Originally Posted by John M. Kim (Post 1780912)

Terence,

Since you asked for the Draconian response, here's my answer:

Buy the Sony PMW-200.

-- Because of the relatively larger sensor, it is easier to achieve a more "filmic" look and it is slightly better in low light.

Al says: That is likely true. The xf305 is harder to give the 'filmic' look to. However, recently on Vimeo an Italian filmmaker put up a wonderful short that is as close to a HDSLR look I've seen. He did a very nice job.
For a three minute look, this is worth a peek to see that often the camera in the hands of someone who knows it can do more than most might think. https://vimeo.com/32406825

-- As an ENG shooter, you will appreciate the controls of the PMW-200 more. Neither have fully mechanical controls, but the PMW-200 "breathes" less overall, and there is less perceived delay when using the zoom and iris. The hard stops on the controls of the PMW-200 are also better.

Al says: I agree there is a slight delay on the 300 zoom, but I really like it's crawl. I also reprogram the handle zoom to be fast, and the grip zoom to be only slow. If the Sony can do that, I would alter it, as I find sometimes I want to get in quick, but don't want to have the opportunity of doing it accidentally (G). And yes, the hard stops on the Sony seem to be better than the 300's though it is a slight advantage.

Al says: I do like that they have 4 channels of audio available. This can help a one man band eliminate carrying a field mixer for larger interviews.

-- Sony stands by the SxS Pro cards. It's unlikely that you'll suffer lost footage, but if you do, Sony will step in to try to recover it. You get what you pay for.

Al says: I've yet to have a Sandisk CF card fail on me in over two years of shooting, either on the 300 or my 5D's. I cannot say that about SD cards. Even the best tend to fail, having used a T2i for a few years. But the SxS are known entities that have a global company standing behind, and that could help in a pinch somewhere hard to reach. Then again, carrying 10 of them is quite a bit more expensive I would think than the CF cards. And I can easily buy CF cards on the road, most cities have a pro camera shop that has them. For me, that mattered.

-- I found that for handheld shooting the XF300 is terribly front heavy. The PMW-200, with a large battery pack, can be used in a pinch pressed against your right shoulder, and although it's no substitute for a shoulder mounted camera, it just feels better on the wrist than the XF300. Try them both out and see if you agree.

Al says: While I tend to agree that it is a bit front heavy, I can easily rest the xf305 on my shoulder for long minutes,and using the IS helps a great deal, but I agree that likely both cameras should be on a shoulder mount attachment for long shooting. I have a device that allows me to attach my external battery back to the back of the mount. So it is 'fixable' on both cameras. But still neither appears to be a 'shoulder mount'.

Both are good cameras and you'll find merits in each, but IMHO the advantage goes to Sony.

I'm located in New York and know of several colleagues who are in production with long lead documentaries. A few of them are using the PMW-200. I don't know of any that chose the XF300.

Originally Posted by Vincent Oliver (Post 1780949)

Al you forgot to mention the wonderful display of yellow streaks on the XF300/305 viewfinder, especially once the sun has had a few split seconds to do its work.

Cameras are generally a matter of personal preference, both the Sony and Canon have their faults, as does most equipment but you find a workaround for most sooner or later.

"put up a wonderful short that is as close to a HDSLR look I've seen. He did a very nice job."

This must be a first on this forum, and I always thought the HDSLR was the runner up for video work.

Oh, and by the way, the close up and film look were created with the Redrock M3 lens adapter with Nikon lenses fitted to his XF300.

Originally Posted by Terence Morris (Post 1780886)

BEWILDERED. Having read this entire thread (a lot of it over my head) I think I just need someone to simply tell me what to buy - PMW 200 or XF300. Needs: Portability for ENG style documentary work. Want the most filmic look and good low light. Not a production company, just a keen amateur and both could fit the budget (although not keen on the Sony media outlay). Thank you.