XL1s quality compared to Sony DSR500 for example?

[Dylan Couper]

I'm sure the picture would be better, I'm just wonding if it's actually $20,000 better. I'm thinking no, but the DSR500 has considerably more going for it than that.

PS, good truck analogy! :)

Just as a side note...

I recently did a mini-feature for CNN. I shot it on the XL-1s. When I dumped it off at the CNN affiliate in Colorado Springs the news director came over to look at my rig (camera, wireless mic, XLR adaptor, fuzzy windscreen). He said he was thinking of getting some (CNN has already purchased quite a few of them). Of course, his engineer objected because, after all, it's not a "real" ENG camera.

The news director pointed to the preview footage as it played out on their editing system: "That's better footage than some of the crap your guys bring in on those $30K things we bought last year," he snapped. "The audio is flawless and this is more resolution than any current TV can reproduce, anyway."

Mr. Engineer was not happy with me.

I took time to think about my shots. I used the correct filters (I shot the stuff at a ski resort). I checked my audio levels. I focused carefully. But most improtantly, I got a good story... something investing in a $30k-$60k camera wouldn't have helped.

I just got a call from NNS. They saw the piece and want to buy it, too; so it'll turn up on other networks.

If you're watching the news in the next few days and see a story about an 82-year-old downhill ski racer, that's the one.

[Rob Lohman]

Great to hear Charles! I have shot a little piece last weekend
here and there was also some local TV guy who had sony
betacam SP camera... He wanted to hold and look through my
XL1S, which he did! The only thing I would have loved to have
from his camera was the shoulder pad and black & white view-
finder.