So I have been trying to decide between the vx2100 and the GL2. Every week my decision seems to change from one to the other. I had the chance to use a friends GL2 a few weeks ago. It was really nice and I liked it a lot. Ive been looking around for a shop in town that carrys the 2100, but none seem to have one that I can get a look at and get a feel for it. So I have a few questions.

Does the vx2100 have a feature/button that will automaticly rewind and play back the last section of video that was recorded? Similar to what the GL2 has.
Ive heard that the 2100 has problems with the greens being overpowering, is there any truth behind this?
Are the manual controls for exposure and whitebalance, easy and fast to use?
How long does it take the start to record after the record button has been pressed? My previous camera, JVC DV3000, took a good 1.5 or 2 seconds to start, I didnt like that too much.

If anyone can answer these questions, it would help me out a ton.

Thanks,
-Stephen

I have a VX-2000, but suspect these things are pretty much the same...

"End Search" is the feature you want and the Sony has this also. The only caveat is that if you're using a DV tape that doesn't have a "chip" in it, then the function only works until you change tapes. In other words, if you pop your tape out, record on another one, then pop the original back into the camera the end search function won't work on that tape unless it has a chip in it.

I never noticed a problem with greens personally, and the custom preset function should let you tune the color if you don't like the default.

Yes, there are manual white balance, iris and shutter speed controls usings some buttons on the back of the camera. Personally I'm not crazy about the ergonomics since it's easy to hit the wrong button, but they work fine. There is one caveat regarding shutter speed on the VX-2000 which I assume carries over to the VX-2100. When you hit the shutter speed button and choose a new speed the camera will automatically change your existing iris setting. This is annoying, but not much of a problem if you're aware of it. The easiest work-around is to choose your shutter speed FIRST, then set the iris. The PD-150/170 don't have this quirk, so I'm assuming Sony deliberately crippled the 2100/2000 this way to help differentiate the pro and consumer versions.

I never noticed much problem with response time when you hit the record button, but honestly it doesn't matter a lot for my kind of work. The VX-2000/2100 will shut the camera down automatically if you don't use it for a couple minutes though and that can be annoying. The 150/170 don't do this - they just stop spinning the drum instead.

Stephen, the GL2 is head to head with the (now discontinued) TRV950, and the VX2100 is a big step up, as you'll see from the technical specification, the price list, the weight. If you're happy with the GL2 then you'll love the VX2100 even more, because as a photographic tool it has much more going for it.

Bigger chips for more DOF control. 2 ND filters. Zoom ring. Better in low light. There's more of course, and the price difference should prove it.

tom.

Thanks for the replies, it helps out a bunch. I guess the only thing that is keeping from being 100% sure of what to get, is that I havent used or even held the 2100. But after what y'all have said, Im about 99% sure that the Sony is what I need. The zoom ring, and better low light performance is winning me over.

Thanks for the help,
-Stephen

I think if the Canon GL2 had had a 3.5" side-screen rather than the piddly little 2.5" one, it might well have stolen a lot more sales from the VX2100. But bigger side-screens cost disproportionally more than the smaller 2.5" version, simply because the reject rate for a dead pixel means a more expensive screen is binned. So rather than a 3.5" LCD costing 50% more, it probably costs 100% more than a 2.5" one, and this starts to make the accountants wobble.

I see the HC1000 (replacing the TRV950) has reverted to a 2.5" screen, and when that happens the volume sales make the two prices diverge even further.

tom.

I own a VX2100 and i haven't had any problems with green's being "over powering."

I"m in this same dilemma!! I'm also leaning more to the 2100.


http://www.dvinfo.net/canonxl2/articles/article06.php

Go there.. Scroll down and compare the 2100 and the gl2 in that chart.. kind of look slike the gl2 is a bit better...heh

Initially, yes... but keep in mind since these are NTSC specs, and a 720x480 image uses approx 340,000 pixles, then the biger chips with smaller pixel counts means more surface area of each pixel is exposed to light, requiring a shorter duration of exposure, resulting in the Sony's superior low light performance. Not much point in having useable pixels beyond the max that you can display unless you are into shooting stil images with a high end video camera. Since the standards for display are fixed ( DV 720 x 480 ) denser pixel counts on the chip are generally meaningless beyond the useable max. I'm not sure if the DSP is 8 or 10 bit in the Sony, not mentioned in teh manual.

Oh alright then, thats good to hear. I forgot about the bigger CCD's in the 2100.

One more question.. Are the memory cards in the 2100 the same as the memory cards you buy for any digital camera?

<<<-- Originally posted by Advil Dremali : Oh alright then, thats good to hear. I forgot about the bigger CCD's in the 2100.

One more question.. Are the memory cards in the 2100 the same as the memory cards you buy for any digital camera? -->>>
It's a sony memory stick, one of four or five different formats for Digital cameras, there is no real standard out there, dpending on manufacturer

I see.. Do you think I could just buy one at the local Best Buy or something?

<<<-- Originally posted by Advil Dremali : I see.. Do you think I could just buy one at the local Best Buy or something? -->>>
I know circuit city has them, so I would assume best buy does, it comes with I think a 8 MB stick, but it's not the best balanced still camera LOL, It does a good job but it's not designed for stills, but for video..

well, obviously..

Heh.. I just want something a little bigger just in case I want to take a picture.. you know. I'm sure it's better quality than my cell phone's camera.

Any idea how much space a picture on the 2100 is?

Stephen,
I purchased the 2100 against the recommendations of everyone to buy the Canon, and I love the 2100. It has the best results of any camera I have seen. The only regret I haveis that I should have saved up for the PD170. It may cost more in the begining but in the end you will have more features and settings that you can grow with. I only wish I had waited.

Stephen,

I have just been through a similar dilemna, but not regarding the Canon, and finally decided on the VX2100E (PAL).
I am very pleased with the results, and the low light ability will blow you away. The video quality is awesome.
One other reason is that the VX has been around for a while, and although a little long in the tooth, has estabished itself as a veritable workhorse.
I agree with Gabriel regarding the PD170, but I like the colour viewfinder of the VX. The accessibility of manual controls on the PD are good.
I seldom use the sidescreen, except for low shots, and was really pleased the way the screen brightened up automatically in sunlight.
The argument regarding using the video camera for stills goes on, and a video camera cannot replace a camera. The newer megapixel video camera's have a better ability for photo's, but lose out on low light.

Hello all, your previous posts have been a great help and I really appreciate it. But I've ordered a 2100 and I CAN'T WAIT for it to arrive, hopefully tuesday :)

Alright, I'm really curious and I'm not patient enough to wait until mine arrives to find out for myself so I'm going to ask.

Ahem.

I always hear about the low light shooting of the 2100, I hear it's great. Now when people say low light, do they mean like.. LOW light? As in for instance, a dark bedroom with no light except for the Television? or maybe just the door open and a light outside? Or do they mean something like a normal room and there isn't much lighting.

Also.. in order to transfer still images to my computer, do I NEED that sony card reader thing? Theres no way I can have my computer read it as an external drive via firewire, like my digital camera?

I mean like, plugging it in, turning it on and going to My Computer and having it read it as an external drive.

And how is the quality of the camera when you just turn it on and start shooting? Does it require fiddeling with exposure settings and such or is it good on auto?

Any sample footage anywhere?

<<<-- Originally posted by Advil Dremali : Hello all, your previous posts have been a great help and I really appreciate it. But I've ordered a 2100 and I CAN'T WAIT for it to arrive, hopefully tuesday :)

Alright, I'm really curious and I'm not patient enough to wait until mine arrives to find out for myself so I'm going to ask.

Ahem.

I always hear about the low light shooting of the 2100, I hear it's great. Now when people say low light, do they mean like.. LOW light? As in for instance, a dark bedroom with no light except for the Television? or maybe just the door open and a light outside? Or do they mean something like a normal room and there isn't much lighting.

Like it is too dark to read and the only light is from candles in the center of 8 foot tables and the guest's faces are OK.


Also.. in order to transfer still images to my computer, do I NEED that sony card reader thing? Theres no way I can have my computer read it as an external drive via firewire, like my digital camera?

They ship one with the camera, the card-reader thing. Also can use USB connection but I've never used it.

I mean like, plugging it in, turning it on and going to My Computer and having it read it as an external drive.

And how is the quality of the camera when you just turn it on and start shooting? Does it require fiddeling with exposure settings and such or is it good on auto?

Just fine. Everything is mainly fine-tuning. Exceptions are when you want a specific item exposed at a specific value. Then you need to play.

Any sample footage anywhere? -->>>

Cool, thanks. Are you sure they ship the card reader with the camera? I have the .pdf of the manual and it doesn't say it's included. And at bh's site it doesn't say it's included.

I cannot confirm that but I've got 2 PD 150's and 2 card readers that came with them. Maybe 2100's are different, there have to be other 2100 owners lurking around that can answer this question from direct experience.

oh alright, I thought you had a 2100.

I'll give you 5 bucks for one of them card readers :)

The thing about the VX2100's low light ability is that whatever you're filming, in whatever light, you can always say to yourself that if you had any other camera (GL2, XL2, DVX100, DVC30, FX1, Z1, MVX3i etc etc) then you'd be working at a higher gain-up setting.

Or look at it this way. If you're at max aperture and max gain-up with your new VX, then all the other cameras will under-expose the footage, some horrendously so. The single chippers will mess up the colours, too. Go forth safe in the knowledge that to get better low light performance you've got to buy a 1/2" chip camcorder and spend thousands more.

tom.

Sweet. Thanks Tom :)

Do you have a vx? Did it come with the card reader?

My DSR-300 is about 1-2 stops slower than my 150. It might be that a DSR-370 is as sensitive as these cameras but I wouldn't bet on it based on a quick test I made between a 150 and a 370 at NAB at the Sony booth.

Yes Advil, I have a VX2000 and it came with Memorystick, card reader and CDROM.

Sweet, I hope mine comes with one.


I still don't see it in the manual or on BH as an included item though.

My vx2000 came with one but unfortunately the vx2100 does not.
Here is what's included with the vx2100.

• Supplied Accessories: AC-L15 Power Adaptor/ In Camera Charger, NP-F330 InfoLithium® Rechargeable Battery, RMT-811 Wireless Remote Commander® Remote Control, 8MB Memory Stick® Media3, 2AA Batteries, Stereo A/V Cable, Lens Hood, Shoulder Strap

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?CategoryName=&ProductSKU=DCRVX2100&TabName=specs

Ah I see :( that sucks.

THEY DELIVERED MINE TODAY BUT NOBODY ANSWERED THE DOOR AND I WAS ASLEEP!!!

I'm so angry

Hey all,

I just picked up my 2100 from UPS. I couldn't help but notice that the microphone is a wee bit loose.. Is that normal? Like, if I hold it and wiggle it. It moves around very slightly.

Is it supposed to be like that? Or is it normally solidly in place.

Relax!... the microphone is shock-mounted and should be a little wiggly. If you're worried about reading memory sticks then pickup one of those multi-format USB card readers like this http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=282348&is=REG. You'll find lots of other uses for them... I have one which I use for my still camera's compact flash cards, memory sticks from my video cameras and SD cards from a GPS. They're cheap.

Haha.. whew I thought my mic was screwed up.

Thanks for that link, I'll check that out.

One last question though!

How do I get photos to save to the memory card and not the tape? Whenever I press the photo button, it says no tape... But the memory card is in.

Your right thumb has to switch the lever round the rearmost record button down to 'memory'. There's a little safety tab to switch forward to allow you to do this.

Don't forget to enter the menu and change the audio from its default setting to 16 bit 48kHz.

tom.

Ah, thank you Tom.

You guys have no idea how much I love you all!! hahah.

Once again, thanks so much for all this help :)

I did the 16 bit thing. Is there any way I can have the audio levels show up on the main display? I can't find anything about that in the manual.

Any other things I should change?

You may love us all Advil, but more instruction book reading is called for I feel.

The rear panel of your VX has a button marked Audio Level. Push it and see. If you want to control this level manually you've got to push the menu button, access the audio and set the levels that way.

Other things? Forget the backlight button but don't ignore the spotlight mode - a very clever program indeed.

Don't forget (many do) that headphone volume is controlled by the buttons left of the side-screen.

Use the ND filters. If you wait till the camera calls for them it's getting mighty close to being too late.

tom.

This is for the PD-150/170, but most of it will also apply to your VX-2100: http://www.urbanfox.tv/workbooks/sonypd150/index.htm

Awesome, thanks. I've been reading the manual all day :)

Right now I'm trying to figure out how to adjust both, the f stop and the gain at the same time. I don't think you can.

You can't adjust them independently on the VX-2100. As you turn the exposure wheel the iris will eventually be fully open. After that, each click adds 3dB of gain.

If you're truing to take a picture straight to the memory card, move the selector switch to the last position. One direction is VCR mode, there are two selections in the other direction, last being photo or memory mode. There is a little sliding lock to block this in case you are not planning on using the stick, (keeps you from going there by mistake) Then you just press the photo button to take your picture. You can also capture stills to your memory stick from recorded footage. Put the camera in VCR mode and press the photo button when you want to capture a still.

Hope this helps, I have a vx2000 and a 2100. Love 'em!

No Card reader with the VX2100.....that is a fact.

Lou Bruno

<<<-- Originally posted by Mike Rehmus : I cannot confirm that but I've got 2 PD 150's and 2 card readers that came with them. Maybe 2100's are different, there have to be other 2100 owners lurking around that can answer this question from direct experience. -->>>

Here are some tips.

Always manually white balance the VX2100.

Go into your custom Pre-set....located via a small button located at the rear of the handle.



Increase your detail 3/4's of the way.

Decrease your saturation 2 clicks to the left.

Make sure you the SET the Custom Pre-Set via the menu.
You will notice a CP icon in the viewfinder.

Congratulations,
LOU

<<<-- Originally posted by Lou Bruno : Always manually white balance the VX2100. -->>>

I find that white balance button thing very confusing, and it took me a long time to realize one simple thing. If you don't see the manual white balance symbol in the viewfinder (or the tungsten symbol), then the camera is in auto white balance mode.

Also, I lost count of how many times I accidently hit the WB button while recording when I was searching for the audio level button!

No card reader included with the VX2100 and it doesn't have a USB port, either. This model was clearly designed for the best
video performance that could be delivered for its price and still pictures aren't a necessary part of this. However, the VX2100 does produce some of the best 640 X 480 stills you could find.
With a 128mb Memory-Stick, I am constantly clicking still images on mine for Internet posting and E-Mail attachments. With this low pixel-size and large memory card, I can get close to a thousand pictures stored in the camera. I'd prefer having two 128mb cards than one of 256mb size, to keep all my eggs out of one basket.

Those who have a Sony GV-D1000 mini-DV VCR, get full Memory-Stick functions and a USB port. I have an older Sony TRV730 Digital8 camcorder, that no longer has a working tape drive. However, its Memory-Stick and USB functions still operate and could be used to transfer the VX2100's still pictures. Also, many people have computers or DVD recorders with card slots. Some of these will take a Memory-Stick directly or with a card adaptor.
If you take inventory of all your gadgets and the ways you could adapt them for alternative uses, you may not have to buy anything, to carry out what you need to do.

And yes, the VX2100 is as good in low-light as many are saying. The best thing about this, is that many of its low-light pictures look very usable for important productions, not just passable in quality. I've shot unlighted footage of deer with mine, when it was too dark to see them with my bare eyes, but they showed up clearly, although not brightly, on the tape. And just a little bit of added light goes a long way with this camera. When I go hiking in the woods at night, I carry a tiny LED flashlight. I've mounted a clip on my camcorder to hold it lined-up with the camera's field of view and it shoots some amazing things with just this bit of illumination. This light cost 15 bucks and runs 50 hours on three AA batteries. I intend to get some Cougar shots this way or be eaten in the process-----or maybe both??

Is there something like Frame Mode (on the GL1 and GL2) on the vx2100? I see Frame Rec, but I don't think thats the same.

Just shot a wedding with a DSR-500, DSR-300 and my trusty old vx2000. It was a dark ceremony with an african american couple. My little VX WAY out performed it's two bigger cousins in this instance. After we got back and took a look at the footage I was left wishing I had a whole army of vx's for shooting weddings.
Dont get me wrong, the 500 wipes the floor with the vx when you have ample lighting, but this was the first time I've seen the footage from the vx be much, much better than the 500.
I was kinda proud of my little fella. I'm always secretly rooting for the vx when we put him head to head against the big boys.

I have just recently bought a VX2100. I have a few questions if you guys don’t mind helping me out. The first question is. What are my ideal settings to get the best quality of picture? The second question I have is when importing footage in to my Adobe Premier 6.0 what are the best settings to capture from? And last What is the best way to export from Adobe?

Thank You
All the help will be very much appreciated
Brennan

Congratulations on obtaining a great camera, Brennan.

You've asked 3 questions, only one of which can be answered with the information you provided.

Camera settings are application-dependent. It depends on upon what you are shooting at the time.

There are no settings on the camera for export. Plug in the firewire cable and grab the footage.

Exporting footage from any editing program depends on what ultimate use will be made of th footage and the media onto which you are going to record it. And, BTW, just to keep the lines clear between the forums, the editing question should be asked in the editing forum, not here. I'd appreciate you posting just the Adobe portion of your querie there.

And good luck, you will like the camera.

Technically, the best quality movie footage is obtained by:

1) turning off the OIS
2) using a rock solid tripod using the remote control
3) shooting in slightly overcast conditions
4) removing any filters and converter lenses
5) using the default shutter speed of 1/50th sec (PAL)
and 6) shooting at an aperture no smaller than f/5.6

Oh, and having a clean front element, tape path and good quality tape.

I also find my VX's zoom is better at the telephoto end than at the wide-angle.

Premiere 6 doesn't have an MPEG2 encoder, so export back to tape - it's the best storage method there is.

tom.

Hey all. I am considering getting the VX2100. Can you use any kind of filters on it? I've never used filters for a camcorder, but like the red type filters for SLR cameras and wondered if they'd work. Also, how does anyone like the 2100? Is there lots of freedom with the manual controls? I now have a TRV18 and want something better. Will the difference be that much better? Thanks in advance.

I have a VX-2000 which is the previous model. It's a nice camcorder, but only if you want to work in the 4:3 aspect ratio. It has a setting that lets you shoot in anamorphic 16:9 however the results are low resolution as it has to crop the 4:3 image to get the correct proportions. Therefore I almost never use my VX-2000 anymore. However if this isn't an issue for you then I'm sure you'll be happy.

You can control the iris and shutter speed manually, although there is one "gotcha." If you change shutter speeds the iris will automatically reset itself, but afterwards you can take manual control of the iris. So the trick is to be sure to set your shutter speed before adjusting the iris.

Of course you can use filters! If you want to experiment with a lot of different ones you could get the Cokin "P series" filter holder. This lets you drop square glass filters into a plastic carrier:

http://www.cokin.com/ico1-p1.html

However if you want to work with filters it's a good idea to view the results on a production monitor since the little camera LCD screen isn't high resolution enough to reveal potential problems. Another approach would be to shoot without filters and create your effect in post using software.

I'm not familiar with the TRV-18, but since the VX-2100 has three 1/3" CCD's I suspect it will provide a much nicer image.

Now if you want to shoot in the 16:9 widescreen format and like the Sony cameras you could look at the HC-1000 and PDX-10 for standard definition, or the HDR-FX1, HVR-Z1, HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1 for both standard and high definition.

4:3 and 16:9 are not important to me at all. I'm just wanting something that's much better video quality than my 18 (which works for now). I have 2 questions.
1) When the camera shuts off at the 5 minute mark with no use, when you power back up, does it resume at the settings you had it at (meaning the shutter speed and aperature)?
2) With the Beachtek adaptor, can you run 2 mics into it, and adjust their volumes separately on the adaptor so one would record in quieter?

How can 4:3 and 16:9 not be important to you at all? In order to pick the right camera you need to know which format you will primarily use.

1. I think so, but haven't used it in awhile so not 100% sure. The usual trick is to press the still photo button to wake it up. If you switch the power on and off I think your settings will be lost.

2. Yes. I have a DXA4 which has 2 XLR connectors and two volume controls. You can control each channel separately, however when the Beachtek is in use you can't use the camera's built-in microphone. Also, the volume controls on the Beachtek are just to set a level, not to use as a mixer. They move in clicks, and the instructions warn they aren't intended to fade a microphone in and out.