck (so ancient that it didn't even have firewire!). Not a good situation, but I had to work with what they had, and budgets were very limited there.

Anyway, that deck had a lot of problems reading my Sony premium tapes reliably, even though they were recorded in DVCAM mode. They insisted that I needed to use real DVCAM tapes. I questioned this, but finally went along with it anyway. The deck did indeed seem to work more reliably with the DVCAM tapes. Not really sure if this was related to the tape shell or the tapes themselves, but I was surprised by the results.

Like Matt, I have also decided that the PD 170 will fit my current needs, and I have been looking online for the best place to purchase. Several stores give one price online, then tell you it is a foreign model (Taiwan or China) and the real model is more expensive. Any thoughts on this or the better online stores to deal with? I have searched for threads on this but have not found.

Thanx,

rlamb@hawaii.rr.com

The only vendors that we discuss here at DVinfo are our sponsors, and several of them sell the PD-170. You'll find the full list along with links to their sites here: http://www.dvinfo.net/sponsors/index.php

The pd170 is a sweet cam, you won't be dissatisfied....Just where ever you buy from, make sure you check them out with www.resellerratings.com. If they don't have a listing, post a thread on any major camcorder fourm to see if anyone else has used them. They are a little hard to find currently, last time I checked all of the DVinfo sponsers were out. I went with Armatos after checking them out on this fourm. They were a little more expensive, but had just got some in. Call them to find out if they still have more.
Best of luck in buying your new cam!
~Matt~

Matt, thanx for the important resource! The link you provided really shows that the DV sponsors are head and shoulders above many of the outher outliets online. Thanx again...

Ramdas:

Your best bet is to buy from B & H (They are selling them again at $2,900.00). I buy everything from them and because I live in NJ, if I order Monday morning via phone, it is at my door Tuesday evening when I pay for the three day UPS shipping. I guess I am in the closer UPS delivery zone that permits that.