HVR-S270 as an everyday news camera? at DVinfo.net

David Cleverly · September 9th, 2008, 08:57 AM

Hi all,

I was wondering if someone could tell me if the HVR-S270 is a suitable news camera to replace out trusty DSR-570 with Firestore FS-3 Hard Disk Recorder?

We would appreciate the CF recording for FTP-ing of files to the network and the 4-channel audio would be a boon, not to mention the less bulk and great features over the 570.

I am concerned about the supposedly poor viewfinder and average and "soft" lens.

Cheers!

DC

Scott Hayes · September 9th, 2008, 10:09 AM

i woudl check with your network and see what format is acceptable. they may not have the time to transcode HDV footage. Get you a Panasonic HPX-500, 2K rebate right now. and every station i know of in my market shoots on P2.

David Cleverly · September 9th, 2008, 04:18 PM

Hi there,

Soory I probably should have detailed a bit more...

It doesn't matter what I shoot on from a format point of view because my vision is either fed via a microwave/satellite link to the network or captured into my laptop, compressed and then sent by FTP over the 'net to their news server.

I was more concerned about the 270 as a news camera in itself for the operator, usability/ruggedness/picture quality.

Cheers,

David

Scott Hayes · September 9th, 2008, 05:20 PM

it is a Sony.The price on those two cameras is so close
I would go for the Panny for it's better build and bigger chips
If I had the need for a big camera, I would be all over the
Panny with that rebate. You may find a bstock unit with
Lens even cheaper

David Cleverly · September 9th, 2008, 05:42 PM

Ok, thanks.

I was looking at setting up a second unit or "backup kit" which I could do for around $20,000 complete with tripod, radio mics and so forth. Just to clarify, the SOny here is $11,500 incl GST and the Panny is $20,000.

With the Panny, I would be up for that without the rest of the kit.

Scott Hayes · September 9th, 2008, 06:11 PM

one other thing is the rolling shutter on the Sony. For spot
News, emergency lights going to look ugly. I would keep the dsr570
As my backup. Another option, sony f330 xdcam

Greg Boston · September 9th, 2008, 06:14 PM

The build quality on the S270 is ok, but really not up to the rigors of daily ENG use. Let your usage pattern be the guide.

-gb-

David Cleverly · September 9th, 2008, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Hayes

one other thing is the rolling shutter on the Sony. For spot
News, emergency lights going to look ugly. I would keep the dsr570
As my backup. Another option, sony f330 xdcam

Sorry Scott, I don't understand what you mean by the lights looking ugly, would you explain, please? And does the "Rolling Shutter" affect the PAL (Aus) versions of the 270? Thanks for the response.

David Cleverly · September 9th, 2008, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Boston

The build quality on the S270 is ok, but really not up to the rigors of daily ENG use. Let your usage pattern be the guide.

-gb-

I would use the camera two to three times a week for mainly picture stories, pickup interviews for other stories, and press conferences as well as football training and so forth. Would then probably also use it for the odd wedding here and there as well. I work by myself and am not in the "media scrum" situation every day by any means. Every so often I will work with a reporter.

My 570 - that is nearly 5 years old - looks like new except where a ring on my finger has worn some of the black paint off the underside of the handle.

So if the build quality is not going to be too much of an issue - what about the actual picture quality and usability/convenience of the camera compared to the 570....considering the CF Flash recorder on the 270 would take the place of the huge FS-3 Firestore drive? The whole thing would be more compact than what I have now.

Just concerned about that viewfinder and picture quality with the supplied lens....

Cheers and thanks for the response!

David Cleverly · September 9th, 2008, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Hayes

one other thing is the rolling shutter on the Sony. For spot
News, emergency lights going to look ugly. I would keep the dsr570
As my backup. Another option, sony f330 xdcam

Hi Scott,

I understand there other options are available, but wouldn't the F330 be substantially more expensive than a 270?

I can buy a COMPLETE HVR-S270 kit here for $20k.

Scott Hayes · September 10th, 2008, 05:15 AM

do a search about rolling shutter and police lights. you would be downgrading
going from 2/3" chips to 1/3". My vote still goes to the panasonic. the same tripod,
wireless and batteries you have now, would work. Do you use Anton Bauer? Hell,
you can get an adapter plate for any battery manufacturer.

David Cleverly · September 10th, 2008, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Hayes

do a search about rolling shutter and police lights. you would be downgrading
going from 2/3" chips to 1/3". My vote still goes to the panasonic. the same tripod,
wireless and batteries you have now, would work. Do you use Anton Bauer? Hell,
you can get an adapter plate for any battery manufacturer.

Hi Scott, the idea is that I get a whole new kit for $20k. The Panasonic or F330 would mean the budget is instantly blown. I need to buy a whole new kit as a backup/2nd unit.

I guess I have to ask the question again: would it be a good news camera or not and why.

Thanks!

David Cleverly · September 10th, 2008, 08:05 AM

Ok, rolling shutter problems...yuk! But most of my work would be through the day now thatwe don't "ambulance-chase" as much as we used to, purely because we can no longer hear Police radios here.

Anyway, the cam was also going to be used for the occasional wedding, so perhaps that is out, too.

Might just stick with the DSR570 or, like you said, go the Panasonic P2. If I just wanted to upgrade my camera, $28k with HD lens here in Australia at the moment and 1 x 32gb card.

Scott Hayes · September 10th, 2008, 09:43 AM

WOW, that price increase is INSANE. for news I say NO;

1. 1/3" chips
2. start/stop delay
3. rolling shutter
4. price compared to 2/3" units
5. build quality (depends on usage)

Can you rent one and try it out?

Zach Love · September 14th, 2008, 02:44 AM

I just wrote a long reply & my browser just deleted it, so here is the short version.

I've shot a lot of ENG. I've used real ENG cameras & cameras that aren't built for ENG. The non-ENG cameras have issues & they aren't that fun to use when you need a real ENG camera for covering real ENG.

I've shot ENG w/ the Z1 & Z7. The best thing I can say about these cameras is that they produce wonderful images & they don't piss me off. I'm a little bit of a camera snob & so the above is a compliment.

The S270 isn't a real ENG camera. The Panasonic HVX500 is a real ENG camera & probably the best / cheapest one of the market today. If the Panny is too costly, get the Ex3. About the same price of the S270 & will have a much better picture.

Viewfinder is a big MINUS for the S270 & I don't know why Sony didn't move the LCD & have an option for other VFs (like on the XL1).

As for the lens being soft, I haven't noticed any problems on my Z7. There were some bad apples out there, and a lot of people here have issues w/ the autofocus. My opinion on the autofocus is that I shoot manual, just like professional race car drivers drive manual cars.

September 9th, 2008, 08:57 AM	#1
David Cleverly Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sydney NSW Posts: 220	HVR-S270 as an everyday news camera? Hi all, I was wondering if someone could tell me if the HVR-S270 is a suitable news camera to replace out trusty DSR-570 with Firestore FS-3 Hard Disk Recorder? We would appreciate the CF recording for FTP-ing of files to the network and the 4-channel audio would be a boon, not to mention the less bulk and great features over the 570. I am concerned about the supposedly poor viewfinder and average and "soft" lens. Cheers! DC

September 9th, 2008, 10:09 AM	#2
Scott Hayes Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 692	i woudl check with your network and see what format is acceptable. they may not have the time to transcode HDV footage. Get you a Panasonic HPX-500, 2K rebate right now. and every station i know of in my market shoots on P2.

September 9th, 2008, 04:18 PM	#3
David Cleverly Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sydney NSW Posts: 220	Hi there, Soory I probably should have detailed a bit more... It doesn't matter what I shoot on from a format point of view because my vision is either fed via a microwave/satellite link to the network or captured into my laptop, compressed and then sent by FTP over the 'net to their news server. I was more concerned about the 270 as a news camera in itself for the operator, usability/ruggedness/picture quality. Cheers, David

September 9th, 2008, 05:20 PM	#4
Scott Hayes Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 692	it is a Sony.The price on those two cameras is so close I would go for the Panny for it's better build and bigger chips If I had the need for a big camera, I would be all over the Panny with that rebate. You may find a bstock unit with Lens even cheaper

September 9th, 2008, 05:42 PM	#5
David Cleverly Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sydney NSW Posts: 220	Ok, thanks. I was looking at setting up a second unit or "backup kit" which I could do for around $20,000 complete with tripod, radio mics and so forth. Just to clarify, the SOny here is $11,500 incl GST and the Panny is $20,000. With the Panny, I would be up for that without the rest of the kit.

September 9th, 2008, 06:11 PM	#6
Scott Hayes Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 692	one other thing is the rolling shutter on the Sony. For spot News, emergency lights going to look ugly. I would keep the dsr570 As my backup. Another option, sony f330 xdcam

September 9th, 2008, 06:14 PM	#7
Greg Boston Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: DFW area, TX Posts: 6,117 Images: 1	The build quality on the S270 is ok, but really not up to the rigors of daily ENG use. Let your usage pattern be the guide. -gb-

September 10th, 2008, 05:15 AM	#11
Scott Hayes Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 692	do a search about rolling shutter and police lights. you would be downgrading going from 2/3" chips to 1/3". My vote still goes to the panasonic. the same tripod, wireless and batteries you have now, would work. Do you use Anton Bauer? Hell, you can get an adapter plate for any battery manufacturer.

September 10th, 2008, 08:05 AM	#13
David Cleverly Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sydney NSW Posts: 220	Ok, rolling shutter problems...yuk! But most of my work would be through the day now thatwe don't "ambulance-chase" as much as we used to, purely because we can no longer hear Police radios here. Anyway, the cam was also going to be used for the occasional wedding, so perhaps that is out, too. Might just stick with the DSR570 or, like you said, go the Panasonic P2. If I just wanted to upgrade my camera, $28k with HD lens here in Australia at the moment and 1 x 32gb card.

September 10th, 2008, 09:43 AM	#14
Scott Hayes Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 692	WOW, that price increase is INSANE. for news I say NO; 1. 1/3" chips 2. start/stop delay 3. rolling shutter 4. price compared to 2/3" units 5. build quality (depends on usage) Can you rent one and try it out?

September 14th, 2008, 02:44 AM	#15
Zach Love Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 944	I just wrote a long reply & my browser just deleted it, so here is the short version. I've shot a lot of ENG. I've used real ENG cameras & cameras that aren't built for ENG. The non-ENG cameras have issues & they aren't that fun to use when you need a real ENG camera for covering real ENG. I've shot ENG w/ the Z1 & Z7. The best thing I can say about these cameras is that they produce wonderful images & they don't piss me off. I'm a little bit of a camera snob & so the above is a compliment. The S270 isn't a real ENG camera. The Panasonic HVX500 is a real ENG camera & probably the best / cheapest one of the market today. If the Panny is too costly, get the Ex3. About the same price of the S270 & will have a much better picture. Viewfinder is a big MINUS for the S270 & I don't know why Sony didn't move the LCD & have an option for other VFs (like on the XL1). As for the lens being soft, I haven't noticed any problems on my Z7. There were some bad apples out there, and a lot of people here have issues w/ the autofocus. My opinion on the autofocus is that I shoot manual, just like professional race car drivers drive manual cars.