hopefully last question i'll have before purchasing my pd150:

i currently live outside the US and therefore will buy a pal system pd150p.

however, in about two years from now, i will be moving to the US.

i know i'll have to get a new 110v battery charger, but that's no problem. the big question is:

IS IT POSSIBLE TO WORK WITH A PAL SYSTEM CAMERA IN THE U.S. OR IS A PD-150P IN THE STATES JUST A 3.5 LB. PAPER WEIGHT?

is there an efficiant, and not very expensive way to convert pal to ntsc? or is this something i don't even have to worry about?

since i'm not into weddings and events, and will mostly be shooting documentaries for television, will i be able to live with my pal camera, edit on final cut pro with not too much hassle?

i know the technical difference between NTSC and PAL regarding frames per second, but am not aware of compatibility difficulties of the two systems and complications that may arise due to the differences between them.

thanks, adihead

It's going to be a pain if you intend to do commercial work as straight off the bat it's going to cost more due to the conversion.

If your not going to the states fro a couple of years, I'd go with the PAL version now and then sell it and buy a NTSC camera when yopu get to the states. The PD150 has been out for a while and in 2 years there will be a new and improved model for sure.

Good advice, Adrain. I'll only add that the cost of professional conversion is high. Software conversion is not up to broadcast standards. I've not seen a convertor under $2,000 that I would say produces broadcast quality results.

Jeff