TRV-900, good?

Hi,
I need a cheap 3 chipper, i've read that the TRV-900 during good lighting can produce some maginificent colors, those compariable to the VX1000 (which is still the best daytime camera, imo).

I was wondering how well it performed in low light situations? I film skateboarding, and I have a generator and 3 flood lights but I cant lug those around as easily as I can a Bescor Light Kit (that I will purchase also), so i'll still be doing a lot of night filming without the extra lighting.

I dont want a trv-950, Bluetooth = Useless, and I know they no longer make TRV-900's, so i'll be buying a used one.

Also, would the PDX10 be worth the extra money? I know it has XLR inputs, etc, but what other advantages would I have with using this camera? I'll be shooting a indie film i'm working on as a side project right now with this too.

One concern though is on the PDX10, is the mic. If I use a century baby death lense ( The Century .3x fisheye ) with this camera, i'm almost positive that the mic would be seen. I dont really think anyone here with a PDX10 would also have a century baby death lens, so I dont know if anyone can clearify this for me.

Thanks alot,
-Curtis

[Boyd Ostroff]

The PDX-10 could possibly have low light issues for you, the TRV-900 would gain an f-stop or two probably. But the PDX-10 has megapixel chips that can deliver full resolution 16:9 if that's important to you.

I don't have .3x lens but I do use a .45x and there is no mike issue there, in fact I can even use the wide lens hood without vignetting. However if you do find a problem you can always remove the mike and XLR and it would have a form factor like the 900. The PDX-10 has two small built-in stereo mikes that are activated when you remove the XLR box. It has 37mm filter threads, will that work with your lens?

Other advantages: BW hi-res viewfinder, much better (bigger, brighter, higher res) LCD panel, DVCAM recording, settable timecode, more audio options (split channel levels, etc), adjustable setup level, touchscreen functions (like spot focus and spot meter), pro black finish, takes megapixel stills.

How about the PD100a?

Its within my budget, and it has the XLR inputs. Im not sure what it is about it, but judging only by looks it looks sexier ;)

So now its between the pd100a and the pdx10

[Tom Hardwick]

Some interesting points here. The TRV950 is considerably cheaper than the TRV900 ever was Curtis, but it does suffer from a lot more CCD smear than the 900, which has bigger 1/4" chips and - like Boyd says, is more than a stop more sensitive. The 900 (and the DVCAM version, the PD100) also has a better wide-angle, though takes 52mm accessories against the 950/PDX10's 37mm size.

The 900 uses 20% less power (Sony's figures) yet takes the big VX2000 NP-F batteries, so is a lot better in that respect. It also shoots proper progressive scan which the 950 doesn't.

For stills the 950 is a winner. Mega-pixel chips and a built in flash gun see to that (though the PDX10 doesn't have the gun). And the cruncher: if you want to shoot 16:9 the PDX10's the cam for you, no question. The mic might just appear in shot but I doubt it, using the Century 0.3x converter makes it a 15mm lens in still camera terms. OK, but not wild.

I'd knock the 950 on the head and let the other two fight it out. The PDX10's advantages have been listed above, but you'd get a 900/PD100 for half that price. That's quite a pull for a camera that will see better in the dark and not smear if you up the shutter speed.

tom.

[Tommy Haupfear]

The TRV900 has been discontinued for quite some time and you may be buying someone else's problems. I would go for a new TRV950 or PDX10. The PDX10 recently had a price drop to $1850 at B&H.