I give up (more or less)! I hooked up the red and white audio connectors coming from the camera to the red and white audio connectors on the VCR machine. Put the camera in VCR mode. Put the S-VHS plug in the camera and the S-VHS plug in the tape deck. Put in an old S-VHS tape (but still good!). Pushed record on the S-VHS record deck and play on the camera. This was a test and I'd only recorded about :50. What I managed to get on the S-VHS tape was :50 of black - no pix - no audio.

Does anybody have any idea what I did wrong?

I do appreciate your help on this. Thanks!
jay roper
(jroper@csun.edu)

Have you tried sending an image and sound to a TV monitor? That should work, regardless of the VCR problems.

It is possible, perhaps probably, if you are using front-mounted connections or one of many on the back panel, that you have not selected that set of inputs on the VCR.

Fifth possibility would be that both sets of cables are inoperative.

Sixth possibility would be that there is something wrong with the VX-2000.

On some S-VHS decks you not only have to select the proper input (front, rear etc.), but also which video input (composite or y/c). At least that is the way it works on the JVC HR-S7800. Check your menu settings.

Well, it turns out that I missed a couple of things in the menu. First, I missed "AV->DV OUT" thinking that must mean send digitial video/audio out only (not analog)! Not so, this must be on. Secondly, in the ETC, the LCD must be set to LCD not V-OUT/LCD.

It also helps to have a working S-VHS tape deck - turns out mine was defunct - in the shop now.

I tried doing what Ed suggested and ran it through a S-VHS input on a monitor capable of handling it. Cables and camera are okay!

Now, once the tape deck is fixed . . . .

Thank, guys for the help.
Jay Roper

A VX2000 friend of mine asked me to figure out which wireless mic he should buy for the VX2000. I think he wants to buy 2 of them, along with a 2nd VX2000 (ok, maybe the new Pana 24P hand-held instead, I don't know because he's not sure yet).

Anywho, he wants to use these mics for weddings, between jobs. Any and every suggestion are welcome, for I know nothing about wireless mics (and I hate bluetooth too).

My friend's working on 2 movies right now, so he doesn't have the time to do the research (X-men, and I forget the other movie...oh the money he is making...some guys have all the luck---and the skill).

hi Frank,
we have used Sony WRT-805 belt transmitter, ECM-77 lavalier mic and WRR-805 receiver. Good sides are: you don't have to pay extra if you want balanced output, both cables are incl., a quite good lavalier, handy case for receiver. Bad sides: it is'nt diversity, and... it's a Sony you know... price is somewhere 1200$ for mic-sender-receiver(here). But a reliable setup. I don't have any experience with other makers' stuff, don't know is it better/worse, overpriced/underpriced etc.

Margus

Frank
I bought a Sennheiser evolution 100 series with an omni lav. I also got the butt plug transmitter that works well with my ME66.

The Senheiser is UHF and is very snmall and well built. Easy to use and has lots of control features.

You could call or email Terry at Cineqip.ca. They are in the process of merging with Whites who have a vancouver office. Deal with Terry on TO he knows his stuff.

TOLL-FREE (CANADA) 1-800-465-0160

WWW.cinequip.ca

Thanks for the replies with good information. I'm going to print this out and give it to my buddy. Beaser, thanks for the phone number.

i've been using a samson um1 or UH1 or something like that. it was 600$(CAD) and is dual diversity. when used with an MK-2 it sounds great. seems like it's a bit of a hog on the batteries though.

If it uses 9 volt batteries, you could try the Lithium Ion variety. About $7 a pop but they last a long time.

Is it me or does the de-interlace option require LOTS more light?
When I put the camera in the de-interlace mode, whether it's video or stills, it all seems very grainy (on the viewer) . What gives?

Linwood B.
lbmaestro@yahoo.com

I looked into this BBC mod a little while back and found out that the BBC uses VX2000 (modified like you said) with Glensound GSTN-1 adaptors. If your interested in finding out about the modification contact the BBC Post Production MA-chines Group on 02075867676, though your have to use the country code to England.
I also found out that the BBC and Channel 4 are not happy with the VX2000 and PD150 in 16:9 ratio and will not be using these cameras for any wide screen productions (but thats another story).
Details of the GSTN-1 can be found here:

http://www.glensound.co.uk/GSTN1.htm

According to Glensound "When used in conjunction with a modification to the VX2000 (undertaken for a fee by a department of the BBC) this new GSTN1 offers a superior sound than Sony's professional DVCs.".

Im soon to call Sony service to ask them about this problem, but it's saturday now so I'll wait to monday.
Anyway, my VX1k is working fine now, but Im not sure for how much longer.
Strange sounds coming from the camcorder when I press rec start/stop and turn it off.
It's really lowd and i can feel it really good on the camera when the sounds are there.
I maybe think there is something wrong with the motor which runs the dv-tape and all that. When i hold my hand over the area when the camera is on I can really feel it working.
At first I thought it was nothing untill yesterday when i was filming with my friends VX1000, hardly heard any noices when pressed REC start/stop and turnign it of, was very silence.

hard to explain for me, but I hope It maked some sence.

Have you tried a different tape? A defective tape can make some pretty strange noises. Also try opening the cassette door and shake the camera gently and see if anything falls out. Screws and other small componets can sometimes come loose and lodge themselves into the moving parts.

Jeff

Well, the thing is that I bought it used from someone In England and I have no idea what tapes she used.
I myself use Sony Premium tapes.
It seemd that nothing falled out when i removed the taped and shaked it gental upside down and normal.
Kinda seems and hears like the motor is "tired" when i shut it down.
Do it use some kind of special batterie that might be low?

There are no special batteries other than the main power battery. Is the noise coming from just 1 tape or are all your tapes making a noise? Whatever you do, *Do Not lubricate* anything yourself. There are NO user adjustable parts.

Jeff

I don't think It the tapes, but I guess the sound is coming from the camcorder around the tape area.
I have to check it with Sony service becuase Im sure this ain't normal after filming with my friends VX1000.

Like when the camcorder is on, i can really feel it when holding it in the handle.
And i can really feel it on the camera when i press rec start/stop, comes two sounds after eachother when I press stop which i can feel when holding the camera.

When I turn it off, I hear this sound like the "motor" is slowly stoping.
It goes kinda fast, but it's also like a "fade-out" shut-down/stop, hope this make any sense of what could be wrong.

At the end of a long day of trying to solve the same problem:

Connecting a VX1000 to my PC, I get an error in Device Manager: Your registry might be corrupted. (Code 19)

I have found this: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q314060

but that didn't do the trick.

I'm running Win2000 Pro, and Avid Xpress DV, so the driver is 1394 DV Camcorder (NonDirect Show), which shows up in the device manager, but with an error. The camera shows as 'no deck' in Avid.

My capture card should be fine as I've used it with a different camcorder before.

Any ideas?

THANKS!!!

Are you connecting the camera, with its power on, before you power up the computer? Sometimes the order makes a difference.

well, at this point, I believe i have tried all possible combinations of turning things on.

I've uninstalled/re-installed drivers etc. in diferent order, etc. The camera is recognized by the computer each time, but with an error.

thanks. any other ideas?
-d

Try this site it may help.

http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/ieee-1394_support.html

Hi,

I'm planning to archive all of my old video8 and Hi8 tapes on miniDV using my vx2000. I was thinking of using the LP setting instead of SP in order to cut down on tape cost a little (90 min vs 60 min). Does anyone have experience using LP setting? Is it likely to impact image appreciably when transferring video from these older format tapes?

Thanks,
Patrick

Hi,

Read Ken's take on this here;

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3328

Hope it helps.

Jeff

that's a great link, thanks, didn't help yet, but gives me a lot more to read.
d

Hi,
I would really like to have a teleconverter (or whatever would be the right term) for my vx2k. I am thinking of a 2X lens, well 3X or more would be even better ! I am not sure whether these lens don't really work well with this kind of videocam and I do wonder as I have done some research about them but with very poor results. There seems to be plenty of choices out there for w/a lens (I got the Canon one and am perfectly happy with it) but when it comes to telephoto.... very little.

So if anybody could help here, it would be great !
thx a lot,
giovanni

Here's a link to Century Precision Optical http://www.centuryoptics.com/products/dv/2/chart.htm The chart shows all their accessories for the Sony VX2000. I have several friends with the 2x listed and they are very pleased with the optical performance.

Jeff

: Hi there,

: The goal here is to "capture" or get control of the camera directly from the PC and then make nice modif and arrangement for later put on a CD format Video CD for DVD player as an example.

: O/S win xp pro latest update.... I have Adobe Premiere 6.01. DV cable connected to a Mp3 Audigy firewire. When I turned on my camera I can see that the O/S is seeing my camera by a double sound just as when you connect a USB device.

: In Adobe premiere I have my camera listed.... but always shows OFFLINE even though camera on...... I think the problem is around the Systems devices... do I need a driver or something.... can't find any info at Sony.... for a 4000$ bucks Camera don't have to much support.

: I am sure I am not the only one who wants to do this.... Man having the control of the camera and get the movie directly no conversion needed analog to digital would be great...

: Can someone help...?

Is it possible that you have the camera in Camera mode and the software is expecting the camera to be in VTR mode?

: I am sure I am not the only one who wants to do this.... Man having the control of the camera and get the movie directly no conversion needed analog to digital would be great...

There is no conversion whether you connect the camera to the PC as you wish or you input video from the tape. It is all the same digital video data.

You might explore the possiblity of controlling the camera via the Lanc port.

I don't know (does not mean there aren't any) of any cameras that allow direct control from the PC via the firewire cable. Several editing systems will store video from the camera directly on disk but you have to press the record button on the camcorder to start and stop the action. DVRex is from Canopus is such a product.


Some of thee newest camcorders will allow USB control and data transfer for streaming video. I don't know if that approach also allows full-resolution video transfers.

Do a search for Lanc and you will find some of the sites with control information.

<<<-- Originally posted by Mike Rehmus : Is it possible that you have the camera in Camera mode and the software is expecting the camera to be in VTR mode?

: I am sure I am not the only one who wants to do this.... Man having the control of the camera and get the movie directly no conversion needed analog to digital would be great...

There is no conversion whether you connect the camera to the PC as you wish or you input video from the tape. It is all the same digital video data.

You might explore the possiblity of controlling the camera via the Lanc port.

I don't know (does not mean there aren't any) of any cameras that allow direct control from the PC via the firewire cable. Several editing systems will store video from the camera directly on disk but you have to press the record button on the camcorder to start and stop the action. DVRex is from Canopus is such a product.


Some of thee newest camcorders will allow USB control and data transfer for streaming video. I don't know if that approach also allows full-resolution video transfers.

Do a search for Lanc and you will find some of the sites with control information. -->>>

No in VTR mode..... and I know no conversion needed when DV connected that is the beauty.....

As I mentionned in Adode premier always say OFFLINE.....

I tried the record DV on the camera also.... does nothing....

Hello im new here and im sorry if someone has already asked this question

Ok well im planning to get a vx in about a week or so, however i do not know much about sound setup i do know stock mic kinda sucks. This guy i know suggested to get this set up:
BeachTek DXA-4 XLR Quiet Connection Unit
AZDEN 400UDR Wireless Diversity Professional Receiver
AZDEN 41XT UHF Professional Transmitter
AZDEN SGM-1X Telescopic Microphone with sound isolation mount

If i should listen to this guy and stay with this set up where can i find these parts for cheap?

Any suggestions on brands and types of monopods, carrying case, tripod?


Thank you

Hey, welcome to the forum.

You are correct in assuming that your questions are frequently asked. And they are vague as you do not state what exactly you wish to accomplish with your system. So while I applaud your choice of camera, the audio question cannot yet be answered.

Rather than reiterate the stock answers, why don't you use the Search function both on this forum (317 posts on the VX-2000) and, say, Google? And read and search the rec.video.desktop and rec.video.production newsgroups. DejaVu should be able to help you with those searches.

Then, if you have pointed questions, we will be able to better help you.

if you are planning on a beachtek box you may wanna look into
the XLR-pro by sign video (www.signvideo.com) only $149 for 2 channel $99 for single channel. i believe these were once the studio1productions XLR-Pro box .

Well i plan to do some art type videos, skate, weddings, and the list goes on... so pretty much all around kind of filming.

Thanks for the reply more replys are welcome!

another question i would like to ask is I have seen vx2000 with a larger rounder rubber eye piece what is this called and where can i find one?

While the Azden wireless is good, I would recommend the Sennheiser Evolution 100 series. Excellent mic even though it is not a diversity system. It has never given me one lick of trouble and is very compact.

As for a tripod I would recommend the Libec M-20. Some of the vendors here at the Watchdog sell this unit and it is very hard to beat for the money. I am not usre if it includes a ball leveler, but that is a very useful tool too.

For what you want to do, I think you can select a better group of accessories.

To answer the easy one first, the large eyecup comes with the camera. It is much larger but it is not round. It is designed for use in bright environments.

There are several after-market eyecups that you can purchase that have soft covers. Hoodman comes to mind.

The list you presented will work. And if you are just starting out and don't have a lot of money, the equipment may be good enough.

All of the advice you've received so far is good. Only you can determine your budget.

As far as the XLR adapter goes, if the Azden shotgun is an XLR out microphone, you probably do not really need an $100 XLR adapter. It is very likely that a $20 cable from Radio Shack will do just as well. You need an XLR female to 3.5mm male (stereo is preferred) adapter cable. Or you can solder one together yourself. Or you can make an XLR adapter like the Beachtek for about $30 in parts from Radio Shack.

Is anyone using an external battery charger for your VX2K? If so, what brand? I think it's really lousy that on a camcorder in this price range that the charger is built into the camera.

The external charger for my PD150 is called a TRV900.
:P

-Dan

Well....thanks, but I really wasn't planning to get a 950! I was also hoping for something a little cheaper. Anyone else?

Yes, I have five other chargers:

One that came with my CCD3300 Hi-8 camera. Works OK. Does not require a camera.

Another, the AC-V900 comes with the 3-battery setup for the DSR-200/200A and charges 3 batteries at a time. I actually have 2 of these

A Sony AC-VQ850 which is the latest DC/AC-powered charger from Sony. It will charge both sizes of Sony LiOn batteries. I think I paid about $75 at B&H. I like this one because it indicates time to charge and estimates on-camera battery life after completion of a charge.

A no-name charger that Chris Hurd sent me for review. It is said to handle LiOns from many manufacturers. It is a dual-head, AC/DC powered. Unlike the Sony chargers, it will handle some of the 3rd party batteries that are a bit, shall we say, strange?

Thanks for the suggestions, Mike. I'll check them out. The one from Sony sounds ideal.

I am having a hell of a time with audio mayhem on a VX2000, and am considering sending it to Sony, anyone have experience with turn around time, and cost, for this? My local guy is ok, but not great, very hit or miss.
Thanks!
Brian
www.brianslanger.com

Sony will probably charge somewhere around $300 or so flat rate. I don't know about their turnaround time. You can contact sony via their web site and worm your way down to the service contacts. There is an 800 number through which you can talk to the tech advisors.

I use the Sony ACVQ850, which charges both the L and the M series batteries. Like Mike said, it shows battery life, how much time left for charge etc...its a great little charger and I highly recommend it.

Hi folks!

I'm new to the forum. I've decided to spend a bundle on the best camera for my money and have decided on the Sony VX 2000.

Was I wrong? I've heard that they are the best Mini Dv format Camcorder available for picture quality and low light picture quality.

I do wedding videos and want the best for this purpose without selling my house to buy a Beta SP Cam!

I've read about some complaints on this forum of elongnated pictures, motor noises, etc. and it has got me a little worried.

Anybody?

I've never seen nor heard of an elongated picture. The noise is something every camera emits. In a professional application, nobody places the microphone on the camera so we don't pick up camera noise anyway.

The VX-2000 is, in my opinion, the best bang for the buck picturewise. I have a PD-150 because I have a need for XLR inputs and more control over the audio.

I would also agree that the VX2000 delivers the best picture for its price. Some users have reported having serious audio problems on this model though, so test it before you buy it if possible.

-Dan

Are the audio problems you describe on the vx 2000 corrected on the current models. From what I heard it was reported that the audio hiss problem was only heard at high manual record level settings and that there was no hiss problem with its auto gain circuit engaged.

Am I correct or are there more serious problems?

You are correct, the audio problem is experienced only when using a setting over 50%. a bright mic like the ME66 gives absolutely no problem.

Most of the grousing is from people that don't own the camera.