VX9000 / DSR200 / DSR250 various topics

[Chris Ward]

I understand that there have been a few design flaws with this camcorder. I also understand that Sony has fixed them on the latest production run(?) Any info on this, plus tips on getting the best out of this unit would be appreciated.

[Chris Hurd]

Chris, there's a guy I met at NAB (same week I met you, heh)...
his name is Anthony Burokas and he has a web page at

http://ieba.com/research/DSR250problems.html

which covers his view of DSR-250 problems. I've been reluctant to link the Companion to it until I could hear of similar findings from other users. My good Belgian friend Jan de Wever has a copy of this report on his site at www.abcdv.com

Hope this is what you're looking for -- let me know what you think,

Hi -

Does anyone have an opinion regarding the Sony DSR-200? I have the opportiunity to purchase a used one, and am wondering how it compares to the PD-150 and DSR-250.

Thanks -
Allan

[Chris Hurd]

The DSR200 is basically a shoulder-mount version of the venerable VX1000. Not much I can say about it, other than it has been discontinued by Sony. If it's in good condition, it should serve adequately.

[Alex Ratson]

I recently was given the opportunity to buy my friends DSR 200 off him for $2000 Canadian. This includes a big Pelican case, batteries, and a few other accessories. The camera has low hours on the heads, so that should not be a issue. My question is, are they’re any issues, or problems I should no about with this model? Is this package worth what my friend wants?
If you guys have any other comments you’d like to make, feel free to share them


Alex

PS: $2000 Canadian is about $1000 US

[Mike Rehmus]

Buy it before he changes his mind. THey are going for over $2,000 US on ebay.

The 200, not A had a bit of a low-level light problem IIRC. Thats' why the A version came out so early on.

Still, for that price, put a light on it when necessary.

Make certain there are no dark or bright pixels at any of the gain settings. I'd also check an make certain everything is operational. If the batteries are as old as the camera, they may not have much capacity left and you may have to buy new ones.

[Chris Hurd]

For those who may not be familiar with the older DSR200, it's basically a VX1000 on steroids; a shoulder-mount DVCAM format camera with the ability to accept the large-size cassettes plus a large battery capacity. A very nice deal for this price, by the way.

[Graeme Brown]

I am considering purcahsing a DSR250 and a PD150. The DSR will be the main camera, with the PD as a second / spare. Some of the work we do involves training videos, motorsport and weddings. I would like to be able to use the PD as a second camera, but I am concerned that the images may look different. Can anyone comment on the suitability of this combo in terms of image quality, colour, etc. The alternative is to buy 2 x DSR250, but that's more money than I would like to spend at this stage.

Thanks

[Mike Rehmus]

They are nearly a perfect match as they use the same CCDs and much of the same electronics.

The only thought is if, in your training and motorsport videos, you will want to have a much more direct and rapid control of lens functions. If so, you may want to contemplate a camera with a removable lens for your big 'gun.'

There are cameras available now, like the Panasonic DV200 (street price from a reputable dealer is slightly under $4,000 for the body) which can be had in operating condition for around $7,000.

Just a thought but the 200 (or any other recent 1/2" camera with a reasonable lens will be sharper and deliver more resolution than either the 150 or 250.

I've got a VX-1000, PD-150 and a DSR-300 and there are definite times when one of the two is appropriate. The VX-1000 is only hauled out when the 150 would work OK, the audio requirements are relaxed, and the lighting will be adequate.

[Graeme Brown]

Talking to a vendor yesterday, he claimed that the DSR250 would only manage about 40-60 minutes per standard battery. Given the cost of batteries, this is a big cost implication if I buy one - can anyone confirm or deny this?

[Mike Rehmus]

Look for the posting I made recently about on-line camera manuals. You can look up what Sony says.

I personally think the guy is talking about the dumb choice Sony makes when they include a battery with a new camera.

[Dan Ballmer]

I freelance for a company here in Michigan called Superior Productions. We've been using a DSR250/PD150 combo on weddings for over a year and it works just fine. Same CCD's and lens elements means pretty much the same picture. The 250 is useful for it's longer record time (it can handle full sized DV tapes) and battery life. The PD150 is excellent for taking candid shots, moving around during a reception, and shooting unobtrusively.

-Dan Ballmer

[Graeme Brown]

I can't find anything in either the manual or the brochure about recording times, however the brochure quotes power consumption at 10.5w or 12.5 with the LCD screen open on the DSR250. The BP-L40 is rated at 43wH, which would appear to indicate that one battery should be good for 3.5-4h. Obviously this depends on how much zooming etc you do in the real world, but a figure of 2-3h should be achievable. The dealer quoted 40-60 minutes, the only way I could see that would be if you had a light on the camera. I'm interested to see how all this theoretical musing stacks up in the real world - anyone?

Not sure what "dumb choice" you're referring to Mike - maybe it's different in the US, but on this side of the pond the DSR250 comes without any batteries. I was just surprised (and still sceptical) that I would have to pay about $400 for a battery that lasts less than an hour.

[Dan Ballmer]

The DSR250 batteries we use last for about 3 hours apiece.

-Dan

[Graeme Brown]

Which batts do you use Dan? Cheers.