Pecking order of DV cameras
 

I don't really know much about the video cameras in the range above the XL1/PD150/DVX100 camera level. Not Betacams, but units like the JVC DV500 or the lower end of Sony DSR series cameras.
Can someone give me a quick list of which cameras are available in the $4500-$10,000 price range? Doesn't have to be an extensive list, just something I can use to do some more investigation on the cameras that offer the best bang for the buck.

Hey Dylan.

For Sony pro full-size DVCAM cameras, the Base model is the DSR-250 (1/3 CCD). Then it goes up to the DSR-300A and DSR-370 (1/2 CCD) and from there you go to the top of the Sony heap with the DSR-500, and 570. The 370 and 570 are the same as the 300A and the 500, except they have a 24 pin CCU (camera control unit) out-put.

I am not to formilier with the other brands but I do no that JVC, Panasonic, and Ikagame (probably spelt wrong) are quiet reputable.

Alex

Thanks Alex!
Anyone have a good resource where I can find out more about JVC, Panny, and Ikagami's lower end of the pro camera line up?

Pecking Order of DV Cameras
 

Hi Dylan.

I've found the Google search engine to be the fastest route to information on just about anything. If you have a Windows system you can download and install the google toolbar, which adds, you guessed it, a toolbar, to your browser window. Type inside the window and off you go. I just used it to find JVC pro camcorders in two moves.

http://www.jvc.ca/en/pro/product-list.asp?h=P1_100

You can find it at http://toolbar.google.com/

Here's a DV camera pecking order...
 

1. my camera
2. everybody else's

Hi Dylan,

Within the budget that you stated, you're looking at 1/2" CCD camcorders. Basically the current rundown is:

Sony DSR250 (full-size DVCAM and mini-DVCAM)
Sony DSR300 (full-size DVCAM and mini-DVCAM)
JVC GY-DV5000 (fullsize DV and mini-DV)
Panasonic AG-DVC200 (full-size DV but not mini-DV)
Panasonic AJ-D410A (full-size DVCPro)

The Sony 250 has a fixed lens; all others use standard Canon or Fujinon 1/2" broadcast video lenses. Hope this helps,

Chris, exactly what I wanted to know. Perfect!
Thanks!

Chris, the 250 only has 1/3" chips, so it really doesn't belong in that heap.

D'oh! Asleep at the wheel again. Thanks for catching that, Bill!

I've heard that the DSR-250 has been discontinued. Not really much more than an oversized PD-150 anyway. Nearly identical specs.

G

I don't think it's been discontinued; they are still listed on all the distributors' sites. The price has gone down to under $4500, which is nice.
It does have the same chips as the 150, but there are quite a number of differences. Those differences are worth the price to some, not worth it to others...full size tapes, 801 series viewfinder, shoulder mount, XLRs built in the back are some of the differences. It's also a lot heavier than the 150 but still light by pro camera standards. Sony considers it their cheapest professional DVCAM; I don't consider it a fully professional camera, since it has an electronic lens...but it's close.

A dumb question allas
any of these badboys HD capable?

None of the cameras listed above are HD. They are all DV25. There are still a lot of different cameras in-between DV25 and HD.

Alex

HD (high definition) video is basically DV100, with a datastream of 100 megabits per second, which is four times the bandwidth if plain-vanilla DV which we all know and love, also known as DV25 at a datastream of 25 megabits per second.

There is a quantum leap in pricing to get into an HD video camera, I want to say they start at about $30,000 but that might be a little on the low side.

Cost prohibitive, you might think? Well, the smart thing to do is rent the HD camera only as you need it (own the other gear yourself such as mics, lights, etc.) and edit for yourself on Final Cut Pro.

HD editing is itself fairly affordable, but HD cameras are still primarily rental items. A lot of guys do it this way, which in my opinion is the smart way. These prices aren't going to drop all that fast.

Iv seen Digi-Beta start higher then that price. (Digital Beta cam is DV90). I thout the “entry-level” HD cameras were about100K. I might be wrong but 30K is kind of low in my mind.

Alex