newbie question: pdx10 vs 950 (weight)

[Love Mov]

Read lots of posts here, great experience. Deciding between pdx10 and 950...my understanding is pdx10 and 950 are pretty much the same thing except some feature difference.
My question is, from specs, I found pdx10 is more than 2 pounds, while 950 is about 1.5 pound, why there is a big weight different? Or I probably make some mistakes on the info I got? If this is true, how do you guys think the handeling differnce it makes?
Thanks a lot.

[Steve Roffler]

Love,

I have the pdx-10 but not the 950. The difference in weight may be due to the xlr mount on the pdx-10. But you can take off the xlr mount, which I do when carrying it in my side pack. One of the reasons I choose the pdx-10 is its small form factor. It really is quite small when the mount is removed.

Note that the "feature" differences are not insignificant. The one I like best is the 16:9 of the pdx-10. I only shoot in 16:9 now. Looks great on DVDs on a wide screen TV.

[Love Mov]

I know there are XLR box and mic, but I think the info I read is exclude these, bare camera only (from the user manual, page 250, said "950g, 2lb1oz);, with Batt, XLR, hood and mic, it's 1.4kg/3lb

for 950, the info from here: (785g)

http://www.dvspot.com/reviews/cameraDetail.php?cam=98


I wonder what this 165g difference is...pdx does use better material or it's because of DVCAM thing?

Thanks...

[Shawn Mielke]

The B&H website lists the 950 and PDX10 as weighing 2lbs. 2oz., and 2lbs. 1oz, respectively. I would think it to be the other way around, and I would think that the PDX, together with it's XLR block, would weigh a little bit more than the 950 than that. But this is more like what the difference is, a few ounces, not a half a pound.

With the XLR block on top, the PDX is a bit front/left heavy, when held with one hand, up and through the given strap. A second hand holding near the focus ring helps out with this type of hold. Personally, I think that because the strap is there on the side doesn't mean that that's the best way to hold the cam. In fact, I would altogether remove the strap if it didn't mean breaking out a screwdriver and dismantling the cam just a bit, to do it.
Instead, I cradle the cam, nearer to the front of the bottom of the cam, with my left hand, and I guide, maintain stability, and work the controls at the back of the cam, with my right. Much better. (For me).

In any case, the PDX10, with it's native, if removable, XLR connections, and separate audio channels, and it's excellent 16:9 mode, is the better cam. In my opinion.

[Boyd Ostroff]

There are a variety of differences which might influence the weight of the two cameras. There could be differences in the tape transport since the PDX-10 does DVCAM. The BW viewfinder on the PDX-10 might have a different weight than the 950's color viewfinder. The 950 has a pop-up light but the PDX-10 does not, it has a "dumb" accessory shoe for the XLR box in that location instead. Perhaps there's something different in the construction of the camera bodies? The 950 has some sort of internet capabilities that are not supported by the PDX-10. I believ the 950 is also shipped with a stylus to use with the touch screen. Does the 950 include the wide lens hood? Do both cameras ship with the same batteries?

[Gareth Watkins]

Hi there

The 950 only comes with the small lens hood.... which is a pity as it doesn't fit on my wide angle lens....

The apparently have the same batteries supplied though.

I had the same choice to make as LM, and looking back at the two cameras now I've plumped for the 950, I kind of wish I'd got the PDX.... I've since bought a XLR PRO (adds more weight) as the sound without separate good quality mics is mediocre to say the least.

I'd not even considered 16:9 before, and probably won't use it much anyway.. but I do like the way it looks and would certainly like to have had it as a quality option and not a truncated 4:3 option...

If I were to decide again between the two I'd go for the PDX... the lack of decent sound options to me is the biggest draw back of the 950, and one I only really appreciated once I'd bought the camera.

If you are worried about the size and weight the XLR module comes off on the PDX... I would imagine then they handle almost identically...

cheers
Gareth

[Love Mov]

B&H spec make sense...
I'd like to go 16:9, so pxd10 is more likely...thanks a lot to all.

[Tom Hardwick]

The PDX10 (in the 16:9 mode) has some sort of wide-angle coverage at least. It's like a 950 with a 0.8x converter permanently in place. The 950 on the other hand cries out - and I mean cries out, for a wide-angle converter.

tom.

[Gareth Watkins]

Yep agree entirely with Tom...

My Tecpro 0.5 W/A is now screwed to the front and ready to shoot...

Makes a big difference, I've been trying it out over the last few days... is sharp and does not vignette... Monday out for my first video shoot.

Regards
Gareth