what would you do?? at DVinfo.net

Anthony Milic · October 20th, 2003, 09:54 PM

Greetings all.
Love your work..

it's finally come down to it..

Now, I can purchase a PDX10 for approx $4,699 (AUD)
OR I can purchase a VX2000 for approx $4,670 (AUD)

so that's either for about US $3,250

AARRGH!
what would you do!?!

opinions/advice much appreciated.

Anthony

Frank Granovski · October 20th, 2003, 11:23 PM

Save your money and buy a Panasonic MX500 instead? A Canon Optura Xi perhaps?

Depending on what kind of shooting you plan to do should determine which cam you should go for.

Personally, I think the VX2000 is the best of the lot (cams mentioned), but consider the good 16:9 mode of the PDX10, MX500 and Optura Xi. Audio is another matter. I think the PDX10 audio is better, plus it's got XLRs.

Ignacio Rodriguez · October 22nd, 2003, 04:32 PM

Need a cam that will do good in very low light and high contrast? Need a 'second' cam for a PD150/PD170 setup? Need to shoot in very uncontrolled light conditions? Don't care much about the audio? Then prefer the VX2000/VX2100.

Need a cam for high quality audio, 16:9 and portability? Will be shooting in normal lighting conditions or controlled conditions? Then settle for the PDX10.

I would think for film transfer the PDX10 might be better using 16:9. Wonder if anybody has done this yet...

--
i.

Frank Granovski · October 22nd, 2003, 05:54 PM

Low light? The VX2000.

The best for film transfers? That would depend on the method of the film transfer used. Pick a transfer lab, then see what they recommend.

Blip Pio · October 22nd, 2003, 06:08 PM

Whatever you buy have a friend in the US get it!...I got my PDX10 for $1849 US

Anthony Milic · October 28th, 2003, 09:49 PM

thanks guys, as alway.

I've managed to organise a little hands-on play with the cams tomorrow morning. Hopefully I'll be able to make a decisive choice afterward.
But now the flipp'n vx2100 is less than three weeks away (according to cam store specialist) might wait for that.. but then there's the P170.. then there's the ....

sigh..

I'm sure whatever I choose, I'll adapt to it's quirks (which by the sound of things, the pdx10 has more of) and enjoy filming.

Boyd Ostroff · October 28th, 2003, 10:03 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Anthony Milic : so that's either for about US $3,250 AARRGH! what would you do!?! -->>>

Hmm... buy a plane ticket to NYC, spend the weekend, buy the camera of your choice for under $2,000? Seriously, you're paying quite a premium for these cameras "down under". If you bought one in the US how much would the import duties (if any) be?..

Anthony Milic · October 28th, 2003, 10:58 PM

ha. yeah I know boyd.. it's depressing.
I've had a look around (B&H etc) and don't think I'll end up saving that much.
wish me luck!

ps.. CONGRATS on the 'promotion' :)

Adrian Douglas · October 28th, 2003, 11:20 PM

If your goiing to be in the States then it's a good idea but a ticket to the Us costs around AUD$1200. That plus the customs would make it cheaper to buy in AUS. Australia is also a PAL country and many US stores don't carry PAL cameras in stock, they have to order them, if they can get them at all.

Anthony, if you wait a few more weeks until the VX2100 comes out you should be able to pick up a VX2000 at a fairly reduced price. From what I've read about the VX2100 the differences are not that great between the two, much like the PD150/170

Anthony Milic · October 28th, 2003, 11:53 PM

not going to the states.

yeah, that's the thing, the vx2100 should be available to me in about 3 weeks (according to retailer) the only problem is that my window of opportunity for taking advatage of approx 30% saving (due to purchasing through Sony insider -he's resigning) may close before the 2100 is available. If I wait, I may loose out altogether and end up paying full retail. In which case I'd be forced to go with the pdx10 as -for some reason- it is dramatically cheaper than the vx2000 here.
ho hum. perhaps I'll let circumstances dictate my decision.. then I've got no one to blame but fate him/her self ;) ... (oh and myself for not deciding in the first place)

Steve Tapping · October 28th, 2003, 11:56 PM

Adrian your exactly right.
I am from Western Australia so I need a PAL camera.
I am right now looking at the PDX10P(PAL).
A few prices Below:

TRV950E(PAL):$2049.95US-----AUD=$2903.75
TRV950(NTSC):$1599.95US-----AUD=$2266.05

PDX10P(PAL):$2549.95US-----AUD=$3682.23
PDX10(NTSC):$1999.95US-----AUD=$2832.00

PD150P(PAL):$3639.95US-----AUD=$5154.68
PD150(NTSC):$3099.95US-----AUD=$4390.23

VX2000E(PAL):$2599.95US-----AUD=$3682.12
VX2000(NTSC):$2349.95US-----AUD=$3327.59

DVX100E(PAL):$3499.95US-----AUD=$4956.02
DVX100(NTSC):$3299.95US-----AUD=$4672.69

Now, I am making a surf film that will be distibuted both US and Australia mainly Australia though. The camera is going to be used for both land shots & water shots, with a Dave Kelly custom waterhousing. If I am going to be shooting water with this camera It will definatly need to be reasonably small, smaller than the PD150 I would think. I don't want to put my life in danger with a big camera. However I need a camera that can produce great picture and sound results.

So I have given you the prices and what the camera is going to be used for. What do you think will best suit me for this big project. In the future this camera will become just a water camera instead of both land and water. Oh and by the way land shooting also consists of lifestyle shots.

Do you think I will have trouble with NTSC here in Australia considering AUS is purely PAL, however new telelvisions are multisystem. But only the new ones.

Globalmediapro.com have the PDX10P considerably cheaper but I do not trust this online store.

Anyone want to help me out with getting a cheap PAL camera from the US ;-)

Boyd Import duties are 10% GST to Australia!

Hope you can all help me out with this decision.
Thanks

Anthony Milic · October 29th, 2003, 12:28 AM

well Steve, based on those prices - you're saving about $1000 on the best price I've been able to find in Oz. Good luck - and hey if you find a reliable and cost effective purchase/shipping arrangement, by all means - do share!! :)

Wish you all the best with the surf film too. I'll have to check out the west coast swell one of these days.

one other thing - find out about the operation of the PDx10 in regard to vertical smear. I would think that reflections through filming in/on/under/near water would be atrocious.. err, this coming from zero experience on my part of course ;)

Adrian Douglas · October 29th, 2003, 08:27 AM

Steve,

The PDX10 would be a great camera for water work. It is a lot easier to work in the water with a smaller cam. If your primary distrubition is going to be in Australia then I would go with a PAL camera, you get better res/colour and I my opinion it's better to convert from PAL to NTSC than try to upconvert NTSC to PAL. It's also easier to work with PAL in Aus than it is with NTSC, let the distributor worry about the PAL to NTSC conversions. In the end it's up to you whether you go with PAL or NTSC. I can tell you it's a hassle working with PAL here in Japan. If you buy from the States it's also going to be a hassle getting your camera repaired or serviced. My XL has to go back to Aus everytime I get it serviced. I'm really looking forward to heading back home to the Goldy and PAL land.

Good luck, and let me know when you get finished, as I haven't been to WA for a while and the waves here in Japan make Triggs look like Margrets in March.

Ignacio Rodriguez · October 29th, 2003, 10:30 AM

I would go for the VX2000E unless you have a lot of underwater lights and need native 16:9, in tha latter case I would try the PAL PDX10. You can always deal with smear by moving the lights, but you cannot remove noise from dark video. Since you will be doing underwater work, you will find yourself with less light. Heck even out of the water the PDX10 looks like a toy camera in comparison to the PD150 or VX2000 when there is little light. Of course, when there is lot of light the PDX10's picture is better... at least to me, even in 4:3.

Steve Tapping · October 29th, 2003, 06:47 PM

Hehehe Adrian you know your spots. Qld has a few nice spots and I plan to make it out there next year. Kirra and D'Bah the main target. D'Bah is actually just across the border in NSW though, which I plan to make a trip to very soon. I think your right I will stick with PAL.

Ignacio I am not so much shooting underwater. I am shooting in water but above the surface. 90% of the time when I am surfing there would easily be enough light. I am a little worried about the vertical smear, because often when shooting surf shots you can not chose the angle your shooting from, the wave is either a left or a right. I will learn to work around it though.

Thanks for the input

Later

Stevo

October 20th, 2003, 09:54 PM	#1
Anthony Milic Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 103	what would you do?? Greetings all. Love your work.. it's finally come down to it.. Now, I can purchase a PDX10 for approx $4,699 (AUD) OR I can purchase a VX2000 for approx $4,670 (AUD) so that's either for about US $3,250 AARRGH! what would you do!?! opinions/advice much appreciated. Anthony

October 22nd, 2003, 04:32 PM	#3
Ignacio Rodriguez Contributor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santiago, Chile Posts: 932	Need a cam that will do good in very low light and high contrast? Need a 'second' cam for a PD150/PD170 setup? Need to shoot in very uncontrolled light conditions? Don't care much about the audio? Then prefer the VX2000/VX2100. Need a cam for high quality audio, 16:9 and portability? Will be shooting in normal lighting conditions or controlled conditions? Then settle for the PDX10. I would think for film transfer the PDX10 might be better using 16:9. Wonder if anybody has done this yet... -- i. __________________ Ignacio Rodríguez in the third world. @micronauta on Twitter. Main hardware: brain, eyes, hands.

October 28th, 2003, 10:03 PM	#7
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,787	Re: what would you do?? <<<-- Originally posted by Anthony Milic : so that's either for about US $3,250 AARRGH! what would you do!?! -->>> Hmm... buy a plane ticket to NYC, spend the weekend, buy the camera of your choice for under $2,000? Seriously, you're paying quite a premium for these cameras "down under". If you bought one in the US how much would the import duties (if any) be?..

October 28th, 2003, 11:20 PM	#9
Adrian Douglas Trustee Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Chigasaki, Japan. Posts: 1,660	If your goiing to be in the States then it's a good idea but a ticket to the Us costs around AUD$1200. That plus the customs would make it cheaper to buy in AUS. Australia is also a PAL country and many US stores don't carry PAL cameras in stock, they have to order them, if they can get them at all. Anthony, if you wait a few more weeks until the VX2100 comes out you should be able to pick up a VX2000 at a fairly reduced price. From what I've read about the VX2100 the differences are not that great between the two, much like the PD150/170 __________________ Adrian DVInfo.net Search for quick answers Where to buy? From the best in the business...DVInfo.net sponsors

October 29th, 2003, 08:27 AM	#13
Adrian Douglas Trustee Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Chigasaki, Japan. Posts: 1,660	Steve, The PDX10 would be a great camera for water work. It is a lot easier to work in the water with a smaller cam. If your primary distrubition is going to be in Australia then I would go with a PAL camera, you get better res/colour and I my opinion it's better to convert from PAL to NTSC than try to upconvert NTSC to PAL. It's also easier to work with PAL in Aus than it is with NTSC, let the distributor worry about the PAL to NTSC conversions. In the end it's up to you whether you go with PAL or NTSC. I can tell you it's a hassle working with PAL here in Japan. If you buy from the States it's also going to be a hassle getting your camera repaired or serviced. My XL has to go back to Aus everytime I get it serviced. I'm really looking forward to heading back home to the Goldy and PAL land. Good luck, and let me know when you get finished, as I haven't been to WA for a while and the waves here in Japan make Triggs look like Margrets in March. __________________ Adrian DVInfo.net Search for quick answers Where to buy? From the best in the business...DVInfo.net sponsors

October 20th, 2003, 11:23 PM	#2
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Save your money and buy a Panasonic MX500 instead? A Canon Optura Xi perhaps? Depending on what kind of shooting you plan to do should determine which cam you should go for. Personally, I think the VX2000 is the best of the lot (cams mentioned), but consider the good 16:9 mode of the PDX10, MX500 and Optura Xi. Audio is another matter. I think the PDX10 audio is better, plus it's got XLRs.

October 22nd, 2003, 05:54 PM	#4
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Low light? The VX2000. The best for film transfers? That would depend on the method of the film transfer used. Pick a transfer lab, then see what they recommend.

October 22nd, 2003, 06:08 PM	#5
Blip Pio New Boot Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 19	Whatever you buy have a friend in the US get it!...I got my PDX10 for $1849 US

October 28th, 2003, 09:49 PM	#6
Anthony Milic Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 103	thanks guys, as alway. I've managed to organise a little hands-on play with the cams tomorrow morning. Hopefully I'll be able to make a decisive choice afterward. But now the flipp'n vx2100 is less than three weeks away (according to cam store specialist) might wait for that.. but then there's the P170.. then there's the .... sigh.. I'm sure whatever I choose, I'll adapt to it's quirks (which by the sound of things, the pdx10 has more of) and enjoy filming.

October 28th, 2003, 10:58 PM	#8
Anthony Milic Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 103	ha. yeah I know boyd.. it's depressing. I've had a look around (B&H etc) and don't think I'll end up saving that much. wish me luck! ps.. CONGRATS on the 'promotion' :)

October 28th, 2003, 11:53 PM	#10
Anthony Milic Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 103	not going to the states. yeah, that's the thing, the vx2100 should be available to me in about 3 weeks (according to retailer) the only problem is that my window of opportunity for taking advatage of approx 30% saving (due to purchasing through Sony insider -he's resigning) may close before the 2100 is available. If I wait, I may loose out altogether and end up paying full retail. In which case I'd be forced to go with the pdx10 as -for some reason- it is dramatically cheaper than the vx2000 here. ho hum. perhaps I'll let circumstances dictate my decision.. then I've got no one to blame but fate him/her self ;) ... (oh and myself for not deciding in the first place)

October 28th, 2003, 11:56 PM	#11
Steve Tapping Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Australia WA Posts: 41	Adrian your exactly right. I am from Western Australia so I need a PAL camera. I am right now looking at the PDX10P(PAL). A few prices Below: TRV950E(PAL):$2049.95US-----AUD=$2903.75 TRV950(NTSC):$1599.95US-----AUD=$2266.05 PDX10P(PAL):$2549.95US-----AUD=$3682.23 PDX10(NTSC):$1999.95US-----AUD=$2832.00 PD150P(PAL):$3639.95US-----AUD=$5154.68 PD150(NTSC):$3099.95US-----AUD=$4390.23 VX2000E(PAL):$2599.95US-----AUD=$3682.12 VX2000(NTSC):$2349.95US-----AUD=$3327.59 DVX100E(PAL):$3499.95US-----AUD=$4956.02 DVX100(NTSC):$3299.95US-----AUD=$4672.69 Now, I am making a surf film that will be distibuted both US and Australia mainly Australia though. The camera is going to be used for both land shots & water shots, with a Dave Kelly custom waterhousing. If I am going to be shooting water with this camera It will definatly need to be reasonably small, smaller than the PD150 I would think. I don't want to put my life in danger with a big camera. However I need a camera that can produce great picture and sound results. So I have given you the prices and what the camera is going to be used for. What do you think will best suit me for this big project. In the future this camera will become just a water camera instead of both land and water. Oh and by the way land shooting also consists of lifestyle shots. Do you think I will have trouble with NTSC here in Australia considering AUS is purely PAL, however new telelvisions are multisystem. But only the new ones. Globalmediapro.com have the PDX10P considerably cheaper but I do not trust this online store. Anyone want to help me out with getting a cheap PAL camera from the US ;-) Boyd Import duties are 10% GST to Australia! Hope you can all help me out with this decision. Thanks

October 29th, 2003, 12:28 AM	#12
Anthony Milic Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 103	well Steve, based on those prices - you're saving about $1000 on the best price I've been able to find in Oz. Good luck - and hey if you find a reliable and cost effective purchase/shipping arrangement, by all means - do share!! :) Wish you all the best with the surf film too. I'll have to check out the west coast swell one of these days. one other thing - find out about the operation of the PDx10 in regard to vertical smear. I would think that reflections through filming in/on/under/near water would be atrocious.. err, this coming from zero experience on my part of course ;)

October 29th, 2003, 10:30 AM	#14
Ignacio Rodriguez Contributor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santiago, Chile Posts: 932	I would go for the VX2000E unless you have a lot of underwater lights and need native 16:9, in tha latter case I would try the PAL PDX10. You can always deal with smear by moving the lights, but you cannot remove noise from dark video. Since you will be doing underwater work, you will find yourself with less light. Heck even out of the water the PDX10 looks like a toy camera in comparison to the PD150 or VX2000 when there is little light. Of course, when there is lot of light the PDX10's picture is better... at least to me, even in 4:3. __________________ Ignacio Rodríguez in the third world. @micronauta on Twitter. Main hardware: brain, eyes, hands.

October 29th, 2003, 06:47 PM	#15
Steve Tapping Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Australia WA Posts: 41	Hehehe Adrian you know your spots. Qld has a few nice spots and I plan to make it out there next year. Kirra and D'Bah the main target. D'Bah is actually just across the border in NSW though, which I plan to make a trip to very soon. I think your right I will stick with PAL. Ignacio I am not so much shooting underwater. I am shooting in water but above the surface. 90% of the time when I am surfing there would easily be enough light. I am a little worried about the vertical smear, because often when shooting surf shots you can not chose the angle your shooting from, the wave is either a left or a right. I will learn to work around it though. Thanks for the input Later Stevo