PDX10 and Sony Vegas...
 

here I am, yet another fresh Pdx-10 noob... :)

well, I posted my question on the vegas forum, but with no luck...
maybe someone from here can help me. here is my dilemma:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=61710
thanx

pdx 10 underwater
 

Hello to all, I am to the search of some school of scuba diving and camera, video class under water, did you know if exists?

Perhaps somebody knows wish is the best underwater housings for the pdx 10

Welcome to DVinfo Claudio. A search on "underwater" in the PDX-10 forum turns up a few threads:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...ght=underwater
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...ght=underwater
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...ght=underwater

PDX10 Purchase - Is this worth it?
 

Hi guys,

Recently I found a deal on a PDX10 - Pal version. The price is NZD $1600, which is just under USD $1000. The camera has had 140 tape hours and 400 hours operation time. This includes a NP-QM91D battery and a metal case.

What's you guys take on this? Is this a good deal these days, with HDV etc.

I recently sold an XL1 and am in search of something a bit smaller and lighter on the wallet but with native 16:9.

Thanks for the advice,
Dennis

Pdx10 + Hc1000
 

Hi everybody

Does anybody out there know if there is any add on lens so i can film small insects, i know that you can move the camera close to your subject but this cuts out the light, I need to fill the screen with a insect

your help would be great

Thanks
Ian

Until I lost it, I used to have a cheap wide angle adapter that doubled as a macro lens. You unscrewed the front element to shoot macro. I think several companies make these, although mine came from "Digital Optics" IIRC. Caveat: I never used the macro function so I can't vouch for the quality....

I still think the PDX-10 holds its own very respectably in widescreen DV. The small chips have some limitations, but that sounds like a good price. Of course the FX1 is much better but will cost a lot more. The A1 might be another option, but again, more expensive.

Hi,
I have a PDX-10 as a second camera. It's good points are a great 16:9 image when well lit, surprisingly useful touch screen focus, good audio options, compact size. Its bad points are extremely bad low-light capability (including serious vertical streaking), unwieldy shape, I also find it hard to focus accurately with (unless you use touch screen). If you're going to be doing well lit tripod shots I would say its still a good camera for the money, if you want lots of handheld night shots its a bad choice.

I have a Z1, a VX-2000 and a PDX-10. I find the PDX-10 be be 2.5 f-stops slower than the VX-2000, but the gain is much cleaner on the PDX-10 so you can definitely gain a stop there, maybe 1.5 stops. Now the Z1 is not really a "prince of darkness either" - I'd guess it's only 1 f-stop faster than the PDX-10. But it's gain boost is probably even cleaner - I use 12dB often and it looks pretty good.

The LCD screen on the PDX-10 is a big improvement over the PD-150 and VX-2000, but not nearly as nice as the Z1. I have shot lots of our opera performance archive videos and the PDX-10 and have been very happy with the results. Again, the Z1 is a very nice upgrade, but dollar for dollar the PDX-10 is an excellent value. At $1,000 I think you'd be getting a good deal, assuming the camera is in decent condition. I think you'd pay more than twice that much to get a significant improvement in quality. If you could afford an FX1 then I'm sure you'd be even happier, but that isn't really what you were asking... :-)

Bag for PDX10
 

After fitting a wide angle on the PDX10 [and the larger hood] and finally testing and fitting the XLR microphone, I decided I needed a new bag to fit to the whole thing.

So going to B&H Photo yielded this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

The Sony LC-PDX10BP for $129.95.[made by Petrol]

Which I thought was a bit expensive, so I went down to B&H today to check it out first hand.

Lo and behold, there is the exact same bag by Petrol, PMUP-1 for $84.95!

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

The only difference is the Sony logo. Now is that worth an extra $45 to you?

It wasn't to me.... too funny. Glad I saved the extra bills.

Thanks guys for the advice. Sounds like the PDX10 is a pretty good bet then, esp. for outdoor shooting in widescreen.

:o)

Dennis

Removing XLR Adapter PDX10
 

I have a new PDX10 and I would like to use it with and without the XLR adapter. However, since it takes so much force to get the adapter connected, I am worried that if I constantly remove/reattach the mechanism it will eventually break. Does anyone have any experience with this? Should I just leave the XLR adapter attached? Thanks!

Hi Jennifer, and welcome to DVinfo!

Well as they say, "your mileage may vary".... but I always store my PDX-10 with the XLR removed in order to fit in a small bag. I haven't hardly used the camera since I got my Z1 last summer, but before that I constantly took the XLR on and off for over 2 years with no problems whatsoever.

Once you get accustomed to the needed force and the tactile feedback when the XLR block is seated, I think you'll be fine. But if you're not comfortable with the whole process then only remove it when needed.

I haven't had my PDX10 as long as Boyd, but I constantly will remove and reattatch my xlr adapter as well and have never had a problem.

PDX10 for weddings
 

Yes i know its not as good as the vx2000/2100 and pd 150/170 but does anybody out there use it for weddings, I had one last year got a offer that i could not refuse and parted with it,

But looking back at some footage i shot of some deer, and after using the FX1 and still owning the XL2, and portability of the little cam i have realized that although it has some short cummings it holds its own in the 16:9 mode and i
plan to try some weddings this year (Ive always got the XL2 for backup) and i just wondered if anybody has and what results they have got

Thanks
Ian

Yes, I use the PDX-10 for weddings and haven't had a problem. When I considered purchasing the camera for weddings alot of people strongly urged me not to, telling me that the low light performance was awful and that weddings are too dark. However, I wanted to see for myself how terrible it really was, so I rented one and used it to shoot a wedding (i had a friend with a pd150 come along just incase). The PDX-10 performed wonderfully. True, the low light performance isn't as good as other cameras, however it is more then enough for a wedding- unless of course its an unusually dark wedding that is lit only by candle light or something like that- but even then I did a wedding with a unity candle ceremony where all the lights were turned off and the single candle was able to provide enough light to effectively light the bride and groom's faces without any noticable image grain.

So yes, the PDX10 works for weddings. Perhaps its not the best wedding camera out there, but it does the job and the images it produces are beautiful. I have no complaints using it for weddings.

I haven't really used my PDX-10 since I bought the Z1, but when I look back at old footage I'm still surprised at just how good the 16:9 looks. It is a great little camera.

The wedding topic has been a popular one here in the past:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=46152
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=39319
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=13183

Use it if there is enough light there before hand-which is time and money and not always possible! With that focus ring i nearly got burned recently. But ive been spoilt by using a big boy xdcam with full manual lens.

B.Sundry

Dennis...

I just got back from 10 days in NZ, and my PDX10 came in handy while shooting a Huka Jet Boat ride in an underwater housing.

As others have mentioned, it's a great second camera.

And I've also used it in widescreen mode -- looks great.

yes i must add to these observations having had a few cameras of late including the FX1 and now the XL2 i just recently reacquainted myself with the PDX10 again after looking at some footage i shot over a year ago, i was amazed at the quailty in 16:9, and yes the XL2 is better but for portablity and price it is very,very ,very good, and as for handling a mono pod does a fine job

But all in all i think it is well worth it, as for the HC1 or the AU1 well i don't now much about them and as for the AU1 which replaced the PDX10 will cost you around twice as much! is it worth it i don't know.

If you never got a difinitive answer for this, I purchased 2 of these Lenmar batteries for my Sony HC1 and found that they DO NOT fit the cam. Seem that Sony added a plastic shim or PEG on the camera and the aftermarket people didn't pick up on this in time, so they have to re-tool their batteries to fit the most current Sony design.

In do know that in the past these batteries worked perfectly, I used them on my older Sony cams, but this new HC is a no go.

Spare Parts for PDX10
 

Hello,

My color LCD has died on my PDX10. I have tracked the problem down to the LCD module itself, Sony part # 1-804-599-21 (Ref # LCD901 in the service manual).

Does anyone know of a good source of parts (the list price I have seen ranges $300 - $500!) and/or salvage camcorders?

I know this is the same unit used on the DCR-TRV50.

Or if anyone has a broken unit they'd like to sell for parts...

Thanks,

John.

The only source for PDX-10 parts that I know is Sony's "Parts Plus" website:

https://servicesplus.us.sony.biz

However when I try to open my bookmark it now says the site is under maintenance and not available! Maybe they needed to order some parts to fix it? ;-)

Thanks, Boyd.

I have used the Sony site before - I was hoping there may be a cheaper source for the LCD unit, even if used.

John.

Hmmm... Might need one myself. I find myself periodically trying to get to clse to small objects with no luck on the HC1000.

ND filters and vertical smear
 

Hi,
I've had my PDX 10 for about 9 months now, and I'm mainly using it underwater because of its manual white balance via LANC capabilities. However, because the video quality just seems so good, I was hoping to use it to film family events and in particular my daughter's forthcoming dance show. Problem: the vertical smear of course. I've looked quite a bit on this forum and elsewhere for solutions, and basically the options seems fairly limited, especially if you can't change the camera position (like when you're sat in a dance studio with bright spotlights). My question is this: does anyone know if the ND filters available from Sony would help reduce the vertical smear?
I'd really like to get this sorted out, as otherwise I'll have to continue using my single-chip TRV 33 for situations which would create that green smear.
Finally, apologies if this post appears a bit long - it's my first one on this forum.
Thanks.

Welcome to DVinfo Matthew. ND filters will have no effect whatsoever on vertical smear - in fact there aren't any kind of filters which will help with it.

The problem is made worse by shooting at high shutter speeds, so use manual control at 1/60 or 1/50 shutter. However, I've shot many, many hours of performance footage with my PDX-10 and never had any vertical smear. So I guess it depends on the nature of your location. Unless there are bright lights shining directly into the audience's eyes (which would be pretty bad from a lighting design standpoint) then you shouldn't see any smear. Just having a stagelight in the frame has never been an issue for me.

Can you film a test during a rehearsal in the same space?

Thanks a lot Boyd. I'll try sneaking into the dress rehearsal to work out the best position.
At least I've saved the 30 euros or so I'd have spent on the filters!

Just wanted to close this one - I ended up finding a suitable camcorder (TRV50) on eBay (fully functional) that happens to use the same part as the PDX10. I got it for $250! So now I'll have some other extra parts and/or another camcorder to use for ________ (to be filled in with a justifiable excuse!)

John.

Boyd's spot on (but then he always is). To avoid CCD smear the shutter speed should be locked down at 1/50th (PAL) as in some of the modes it can vary all over the place, and higher speeds really smear horribly.

Also avoid filters for the very reason that the camera has tiny 1/5" chips and filters often make the lens hooding less efficient, too.

tom.

I have a Tecpro 0.5s. This is a 2 element zoom-through wide-angle converter that unscrews in the middle. Once you've done this you're left with a +10 dioptre powerful close-up lens which can be used at full telepho for some quite oustanding closeups. Bit soft round the edges though, so best to shoot at smallish apertures (difficult on the TRV900 and HC1000 as neither allow it).

The front element can also be used as a partial zoom-through wide-angle converter, and it's WIDE - something like 0.4x, but with lots of barrel distortion.

tom.

pdx10, wide and filter...
 

well, I just bought x0.43 fish eye from COKIN for my pdx-10... my eternal dream, to have fish eye, at last, weeiii... :)
anyhow, I am considering to buy couple of filters (ND, polarizig, etc)... so, how can I attach both my wide adapter and filters on my camera? sorry for my ignorance, heh, but what things exactly do I need in order to achieve that?
I am considering to order all that brom b&hphotovideo...
thanx ...

Does your fisheye lens vignette the corners of your image at the moment - in other words do you have 4 black corners when you use this lens?

If so, when you fit any filter between the lens and the camera's zoom this 'cut-off corners' effect will increase, so beware.

I doubt if the 0.43x Cokin has a filter thread to accept filters or hoods up front, so you'll have to improvise with square filters (also sold by Cokin).

The polarisor is a goodie but I wouldn't bother with extra ND. There's three of them built into the PDX10 already, and if it's incredibly bright I'd simply up the shutter speed a notch to soak an extra stop. Beware of going too far though as CCD smear quickly takes hold.

tom.

well, this is image captured from camera... no zoom. vignette is out of safe frame, only can be seen on computer.
http://www.15minutespictures.com/beat/prdavaac.jpg
weird, there is black vignette only on the right side...

and, I took a photo of my camera, with cokin fisheye attached so you can see...
http://www.15minutespictures.com/beat/kameraw.jpg

so, u think there's no need for ND? okay...
do you think some "sky" filters will be a goodie too? you know, sometimes, when adjusting exposure on subjects, to avoid overexposing sky, etc... or, what other filter do you recommend?

All four corners are vignetted, but you're right in that the RHS is worse. Your lens is off axis with the centre of the chip - no big deal.

A graduated filter can be useful to control the over-exposure of the sky, but you have to be oh-so-careful when you use filters with a camera with such tiny 1/5" chips. If they're not spotless and well hooded you can get nasty flare and spots when you're using very short focal lengths.

My recommendation? Don't use any filters unless you absolutely must. For dusty, sandy conditions and sticky-fingered children's parties, yes. But otherwise no.

tom.

Switch from VX-2000 to PDX10?
 

Would I be crazy to replace my VX-2000 with a PDX10? My primary reason for considering the switch is size and weight. I'm getting to where I can't stand watching my hand held camera work with the VX-2000 anymore...not steady enough. The camera is so front-heavy, actually just heavy period for it's size. At work I use a DSR 300 and that heavier shoulder-mounted camera is easier to use hand held than the VX-2000.

I'd really like to get a glidecam to help with the stability issue, but I can't imagine how hard it would be to use for average to longth periods of time with a VX-2000. I assume a PDX10 would be more manageable.

What will the trade off be between these two cameras as far as video degradation? How about low light sensitivity? Lense differences? If it matters, I acquired my VX-2000 in March '02. Any info you fine folks can share would be wonderful, I really enjoy this board.

PC will not recognise PDX10
 

I've got a problem with my PDX10 camera. Today i wanted to capture some video, so i connected the camera with a firewire cable. Then this happends: on the LCD display of the camera appears "dv in" and that's it. In the capture window of Premiere, the only thing i see is: "Capture device offline".

Is this a known problem or is my camera broken?

An old question I know, but have you tried changing the firewire cable?

PDX-10 Picture jumping
 

Hi

Firstly, great to see forum for the PDX10. I've had mine for a couple of years and love it, however, on the last shoot the picture started jumping slightly to the left, then back to normal centre position and then left again etc etc

I did find that if I turned it off and left it for a while, when I used it again, I could get about 10 mins before the same thing happened.

I thought that I'd be able to fix it in the edit by adjusting the frames accordingly and then cropping but actually it seems that when it jumps left it also expands the vertical picture very slightly. This meant that although I could get the jump-left images centred, it still didn't sit correctly.

Has anyone had eny experience of this and tell me what is wrong before I trudge off to the local repairshop?

Thanks for any pointers.


Dave

Welcome to the group Dave. I've never seen anything like this on my PDX-10. I wonder if it might be related to the image stabilization system? Have you tried turning steadyshot off? Hard to tell from your description, but it might just be a drop-out problem of some kind on the tape also.