What do you use it for? at DVinfo.net

Bob Zimmerman · November 5th, 2004, 10:48 AM

Those of you with the PD-170, what are some of the things you use it for? What type of work?

Mike Hanlon · November 5th, 2004, 12:30 PM

I shoot high school sports, dance recitals, one wedding (so far, but it was enough), and other random dance performances.

Low light perfomance is fantastic. Lighting at school football fields is notoriously very poor, but my 170 (and my VX2000) sees better than my own eyes.

Mike.

Tom Hardwick · November 6th, 2004, 01:02 PM

Not that I do of course (he said quickly) but any TV programme about porno shooters invariably sees them using PD Sonys.

Shawn Mielke · November 6th, 2004, 03:16 PM

Em, thanks for the clarification, Tom. :-]

I've shot several weddings, a theatre production and it's rehearsal process (the show had rather dim lighting in an effort to have projected powerpoint images better seen, so this camera pretty much saved my ass...), various home video stuff, a portion of an instructional video....and that's about it, I think. I've used it in conjunction with the Sony PDX10, fwiw.

Bill Keen · November 6th, 2004, 08:02 PM

I've only had my 170 about a month or so, but I've shot a wedding and 2 HS football games. My other cam is the Panny DVC80 and the Sony definitely shoots a "cleaner" gain up in low light. I really appreciate the added zoom of the Sony but there are several little things that make me prefer to shoot with the DVC80. It may just be me, but I'm having trouble adjusting to the b/w viewfinder of the 170 and using zebras to set my exposure. I'm more used to the Panny's color viewfinder and ability to set correct exposure using just the viewfinder.

All in all the 170 is a great camera... one of those 'you can't go wrong with' cameras.

Leslie Wand · November 7th, 2004, 12:13 AM

short form doco's, training, and for two national broadcasters - i live in outback australia, so they're thankful for anything better than vhs! (but they also use the 170, and some other prosumer cameras inhouse....)

i also do the odd wedding, but my rates are usually too high for out here.

leslie

Harris Ueng · November 7th, 2004, 04:47 AM

I focus on doing interviews, event coverage (no weddings, like Leslie, my rates, too, seem to be a bit high for the wedding market), and ads for web and DVD release. I'm in editing right now for a doc/interview DVD for a San Francisco art & fashion show. I'm pretty happy with the 170 in the time I've had it (got it when it came out), and definitely appreciate it being much lighter and less front heavy than the XL1/XL2's (though I DO like those for what they can do).

As an interesting aside, I had to rent a 150/170 for one of my shooters at this last event and had a hard time getting one (called 5 places in SF before I found one available). Each place of the 4 places I called before landing one responded to the tune of, "No, but I have a Canon XL1 available..." The 150's seemed to be popular that particular weekend. :-)

Mike Rehmus · November 7th, 2004, 12:34 PM

Commercials, recruiting videos, corporate videos, police videos, teaching, events, training videos, weddings, funerals, birthdays, etc. It does everything but impress the customers (with its looks). For those who must be impressed, I haul out the DSR-300 which does do a better job but isn't nearly as convenient.

Glen Elliott · November 9th, 2004, 08:52 AM

Wedding and Event videography.

Speaking of which I'm not sure what your "rates" are but exceptional wedding videography, marketed correctly can command price tags in the $5,000 USD range- in more area's than you'd expect.

Tom Hardwick · November 9th, 2004, 10:04 AM

I can believe those rates. When you see the cost of the dress, the flowers, the price per meal, the wedding service, the still photography, the cars, the honeymoon, the hire of the suits and the invitations and place mat calligraphy, what's an extra $5k?

tom.

Leslie Wand · November 12th, 2004, 06:01 PM

used to know a guy who did the usual wedding thing, but for an extra 1.5k would do a video clip to the couples favourite music. have to say he was very, very good, and that was on top of the basic 3k he charged.

meanwhile, i was back at the studio banging my head over whether i'd do a corporate 3 min for a measly 3k. his took a days shoot and maybe a couple of days edit. my corporate would involve multiple locations, and dealing with a bunch of pony-tailed mobile phone wankers over a couple of weeks...

glad to be out of it!

leslie

Peter TK Lee · November 12th, 2004, 11:00 PM

Hello Leslie,

Ask your mate how long he really takes to edit his wedding shoots. I'd say it takes longer than a couple of days.

cheers,
Peter

Leslie Wand · November 13th, 2004, 04:27 AM

wish i could peter - left sydney for the rural life over 5 years ago, and have pretty much lost contact with most of my contemporaries, though i'm off to the weding of one of them next week. be the first time back in sydney for over a year....

all the best,

leslie

Shuf Shukur · November 14th, 2004, 08:42 AM

I shoot interviews for web tv -- a programme called BizIT which is available through www.cyberjaya.tv.

Also some corporate video and rushes for a production company.

Takeshi McFall · November 29th, 2004, 04:00 PM

These probably aren't the best examples, but I end up shooting a lot of fire poi and belly dance performances. Considering the adverse lighting conditions, I think the PD170 and VX2000 perform very well...

http://www.calicodmp.com/projects/empyrean.mpg

http://www.urbangypsy.cc/arabian%20spices.mpg

November 5th, 2004, 10:48 AM	#1
Bob Zimmerman Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Illinois Posts: 888	What do you use it for? Those of you with the PD-170, what are some of the things you use it for? What type of work?

November 5th, 2004, 12:30 PM	#2
Mike Hanlon Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 180	I shoot high school sports, dance recitals, one wedding (so far, but it was enough), and other random dance performances. Low light perfomance is fantastic. Lighting at school football fields is notoriously very poor, but my 170 (and my VX2000) sees better than my own eyes. Mike. __________________ VM Productions

November 6th, 2004, 03:16 PM	#4
Shawn Mielke Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Santa Rosa, California Posts: 745	Em, thanks for the clarification, Tom. :-] I've shot several weddings, a theatre production and it's rehearsal process (the show had rather dim lighting in an effort to have projected powerpoint images better seen, so this camera pretty much saved my ass...), various home video stuff, a portion of an instructional video....and that's about it, I think. I've used it in conjunction with the Sony PDX10, fwiw. __________________ Breakthrough In Grey Room

November 7th, 2004, 12:34 PM	#8
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	Commercials, recruiting videos, corporate videos, police videos, teaching, events, training videos, weddings, funerals, birthdays, etc. It does everything but impress the customers (with its looks). For those who must be impressed, I haul out the DSR-300 which does do a better job but isn't nearly as convenient. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

November 14th, 2004, 08:42 AM	#14
Shuf Shukur New Boot Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Malaysia Posts: 18	I shoot interviews for web tv -- a programme called BizIT which is available through www.cyberjaya.tv. Also some corporate video and rushes for a production company. __________________ Shuf www.malaysia.tv

November 6th, 2004, 01:02 PM	#3
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Not that I do of course (he said quickly) but any TV programme about porno shooters invariably sees them using PD Sonys.

November 6th, 2004, 08:02 PM	#5
Bill Keen Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Water Valley, MS Posts: 52	I've only had my 170 about a month or so, but I've shot a wedding and 2 HS football games. My other cam is the Panny DVC80 and the Sony definitely shoots a "cleaner" gain up in low light. I really appreciate the added zoom of the Sony but there are several little things that make me prefer to shoot with the DVC80. It may just be me, but I'm having trouble adjusting to the b/w viewfinder of the 170 and using zebras to set my exposure. I'm more used to the Panny's color viewfinder and ability to set correct exposure using just the viewfinder. All in all the 170 is a great camera... one of those 'you can't go wrong with' cameras.

November 7th, 2004, 12:13 AM	#6
Leslie Wand Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: upper hunter, australia Posts: 1,410	short form doco's, training, and for two national broadcasters - i live in outback australia, so they're thankful for anything better than vhs! (but they also use the 170, and some other prosumer cameras inhouse....) i also do the odd wedding, but my rates are usually too high for out here. leslie

November 7th, 2004, 04:47 AM	#7
Harris Ueng Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Palo Alto, CA Posts: 55	I focus on doing interviews, event coverage (no weddings, like Leslie, my rates, too, seem to be a bit high for the wedding market), and ads for web and DVD release. I'm in editing right now for a doc/interview DVD for a San Francisco art & fashion show. I'm pretty happy with the 170 in the time I've had it (got it when it came out), and definitely appreciate it being much lighter and less front heavy than the XL1/XL2's (though I DO like those for what they can do). As an interesting aside, I had to rent a 150/170 for one of my shooters at this last event and had a hard time getting one (called 5 places in SF before I found one available). Each place of the 4 places I called before landing one responded to the tune of, "No, but I have a Canon XL1 available..." The 150's seemed to be popular that particular weekend. :-)

November 9th, 2004, 08:52 AM	#9
Glen Elliott Wrangler Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 2,898	Wedding and Event videography. Speaking of which I'm not sure what your "rates" are but exceptional wedding videography, marketed correctly can command price tags in the $5,000 USD range- in more area's than you'd expect.

November 9th, 2004, 10:04 AM	#10
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	I can believe those rates. When you see the cost of the dress, the flowers, the price per meal, the wedding service, the still photography, the cars, the honeymoon, the hire of the suits and the invitations and place mat calligraphy, what's an extra $5k? tom.

November 12th, 2004, 06:01 PM	#11
Leslie Wand Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: upper hunter, australia Posts: 1,410	used to know a guy who did the usual wedding thing, but for an extra 1.5k would do a video clip to the couples favourite music. have to say he was very, very good, and that was on top of the basic 3k he charged. meanwhile, i was back at the studio banging my head over whether i'd do a corporate 3 min for a measly 3k. his took a days shoot and maybe a couple of days edit. my corporate would involve multiple locations, and dealing with a bunch of pony-tailed mobile phone wankers over a couple of weeks... glad to be out of it! leslie

November 12th, 2004, 11:00 PM	#12
Peter TK Lee Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Australia Posts: 39	Hello Leslie, Ask your mate how long he really takes to edit his wedding shoots. I'd say it takes longer than a couple of days. cheers, Peter

November 13th, 2004, 04:27 AM	#13
Leslie Wand Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: upper hunter, australia Posts: 1,410	wish i could peter - left sydney for the rural life over 5 years ago, and have pretty much lost contact with most of my contemporaries, though i'm off to the weding of one of them next week. be the first time back in sydney for over a year.... all the best, leslie

November 29th, 2004, 04:00 PM	#15
Takeshi McFall New Boot Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Houston Posts: 10	These probably aren't the best examples, but I end up shooting a lot of fire poi and belly dance performances. Considering the adverse lighting conditions, I think the PD170 and VX2000 perform very well... http://www.calicodmp.com/projects/empyrean.mpg http://www.urbangypsy.cc/arabian%20spices.mpg