It kind of depends. In bright lights, most DV cameras will perform adequately.

I regularly mix my DSR-300, PD-150 and PC-110 (small handheld Sony) for weddings. The 300 off to the side and on the B&G, the 150 at the back for processions and the 110 hidden up front and looking at the B&G over the Officiant's shoulder. I flip the screen of the 110 forward and tell the bride to center she and the groom if they want some unique shots. Never fails. I have a Century WA for the 110 that frequently gets used. (much better than the Century WA for the 150!)

However, when the only lights in the reception are a center candle at each table, only the 150 will do and the other 2 stay in their cases. They cannot match the 150. However, in stage plays, the DSR-300 images look much richer than the 150. I have to turn the chroma down a bit to make the 2 cameras match.

I've shot a wedding with a PD-100A as the second camera and I wasn't impressed with its performance in anything but bright light.

So yes, I think a 150/170 would be closer to the 5000. And I think you will quickly leave the 5000 in the case when the lights go down.

Thanks Mike.

I will promtly sell my PD100 this week and start looking for a PD150. The JVC 5000 will be the A camera and the PD150 the B.

I plan on shooting it with 4x3 and then editing it for widescreen in post to get the max resolution. I really appreciate your response and any suggestions you (or anyone else) might have on this "mocumentary" project of mine.

R. L. Appling
Fade To Black FIlms

It won't look any different than if you shoot in fake widescreen mode on the PD. It's going to throw away 120 lines no matter what you do.

360 lines is 360 lines and you can't do anything about that with a 4:3 chip, unless you're talking about using a true anamorphic adapter on your lens.

The only time this looks OK is if you display it letterboxed on a 4:3 screen. On a widescreen TV it will look terrible no matter what you do.

http://www.adamwilt.com/DV-FAQ-etc.html#widescreen

Please read this carefully and shoot some test footage first to see if you like how it looks.

PD150/170 for Sale?
 

Hi there,

I'm in the market for a good used PD150/170 [PAL]. Does anyone have one that they're willing to sell?

Cheers,
Steve